Virginia Monitoring Traveler Linked to Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship
The Virginia Department of Health said on Thursday it is monitoring a resident who recently returned from a cruise ship linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak. The person had been aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged expedition cruise ship that …
California Teens See Cannabis as Safer Than Alcohol, Vapes and Cigarettes
Newswise — Adolescents in California consistently perceive cannabis as less harmful than other commonly used substances, according to a new study analyzing data from two large statewide school surveys. Shu-Hong Zhu, PhD, professor at the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim …
New York State Has Budget Deal That Includes Auto Insurance Reforms: Gov. Hochul
New York State has a 2026-2027 budget agreement, at least according to Gov. Kathy Hochul. Hochul announced today that the budget totals about $268 billion and includes some but not all of her proposals for auto insurance reform to lower …
ALPS to Acquire Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Company
The Ohio State Bar Association (Ohio Bar) and ALPS Insurance (ALPS) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which ALPS will acquire the Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Company (OBLIC), a leading provider of professional liability insurance …
Markets/Coverages: MS Amlin Launches Consortium to Boost Property Treaty Capacity
MS Amlin, the Lloyd’s re/insurer, has launched a consortium to boost property treaty capacity for all property per-risk lines. This additional capacity is expected to be particularly relevant for global data centers, where demand for higher limits continues to grow, …
Illinois Manufacturing Company to Pay $625K Settlement Over No-Poach Agreements
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a settlement with Vee Pak LLC, doing business as Voyant Beauty (Vee Pak) that resolves allegations the manufacturing company entered into no-poach agreements with several temporary staffing agencies. The settlement requires Vee Pak to …
Texas Sees Surge in Gas Projects as Data Centers Drive Shift in Power Generation
A decade ago, wind power was surging in popularity and attracting huge investments that made Texas a national leader in renewable energy. But today, gas generation is making a big comeback, driven by a wave of data centers flooding into …
HCI Group Reports $85M in Profit for Q1, with Premium Growth for Most Subsidiaries
Tampa-based HCI Group, now in its 20th year and its 18th year as a publicly traded company, reported a healthy profit for the first quarter of 2026 and significant growth in premium across most of its property-casualty insurance firms. “HCI …
People Moves: Alliant Names Lefebvre as VP Within Employee Benefits Group
Ashley Lefebvre has joined Alliant Insurance Services as vice president within its employee benefits group in Houston, Texas. She will serve a national client base, partnering with clients to deliver strategic employee benefits and HR solutions that boost ROI and …
A Quieter Hurricane Season This Year Could Still Pummel the US Power Grid
Meteorologists are forecasting about 13 named Atlantic storms this season, or a little less activity than average. That sounds like good news for the US power grid and everyone who relies on it. But a look back at recent years …
Reporting Shows Georgia Officials Knew Carpet Mills Polluted Local Water
Starting in the 1970s, the textile mills of northwest Georgia relied on chemicals known as PFAS to add stain resistance to the carpets they manufactured. Some of the chemicals that didn’t stick were flushed with the multibillion-dollar industry’s wastewater into …
Eric Cioppa, Long-Time Insurance Regulator and Leader, Passes Away in Maine
Eric Cioppa, a respected former national and Maine insurance regulatory leader, passed away from Multiple System Atrophy on May 1 at his home in China, Maine. Cioppa’s career included 33 years at the Maine Bureau of Insurance. He began in …
Root Inc. Opens 2026 With Best Quarterly Net Income Ever at Nearly $36M
Root Inc. reported a first quarter 2026 net income of $35.9 million—the best quarterly result in the company’s history—compared with net income of $18.4 million for the same period in 2025. In a letter to shareholders, Root Inc, the parent …
Sandy Hook School Safety Program Draws 400K Anonymous Tips, Teaches Red Flags
Less than two years after her 6-year-old son was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, Nicole Hockley was in an Ohio church basement teaching the first class of a program she hoped would help prevent future school shootings. …
Thieves Are Stealing Chile’s Solar Panels and Cashing In on the Black Market
Just before midnight, two men in white coveralls and black gloves scale an electric fence at a solar farm in Chile’s Atacama Desert, then slip soundlessly into rows of sleek panels. Others use a poultry shear and electric angle grinder …
Iran Sets Out Process for Hormuz Transit But Shipowners Are Wary
Iran has laid out an updated process for ships seeking to transit Hormuz, but several shipowners said they remained cautious about sending their vessels through until there are more details about the conditions that may be imposed. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary …
One CMA CGM Vessel Attacked While Transiting Strait of Hormuz, Another Exits Gulf
A CMA CGM container ship was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, injuring crew members and damaging the vessel, while another vessel run by the French group exited the Gulf, as the U.S.-Iran conflict continued to disrupt shipping traffic. …
EU Countries, Lawmakers Clinch Provisional Deal on Watered-Down AI Rules
EU countries and European Parliament lawmakers on Thursday agreed to watered-down landmark artificial intelligence rules, including delaying their implementation, in a move which critics say shows Europe caving to Big Tech. The tentative agreement, which needs to be formally endorsed …
People Moves: Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers Names Anthony President of US Assure; CRC Group Adds to Specialty Team
Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers Appoints Anthony President of US Assure Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers (RSUM), the underwriting management division of Ryan Specialty, appointed Amber Anthony as president of US Assure. Anthony will continue to oversee marketing, sales and distribution in …
Lawyers, Traders Among 30 Charged in Global Insider Trading Case
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced that 30 people, including corporate lawyers and financial professionals, have been indicted in connection with an insider trading scheme that relied on information about mergers stolen from major law firms. Nineteen people were arrested, including …



