UK Navy Warns of Piracy Menace to Ships in Indian Ocean
The UK Navy posted an advisory to merchant ships in the Indian Ocean warning of pirate activity, a sign of a growing threat to a maritime industry that’s been coming under missile attacks near Yemen. Two so-called pirate action groups …
Murdaugh Denied New Trial After Judge Hears Jury-Tampering Claims
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina judge on Monday denied Alex Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial after his defense team accused a clerk of court of tampering with a jury. Judge Jean Toal said she wasn’t sure if …
US Disabled Chinese Hacking Network Targeting Critical Infrastructure, Sources Say
The U.S. government in recent months launched an operation to fight a pervasive Chinese hacking operation that successfully compromised thousands of internet-connected devices, according to two Western security officials and one person familiar with the matter. The Justice Department and …
Expanding Bus Fleets Could Improve Risk, Safety for Schools, Kentucky Lawmakers Say
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Legislation allowing school districts to expand fleets transporting students to school and home was promoted Monday as a way to fix bus systems hampered by long routes and too few bus drivers. Democratic Sen. David Yates, …
Kentucky House Endorses Paid Family Leave Insurance Bill
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Legislation portrayed as a market-driven, voluntary approach to expand access to paid family leave in Kentucky was overwhelmingly passed by the state House on Monday. The measure, which drew strong bipartisan support, sailed through the House …
SEC’s SPAC Rules Set to Limit Rosy Projections That Fueled Mania
At the height of the SPAC boom, liberated startups capitalized on the ability to tout lofty goals about the years ahead without much of a risk of legal fallout. Now, the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s new rules tightening SPACs’ …
Bill to Ban Smoking in Atlantic City Casinos Advances
A measure that would prohibit smoking in Atlantic City’s casinos moved forward Monday after three years of going nowhere, heartening casino workers who say they are literally sick and tired of having smoke blown in their faces at work. The …
Cyber Insurance Seeing Influx of Newcomers as Risk Awareness Grows
Arctic Wolf and Cyber Risk Alliance’s 2023 Cyber Insurance Outlook Report found that while more than 70% of organizations surveyed in the report have a cyber insurance policy, nearly half of that group said their coverage started less than a …
Russia Behind Spike in European GPS Jamming, Baltic General Says
Russia is likely behind an increase in instances of jamming satellite signals used by airlines, smartphones and weapons systems in eastern Europe, according to a senior Baltic military commander. Martin Herem, the commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, pointed the …
Texas Freeport LNG Unit Faces Month-Long Outage After Winter Storm
U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Freeport LNG said on Friday it expects one of three liquefaction units at its Texas plant will be out of service for about a month after it faced a technical issue during last week’s …
EU Needs Trillions of Investments to Meet 2050 Climate Target: Research
The European Union will need 1.5 trillion euros ($1.6 trillion) per year of investments to meet its 2050 net zero emissions target, research backed by Green EU lawmakers said on Monday. The European Commission is set to recommend next week …
Appeals Court Rules Insurers Not Obligated to Defend Opioid Distributor McKesson
The role drug distributor McKesson Corp. had in the opioid crisis was no accident, meaning the company is not entitled to defense costs related to litigation against it. McKesson Corp. appealed a district court’s ruling that subsidiaries of AIG and …
Global Ransomware Attacks Reach Record High in 2023, Says Corvus
Despite law enforcement actions, fourth quarter 2023 ransomware incidents still surpassed 2022 by nearly 70%, and the number of active ransomware groups grew by 34%. Corvus Insurance recently released its Q4 2023 Ransomware Report, featuring data collected from ransomware leak …
Viewpoint: How Corporate Help Desks Became the Weak Spot in Cyber Defenses
The cyberattack on MGM Resorts in September 2023 provides a vivid example of the effects these types of attacks can have in today’s complex and interconnected IT environments. MGM estimates the incident-related costs at upwards of $100 million, after the …
Florida Bills Would Let Surplus Lines Do Takeouts and Require More Data Reporting
A key Florida Senate committee this week advanced a bill that would allow surplus lines carriers to take over coverage of second homes from Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Reaction by agents and brokers was mixed. The issue of having the …
Connecticut Sues 28 Firms for Alleged Contamination by ‘Forever Chemicals’
The state of Connecticut is suing 28 chemical manufacturers that it alleges are responsible for “knowingly contaminating” the state’s waters and natural resources and harming public health with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.” Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has filed two …
Small California Business Owners Polled on Legislative Proposals
California small business owners in are decidedly against three proposals or potential ballot initiatives they believe could impact their operations. A poll from the National Federation of Independent Business asked respondents four questions that are being considered in the Legislature …
Alaska Charter Company Paying $900K for Wildfire From Campfire
An Alaska fishing guide company has paid $900,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. government alleging one of its guides started a wildfire in 2019, the U.S. attorney’s office for Alaska said in a statement. Court documents said …
Avian Flu Is Devastating Farms in California’s ‘Egg Basket’
Last month, Mike Weber got the news every poultry farmer fears: His chickens tested positive for avian flu. Following government rules, Weber’s company, Sunrise Farms, had to slaughter its entire flock of egg-laying hens — 550,000 birds — to prevent …
Record Q4 at Chubb Ends Historic, ‘Blowout Year’
Record fourth quarter 2023 net income of $3.3 billion, a huge increase over net income of about $1.3 billion during the same period a year ago, ended what CEO Evan G. Greenberg called a “blowout year.” Last year was the …
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