Deadly Accident Has Hawaii Officials Asking to End Amateur Fireworks Shows
In recent years, occasions large and small — parties, Super Bowls, mixed martial arts fights, even Thanksgiving — have provided a reason for residents across Hawaii to set off illegal fireworks. The increasingly sophisticated displays, loved by some and loathed …
Russia-Appointed Officials in Crimea Declare Emergency as Oil Spill Reaches Sevastopol
Russia-appointed officials in Moscow-occupied Crimea announced a regional emergency on Saturday, as oil was detected on the shores of Sevastopol, the peninsula’s largest city. Fuel oil spilled out of two storm-stricken tankers nearly three weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, …
Taiwan Says Chinese Ship Broke Subsea Cable in Alleged Sabotage
Taiwan suspects a Chinese-owned cargo vessel damaged an undersea cable near its northeastern coast Friday, in an alleged act of sabotage that highlights the vulnerabilities of Taipei’s offshore communications infrastructure. The ship is owned by a Hong Kong-registered company whose …
The Institutes, Kevelighan Fire Back at Retaliation Claims by Former Triple-I Employee
The Institutes and Sean Kevelighan, chief executive of the Insurance Information Institute, deny the allegations of discrimination and retaliation from former employee Michael Barry. According to a filing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Triple-I …
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires Canadian Broker Encore Group
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the Rolling Meadows, Illinois-based insurance brokerage, announced the acquisition of Waterloo, Ontario-based Encore Insurance Services Inc., dba Encore Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Encore Group is a retail insurance brokerage firm serving …
Severe Winter Storm Batters Nation’s Capital and Metro Region
The nation’s capital and surrounding areas are experiencing the effects of severe winter weather as a storm has moved from parts of the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic. The storm is producing moderate to heavy snow and icing that will …
New NC Governor Issues Orders to Speed Housing Work After Helene
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — New North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein took several actions on Thursday to help the short- and long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene, with an immediate focus on more temporary housing and repairs to private bridges and roads. …
US Chamber, Oil Firms Sue Vermont for Making Companies Pay for Climate Damage
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a top oil and gas industry trade group are suing Vermont over its new law requiring that fossil fuel companies pay a share of the damage caused over several decades by climate change. The …
New York Employers Must Offer Paid Medical Leave During Pregnancy
Pregnant New Yorkers will be entitled to at least 20 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal medical appointments under a law that took effect Wednesday. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the policy makes New York the first state in the …
State High Court Nixes Policy Cancellation Over ‘Ambiguous’ Communications
An insurer failed to properly cancel a workers’ compensation policy because its multiple notices and other conduct were not “definite, certain, and unambiguous” as to the status of the coverage. As a result, Ace America Insurance Co. is obligated to …
Colorado Governor Wants to Privatize State’s Workers’ Comp Carrier
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wants to spin off the state’s stake in Pinnacol Assurance, privatizing the workers’ compensation carrier of last resort to help it make more money and plug government budget holes. The big idea is that pulling up …
Campbell Named Acting Director of Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance
Governor Mike Parson announced that Mick Campbell will take over as the Acting Director of the Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) effective January 1, 2025. Campbell currently serves as the Commissioner of Finance for DCI. “We have announced that …
Sanford Health to Pay $220K in Back Wages and Damages
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) announced it has entered into a consent order with medical clinic Sanford to require that it comply with Minnesota laws that provide pregnant employees with reasonable workplace accommodations and pregnancy and parental …
Rescuers Describe Scene at a Hawaii Home After Deadly Fireworks Blast
Emergency crews arrived to a chaotic and gruesome scene in a Honolulu neighborhood after a large New Year’s firework tipped over after being lit and ignited a fiery, shrapnel-studded blast that killed three people and injured more than 20 others, …
EVs, Nuclear and Forever Chemicals: Climate Predictions for 2025
From record solar installations to rising electric vehicle sales, the world is in many ways ramping up the fight against global warming. Yet there are coal-black swans waiting to disrupt the green transition this year. From the US to Japan, …
People Moves: Fairfax Insurance Names Young as President, Barnard as Chair; Acrisure Appoints Industry Veteran Reith as Exec Chair of MGA Unit Volante
This edition of International People Moves details at Fairfax Insurance Group and Acrisure’s Volante. A summary of these new hires follows here. Fairfax Insurance Group Names Young as President, Barnard as Chair Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. announced that Brian Young …
Uber Not Liable: Driver Was Not Logged in at Time of Accident, Florida Court Says
A Florida man may have been an occasional driver for Uber, the ride-hailing company, but he was not working at the time that he struck and killed his former girlfriend, and Uber is not liable for the wrongful death, a …
Europe Braces for Snow and Ice With UK Facing Amber Warnings
Northern Europe is facing freezing temperatures and snow, boosting heating demand and putting more pressure on the region’s depleting gas inventories. There are yellow weather alerts over Scotland on Friday, with the risk of blizzard conditions in parts, according to …
South Carolina Leads Country in People Moving in, U-Haul Says
U-Haul, one of the best-known providers of trucks, vans and moving supplies, also tracks where that equipment is being used. And in 2024, Southeastern states led the nation, with South Carolina ranking as the state with largest number of customers. …
A $24 Billion Fund Puts Its Religious Stamp on Corporate America
Jim Lake, a devout Christian in Washington state, said his religious beliefs have always made him opposed to practices such as abortion, transgender transitions or embryonic stem cell research. But until this past year, it didn’t cross the retiree’s mind …