Car Dealerships Across US Halt Services After Cyberattack
Thousands of car dealerships were ground to a halt during a normally busy holiday Wednesday by a cyber incident at CDK Global, a major software provider for dealers across the US. The company “shut all systems down and executed extensive …
Farmers Adjusters Cry Foul Over Workloads, Claims Handling in Letter to Regulators
Farmers Insurance officials this week said they have spoken with employees after receiving an anonymous letter, apparently from a group of in-house adjusters, accusing the insurer of understaffing and overworking claims professionals. “Farmers Insurance has always been a leader in …
Federal Court Won’t Intervene in Erie Insurance Tiff With Maryland Regulator
A federal appeals court has declined to intervene in state regulatory proceedings in Maryland involving allegations of redlining by Erie Insurance, despite Erie’s complaints that the regulator has already shown bias against it and is likely to do so again. …
New York Sexual Abuse Claimants Want Courts to End Case Backlog
A group representing claimants alleging childhood sexual abuse want New York courts to take steps to alleviate the backlog of lawsuits brought under the state’s Child Victims Act (CVA), including possibly setting up dedicated courts or dockets to handle only …
Northern California Wildfire at 15K-Plus Acres, Containment Grows on Fire in South
A wildfire is raging through a large swath of western Sacramento Valley after igniting on Monday and spreading to 15,656 acres. Evacuations were ordered in rural areas around the Sites Fire in Colusa County, which is burning roughly 70 miles …
New Mexico Wildfires Spread to 20,000 Acres, Forcing Thousands to Evacuate
A pair of wildfires in New Mexico have spread to more than 20,000 acres, forcing thousands of people to evacuate and leaving one person dead. The South Fork and Salt fires have grown to more than 20,000 acres (16,335 for …
Tropical Storm Alberto to Bring Flooding to Coastal South Texas
Tropical storm Alberto has caused flooding and more than three feet of storm surge in parts of coastal south Texas but is not expected to strengthen to hurricane force, meteorologists say. Alberto is the first named storm of the 2024 …
Over 1,300 North Dakotans Targeted in Deceptive Insurance Solicitation Scheme
North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread has issued a cease-and-desist order against three companies for distributing deceptive materials to North Dakota consumers. The documents sent replicated an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax form requesting recipients to provide personal information. The …
People Moves: Ayers Joins Risk Services–Leavitt Insurance Agencies
Kim Ayers joined Risk Services – Leavitt Insurance Agencies, headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana, as a commercial insurance agent. Ayers has worked in insurance for Leavitt Group since 2016, previously serving as a producer with Leavitt Recreation and Hospitality Services, Inc. …
New Jersey Insurance Executive, Political Power Broker Charged With Racketeering
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin is charging a well-known New Jersey insurance executive and long-time Democratic political influencer with leading a criminal enterprise in the state for the past dozen years. George E. Norcross III, executive chairman of …
Iowa Nurse Charged With Insurance Fraud
An Iowa woman was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud – Presenting False Information (Class D Felony), following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau. Amanda Manatt, age 35, of Marshalltown allegedly falsified patient records while working …
La Nina Weather 65% Likely to Develop in July-Sept: National Weather Service
There is a 65% chance of the La Nina weather pattern, characterized by cold temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, developing during July-September, a U.S. government forecaster said on Thursday. This shift from the current neutral phase between La Nina and …
Companies Downplaying DEI Executive Pay Goals
A growing number of America’s biggest companies are revising diversity metrics for executive pay, a possible sign that conservative-led attacks on DEI are weighing more heavily on corporate culture. A review of about 1,200 companies found that the proportion of …
AM Best Downgrades Credit Rating of Louisiana Farm Bureau Mutual
AM Best announced it has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B++ (Good) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “bbb” (Good) from “a-” (Excellent) of Louisiana Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, based in Baton Rouge. The …
Houston Leaders Approve $1B Bond Deal to Cover Back Pay for Firefighters
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston leaders have agreed to a bond deal that could cost the city’s taxpayers more than $1 billion to cover years of back pay owed to firefighters. Firefighters in the nation’s fourth-largest city have worked without a …
Ex-Browns QB Sues Digital Media Company Over Firing for Sportsbook Bet
CLEVELAND (AP) — Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar has sued a digital media company over his firing as a pregame radio host for placing a bet on a sportsbook app when Ohio legalized gambling last year. According to court …
Wintermute Moves From WTW to Alliant, Now VP for Benefits Group
Alliant Insurance Services, known as one of the larger U.S. insurance distribution companies, has named Kevin Wintermute executive vice president of its employee benefits group, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wintermute has 28 years in the business. Previously, he was …
New Mexico Town Ordered to Evacuate Due to Large, Uncontained Wildfire
Residents of a New Mexico town were ordered to flee their homes on Monday due to a fast-moving wildfire. The town of Ruidoso, with roughly 7,000 residents, was ordered to immediately evacuate from the South Fork and Salt fires. “An …
This Week’s Travelers PGA Event Attracts Top Golfers; Proceeds Go to Charities
The Travelers Companies is marking its record 18th year as title sponsor of its Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour event at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The 2024 Travelers Championship tournament is a PGA Tour Signature Event and the …
Fire at Carrie Underwood’s Tennessee Home Limited by Her 10,000-Gallon Water Tank
A fire at country music star Carrie Underwood’s Nashville-area home was limited to the garage, thanks in part to a 10,000-gallon water tank on the property. USA Today and local news outlets reported that an all-terrain vehicle sparked a fire …