Broker Howden Launches Red Sea Cargo War Insurance as Ship Risks Surge
Howden has started offering war risk cargo insurance to cover vessels sailing through the Red Sea against drone and missile attacks as geopolitical tensions escalate in the region, the UK-based insurance broker told Reuters on Tuesday. The cost of insuring …
Triple-I: Insurance Economic Drivers Outperform Overall US GDP
The economic drivers of the U.S. property/casualty (P/C) insurance industry are growing faster than the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and are expected to gain further momentum in the event of Federal Reserve monetary rate cuts, according to the Insurance …
MGM Resorts Sues FTC to Stop Investigation of Casino Hack
MGM Resorts International sued the Federal Trade Commission to stop an investigation into how it dealt with a cybersecurity attack last year. The company said the investigation deprives it of its fundamental due process rights and that FTC Chair Lina …
Cerebral Inc. to Pay $7M for Data Exposure, Non-Cancels on Counseling Subscriptions
Cerebral Inc., a major U.S. provider of telemedicine mental health services, will likely have to pay $7 million in penalties and refunds to clients as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The firm exposed the personal information …
People Moves: Woodruff Sawyer Promotes Erickson to Employee Benefits Practice Leader
Woodruff Sawyer promoted Dave Erickson to employee benefits practice leader. Most recently, he led Woodruff Sawyer’s employee benefits operations. Erickson has more than 15 years of experience in the employee benefits industry. Before joining Woodruff Sawyer in 2018, he was …
The Auto Store in New Jersey Pays $868K to Settle 35 Safety Violations
One of the East Coast’s largest auto recyclers and used parts suppliers has agreed to pay $868,000 in penalties related to 35 workplace safety violations at its Camden, New Jersey facility. The agreement with The Auto Store, operating as My …
Freight Railroads Ask Courts to Throw Out Rule Requiring Two-Person Crews on Trains
Four railroads have asked federal appeals courts to throw out a new rule that would require two-person train crews in most circumstances, saying the mandate is arbitrary, capricious and an illegal abuse of discretion. The identical challenges of the Federal …
Trump’s Bond Insurer Tells Judge Shortfall Is ‘Inconceivable’
Donald Trump submitted evidence that the insurer providing his $175 million appeal bond in New York’s civil fraud case is financially capable of paying up if his legal challenge fails, after the state attorney general demanded more proof. Los Angeles-based …
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 …