Some States Are Forging Ahead With AI Regulations
Six months after President Donald Trump warned states not to regulate artificial intelligence, they are increasingly doing just that. Congress has stalled on producing federal regulation of artificial intelligence as states forge ahead and scrutinize how chatbots interact with children, …
Scientists Found the Coral Reefs That Can Survive Climate Change
Some coral reef ecosystems have a far greater chance of surviving the effects of climate change than previously understood, according to new global research. About 166,000 square kilometers (64,093 square miles) of coral reefs across 71 countries have capacity to …
Higginbotham Teams With South Georgia’s Blanton & Griffin Agency
Higginbotham, ranked as the 16th-largest independent brokerage in the U.S., has expanded again, this time with the acquisition of Blanton & Griffin Insurance Agency in Valdosta, Georgia. The collaboration adds southern Georgia market strength and an established local team to …
Federal Judge Sends Bayer’s $7.25B Roundup Settlement Back to State Court
A federal judge sent Bayer’s proposed $7.25 billion Roundup settlement back to state court on Wednesday, overruling objections from plaintiffs who had argued the state court had no power to implement a nationwide resolution of lawsuits that claim the company’s …
People Moves: Ward Joins Alliant Insurance Services Benefits Team as SVP; Delos Appoints Cammet Chief Product Officer
Ward Joins Alliant Insurance Services Benefits Team as SVP Brandon Ward joined Alliant Insurance Services as senior vice president within its employee benefits group. Ward has a background working with technology companies, venture-backed businesses and growth-stage organizations. His experience includes …
Zurich Files Growth Plan Under California Sustainable Insurance Strategy
Zurich is committing to expand its property coverage availability in areas designated as distressed in California in a new filing. Zurich U.S. submitted a commercial property insurance rate filing in California under the state’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy, an effort by …
Michigan Man Charged With Setting Fire to Church
A Flint, Michigan man was charged last week in a criminal complaint with arson and other related offenses for setting fire to St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced. According to the criminal complaint, …
Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Ban on Self-Referrals Does Not Apply to Pharmacies
The anti-referral provision in Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation law does not prevent a provider from referring a patient to a pharmacy in which the provider has a financial interest. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled 5-2 that the law’s prohibition on …
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Race: Sullivan, Quinn Advance to Runoff
The race for the next Oklahoma insurance commissioner narrowed on Tuesday, as Bob Sullivan and Marty Quinn advanced out of the Republican primary to an Aug. 25 runoff. Sullivan, a third-generation insurance professional, was the top vote-getter, receiving about 37% …
World Insurance Acquires New Jersey’s ML Ruberton Agency
World Insurance Associates LLC has acquired the business of ML Ruberton Agency and MLR Risk Management (MLR) of Hammonton, New Jersey. MLR provides personal and commercial property insurance, life and health insurance, and consulting services. Terms of the March 1, …
Russian Warship Fires Warning Shots Near British Yacht
The UK is investigating the firing of warning shots by a Russian warship near a British yacht just outside of its territorial waters. The UK received reports from a UK-registered yacht alleging Russia’s Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate fired the shots at …
People Moves: Lockton Appoints Lespérance as CEO of Canadian Business; Aon Taps Marsh’s Desmond as Head of Construction for UK Commercial Risk
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at the brokers Lockton and Aon. A summary of these new hires follows here. Lockton Appoints Lespérance as CEO of Canadian Business Lockton, the privately held independent insurance brokerage, announced the appointment …
ANV Agrees to Buy Open Lending Corp in All-Cash Deal
ANV Group Holdings Ltd. said it has entered a definitive merger agreement with Open Lending Corporation. ANV said it will acquire all outstanding shares of Open Lending common stock for $3.15 per share through an all-cash tender offer. The transaction …
Alabama GOP Dismisses Tuberville Residency Challenge Brought by Insurance Agent
The Alabama Republican Party said U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville will remain the party’s gubernatorial nominee, rejecting a claim on Sunday that he had not lived in the state long enough to run for governor. The unanimous decision came after the …
People Moves: Lawley Expands Team Across Its Footprint
Lawley, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, named three new team members. Stéphane Legris, insurance advisor, based in Buffalo and serving the Saratoga, New York region. As an insurance advisor, Legris specializes in business insurance, captive solutions, and construction, transportation, and …
Latent Construction Defects: Hidden Source of Disputed Losses in Fast-Built Texas
A nail driven through a supply line during original construction. It happens more often than most claims professionals would expect. In one North Texas home, the fastener sat embedded in the pipe wall for years, gradually weakening the line until …
Lawsuit Dismissed of Ex-Yosemite Ranger Fired for Hanging Transgender Flag
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a former Yosemite National Park ranger who was fired after flying a giant transgender pride flag from a rock wall that looms over the California park’s main thoroughfare. U.S. District Judge …
Markets/Coverages: Nationwide, Barn Owl Partner to Monitor Rural Property Owners
Insurer Nationwide looks to its customers in taking a new approach to rural property monitoring through a relationship with Barn Owl, a provider of solar-powered, cellular-connected remote camera systems designed specifically for farms, ranches and rural agribusiness operations. Nationwide said …
People Moves: Cincinnati’s Kellington to Retire as CTO, Osborn to Assume Position
Cincinnati Financial Corporation announced that John S. Kellington, chief information officer and executive vice president for its lead subsidiary, The Cincinnati Insurance Company, will retire August 7. Kellington joined the company in 2010 as a proven insurance and technology leader. …
Skydiving Plane Crash Brings Attention to Industry’s Weak Oversight
Poor maintenance is often a factor when skydiving planes crash like one did in Missouri on Sunday, and the National Transportation Safety Board has said in past investigations that weak oversight of the skydiving industry can allow problems to go …



