ALKEME Acquires Texas’ NAPA Insurance Center
ALKEME announced the acquisition of the NAPA Insurance Center, an Austin, Texas- based insurance agency that provides health and P&C Insurance to NAPA’s independently owned Auto Part Stores and Auto Care Centers nationally. Founded over 30 years ago, the NAPA …
People Moves: Valley Insurance Hires Weis as Personal Lines Coach; Ryan Specialty Promotes VanAcker to EVP
Valley Insurance Agency Alliance Hires Weis as Personal Lines Coach Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA) recently hired Brett Weis as personal lines coach. Weis will work with the VIAA’s development team and coach new and existing team members on best …
Gun Dealer Sued by Kansas City Reaches $150K Settlement
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Kansas City has reached a settlement with one of the gun dealers it accused in a lawsuit of contributing to surging violence in the region by ignoring evidence that firearms were being sold illegally. Kansas …
Arkansas Tyson Workers Sue Over Lack of COVID Precautions
Thirty-four Tyson Foods employees, former employees and family members filed a lawsuit against the company Monday, saying it failed to take appropriate precautions at its meat-packing plants during the early days of the COVID pandemic. In the lawsuit, filed in …
Arkansas Lawmakers Send Governor Trans Care Malpractice Bill
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – The Arkansas House sent the GOP governor a bill Wednesday to make it easier to sue doctors who provide gender-affirming treatment to minors, moving to effectively reinstate the state’s blocked ban on such care. The …
Jury: UPS Must Pay $75M to Missouri Family Hit by Truck
LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) – A jury found UPS Inc. must pay a Missouri family $75 million, after a company driver with a known history of drug abuse collided with a pregnant woman’s car, causing her baby to be born with …
5 Bodies Found in Rubble of Vacant House After Fire in Ohio
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) – Crews found the bodies of five people after a fire destroyed a house that had been vacant for years and recently had been home to about a dozen squatters, fire officials said. Dayton Fire Chief Jeff …
Texas Gas Market Gets New Calls for Transparency Two Years After Winter Storm Uri
Texas’s notoriously opaque natural gas market is getting fresh calls for transparency and oversight, two years after the 2021 winter storm that left millions in the dark and more than 200 dead. Texas Representative John Bryant, a Democrat, is planning …
Raising the Curtain on the Recovery and Risks in the Entertainment Industry
When celebrities collect their Oscars on Sunday, none of them will thank insurers. But it’s the insurance industry that makes entertainment production possible, whether it’s movies, live concerts, or even a virtual event. They all need all kinds of insurance. …
Another State, Tennessee, Moves to Authorize Family Leave Insurance for Employers
A Tennessee lawmaker wants insurance carriers to offer paid family leave insurance as a way to make time off more affordable for employers. House Bill 609, sponsored by state Rep. David Hawk, R-Greenville, would establish a new line of insurance …
Swarm of Quakes at Alaska Volcano Could Mean Eruption Coming
A swarm of earthquakes occurring over the past few weeks has intensified at a remote Alaska volcano dormant for over a century, a possible indication of an impending eruption. The Alaska Volcano Observatory raised the alert level to advisory status …
Washington Greenhouse Gas Allowance Auction Raises $300M
Washington state’s first auction of greenhouse-gas pollution allowances has generated an estimated $300 million as companies, consumers and the Legislature get a glimpse of the cost of emitting greenhouse gases that are increasing climate catastrophes. The Department of Ecology announced …
OSHA Cites Long Island Thermometer Maker Over Mercury Exposure in Workplace
Federal workplace safety inspectors have cited a New York thermometer manufacturer for overexposing its employees to mercury at its West Babylon facility. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors said they determined Kessler Thermometer Corp. overexposed employees to airborne elemental …
NS Train Derails in Alabama Before CEO is Grilled in Congress
A Norfolk Southern train derailed Thursday in Alabama, just hours before the rail company’s CEO testified in Congress about last month’s fiery derailment of an Ohio train carrying hazardous chemicals. The northeast Alabama incident, the latest of several recent derailments …
AM Best Downgrades SCOR’s Ratings
AM Best announced Thursday that it has downgraded the financial strength rating to A (excellent) from A+ (superior) and the long-term issuer credit ratings to “a+” (Excellent) from “aa-” (Superior) of SCOR SE and its main operating subsidiaries. The rating …
Over One Million Vehicles Reported Stolen in 2022
According to a new analysis by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, more than one million vehicles were stolen in the United States last year – marking a 7% increase over 2021. Monthly theft totals nationwide consistently exceeded 75,000 in 2022. …
Groups Charge Alabama Officials with Discrimination in Wastewater Funds Allocation
Environmental organizations have filed a civil rights complaint against Alabama, accusing the state of discriminating against minority communities in how it distributes funding for wastewater infrastructure, including money for families who need help dealing with raw sewage in their yards. …
Voters in Vermont’s Largest City Nix Police Oversight Board
Voters in Vermont’s largest city have rejected a proposal for a community police oversight board that would have had the authority to discipline and remove Burlington police officers. Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, a Democrat, vetoed a similar measure in 2020. …
Turkey’s Southeast Exodus After Deadly Earthquake Puts Manufacturing at Risk
Mehmet Alkan, a shoe-sole manufacturer in Turkey’s earthquake-hit south, doesn’t know what will become of his company after some of his 220 employees died and half fled, reflecting the difficult transformation ahead for industry in the region. Forty of his …
Lloyd’s Third-Party Managing-Agent Asta Opens Service Company in Singapore
Asta, the leading third-party managing agent at Lloyd’s, announced it is strengthening its global presence by establishing a service company in Singapore. With the Asian market presenting extensive opportunities, Asta has launched a service company that will enable clients easily …