Nuclear Verdicts Go Boom, Increase 40.7% in 2025
So-called “nuclear” verdicts did not subside in 2025. In fact, it was quite the opposite. According to a new report from strategic communications and research firm Marathon Strategies, there were nearly 200 verdicts resulting in an award of at least …
Kentucky High Court Recalculates Employer Attorney Fees, Recovery in Subrogation
A preschool’s insurance carrier is partly obligated to defend a child abuse negligence suit, despite alleged criminal acts. And an employer’s share of attorney fees must be deducted from the amount available from subrogation—not from the full settlement amount in …
Harvard to Pay $53 Million Settlement Over Body Parts Sold by Former Morgue Manager
Harvard Medical School says it agreed to pay $53 million to settle class action lawsuits by relatives of body donors whose remains were sold on the black market by its former morgue manager. Harvard Medical School Deans George Q. Daley …
Judge Approves $117.5 Million Settlement in ‘Complex’ Comcast Data Breach Case
A federal judge has approved a $117.5 million data breach settlement against Comcast Cable Communications. The agreement represents one of the largest data breach settlement amounts and, with 31.7 million potential members, one of the largest classes in a data …
Los Angeles Faces Days of 100F Heat as Southwest Fire Risk Grows
Los Angeles is bracing for a lengthy heat wave as the weather system that’s cooked Texas expands westward and begins stripping moisture from Southern California’s terrain. Heat alerts stretch from Santa Barbara along California’s central coast to the U.S.-Mexico border …
AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of Arkansas’ Kinsale
AM Best has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a+” (Excellent) from “a” (Excellent) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) of Kinsale Insurance Company (Kinsale) based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The outlook of …
People Moves: TDI Names Kranes as Deputy Commissioner of Strategy and Performance
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) announced Michelle Kranes as deputy commissioner of the Strategy and Performance Division on August 17. Kranes will oversee the division that supports TDI’s strategic planning, performance and risk management, and process improvement through technology, …
Alfalfa Sprouts Linked to Food Poisoning in Minnesota and Wisconsin
Minnesota health officials are warning consumers not to eat certain brands of alfalfa sprouts that have been tied to an unusual outbreak involving different disease-causing bacteria. Officials say 23 people in Minnesota have become ill with either E. coli or …
Wisconsin Food Manufacturer Cited After Worker Fatalities
The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Wisconsin-based food products manufacturer after two incidents involving industrial kettles releasing hot steam and liquid, causing three worker deaths and two serious injuries. Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration …
Texas Court Slashes $50M Judgment Against Alex Jones
A Texas court on Friday slashed a $50 million judgment that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre over his false claims that one of the deadliest mass shootings in …
Cleanup Underway After Tornadoes Touch Down in Delaware and New York’s Long Island
Cleanup efforts and damage assessment were underway Friday in Delaware’s capital and on Long Island, New York, after tornadoes touched down during storms that battered the Northeast with heavy rains and left dozens of people stranded in their cars during …
Judge Narrows Ben & Jerry’s Suit Accusing Unilever of Silencing Social Activism
A federal judge on Friday dismissed major portions of a Ben & Jerry’s lawsuit accusing its former parent Unilever of trying to silence the ice cream maker’s social activism, dismantle its board and stop funding its namesake foundation. U.S. District …
Piracy Observer Says Somali Incidents Rising as Navies Stretched
The world’s top maritime piracy observer said incidents off the coast of Somalia are on the rise again after a pair of fresh attacks this week — as two major regional conflicts stretch naval forces in the area thin. Yemen’s …
Thousands in Indiana Still Without Power After Deadly Storms
Tens of thousands of people in northwest Indiana remained without power Wednesday, more than a week after deadly storms leveled trees and knocked down power lines across the region. Northern Indiana Public Service Co. said crews were working nonstop to …
Explosions at Ohio Recycling Plant Claim 2 Lives
Explosions rocked an Ohio industrial recycling business earlier this week, killing two workers and sparking a large fire, officials said. Flames and dark smoke poured from Brent Industries in Toledo on Tuesday as fire engines surrounded the building, TV news …
Hemp Industry Sues Texas Over THC Ban, Claiming State Monopoly
Several members of the hemp industry are filing an additional lawsuit against the state of Texas alleging the ban on nearly all hemp-derived THC products has led to massive job loss and has created a monopoly for the state’s medical …
Storm-Battered Hawaii Faces Torrential Rain, Mudslide Threat
Hawaii’s Big Island is preparing for another round of flooding rain, roughly a week after Storm Lala washed out roads and damaged parts of the electrical grid. Another five to 10 inches of rain are expected through the weekend, with …
People Moves: Alliant Adds George to Employee Benefits Group in Arkansas
Alliant Insurance Services has hired Rick George as First Vice President within its Employee Benefits Group. Based in Fayetteville, Arkansas, George will work with employers nationwide to develop employee benefits strategies that improve the employee experience, strengthen workplace culture, and …
Tesla Recalls 3 Million EVs in China Over Door Handle Safety
Tesla Inc. and at least eight other carmakers are recalling millions of cars in China over safety concerns with their door handles, a major step to address flaws that have led to vehicle entrapment and multiple fatalities. More than 4 …
Apollo Global Reveals Data Breach After Hackers Target Financial Firms
Asset manager Apollo Global Management suffered a data breach last month in which hackers stole some personal information, according to a letter on Friday. The New York-based firm was among dozens of prominent U.S. financial institutions and other businesses that …
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