Scientists Take on Severe Storms to Study Hail, Costliest Weather Danger
As severe storms once again soak, twist and pelt the nation’s midsection, a team of dozens of scientists is driving into them to study one of the nation’s costliest but least-appreciated weather dangers: Hail. Hail rarely kills, but it hammers …
Mattel Settles Baby Sleeper Death Suits Before Start of a Trial
Mattel Inc. and its Fisher-Price unit have settled lawsuits alleging their recalled Rock ‘n Play baby sleeper was so defectively designed that it led to the deaths of infants. The agreement, disclosed in a Delaware court filing last week, resolves …
Storm Damage Costs Are Often a Mystery. That’s a Problem for Understanding Risk
On Jan. 5, 2025, at about 2:35 in the afternoon, the first severe hailstorm of the season dropped quarter-size hail in Chatham, Mississippi. According to the federal storm events database, there were no injuries, but it caused $10,000 in property …
Minnesota Culver’s Franchise Settles Harassment Case for $261K
R & G Endeavors, Inc., a fast-food franchisee doing business as Culver’s Restaurants of Cottage Grove, will pay $261,000 and furnish other relief to settle two cases brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), one involving race, sex …
Extended Deadline: Be Recognized as an Independent Agency Leader
Need a bit more time to enter? Good news – the extended deadline to submit for Insurance Journal’s Top 100 Agencies and Top Agency Partnerships ranking is now June 10! We hope that you will consider entering your firm for …
Billion-Dollar Carolina Battery Plant Pauses Construction Amid Tariff Uncertainty
A Japanese company has halted construction on a $1.6 billion factory in South Carolina to help make batteries for electric BMWs, citing “policy and market uncertainty.” While AESC didn’t specify what those problems are, South Carolina’s Republican governor said the …
Walmart Boosts Drone Deliveries in SE in Effort to Speed Up Orders
Walmart Inc. is adding drone delivery in five new cities in a bid to expand online sales and get goods to shoppers faster. The world’s largest retailer will start offering drone service at 100 stores across Charlotte, North Carolina; Tampa, …
AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of Members of Midwest Insurance Group
AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) of Midwest Insurance Company (Springfield, Illinois), West River Insurance Company (Sioux Falls, …
US Supreme Court Makes ‘Reverse’ Discrimination Lawsuits Easier to Pursue
The U.S. Supreme Court made it easier on Thursday for people from majority backgrounds such as white or straight individuals to pursue claims alleging workplace “reverse” discrimination, reviving an Ohio woman’s lawsuit claiming she was illegally denied a promotion and …
Credit Suisse, SoftBank Fight Over Greensill Losses in $440 Million London Lawsuit
Credit Suisse’s $440 million London lawsuit against Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp. kicked off on Thursday over losses linked to Greensill Capital, with the collapsed finance firm’s founder Lex Greensill expected to give evidence next week. The case, which centers on …
New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team Agrees Sponsorship Deal With Broker Gallagher
New Zealand Rugby agreed a sponsorship deal with Gallagher insurance that will give the US-based insurance brokerage naming rights on the playing kit of the All Blacks rugby team. Gallagher’s brand will appear on training and match-day shorts of the …
Cyber Incidents in Canada Triple in 2 Years: QBE Research
Significant cyber incidents have tripled in two years in Canada, driven by technological, socioeconomic and geopolitical factors such as the war in Ukraine, according to research from commercial insurer QBE. Disruptive, globally significant and successful cyberattacks have increased from 10 …
Senators Propose Air Safety Reforms for National Airport After Fatal Collision
A group of seven Democratic senators on Thursday introduced sweeping air safety legislation after a fatal collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet in January near Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people. Lawmakers have questioned …
Satellite Data Capturing Burned Acres Show Canada Wildfire Season off to Wild Start
While images of wildfires capture their ferocity, data can provide insight into how bad a fire season is. Such is the case with two graphics, powered by satellite data, that showcase a Canadian wildfire season off to a wild — …
Crews Work to Contain Diesel Fuel Spill in Baltimore Harbor
State, city and U.S. Coast Guard crews of more than 100 people worked overnight to contain and clean up a 2,000-gallon diesel fuel spill in Baltimore’s harbor. On Wednesday at 11 a.m., first responders received what Johns Hopkins Hospital believed …
Russia’s Aeroflot to Settle Deals for Last 36 Planes Leased From West
Russian flag carrier Aeroflot expects to sign settlement deals with Western insurers and leasing firms on the last 36 planes from a total of 228 aircraft it agreed to buy, Aeroflot head Sergei Aleksandrovski told Russian newspaper Kommersant. Aircraft leasing …
World’s Auto Supply Chain Is in Hands of a Few Chinese Bureaucrats
In a hulking grey building just east of Tiananmen square in Beijing, a small team in China’s Ministry of Commerce is deciding the fate of the global auto industry, one rare earth magnet export permit at a time. China holds …
Viewpoint: Fixing the Claims Experience Where It Matters Most – In the Mess
Before becoming a parent, I thought I could plan for everything. There are books, blogs and apps galore. My prediction was that I could stay ahead of the chaos if I studied, prepared enough and followed the proper steps. Then …
Reddit Sues Anthropic, Says AI Company Exploited User Data
Reddit Inc. sued artificial intelligence firm Anthropic, saying it has used the social media company’s content without permission to train its AI models. The lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in San Francisco Superior Court, alleges that Anthropic attempted to access …
Supreme Court Spares US Gun Companies From Mexico’s lawsuit
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday spared two American gun companies from a lawsuit by Mexico’s government accusing them of aiding illegal firearms trafficking to drug cartels and fueling gun violence in the southern neighbor of the United States. The …

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