Posts by Hometown Insurance
NFL’s Rooney Rule Meets Biggest Challenge in Trump’s DEI Crackdown
The most-recognizable diversity policy in sports is facing the biggest challenge in its history. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, is calling for the end of the National Football League’s Rooney Rule, a …
Read More Commercial Lines Rates Continue to Soften, Says Ivans Index
Premium renewal rates in the first quarter 2026 decreased for all major commercial lines compared to the fourth quarter 2025, according to the Ivans Index. “Q1 sets an important baseline for 2026, with commercial rates continuing to soften as the …
Read More Trend of Fewer Insurance M&A Deals ‘Bottoming Out’: OPTIS
Insurance agency mergers & acquisitions in the first three months of 2026 were down 6% compared with the same period last year. It was the 10th consecutive quarter of deal volume below the long-term trend line but, investment banking and …
Read More South Carolina Senate Votes to Suspend $1M Liquor Liability Insurance Requirement
Eight years after South Carolina lawmakers forced a $1 million liquor liability insurance requirement on bars and restaurants, and one year after they tweaked the law with conditional coverage requirements, the state Senate is trying again. Senators voted last week …
Read More Former Ransomware Negotiator Pleads Guilty to Aiding Attackers
A former ransomware negotiator has pleaded guilty to charges he helped a ransomware group extort tens of millions of dollars from companies. Angelo Martino, 41, of Land O’Lakes, Florida, worked for a cyber incident response company as a ransomware negotiator …
Read More Tornado Tears Through Oklahoma Town, Damaging 40 Homes
Raeann Hunt scrambled to her cellar as a tornado bore down on her Oklahoma community. “It is headed right for us,” she recalled thinking, as she peeked outside, unable to contain her curiosity. Huddled inside the dark 8-by-8 foot (2.44-by-2.44 …
Read More Maine Governor Blocks First State Freeze on New Data Centers
The Democratic governor of Maine, Janet Mills, on Friday vetoed a bill that would have made it the first U.S. state to impose a moratorium on large new data centers, even as local opposition to the electricity-hungry facilities grows. The …
Read More Massive Ice Sheets Threaten Homes in Northern Michigan
Large chunks of ice rammed into homes along Michigan’s Black Lake in the northeastern Lower Peninsula as constant spring rainfall and winter melt left many homes flooded and threatened to overflow stressed dam systems. Photos and video posted to social …
Read More Inszone Acquires Michigan’s James R. Vozar Insurance Agency
Inszone Insurance Services announced the acquisition of James R. Vozar Insurance Agency. With offices in Athens, Quincy, and Union City, Michigan, this acquisition further strengthens Inszone’s presence in the Midwest and adds deep specialized knowledge in the agricultural sector to …
Read More A 50% Surge in Zombie Oil Wells Prompts Texas to Crack Down on Toxic Water Leaks
Texas is planning new rules to speed up its response to so-called zombie oil wells after the number of sites leaking toxic wastewater increased more than 50% this year. Oil companies in the largest US crude-producing state are pumping so …
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