Georgia Lawmakers Gearing Up for New Tort Reform Push
ATLANTA (AP) — After years of stalled efforts to limit civil lawsuits, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Republican lawmakers are doubling down with a new push. Supporters, most prominently business groups, call the state a “judicial hellhole,” and argue that …
BlackRock Leaves Major Climate Group Amid Wall Street Exodus
BlackRock Inc. is parting ways with one of the world’s biggest climate-investor groups after being targeted by Republican politicians for its efforts on global warming. The money manager has decided to leave the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative it said …
Edison Denies LA Wildfire Involvement as Insurers Ask It to Preserve Evidence
Southern California Edison said on Thursday it had received notices from insurance companies to preserve evidence related to the Eaton Fire that is still burning in Los Angeles, but said no fire agencies have pointed the utility’s connection to the …
Europe Warns Airlines on Russia Airspace After Azeri Plane Crash
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency warned airlines to steer clear of several cities in Russia following the fatal crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet that was likely shot down by Russian forces. EASA advised carriers to avoid five …
South Korea Jet Crash Puts Fast-Growing Jeju Air’s Safety Under Scrutiny
Before it suffered the deadliest crash in South Korea’s history, budget airline Jeju Air was moving fast: racking up record passenger numbers and flying its aircraft more than domestic rivals and many of its global peers, data show. The high …
Update: Hottest Year Ever Sees World Breach 1.5C Global Warming Target
Earth’s warming exceeded 1.5C on an annual basis for the first time in 2024, according to three major climate science agencies. It’s the most potent evidence yet that countries are failing to meet a Paris Agreement goal of limiting global …
Winter Weather Wallops US Farmers
A nasty dose of winter weather has pummeled much of the U.S. from Kansas to the East Coast, leaving many Americans to dig out of the blizzard — including farmers. And more is on the way, with the polar air …
Texas Refineries Prepare for First Winter Storm, Frigid January
Texas refineries are bracing for an onslaught of cold, snow and freezing rain as the US South’s first major winter storm sweeps in during what’s projected to be a frigid month. While temperatures in the upcoming storm aren’t expected to …
Warner Pacific Completes Acquisition of 5 Acrisure General Agencies
General agency Warner Pacific said it has acquired five general agencies from broker and fintech specialist, Acrisure, effective Dec. 1 2024. Financial terms were not disclosed. Westlake Village, California-based Warner Pacific’s Jan. 7 announcement said it will provide general agency …
People Moves: AIG Moves Flatt to Global CUO; Tooker Now President at The Hartford; Berkley Financial Names Brinkley Chief of Claims
American International Group (AIG) said Christopher Flatt, currently head of AIG North America alternative channels, has been named global chief underwriting officer, effective immediately. Flatt also held the the position of interim CEO of managing general underwriter Private Client Select …
Cal/OSHA Says Safeway Exposed Workers to Serious Hazards at Largest Warehouse
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health cited Safeway $182,000 in proposed penalties for safety violations that reportedly put roughly 1,700 workers at risk of serious injuries at the company’s warehouse in Tracy, their largest facility in the nation. …
Collateral Agreement Didn’t Mention Tort Claims, Cutting SUNZ Out of BP Funds
If insurance carriers want dibs on a company’s assets as premium security or collateral, they had better specify that those assets include potential tort-claim settlements, a federal appeals court said Wednesday. In a case that involved a Florida staffing company, …
Catastrophe Bond Funds Say They’ll Dodge Losses as LA Fires Rage
The wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles are unlikely to trigger significant losses for catastrophe bonds designed to capture such risks. Roughly 12% of the $50 billion cat-bond market is currently exposed to wildfire risk, according to Florian Steiger, chief executive …
Meta Knew It Used Pirated Books to Train AI, Authors Say
Meta Platforms used pirated versions of copyrighted books to train its artificial intelligence systems with approval from its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a group of authors alleged in newly disclosed court papers. Ta-Nehisi Coates, comedian Sarah Silverman and other authors suing …
Brain Monitoring: It Could Improve Employee Performance or Worsen Discrimination
Despite all the attention on technologies that reduce the hands-on role of humans at work – such as self-driving vehicles, robot workers, artificial intelligence and so on – researchers in the field of neuroergonomics are using technology to improve how …
AM Best Upgrades Financial Strength Ratings for Employers Holding Subsidiaries
AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of Reno, Nevada-based Employers Holdings Inc.’s subsidiaries to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and their Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent). Concurrently, AM Best upgraded …
Nevada Division of Insurance Recovered $9.4M in 2024
The Nevada Division of Insurance’s Consumer Services section recovered $9.4 million for Nevada consumers during 2024, the division announced this week. The Consumer Services team processed a significant number of consumer complaints, successfully closing 4,194 complaint cases in 2024, according …
Insurer Upheld in Declining to Defend Employer Against Injured Worker’s Lawsuit
The New Jersey Supreme Court recently ruled that an insurer had no duty to defend an insured employer against an injured employee’s personal injury lawsuit alleging negligence and intentional harm. The high court found that Hartford Underwriters Insurance Co. was …
Massachusetts to Hike Some Mandatory Auto Insurance Coverage Limits in 2025
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey recently signed legislation increasing the minimum coverage limits of auto insurance for some mandatory coverages. These new limits will apply to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025: Bodily Injury Coverage increases from …
Maryland AG Vows to Protect Seniors in Assisted Living, Workers Denied Full Wages
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown is making legislation protecting seniors in assisted living facilities and enforcement of fair wages and safe working conditions for workers as priorities for 2025. Additionally, he is promising to “shore up” Maryland’s civil rights …

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