US Regulators to Open Antitrust Inquiries of Microsoft, OpenAI and Nvidia
The U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have reached a deal that allows them to proceed with antitrust investigations into the dominant roles that Microsoft, OpenAI and Nvidia play in the artificial intelligence industry, according to a source …
Iowa to Pay $3.5M to Family of Student Who Drowned in Rowing Accident
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials agreed Tuesday to pay $3.5 million in a settlement agreement with the family of an Iowa State University student who drowned after a school crew club boat capsized in cold, rough waters. The …
Wisconsin Manufacturer Faces $177K After Worker Fatally Struck
Federal investigators have concluded that an Appleton, Wisconsin pallet manufacturer’s failure to train employees in machine safety procedures — and ensure the procedures were followed — contributed to the fatal injuries suffered by a 57-year-old employee struck by the carriage …
Rise in Texas Crop Insurance Payouts Driven by Drought
The financial costs of drought in Texas have risen rapidly over recent decades, according to a new analysis of federal crop insurance data. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group, a longtime critic of the federal crop insurance program based in Washington, …
Tech Update: USI’s Tech-Enabled Risk Control Platform; Baldwin Group Starts API-Connected Cyber Placements; AI-Based Workers Comp Fraud Detection at CLARA
USI Insurance Services (USI) announced the launch of PATH (patent pending), a proprietary technology-enabled risk control platform for clients. The new platform leverages industry-specific benchmark data to generate tailored risk control solutions to address organizations’ top claim drivers based on …
Maui Council to Study Impacts of Eliminating 7,000 Vacation Rentals
Blue Cleaning, a small business in West Maui that spruces up 27 vacation rentals, survived the sharp decline in tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic and after the devastating Aug. 8 wildfire in Lahaina. But now Leo Szakacs-Kekona, who owns and …
Brazilian Butt Lift Clinics Must Now Carry Liability Insurance Under New Florida Law
Practitioners of Brazilian butt lift surgery, repeatedly in the news after infections and at least two patient deaths in south Florida, must now obtain medical malpractice liability insurance, thanks to a bill signed into law last month. House Bill 1561, …
People Moves: Chubb Promotes Kirk as Division President of Chubb Global Markets; Everest Re Promotes Doshi to Head of North America Treaty Casualty
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Chubb and Everest Re. A summary of these new hires follows here. Chubb Promotes Kirk as Division President of Chubb Global Markets Chubb announced that David Kirk has been appointed division …
Rhode Island Bars Auto Insurers From Hiking Rates on Widows and Widowers
A new Rhode Island law prohibits auto insurers from charging policyholders more solely because they have been widowed. The new law bans insurers from treating widows or widowers any differently than married people in terms of classification or rates beginning …
Safety Dangers From Sanctioned Tanker Fleet Growing, Ship Manager Says
Safety dangers are growing from aging and unregulated vessels, leading ship management firm V.Group told Reuters, adding it had stopped providing services to 30 tankers last year after they were sold to companies that did not pass compliance checks. Up …
Social Inflation Fix: Insurers Can’t Be Out Front, Chubb’s Greenberg Says
Although insurers can help to stop the growth of social inflation, they can’t lead the effort, an industry executive said during an insurance conference this week. Evan Greenberg, chair and chief executive officer of Chubb Limited, explained that social attitudes …
Lloyd’s Opening Miami Office to Support Growth in Latin America and Caribbean
Lloyd’s, the re/insurance marketplace, is opening an office in Miami from Sept. 1, 2024, with an aim to strengthen its Latin America and Caribbean business. The new office will enable Lloyd’s to realign its resources to centrally support brokers, coverholders …
Should Judge Recuse Himself From Case Involving His Own Insurer?
Liberty Mutual Insurance is pushing for a federal judge in New Jersey to recuse himself from a construction insurance case because he did not disclose that he has been a long-time Liberty insured, a significant claimant, and investigated by the …
Hack That Crippled UK Hospitals Highlights Growing Threat to NHS
In June of last year, a Russian cybercrime gang called BlackCat hacked the Barts Health NHS Trust, a part of the UK’s National Health Service that operates several hospitals in London, and published some of it online in an extortion …
World Hits Streak of Record Temperatures as UN Warns of ‘Climate Hell’
Each of the past 12 months ranked as the warmest on record in year-on-year comparisons, the EU’s climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday, as U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action to avert “climate hell.” The average global …
Staff Warned Off Whistleblower Hotlines: Global Survey
More than half of whistleblowers have felt pressured not to use internal hotlines to raise red flags at large global businesses and public bodies, a global EY survey showed. The number of organizations without a whistleblowing hotline has halved since …
Crypto Exchange Binance Seeks to Slash Size of $13 Billion UK Lawsuit
Crypto exchange Binance on Wednesday sought to throw out the vast majority of a London lawsuit worth up to 10 billion pounds ($12.8 billion) over claims it and other exchanges colluded to “delist” the Bitcoin Satoshi Vision (BSV) cryptocurrency. Binance …
Companies Need to Be Aware of Cyber Risks Related to Proliferation of IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT), which refers to the collection of internet-enabled devices such as wearables, industrial sensors and controls, and closed-circuit cameras, has revolutionized processes from pharmaceuticals storage to energy-usage monitoring. However, it has also created a wide array …
Buffett’s NetJets Sues Pilots’ Union for Defamation
NetJets, the luxury plane unit of billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc, sued its 3,400-member pilots union for defamation over statements about its commitment to safety and training pilots. The lawsuit filed on Monday in a state court in Columbus, …
Commercial Property Insurance Market Proving More Stable, Capitalized: USI
Following last year’s historically challenging property insurance market, 2024 is proving to be “a more stable and capitalized market,” USI Insurance Services reported in its latest Commercial Property & Casualty Market Outlook Mid-Year Addendum. “Large rate increases from 2023 have …