US Soldier Linked to AT&T Hack Accused of Contacting Spy Agency
A 21-year-old US soldier accused of trying to sell AT&T call records of Donald Trump’s family members also attempted to pawn off sensitive data to a foreign intelligence organization, according to court documents. Cameron Wagenius pleaded guilty earlier this year …
Why People Rebuild in Appalachia’s Flood-Ravaged Areas Despite Risks
On Valentine’s Day 2025, heavy rains started to fall in parts of rural Appalachia. Over the course of a few days, residents in eastern Kentucky watched as river levels rose and surpassed flood levels. Emergency teams conducted over 1,000 water …
Philadelphia Tests Bullet-Resistant Glass to Protect City Bus Drivers
Philadelphia’s public transit system is moving forward with plans to test-run bullet-resistant glass enclosures for drivers on city buses, joining other cities hoping to provide more protection for drivers who often face violence and harassment from passengers. Law enforcement officers …
Inszone Acquires South Dakota’s Kouri & Associates
Inszone Insurance Services announced the acquisition of Kouri & Associates Inc., a Sioux Falls-based agency with a legacy dating back to 1970. This latest acquisition strengthens Inszone’s footprint in the Midwest and ensures Kouri & Associates’ clients gain access to …
Higginbotham Acquires EZ CERT from Program Insurance Group
Higginbotham announced an association with Program Insurance Group of Georgetown, Texas — also known as the home of EZ CERT, a nationally-deployed insurance certificate tracking service for franchisors and franchisees. Through the association, Higginbotham will acquire EZ CERT. EZ CERT …
Europe’s Warming Ocean Current ‘Unlikely’ to Collapse This Century
A new study disputes a long-held fear that climate change will lead to a quick, total collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the ocean current that brings warmth to northwestern Europe. Scientists from the UK’s Met Office and …
Lemonade CEO Declares ‘Best Quarter Ever,’ Posts Narrowed Q4 Loss of $30M
Insurtech Lemonade reported a fourth quarter 2024 net loss of about $30 million and a loss for the year of about $202.2 million. Results were in comparison to a net loss of $42.4 million for the fourth quarter 2023 and …
Fire Danger in LA Is All Around, But Signals to Residents Are Mixed
In the era of cutting-edge computer modeling, satellite data and AI, there has never been more abundant information on the danger that wildfire poses to homes in the Los Angeles area. But that didn’t necessarily help thousands of homeowners correctly …
Mississippi City Drops Lawsuit Over Editorial That Judge Had Ordered Removed
A Mississippi city dropped its lawsuit Monday against a newspaper that had its editorial criticizing local leaders removed by a judge in a case that sparked widespread outrage from First Amendment advocates. The city of Clarksdale’s board of commissioners sought …
Title Insurance Could Finally Come to New York Under Governor’s Budget Amendment
New York this year could become the 50th U.S. state to accept title insurance, after Gov. Kathy Hochul quietly submitted a single paragraph in her 2026 budget amendments last week. The proposed change “adds a provision stating the attorney general …
Warnings, Fines Fail to Stop Insurers and Banks From Overcharging Australian Clients
Last week the Federal Court fined Australia’s biggest superannuation company, AustralianSuper, A$27 million for overcharging customers. The company had breached its legal obligations under the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 by failing to identify and merge the duplicate accounts of …
Bank of America Scraps Diversity Goals in Latest Wall Street DEI Retreat
Bank of America Corp. is rolling back workplace representation targets and replacing references to diversity, joining peers in citing legal changes under the Trump administration. The bank will no longer have “aspirational” goals for diversity and inclusion, which were referenced …
Munich Re Faces $1.3 Billion in Claims From Los Angeles Wildfires
Germany’s Munich Re expects about 1.2 billion euros ($1.26 billion) in claims resulting from the Los Angeles wildfires, it said on Wednesday, representing the biggest loss reported so far by a single European reinsurer for the January catastrophe. The wildfires …
S&P Puts State Farm General on CreditWatch
Potential downgrades of State Farm’s California homeowners insurer came closer to reality yesterday when S&P Global Ratings put the “AA” financial strength and issuer credit ratings of State Farm General Insurance Co. on CreditWatch with negative implications. In early February, …
Smartwatches Measuring Mortality Risks Are New Tool for Insurers
Smartwatches and other wearable technologies have the potential to change the pricing of life insurance policies by offering better data about individuals’ mortality risk, according to a new report by reinsurance company Munich Re and analytics firm Klarity. The study …
New York Dads Forgo $1.6 Billion in Paid State Leave, Study Says
New fathers are more likely to be eligible for state paid parental leave programs but less likely to take the time off, leaving as much as $1.6 billion on the table annually in New York alone, according to a new …
Claims Service, Tech, Communication Top Independent Agent Concerns
Claims, communication, and technology are the top three concerns for independent agents when placing new business with a carrier, according to insurtech Vertafore. The findings were the result of a survey of nearly 1,300 insurance professionals including account managers, agency …
Trump’s Threat to EV Trucking Rules Undermines Big-Rig Bets
Two years ago, Rudy Diaz made a gutsy bet. The 45-year-old owner of Hight Logistics, a trucking company that hauls containers from the bustling ports around Los Angeles, began adding some of the country’s first electric heavy-duty trucks to his …
Meta Must Face Lawsuit Claiming it Prefers Cheaper Foreign Workers
A federal judge on Tuesday said Meta Platforms must face a lawsuit claiming that the Facebook and Instagram parent prefers to hire foreign workers because it can pay them less than American workers. U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in San …
Big Threat? Payroll Companies Taking Insurance Biz Away From Agencies, Agents Warn
Insurance agents in Florida and beyond are finding that some of their toughest competition now seems to be coming from firms that aren’t really insurance agencies at all – at least not in the historical sense of the word. “They’re …

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