Tampa Bay Rays and Local Officials Announce Tentative $2.3B Deal for New Ballpark
The Tampa Bay Rays and local officials announced a tentative $2.3 billion agreement on Thursday for a new ballpark funded by public and private money. The nonbinding memorandum of understanding among the Rays, Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa …
US Personal Lines Insurers Ask for Less Rate After Period of Catch-Up
It appears as though auto and home insurers have caught up, appropriately matching premium to risk in their portfolios. According to a new report from insurance industry rating agency AM Best, rate increases for homeowners and private passenger auto insurance …
California Fire Spread Slows But Dangerous Conditions Linger
Winds that drove a fast-moving brush fire across Southern California’s Simi Valley eased overnight, slowing the blaze’s spread, but dangerous conditions persist as hundreds of firefighters tackle the flames. Fire activity decreased significantly overnight due to calmer winds along with …
Judge Blocks Trump DOJ’s Demand for Rhode Island Transgender Kids’ Medical Records
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s sweeping demands for confidential transgender patient information from Rhode Island’s largest hospital that provides gender-affirming care to minors. U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy’s Wednesday ruling is the latest setback for the U.S. …
Jury Awards $49.5M to Massachusetts Family of Woman Killed in 2019 Boeing Max Crash
A federal jury has awarded $49.5 million to the family of a 24-year-old global nonprofit worker killed in the 2019 crash of a Boeing 737 Max jet in Ethiopia while traveling to her first major assignment. The verdict, reached last …
World Bank Prices $200 Million Catastrophe Bond for Jamaica
The World Bank has priced a new catastrophe bond designed to help Jamaica cope with the threat of hurricanes. The $200 million bond was oversubscribed by investors, the World Bank said in a statement. The deal comes less than a …
Starr Europe Insurance Opens Office in Hamburg, Germany
Starr, the New York City based insurance group, announced the opening of a new office in Hamburg, marking the further expansion of Starr’s presence in Germany and representing an important milestone in the company’s European growth strategy. The new office …
Pollution From Coal Is Hurting Global Solar Output, Study Finds
Pollution from coal-fired power plants that can block sunlight is significantly cutting global solar output, and potentially causing an overestimation of climate progress, according to a new study. Aerosols — tiny particles released from the burning of fossil fuels as …
Few Foreign Ships Seen in Hormuz Amid Reports of Iran’s Insurance Plan
The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to commercial shipping, with maritime traffic reduced to a trickle and dominated by Iranian-linked vessels. There were few notable foreign-affiliated movements amid reports of Iran’s Bitcoin-backed insurance program for shipping companies willing to …
UK’s StanChart to Cut Over 7,000 Jobs, Boost AI to Replace ‘Lower-Value Human Capital’
Standard Chartered will eliminate more than 7,000 jobs over the next four years as it seeks to replace “lower-value human capital” with technology, becoming one of the top names in finance to target headcount cuts using artificial intelligence. The London-headquartered …
IICF Names Lowery-Biggers CEO
The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) announced the appointment of LoriAnn V. Lowery-Biggers as CEO. Lowery-Biggers brings more than 30 years of experience to the role, having previously served as president of Lloyd’s North America along with executive leadership positions …
Tech, Modeling Prove Value-Add to Broker-Client Relationships: McGill’s Karg
Due to the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, data, and analytics, brokers are gaining the ability to treat the risk of each client separately, said Ashley Karg of McGill and Partners. “There’s more opportunity for brokers to embrace individualizing our …
Jury Trial Is There if Corporations Need it, Appeals Court Finds in WV Opioid Case
Corporations facing high-profile negligence lawsuits have been known to request a bench trial—held before a judge only and without the risks of plaintiffs’ lawyers playing on the emotions of a 12-person jury. But in West Virginia, the pharmacy benefits manager …
Progressive Is Biggest Auto Insurer, Surpassing State Farm, Says S&P GMI
The numbers aren’t all in, but it looks like Progressive is now the biggest private passenger auto insurer, based on an analysis from S&P Global Market Intelligence that shows Progressive muscling past State Farm. S&P GMI estimates Progressive’s U.S. private …
Washington Commissioner Issued $167K in Fines in 2Q
A Yakima insurance agent and an unauthorized insurance company are barred from doing business in Washington after Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer issued cease-and-desist orders in April. Those were two enforcement actions during the first quarter in which Kuderer issued fines …
Volvo Group Agrees to $197M Settlement With California Over Excess Truck Emissions
Truckmaker Volvo Group on Monday agreed to a $197 million settlement with the California Air Resources Board over alleged violations of the state’s heavy-duty engine regulations. The settlement resolves allegations that Volvo failed to properly disclose auxiliary emission control devices …
Shipbuilder, Baltimore Officials Seize Upon Criminal Charges Against Dali Manager
The builder of the Dali cargo ship and Baltimore city officials are welcoming the U.S. government’s bringing of criminal charges against the ship’s manager for the deadly and costly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024. Shipbuilder Hyundai …
FAA Admits Failure to Act on Warnings Before Jet-Copter Collision Killed 67 People
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration will tell Congress on Tuesday the agency failed to act on warnings prior to the January 2025 fatal collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people …
Michigan Secures $108M Settlement With Monsanto for PCB Contamination
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has secured a $108 million settlement with Monsanto Company (PDF), the major manufacturer of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and affiliated companies Solutia Inc. and Pharmacia LLC to address harms from PCB contamination in the State of …
Business Moves: Vienna Insurance Purchases Nuernberger; Liberty Mutual Raises Stake in India Unit; Aon’s NFP Buys Irish Private Wealth Specialist; Gallagher Buys UK Law Firm
During this month, two insurers and two brokers have announced acquisitions in India and Europe. Details of these deals follow. Vienna Insurance Group Completes Purchase of Germany’s Nuernberger Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) has completed its acquisition of Nuernberger Beteiligungs AG …



