In 2023, the Texas Legislature unanimously passed a law raising auto insurance costs for Texans by $1 to combat rampant catalytic converter theft. Three years later, a little-known state agency has devoted at least $30 million of that fee toward …

Cyber insurers have spent years defining what constitutes a hack and when coverage should pay out, but the rapid emergence of AI agents is raising new questions, forcing insurers to review their policies. Leading AI developers OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta …

Major tech companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon are calling for a society-wide defensive surge to defeat what they describe as an impending wave of hacks driven by artificial intelligence. In a joint letter issued Thursday, the companies …

The downfall of an Australian property developer that borrowed heavily from non-bank lenders is stoking fears that cracks are starting to emerge in the nation’s A$200 billion ($144 billion) private credit market. Bathla Group, a major property developer in Sydney, …

A Florida grand jury found that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration “misappropriated” $10 million in taxpayer money it diverted to a charity connected to his wife, but the grand jury declined to file criminal charges due to a lack of …

The Tampa Bay Rays won county approval Friday on a financing plan that will allow them to build a new stadium, a day after city officials approved their part for the $2.3 billion ballpark project that will replace the domed …

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation is extending its order for insurers to suspend cancellations and nonrenewals for residents impacted by wildfires. The DFR issued a wildfire emergency order and bulletin in late July that was to expire. However, DFR …

A judge has granted a hearing to explore claims that a man wants to recant allegations of sexual abuse years ago by Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky, 82, has been serving a decades-long prison sentence since he …

Aon plc early Monday confirmed a definite agreement to buy USI Insurance Services from private equity firm KKR for $17 billion. Aon said the deal bolsters its goal to target the U.S. middle market segment, building upon its 2024 acquisition …

Some Illinois e-bike riders will need to carry insurance starting in 2027 under a law signed this week by Governor JB Prtizker. The new law requires riders of e-bikes and e-motors capable of traveling over 28 mph to have a …

The Ross Fire has grown into one of the largest wildfires in the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s recorded history, scorching 85,000 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties in just three days. The fire, which began Monday near Palo Pinto, grew …

Farm cooperative CHS Inc. and fertilizer producer OCP North America are proposing a $450 million phosphate fertilizer plant in Louisiana, bolstering domestic supplies as global conflicts have increasingly thwarted the flow of foreign crop nutrients. The proposed plant in Waggaman, …

Inszone Insurance Services announced the acquisition of Aviza Insurance Agency. The acquisition expands Inszone’s footprint in Michigan, welcoming a respected, community-rooted agency with deep expertise in farm, agribusiness, commercial, personal lines, and benefits into the Inszone network. Founded in 1966 …

Florida chef Elijah Button was chopping onions in June when his knife slipped and sliced his middle finger to the bone. It was his worst kitchen accident to date. But having given up his Affordable Care Act health insurance plan …

Tropical Storm Dolly formed in the Atlantic far from land, making it the fourth named storm this season, forecasters said. The name is quite a coincidence, but has no connection to country music star Dolly Parton, who died this week. …

Florida’s attorney general this week rejected the $18 billion settlement with Meta, calling it too soft on the social media giant formerly known as Facebook. Florida will pursue its own litigation against Meta. “The payouts to the states are peanuts …

“Just as we’ve seen with the internet and mobile apps, AI is rapidly becoming a critical conduit to key policy shopping, research and account management decisions among auto and home insurance customers,” said Tony Soloman, director, insurance intelligence at JD …

Meta’s move to restrict teenagers’ use of social media in the U.S. shows companies have tools to better protect young people online, Australian officials said on Thursday, while in the Philippines, an official said the U.S. company had pledged to …

A merchant ship caught fire and sank off the coast of Romania in the Black Sea on Thursday evening, likely after being hit, Romanian President Nicusor Dan and authorities said. The Romanian Border Police on Friday confirmed the fire on …

Six months after US-Israeli strikes disrupted Middle Eastern fossil fuel production and turned the Strait of Hormuz into a naval battleground, the world is getting a fuller picture of how the Iran war has reshaped the economics of energy. A …