Latest News & Insights

Severe Storm Batters St. Louis, Leaving At Least 4 Dead

At least four people died and authorities were searching from building to building for people who were trapped or hurt after severe storms including a possible tornado swept through St. Louis. The storms Friday afternoon tore roofs off buildings, ripped …

Edison Plans $6.2 Billion Fire-Prevention Plan After LA Blazes

Four months after devastating wildfires swept across Los Angeles, Edison International’s Southern California utility submitted a $6.2 billion mitigation plan that includes installing hundreds of miles of underground distribution lines, among other measures. The utility plans to make the investment …

Widow of Arkansas Airport Director Killed in Raid Sues ATF Over Husband’s Death

The widow of an Arkansas airport director who was killed during a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives raid on his home last year sued the agency and several officials, claiming the agency and officers acted recklessly and negligently. …

Severe Storms Sweep Through Midwest, Leaving Thousands Without Power

Storms accompanied by deep, booming thunder, lightning displays and powerful winds swept through parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, northern Indiana and Michigan overnight — leaving scores of trees down and thousands of homes without power. The National Weather Service issued tornado …

Louisiana Plant at Center of Environmental Justice Fight Halts Operations

A petrochemical plant in Louisiana accused of increasing cancer risks for a majority Black community indefinitely suspended operations largely due to the high cost of reducing toxic pollution. Japanese firm Denka announced Tuesday that its synthetic rubber facility hemorrhaged more …

Florida High Court Lets Stand Ruling on Damage Estimates in Supplemental Claims

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday declined to consider a petition in a condominium insurance case, leaving in place conflicting rulings from Florida appeals courts. The non-decision in American Coastal Insurance vs. Patios West One Condominium Association, stemming from a …

Lloyd’s Has ‘Laser Focus’ on Oversight of Coverholders to Proactively Avoid Market Risk

Lloyd’s has “a laser focus” on the oversight of delegated underwriting authorities to make sure these facilities do not drag down the market in the same way that poor management of managing general agents did in the past, according to …

Judge Orders Restoration of Health Program for West Virginia Coal Miners

A judge on Tuesday ordered the restoration of a health monitoring program for coal miners in West Virginia and rescinded layoffs the federal government implemented in a unit of a small U.S. health agency. U.S. District Judge Irene Berger issued …

Asbestos Clinic in Montana Forced to Close to Pay for BNSF Jury Award

An asbestos screening clinic in a small Montana town where thousands have been sickened by toxic dust from a nearby mine has been abruptly shuttered by authorities following a court order to seize the clinic’s assets to pay off a …

DeSantis Signs Law Making Florida 2nd State to Ban Fluoride From Water Systems

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure Thursday prohibiting local governments from adding fluoride to their water systems, making it the second state in the country after Utah to implement a statewide ban on the mineral. DeSantis signed the …

EPA to Rollback Limits on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water

The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on some “forever chemicals” in drinking water that were finalized last year, while maintaining standards for two common ones. The Biden administration set the first federal drinking water …

Alabama Lawmakers Approve Additional Legal Protections for Police Officers

Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday approved enhanced legal protections for police officers, changes that Republicans said show support for law enforcement but Democrats called “a green light to kill Black folks.” The Alabama Legislature gave final approval to the legislation that …

Boy Swept Away as Virginia and Maryland Hit With Heavy Rains and Flooding

Officials found the body of a 12-year-old boy who was swept away by rushing water on a Virginia roadway during a storm system that also forced a dozen students to stay overnight at a Maryland high school due to heavy …

Ex-FDNY Chief Gets 3 Years for Taking Bribes to Fast-Track Safety Inspections

A former New York City Fire Department chief was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to fast-track fire safety inspections at restaurants, hotels and other city businesses. Anthony Saccavino, 61, …

Army Working to Fix Military and Traffic Controllers Communications at DC Airport

A hotline between military and civilian air traffic controllers in Washington, D.C., that hasn’t worked for more than three years may have contributed to another near miss shortly after the U.S. Army resumed flying helicopters in the area for the …

