Ship That Caused Baltimore Bridge Collapse Had Apparent Electrical Problems at Dock
Hours before leaving port, the massive container ship that caused the deadly collapse of a Baltimore bridge experienced apparent electrical problems, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday, the same day FBI agents boarded …
‘Forever Chemicals’ Found in Water Sources Around New Mexico, Studies Find
So-called forever chemicals have been found in water sources across New Mexico, according to recent studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and state environment officials. The federal agency detailed the findings last week, around the same day the U.S. Environmental …
How California’s Huge Raises for Fast-Food Workers Will Ripple Across Industries
Michaela Mendelsohn, who owns six El Pollo Loco locations serving grilled chicken and tacos in California, recently found herself raising managers’ pay by over 10% to more than $83,000 a year. With the state’s new law mandating a $20 minimum …
People Moves: Reinke Joins Intact as Chief Underwriting Officer, Transactional Surety
Scott Reinke joined Intact Insurance Specialty Solutions, headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota, as chief underwriting officer for its transactional surety team. Reinke oversees surety’s commercial transactional book of business and their online surety bond platform. Reinke has over 20 years of …
Nebraska, Kansas Brace for Possibly More Tornados: Weather Watch
Wild weather is sweeping the central US on Tuesday with tornado watches posted across parts of Nebraska and Kansas and an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms later in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois, the National Weather Service said. At least one …
North Dakota Hospital to Pay $45K Over EEOC Retaliation Lawsuit
Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center, a critical access hospital in Elgin, North Dakota, will pay $45,000 and provide other relief to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) retaliation lawsuit, the federal agency announced today. According to the lawsuit, …
Several Texas Water Systems Exceed Federal Limits on ‘Forever Chemicals’
In Texas, 49 public water utility systems have reported surpassing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first-ever limits for five “forever chemicals” in drinking water, according to data submitted to the federal agency. Experts say there are likely more since not …
Higginbotham Acquires Louisiana’s Eagan Insurance
Higginbotham has acquired Eagan Insurance of Metairie, Louisiana, in a move that extends Higginbotham’s presence to South Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. “At Higginbotham, we just celebrated our 75th anniversary last year, so we understand the importance of connection …
CRC Moves InsureTrust Cyber Broker to Wholesale Division
Alabama-based CRC Group, a wholesale and specialty distributor and part of Truist Insurance Holdings, has shuffled its deck a bit, moving InsureTrust, a cyber coverage broker, from Starwind Specialty. Starwind was formed in 2021 with the combination of CRC Group’s …
King Acquires Dave Alton Agency in North Carolina
King Insurance Partners, considered one of the fastest-growing U.S. brokerages, has added another producer to its lineup: The Dave Alton Agency, with offices in Greenville, Plymouth and Washington, North Carolina. The Alton agency, in business for two decades, offers homeowners, …
Fitch: U.S. Cyber Insurers Saw Strong Profits, Slowdown in Premium Growth in 2023
The U.S. cyber insurance line generated strong direct underwriting profits for the second straight year in 2023, but written premium volume has stalled amid renewed pricing pressure, according to a Fitch Ratings analysis. For standalone cyber coverage, the direct incurred …
Former MLB Player, 3 Others Charged with Staging Auto Accident in Miami
Four people, including a Cuban-born former Major League Baseball player who earned more than $15 million in his playing career, have been charged with staging an auto accident and defrauding an insurance carrier. Yuniesky Betancourt, 42, who played nine seasons …
Small Businesses See Stable Business Climate; Cite Cybersecurity as Top Threat
The first quarter Small Business Index, which measures small business owner confidence, is 62.3—similar to last quarter’s score of 61.3—reflecting a stable business climate. More small businesses see an improving economy, which drove the headline score up one point. One …
Beat Capital Partners to Launch Credit Insurance Business, Naming Pike as CEO
Beat Capital Partners, a London-based venture capital investor that focuses on the insurance industry, announced it is planning to launch a specialty and tech-enabled credit non-payment insurance underwriter. Called “Convergence,” the business is expected to underwrite through a Lloyd’s consortium, …
UK’s Jensten to Invest Up to £1M to Help Individuals Launch Their Own Brokerages
Jensten Group, the London-based independent insurance broking group, announced it will invest up to £1 million (US$1.3 million) this year to help 15 individuals start their own independent brokerages. The investments will be made through Coversure, the group’s network for …
Zuckerberg Avoids Personal Liability in Meta Addiction Suits
Mark Zuckerberg won his bid to avoid personal liability in about two dozen lawsuits accusing Meta Platforms Inc. and other social media companies of addicting children to their products. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is overseeing the cases, …
Inflation Continues to Increase Insured Property Exposures Globally: PERILS
Inflation continues to have an effect on property exposures with sums insured for European windstorm increasing by 10.1% year-on-year at constant euro exchange rates, at similar levels to 2023, according to PERILS AG, the independent Zurich-based company that provides industry-wide …
UnitedHealth Expects Up to $1.6 Billion Hit from Change Healthcare Hack
UnitedHealth Group expects to take a hit of as much as $1.6 billion this year from disruptions caused by the February cyberattack at its Change Healthcare unit. Despite the disruptions, UnitedHealth still beat estimates for first-quarter adjusted profit, sending its …
Barges Break Loose on Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Damaging Marina, Striking Bridge
More than two dozen river barges broke loose from their moorings and floated down the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, striking one bridge that had already been preemptively closed and damaging a marina, officials said. The boats eventually were pinned to …
Australia’s Weather Bureau Says El Niño Has Ended, Unsure About La Niña Formation
An El Niño weather event has ended, Australian weather authorities said on Tuesday, adding that they were uncertain if a La Niña phenomenon would form later this year, as other forecasters have predicted. The cycle between the two is hugely …