Texas Bill Would Allow Vacant Offices to be Converted Into Dwellings
As Texas’ major urban areas grapple with a glut of vacant offices, state lawmakers may make it easier to transform empty office and commercial space into dwellings. A bill by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Mineola Republican, would effectively allow …
AM Best: US P/C Industry Improves Despite 2024 Underwriting Loss
The U.S. property/casualty industry took another underwriting loss in 2024, but results improved thanks to rate increases and changes in risk selection. A report from industry rating agency AM Best this week said U.S. P/C insurers posted an underwriting loss …
Birkenstock Sandals Are Pieces of Design and Not Protected by Copyright: German Court
Birkenstock sandals, which have evolved from a symbol of counterculture to a trendy fashion item, do not qualify as art and are therefore not protected by copyright, Germany’s highest civil court ruled on Thursday. The Federal Court of Justice dismissed …
People Moves: Price Forbes Rebrands Turkey Operations, Making 3 Key Appointments
Price Forbes, the London-based broker, has announced three key appointments in Turkey and a rebranding of its local business. Gökçen Süer has been named chairman & CEO of Price Forbes Turkey while Ali Arısoy was appointed chief broking officer and …
Georgia Commissioner Proposes New Rules on Lithium Batteries, Mobile Homes
The Georgia Office of insurance commissioner will hold a hearing March 20 on new rules regarding fire safety, including the storage of lithium-ion batteries, as well as new permitting rules for mobile homes. The first set of rules would bring …
Tesla Recalls 380,000 Vehicles Over Power Steering Assist Issue
Tesla said on Friday it was recalling nearly 380,000 vehicles in the United States due to a power steering assist failure that could increase steering effort, particularly at low speeds, potentially raising the risk of a crash. The recall follows …
Chilean Men Charged With Burglarizing Homes of Mahomes, Burrow, Other Players
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Seven men from Chile have been charged in Florida federal court with orchestrating burglaries at the homes of prominent professional athletes around the country, according to a criminal complaint. The FBI complaint doesn’t name the …
Woman Sues Georgia Fertility Clinic, Saying She Gave Birth to Another Woman’s Baby
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Krystena Murray became pregnant after undergoing in vitro fertilization two years ago, and said she was unaware until she gave birth that the fertility clinic had made a fateful mistake. In December 2023, Murray delivered a …
Intel Resolves Antisemitism Lawsuit, Case Is Dismissed
A Jewish former employee of Intel has resolved his lawsuit accusing the chipmaker of firing him after he complained about an openly antisemitic supervisor, the former employee’s lawyer said on Thursday. Lawyers for Intel and the anonymous plaintiff John Doe, …
People Moves: Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Names Swartz Chief Growth Officer
Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company, headquartered in Towson, Maryland, named Jodi M. Swartz as the company’s senior vice president and chief growth officer. Swartz has more than 20 years of C-suite and leadership experience, most recently serving as senior vice president, …
Update: Finland, Sweden Investigate Suspected Sabotage of Baltic Sea Telecoms Cable
Swedish and Finnish police are investigating a suspected case of sabotage of an undersea telecoms cable in the Baltic Sea, and Sweden’s coast guard has deployed a vessel to the area where multiple seabed cables have been damaged in recent …
Pro-Russian Hackers Attack Italian Websites After President’s Comments About Ukraine
A pro-Russian hacker group attacked Italian government websites on Tuesday [Feb. 18] in what it said was a reaction to a speech by Italian President Sergio Mattarella that compared Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the Nazis ‘ “wars of conquest.” …
Climate Goals Still Make Business Sense, Rio Tinto CEO Says
Rio Tinto Group, the world’s second-largest mining company and a major polluter, came out in support of corporate efforts to curb emissions, insisting that pursuing green targets can add value. “Despite the fragmented policy landscape, decarbonization can still be good …
India Insurers Look to Hike Health Premiums as Pollution Stings
Indian insurers are considering making New Delhi residents pay 10% to 15% more for new health policies after an extraordinary spike in claims related to air pollution in 2024 in India’s capital, according to nine executives aware of the matter. …
Rebuilding Costs Rose More Than 60% in the Last Decade: Verisk
Over the past decade, there’s been a dramatic increase in reconstruction costs, according to Trish Hopkinson, head of 360Value at Verisk. The 10-year analysis examined residential and commercial reconstruction costs between October 2014 and October 2024. National residential reconstruction costs, …
Supreme Court Tackles Straight Woman’s ‘Reverse’ Discrimination Case
Marlean Ames received numerous promotions and good evaluations over the years working in Ohio’s youth corrections system, so when she was denied a promotion and demoted in 2019 with a $40,000 pay cut she said she felt “shocked and hurt …
New York Sues Vape Distributors for Fueling Teen Epidemic
New York sued several large e-cigarette manufacturers, distributors and retailers on Thursday, saying they fueled a youth vaping epidemic by selling products with cartoonish packaging and flavors such as Baja Slushie, Strawberry Cereal Donut Milk and OMG Blow Pop. Letitia …
Zurich Insurance Sees $200 Million LA Wildfire Loss
Zurich Insurance Group AG is expecting pretax losses of $200 million from the January California wildfires as the insurer reported a 5% gain in profit for 2024. Group operating profit rose to $7.75 billion in the year, the company said …
County Trash Collector’s Workers’ Compensation Claim Thrown Out
When the garbage truck stopped, the worker stepped down from the metal step on the back of the truck to run and retrieve a trash can. When his feet hit the ground, he heard a pop in his leg, felt …
World Insurance Acquired Grandview Brokerage of Brooklyn
National insurance broker World Insurance Associates LLC announced that it acquired the business of Grandview Brokerage LLC of Brooklyn, New York last November. Grandview provides commercial and personal insurance with niches in the healthcare, real estate, and jewelry industry. Michael …

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