Davis & Towle Acquires New Hampshire’s Tobey & Merrill Insurance

Insurance agency Davis & Towle Insurance Group, headquartered in Concord, New Hampshire, announced its acquisition of Tobey & Merrill Insurance in Hampton. While the agency will operate under Davis & Towle’s ownership, it will keep the Tobey & Merrill name …

Swiss Re Profits Up Despite Losses from California Wildfires

Swiss Re AG’s profit rose in the first quarter as losses from the California wildfires were offset by positive performance across the business. Net income increased to $1.3 billion from $1.1 billion a year earlier, well ahead of the $952 …

Rogue Communication Devices Found in Chinese Solar Power Inverters

U.S. energy officials are reassessing the risk posed by Chinese-made devices that play a critical role in renewable energy infrastructure after unexplained communication equipment was found inside some of them, two people familiar with the matter said. Power inverters, which …

Cyberattack-Hit M&S Says Food Availability Improving Every Day

British retailer Marks & Spencer said on Thursday food volumes flowing from its distribution centers to its stores were back to normal levels after product availability was hit by last month’s cyberattack. “In chilled areas of our stores, customers can …

Morton Salt Settles Ohio Discrimination Case With $75,000 Payment

Morton Salt, Inc. will pay $75,000 and provide other relief to settle a race, disability and retaliation discrimination case filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the affected employee …

Christian Dior Couture Client Data Breached in Cyberattack

Christian Dior Couture has been hit by a cyberattack, with hackers obtaining some of its customers’ data. LVMH’s second biggest fashion label said it recently discovered that an “unauthorized external party” accessed some of its customers’ data but no financial …

Texas Sweetens Pitch to CEOs, Boards With New State Protections

Texas is trying to entice more companies to ditch Delaware and incorporate in the state, just like Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. did last year at the behest of Elon Musk. Governor Greg Abbott is poised to sign …

Sedgwick Experts Outline Key Workers’ Comp Claims Trends

At last week's RIMS RISKWORLD conference in Chicago, experts from risk and claims administration partner Sedgwick outlined a few key workers' comp trends.

Estonia Says Russia Sent Jet After Attempt to Stop Sanction-Breaking Ship

Estonia said on Thursday that Moscow had briefly sent a fighter jet into NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea during an attempt to stop a Russian-bound oil tanker thought to be part of a “shadow fleet” defying Western sanctions on …

California DoorDash Driver Pleads Guilty to Stealing $2.5M in Deliveries Scam

A former food delivery driver pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to steal more than $2.5 million from DoorDash by getting the company to pay for deliveries that never occurred, federal prosecutors said. Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri pleaded guilty Tuesday …

People Moves: Delos Insurance Solutions Names Coffman CRO; Venbrook Promotes Lang

Delos Insurance Solutions Appoints Coffman CRO Delos Insurance Solutions appointed Jeremy Coffman to the newly created role of chief revenue officer. As CRO, Coffman focuses on expanding Delos’ agency, carrier, and business to business relationships, simplifying the producer engagement process, …

Pilot’s Lack of Oxygen Cited as Likely Factor in 2023 Private Jet Crash in Virginia

A lack of oxygen that incapacitated the pilot and three passengers is likely what caused a private jet to become unresponsive before flying over the nation’s capital and prompting the military to scramble fighter jets in 2023, according to a …

Coinbase Hackers Had Access to Customer Data Since January

Hackers had near-constant access to some of Coinbase Global Inc.’s most valuable customer data since January, according to a person familiar with the incident who asked not to be named discussing company matters. The largest US crypto exchange disclosed earlier …

People Moves: Zurich NA Promotes Fox to Lead National Accounts, Caminiti CUO

Zurich North America announced key leadership changes within U.S. national accounts and underwriting as Heather Fox has been promoted to lead national accounts and Peter Caminiti was promoted to chief underwriting officer. Fox was most recently chief underwriting officer for …

FEMA Chief Says Agency Will Raise State Burden for Disasters to 50%

David Richardson, the new head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said on Thursday that states would in the future bear half the costs for responding to natural disasters, up from 25% under current cost-sharing levels. Richardson, who took the …