INSURANCE NEWS
CISA Weighs Cutting Deadlines to Fix Digital Flaws Amid Worries Over AI
U.S. cybersecurity officials are considering sharply shorter deadlines for fixing critical flaws in government IT systems, amid concerns hackers could exploit them using artificial‑intelligence tools such as Anthropic’s Mythos, people familiar with the matter said. The move, which has not …
Misclassification Costs Workers, Social Insurance
As many as 10–30% of employers misclassify workers at an enormous cost to both workers and social insurance systems. New analysis from the National Employment Law Project, focusing on state-level reports on employee misclassification, estimates that social insurance systems can …
KBRA Assigns Issuer Rating to Universal, as Q1 Results Mark ‘Fantastic’ Start to 2026
KBRA, the Kroll Bond Rating Agency, has assigned a BBB issuer rating to Universal Insurance Holdings, along with a BBB credit rating, ahead of the Florida insurance holding company’s refinance of $100 million in unsecured notes. The ratings are slightly …
Berkshire CEO Abel Says Insurance Becoming Increasingly Competitive
Berkshire Hathaway reported improved first-quarter performance from the conglomerate’s insurance businesses, but CEO Greg Abel told investors the sector faces competitive headwinds. “The reality is that … as our insurance business softens, we cannot realize the value we should for …
SC Bill Would Change ‘Free’ Windshield Replacement and Give DOI More Authority
Under a bill poised to win approval in the South Carolina legislature, the decades-old practice of letting many drivers automatically enjoy relatively painless windshield replacements may soon disappear. House Bill 4817, titled the “Insurance Rate Reduction and Policy Holder Protection …
Inszone Acquires Arkansas’ Mena Insurance Agency
Inszone Insurance Services announced the acquisition of Mena Insurance Agency, Inc. This strategic acquisition brings a century-old institution and an experienced team into the Inszone organization, further expanding its footprint in Arkansas. Founded in 1911 by H.G. McLafferty, Mena Insurance …
Protective Life to Acquire P/C Specialty Insurance Carrier Obsidian
In a rare crossing of insurance lines, Alabama-based Protective Life Insurance Co. is moving to expand into property/casualty lines by acquiring Obsidian Insurance Holdings, Inc., a New York-based property, casualty and specialty insurance platform. The companies say the acquisition will …
Charlie Crist is Running for St. Petersburg Mayor
Former Florida governor and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist is seeking yet another office, this time running for mayor of his hometown of St. Petersburg. Crist, 69, has been a Republican, a Democrat and an independent during his political career. He …
Trader Mercuria Sues Baltic Exchange Over Hormuz Freight Losses, Court Filing Shows
Commodity trader Mercuria is suing the Baltic Exchange, the world’s top provider of benchmark shipping indices, over losses it said were caused by oil tanker pricing data that did not account for the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, …
Tenn. Detective Facing Charges of Burning His Own Car, Filing False Insurance Claim
An arraignment has been rescheduled for a former sheriff’s detective in Tennessee who is charged with setting fire to his own vehicle and filing a fraudulent insurance claim. Daniel Lee Garrett, 44, who until recently was with the Scott County …
US House Passes Farm Bill After Scrapping Pesticide Language Opposed by MAHA
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed its version of a five-year farm bill after stripping a provision opposed by the “Make America Healthy Again” movement that would have blocked some lawsuits against pesticide makers. The House passage shows …
FDA Says Testing Reveals Domestic Infant Formula Supply Is Safe
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on April 29 said tested samples of infant formula available in the country contained very low levels of contaminants, confirming that the nation’s supply is safe for consumption. The agency tested more than 300 …