Sequel Insurance Agencies Acquires Texas’ Watkins
Sequel Insurance Agencies, powered by SIAA, a leading independent insurance agency platform and perpetuation partner for entrepreneurial agencies, announced its acquisition of Watkins Insurance Group including five office locations across Austin and Central Texas. This transaction marks another strategic milestone …
Merger Suits Stall Under DOJ Boss Who Opposes Blocking Deals
A nearly $1 billion takeover by a defense supplier that Pentagon officials previously faulted for overcharging the military may serve as the latest test of how light a touch the US Justice Department is willing to take on corporate mergers. …
Iran Tells UN It Has Right to Control ‘Parts’ of Hormuz Strait
Iran told the United Nations’ shipping agency that it has authority over parts of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that’s a centerpiece of peace talks between Washington and Tehran. “Parts of the Strait of Hormuz fall within the territorial …
Ugandan Farmers to Challenge $5.6 Billion Pipeline in UK Lawsuit
A group of Ugandan farmers will on Tuesday file a lawsuit in the UK High Court against the East African nation’s $5.6 billion crude pipeline, potentially delaying long-awaited exports due to begin later this year. The petition says the 1,450-kilometer …
Premiums Will Skyrocket by 2035, and Discounts Not Enough for Wind Mit, Studies Say
Home fortifications, from roof tie-downs to window protections, have been recognized as key factors in reducing losses, claims and premiums in hurricane-prone states like Florida. But relying on the incentive of premium discounts is not enough to prompt widespread adoption …
Shark Attack on Alabama Teen Inspires Start of National Alert System
Lulu Gribbin was 15 when she survived a shark attack off the coast of Florida. She lost her left hand, part of her right leg and almost her life. What she didn’t know when she entered the water on that …
Los Angeles Heat Builds Ahead of Hot Spell Across US Southwest
Temperatures are set to rise across Los Angeles and parts of the southwestern U.S. later this week. Extreme heat is already settling across Southern California and Arizona as readings threaten to reach 116F (47C) across the region, including in Palm …
People Moves: Chesapeake Employers’ Names Barnett to Leadership
Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company Names Barnett SVP, CFO Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company appointed John Barnett as senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO). Barnett brings more than 25 years of financial leadership experience to Chesapeake Employers and will play …
Judge Approves $46.75 Million Payout for 23andMe Data Breach Victims
A U.S. bankruptcy judge on July 7 approved a $46.75 million settlement for victims of a 2023 data breach at the genetic testing company 23andMe, which exposed genetic and other personal information of an estimated 6.9 million customers. U.S. Bankruptcy …
NTSB Finds No Engine Failure in Deadly Missouri Skydiving Plane Crash
Federal safety investigators said in a new preliminary report that they found no indication that engine failure caused the fiery crash of a plane on a skydiving outing last month in Missouri that killed all 12 people aboard, including several …
Iowa Insurance Agent Charged With Identity Theft, Fraud
A Walcott, Iowa insurance agent has been charged with over 20 felonies for allegedly opening insurance policies under the names of family who had no knowledge that the polices were taken out, the Iowa Insurance Division announced. Stanly Blythe, 61, …
Fatal Boat Capsizing Claims Three Lives in Wisconsin’s Geneva Lake
Three people died and seven others were rescued Friday after a boat capsized in Geneva Lake as a strong storm passed through southern Wisconsin, an official said. Many injuries were reported in Wisconsin’s Walworth County after the storm toppled trees, …
People Moves: Shepherd Insurance Names Hill as CIO
Shepherd Insurance announced the appointment of Collin Hill as the company’s first-ever chief information officer (CIO), a new leadership role created to support Shepherd’s continued growth and commitment to operational excellence. Hill brings more than two decades of technology and …
Allstate’s SquareTrade Europe Launches Licensed Insurer Headquartered in Brussels
SquareTrade Europe, an Allstate company, has launched a new licensed insurer, SquareTrade Europe Insurance, headquartered in Brussels. SquareTrade said the move will strengthen its ability to design, launch and scale protection solutions more quickly across Europe, marking a significant step …
Texas Doesn’t Require Training for All Emergency Coordinators
In legislative hearings after last year’s July 4 floods, the state’s emergency management chief made some recommendations to state lawmakers. They included empowering the agency to vet volunteers who show up after disasters and establishing clearer guidelines for local officials …
Deadly Screwworm’s Leap Into the US Mystifies Health Experts
As the deadly New World screwworm spreads through Texas, posing significant risk to the US cattle herd, experts are still puzzling over the mystery of how it got there. The parasite fly’s larvae, which feeds within the wounds of warm-blooded …
Insurers Avoid €580 Million Hit From Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts
The insurers of the Nord Stream pipelines don’t have to pay €580 million ($662 million) after a judge ruled that the sabotage of the pipes bringing Russian gas into Europe was the consequence of the war in Ukraine. Nord Stream …
Hellman & Friedman’s Hub International Seeks $3 Billion in IPO
Insurance broker Hub International Holdings Inc. is seeking to raise about $3 billion in its initial public offering, according to people familiar with the matter. The Hellman & Friedman-backed company is targeting going public as soon as this year, some …
Viewpoint: Methuselah Mutuals
Precious few U.S. corporations have been in business for two centuries. Among them are King Arthur Flour (1790), CIGNA (1792), Jim Beam (1795) and Brooks Brothers (1818), although the storied suit-maker entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2020 due to a plunge …
Europe Faces Weeks of Extreme Heat as Fire and Power Risks Build
Western Europe is bracing for the summer’s third major heat wave, fueling dangerous wildfire conditions and straining power systems across the region. A high-pressure weather system is set to bring heat wave conditions this week to France, southern England and …
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