Salvage of Stricken Oil Tanker in Red Sea Expected in Coming Days, Sources Say
A salvage operation to recover a Greek registered oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi militants is expected to start in the coming days, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday. What …
Main Street America Insurance Exits Personal Lines
Main Street America Insurance said Thursday it will stop offering personal lines insurance in favor of a commercial lines strategy. The Jacksonville, Florida-based insurer founded about 100 years ago in Keene, New Hampshire said it is “tightening” its focus and …
Munich Re and Swiss Re Both Top List of 2023’s Largest Reinsurers
Munich Re tops the list of the world’s 50 largest reinsurers that use IFRS 17 reporting standards, while Swiss Re is the largest non-IFRS 17 reinsurer, according to AM Best. Among the largest IFRS 17 reporting reinsurers, Munich Re is …
Four Fatal Shootings by Officers Were Justified, Mississippi Attorney General Says
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The use of force was justified in four fatal shootings by Mississippi law enforcement officers last year, Attorney General Lynn Fitch said Wednesday. Fitch based her findings on investigations conducted by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. …
California Advances Landmark Legislation to Regulate Large AI Models
Efforts in California to establish first-in-the-nation safety measures for the largest artificial intelligence systems cleared an important vote this week that could pave the way for U.S. regulations on the technology evolving at warp speed. The proposal, aiming to reduce …
PCF Brokerage Buys Part of Kentucky Health Solutions in 14th Acquisition This Year
PCF Insurance Services, a large U.S. brokerage handling commercial and personal lines, life and health, workers’ compensation and employee benefits, has acquired the insurance business of Kentucky Health Solutions. It’s the 14th acquisition so far this year for Utah-based PCF, …
Musk Beats Suit Over Promoting Dogecoin ‘Pyramid Scheme’
Elon Musk and Tesla Inc. won dismissal of a lawsuit claiming they pumped up the price of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin into a $258 billion “pyramid scheme.” Investors who lost tens of thousands of dollars investing in the cryptocurrency faulted Musk …
Court Revives Sarah Palin’s Libel Lawsuit Against New York Times
A federal appeals court revived Sarah Palin’s libel case against The New York Times on Wednesday, citing errors by a lower court judge, particularly his decision to dismiss the lawsuit while a jury was deliberating. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court …
Trucking Firm of Fatigued Driver Who Caused Fatal Crash Kept Fake Hours Data: NTSB
A crash that killed three passengers on a party bus on a Virginia highway was caused by a fatigued truck driver working for a company that allowed its drivers to log excessive hours, a federal report concluded Wednesday. The December …
Sunken Superyacht Likely to Cost Insurers at Least $150 Million, Experts Say
Insurers of the Bayesian superyacht that sank this month, killing tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and six others, could be on the hook for at least $150 million, according to the first estimates by industry experts. The British-flagged 56-meter-long (184-foot-long) yacht, …
UK’s Aviva Conspired to Dodge India Compensation and Tax Rules, Agency Says
An Indian tax agency has found that British insurer Aviva breached local regulations capping commissions to sales agents with a system of fake invoices and clandestine cash payments, according to a notice seen by Reuters. In an attempt to grow …
GM Must Face Big Class Action Over Faulty Transmissions
General Motors was ordered by a federal appeals court to face a class action claiming it violated laws of 26 U.S. states by knowingly selling several hundred thousand cars, trucks and SUVs with faulty transmissions. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court …
NHTSA Closes Two Preliminary Probes Into Fisker’s Ocean SUVs
The U.S. auto safety regulator said on Wednesday it has closed two separate probes into Fisker’s Ocean SUVs over an alleged door malfunction and a loss of brake performance, after the electric-vehicle startup issued recalls to fix the problems. The …
South Africa Insurer Santam Plans Asia Expansion, Following Success of Parent Sanlam
South Africa-based general insurer Santam Ltd. plans to expand in Asia to diversify its premiums and counter tepid growth at home. The insurer, a subsidiary of financial services group Sanlam Ltd., generates 82% of its premiums in South Africa. “We …
Lithium Startups Bet on High Demand in Battery-Powered Future
As the world leans into electrification, it will need more lithium. A key ingredient in the batteries that power everything from electric vehicles to cell phones, demand is projected to accelerate over the next decade. To meet it, a new …
Museum to Sell Painting in Settlement With Heirs of Jewish Family That Fled the Nazis
A Pennsylvania museum has agreed to sell a 16th century portrait that once belonged to a Jewish family that was forced to part with it while fleeing Nazi Germany before World War II. The Allentown Art Museum will auction “Portrait …
Vocational School Owner Arraigned in $1M Workers’ Comp Fraud Case
Los Angeles area vocational school owner, Guillermo Frias, 65, of Paramount, and the school’s accounting manager, Yesid Colon, 54, of Baldwin Park, were arraigned following a California Department of Insurance investigation into allegations they submitted fraudulent claims to receive money …
People Moves: Cooley Joins Graham Rogers Insurance as Transportation New Business Underwriter
Paula Cooley joined Graham-Rogers Insurance, headquartered in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, as a transportation new business underwriter. Cooley will focus on garage and transportation commercial auto. She has over 40 years of property and casualty experience, most recently serving as senior transportation/garage …
Woman Shot at Chicago White Sox Game Sues Team and Stadium Authority
CHICAGO (AP) — A woman who was shot in the leg during a White Sox game last year is suing the team and the Illinois agency that owns Guaranteed Rate Field. The woman was in the left-field bleachers in Section …
Appeals Court Revives Tesla’s Challenge Against Louisiana Law Banning Direct Sales to Consumers
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tesla’s federal court challenge to a Louisiana law that prohibits automobile manufacturers from selling directly to consumers has been revived by an appeals court. The lawsuit by the electric car company owned by billionaire Elon Musk …