Washington Insurance Commissioner Issued Fines Totaling $302K
Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines totaling $302,500 against insurance companies, agents, brokers and unlicensed entities in July, August and September for violations of state insurance laws and regulations. Among those actions was a $40,000 fine issued to Allstate …
Maryland Lawmakers Approve Caps on High-Cost Prescription Drugs
A panel of Maryland lawmakers approved a plan on Tuesday to enable a state board to cap the price that state and local governments pay for certain high-cost prescription drugs for their employees — the latest step taken by a …
Tracking Web Users Does Not Violate Wiretap Law, Massachusetts High Court Rules
A firm’s use of software that tracks users’ activity on its website does not violate a state law against wiretapping, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled. While the state law against wiretapping prohibits intercepting communications, the high court found …
McDonald’s Sued by Colorado Man Sickened in E. Coli Outbreak
A Colorado man has filed what appears to be the first lawsuit against McDonald’s over an E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounder burgers that has killed one person and sickened nearly 50 others. The lawsuit, filed in Circuit Court …
PCF Insurance to Rebrand as Trucordia With New Growth Strategy
Until now, PCF Insurance Services was focused on size and scale, with independently operated offices that may not have known the PCF brand. That’s all about to change. PCF Insurance will now be known as Trucordia, marking a shift toward …
People Moves: Grant Joins Alliant Midwest Team as SVP
Rob Grant joined Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, California, as senior vice president and producer in the Chicago office within its employee benefits group. Grant has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, most recently serving as …
Louisiana Senator: NFIP Reform Needed to Bring Down Flood Insurance Costs
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy released a report Thursday critical of the National Flood Insurance Program’s adoption of Risk Rating 2.0. The report, “The Flood Insurance Crisis: A Comprehensive Breakdown of Rising Flood Insurance Premiums,” found that the average flood insurance …
People Moves: Liberty Specialty Markets Promotes Mahida to Head of 3rd Party Claims UK & MENA; Howden Re Announces 4 Senior Appointments in Germany
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Liberty Specialty Markets and Howden Re. A summary of these new hires follows here. Liberty Specialty Markets Promotes Mahida to Head of 3rd Party Claims UK & MENA Liberty Specialty Markets …
Feds Issue Ultimatum to Louisiana on $3 Billion Coastal Restoration Project
NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) — Federal officials want to know if Louisiana remains committed to a nearly $3 billion planned coastal restoration project that litigation has stalled. Federal officials warned in a Friday letter to the head of Louisiana’s Coastal …
Markets/Coverages: Lloyd’s Launches Disaster Resilience Vehicle for Small Island Developing States
Lloyd’s, the world’s leading marketplace for insurance and reinsurance, has launched disaster resilience vehicle with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to deliver disaster risk financing to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific. in partnership with the …
South Texas Town Lifts Boil Water Notice After 11 Days
McALLEN — Laredo residents are free to use their water after an 11-day boil-water notice expired earlier this week. City officials announced the end of the warning and pledged to address the factors believed to have caused the city’s water …
AM Best Revises Outlook to Stable for American Family Mutual and Core Affiliates
AM Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICRs of “a+” (Excellent) of American Family Mutual Insurance …
AI Push Sees Italy’s Intesa Axing 9,000 Jobs in ‘Generational’ Shift
Intesa Sanpaolo SpA is replacing thousands of staff with younger hires to set the firm up for the use of artificial intelligence, demonstrating how much the technology is impacting workers across the financial industry. The Italian lender plans for 9,000 …
How a US judge Injected Culture Wars Into Boeing 737 MAX Plea Deal
A Texas federal judge with a record of ruling in favor of conservative causes injected uncertainty into Boeing’s agreement to plead guilty over two fatal 737 MAX plane crashes, seizing upon a single sentence in the deal about the U.S. …
Iranian Hacker Group Focuses on US Election Websites, Media, Microsoft says
An Iranian hacking group is actively scouting U.S. election-related websites and American media outlets as election day nears, according to a Microsoft blog published on Wednesday. Researchers say the activity suggests “preparations for more direct influence operations.” The hackers – …
Former Ga. Insurance Commissioner, Now in Prison, Surrenders Law License
ATLANTA (AP) — Former Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, now in federal prison, has surrendered his law license after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The Georgia Supreme Court, in a brief decision on Tuesday, accepted Oxendine’s …
Grieving Families Say Georgia Island Dock Collapse Tragedy Was Preventable
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Regina Brinson heard a crack before the metal walkway gave way beneath her feet, plunging her into the water beneath the state-operated ferry dock on Georgia’s Sapelo Island. As strong currents swept her and others who …
Marsh: US Commercial Insurance Rates Up 3% on Hikes in Casualty
Commercial insurance rates during the third quarter in the U.S. increased 3%, with casualty rates up 10%. According to Marsh’s Global Insurance Market Index — which noted the first decline in global commercial rates since the third quarter 2017 — …
Milton Ravaged One of the Most Popular Areas for Snowbirds on Florida’s Gulf Coast
BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The start of “snowbird” season in Florida is only weeks away, but many Florida Gulf Coast beaches, regularly voted some of the best in the United States, are closed to the public because of the …
Gas Leak Kills 2 in Home Previously Busted for Illegal Marijuana Operation
Two people died and two others were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning at a Freedom, Maine home previously busted for an illegal marijuana grow operation, officials said Tuesday. Freedom Fire Chief Jim Waterman said his agency was alerted to a …