INSURANCE NEWS
Washington Shutters Pot Businesses Due to Old Pesticide
Cannabis regulators have halted operations at several outdoor pot farms and processing facilities on a stretch of former fruit orchards in north- central Washington state after testing found high levels of chemicals related to a dangerous pesticide used decades ago. …
Judge Cancels Montana Gas Plant Permit Over Climate Impacts
A judge canceled the air quality permit for a natural gas power plant that’s under construction along the Yellowstone River in Montana citing worries over climate change. State District Judge Michael Moses ruled that Montana officials failed to adequately consider …
Russia Threatens to Bypass UN-Brokered Grain Deal, Cites Insurance as Barrier
Russia on Friday threatened to bypass the UN-brokered grain deal unless obstacles to its agricultural exports were removed, while talks in Turkey agreed removing barriers was a necessary condition to extending the agreement beyond next month. The Black Sea grain …
Washington City Paying $500K to Settle Bikini Barista Dress Code Suit
A legal battle over a dress code for bikini baristas at coffee stands is ending after a city north of Seattle agreed to pay $500,000 to the owner and employees who sued over it six years ago. The Everett City …
Tornadoes Damage Homes, Kills One Person in Louisville, Kentucky
The National Weather Service said Thursday it was surveying damage from three EF-1 tornadoes that touched down in Kentucky. According to preliminary information, tornadoes hit the Pleasure Ridge Park and Newburg sections of Louisville on Wednesday evening, meteorologist Brian Neudorff …
Four Dead in Plane Crash off Florida’s Gulf Coast
The bodies of two men and two women have been recovered following a small plane crash just off Florida’s Gulf Coast, police said Thursday. The plane had just taken off from Venice Airport when it crashed into the Gulf of …
NC Senate Approves Bill Giving Lawmakers, Insurance Commissioner More Appointments to Boards
The North Carolina General Assembly would get to choose more members of several powerful state commissions, including the Utilities Commission, an economic investment committee, and environmental and health boards, under legislation approved by the Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday. The elected …
Russia’s GAZ Group Files $348M Suit Against Volkswagen
The Gorky Automobile Plant, part of Russia’s GAZ Group which was contracted to assemble cars for Volkswagen, has filed a lawsuit to recover 28.4 billion roubles ($348 million) from the German automaker, court records show. The lawsuit, details of which …
Florida Officials Cut Key Data from Vaccine Study, Report Finds
An analysis that was the basis of a highly criticized recommendation from Florida’s surgeon general cautioning young men against getting the COVID-19 vaccine omitted information that showed catching the virus could increase the risk of a cardiac-related death much more …
Lead Paint Testing Firm Executives Accused of Marketing Faulty Devices
Three former executives of a company that makes machines that test lead levels in humans deliberately concealed a problem with the devices that produced falsely low results for tens of thousands of children, federal prosecutors in Boston said last week. …
AM Best Places Ratings of R&Q and Subsidiaries Under Review with Negative Implications
AM Best has placed under review with negative implications the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” (Excellent) of R&Q Insurance Holdings’ three wholly owned program management subsidiaries: Accredited Surety and Casualty Co. …
Toronto Office Vacancies Hit 28-Year High as Remote Work Persists
The office vacancy rate in downtown Toronto reached its highest point since 1995 as the persistence of remote work damps companies’ need for space in Canada’s most-populous city. The vacancy rate in the city core, home to the largest Canadian …