Trump’s AI Liability Push Opens Blame Game for Models Gone Rogue
The Trump administration’s embrace of legal liability to enforce artificial intelligence safety sets the stage for future conflicts over who foots the bill when AI models go rogue: the companies that design the systems or the people that deploy the …
Ukrainian Drones Hit Russia’s Top Data Center in Attack on AI Ambitions
Ukrainian drones hit Russia’s biggest data center on Wednesday, part of a series of attacks appearing to target Moscow’s ambitions to develop Russian artificial intelligence capabilities on a par with those from the US and China. The strike on the …
Ga. Commissioner’s Office Investigating as Six Flags Closes 10 Rides After Fatality
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. has temporarily closed 10 rides at seven of its amusement parks, and the Georgia insurance commissioner’s office and local police are investigating after a man fell to his death from a roller coaster. Cobb County Police …
Business Moves: Liberty Mutual to Buy Brazil’s Austral Seguradora
Liberty Mutual Insurance said it has an agreement to acquire Austral Seguradora, a top-five Brazilian surety provider headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. Upon completion of the transaction, Liberty Mutual said it will be one of the largest surety providers in …
Illinois Launches Cover Crop Insurance Savings Program for 2027
The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is offering its insurance discount program for cover crops for the eighth year. The program, called Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program, encourages cover crop acres not supported by other state or federal incentives. …
Shipping, Insurance Costs for Energy Flows Surge, OPEC, non-OPEC Ministers Say
Ministers of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC participating countries in the Declaration of Cooperation said shipping and insurance costs have surged to unprecedented levels – over one third of the commodity value, impeding efficient movement …
Kroger Plans to Slash 37% of Corporate Jobs in Next Three Years
Kroger Co. plans to cut more than one-third of its corporate headcount as the grocer seeks to simplify operations and compete more effectively under new Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran. The Cincinnati-based company will eliminate about 3,000 roles across various …
Business Interruption Claims Approach $1M Average, Says Allianz
The average cost of a business interruption claim is nearing $1 million, an upward trend that appears to have several causes. A new report shows BI losses are being pushed up by natural catastrophes, growing risk in supply chains, rising …
Europe’s Insurers Cut Coverage of Weather Losses, Report Says
Insurers are withdrawing coverage for climate-driven risks and increasingly passing on losses to governments and homeowners, according to a report published by UK-based nonprofit Inside Track. The warning adds to concerns voiced publicly by others in the industry. Last month, …
Fairfax to Buy IDBI for $5.6 Billion in Biggest India Bank Deal
Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. will acquire a stake in IDBI Bank Ltd. for 528.78 billion rupees ($5.6 billion), making it the biggest foreign investment in India’s rapidly growing financial services sector. Fairfax Financial will own 60.72% …
IMF, World Bank Launch ‘Bangkok Blueprint’ to Fight Cyber Fraud
The International Monetary Fund and World Bank on Oct. 14 released a framework for tackling cyber-enabled fraud, as the Thai government underlined the mounting cost of online scams that have roiled the region. The framework, known as the Bangkok Blueprint …
Missouri Sues E-Commerce Giant Temu Over Aggressive Data Collection Practices
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a suit against Temu, an e-commerce platform based largely in China, alleging the company uses aggressive and misleading data collection practices that harm Missouri residents’ privacy. Temu incorporates misleading pricing, false statements about …
Frankenmuth Now Writing Commercial Insurance in Virginia
Super regional carrier Frankenmuth Insurance announced that it began expanding into Virginia late last year. Frankenmuth is now writing all commercial insurance lines for small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large commercial accounts in the state, through a select group of …
Porch to Acquire Allied Trust in $200M Deal
Porch Insurance Group announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Allied Trust’s insurance carrier and managing general agency. The acquisition is expected to add approximately $200 million of Reciprocal Written Premium and approximately $25 million of Adjusted …
XPT Specialty Launches Texas Homeowners Binding Authority Program
XPT Specialty launched its Texas Homeowners Binding Authority program, which gives retail partners in-house authority to place homeowners and dwelling coverage. The program is designed for primary, secondary, seasonal and rental homes across Texas. Targeting well-maintained risks, the program offers …
Oklahoma Home Improvement Company Fined $150K for Sexual Harassment
An Oklahoma home improvement and design company will pay $150,000 to three former employees and provide other relief to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today. …
People Moves: WTW Names Beaton Dir. of ICT Underwriting; Parametrix Hires Stephens to Lead US Underwriting; Gaffigan Heads Lockton US Casualty
WTW appointed Darrel Beaton as director of underwriting within the company’s Insurance Consulting and Technology (ICT) business. WTW’s ICT business is a global leader in P/C, life, and health insurance software and advisory services. Beaton joins WTW from Effectus Insurance, …
AI Models May Soon Self-Replicate Across Smart-Home Devices, Anthropic Warns
Anthropic said small AI models could be months away from self-replicating across internet-connected devices, raising the possibility of AI botnets spreading quickly, fighting takedown attempts and even breaking into data centers to turbocharge their growth. Last month, Anthropic CEO Dario …
CVS Settles Justice Department Case Over Opioid Prescriptions for $315M
CVS Health has agreed to pay $315 million to resolve allegations that the pharmacy chain operator unlawfully filled medically unnecessary prescriptions for addictive opioid painkillers, the US Justice Department said on Oct. 13. The settlement resolves a case the department …
Florida Supreme Court Approves Board Certification in Insurance Law
Lawyers on both sides of the insurance aisle will soon be able to say they are “board-certified” in insurance coverage law, after the Florida Supreme Court approved the new certification last week. The court made only minor changes to a …

