INSURANCE NEWS
US Expanding Long-Range Commercial Drone Testing Program
The US government is expanding a program for testing out drones in real-world scenarios, focusing on more advanced use cases involving larger unmanned systems, higher altitudes and longer distances. The Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration said Aug. 27 that …
Polish Intelligence Probes Fire at Top Drone Firm WB Electronics
Poland’s security services are investigating whether a fire at a facility belonging to the country’s largest drone producer WB Electronics SA was an act of sabotage. The fire at the facility, which produces drone components, broke out shortly after midnight, …
Trump Loses Bid to Move NY Hush Money Case to Federal Court
Donald Trump lost another bid to move a challenge to his New York criminal fraud conviction to a federal court as a judge said that payments to an adult film star don’t constitute an official act that would be covered …
FTC Probing YouTube Over Social Media Policies
The US Federal Trade Commission has been investigating whether Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube violated consumer protection laws when it suspended the accounts of users, according to people familiar with the probe. The antitrust and consumer protection agency has been probing YouTube …
Brightline Lands $350 Million Assured Loan in Case of Bankruptcy
Brightline has reached a deal with municipal-bond insurer Assured Guaranty Ltd. that would provide the debt-laden Florida railroad with at least $350 million in new loans if it heads into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to people familiar with the matter. …
Arbella Opens Commercial Lines Office in New Hampshire
Quincy, Massachusetts-based Arbella Insurance Group has opened a Bedford, New Hampshire commercial lines office. The Bedford office gives Arbella its first official brick-and-mortar presence in the state, which the insurer says reflects the company’s growing New Hampshire business and its …
AI-Driven Cyber Risk Is Top Concern for Global Financial Stability, Watchdog Says
Financial Stability Board Chair Andrew Bailey said on Monday that the impact of AI on cyber risk was the most immediate concern for the global financial system, saying the technology could change the speed, scale and economics of an attack. …
China’s Humanoid Robots Aren’t Smart Enough to Take Your Job – Yet
Inside a training center in southern China, more than 100 humanoid robots stand in neat rows. A dozen human trainers wearing headsets guide some of them through simple tasks – sorting crates, packaging noodles, making coffee. The humanoids are slow …
Michigan Houses are Getting Older, Creating Problems For the State
When the typical Michigan home was built, Richard Nixon was president, US forces were withdrawing from Vietnam and “The Exorcist” would become the year’s highest-grossing film. While pop culture has changed dramatically since 1973, much of the state’s housing stock …
How a $1 Texas Insurance Fee Funded Thousands of Flock Cameras
In 2023, the Texas Legislature unanimously passed a law raising auto insurance costs for Texans by $1 to combat rampant catalytic converter theft. Three years later, a little-known state agency has devoted at least $30 million of that fee toward …
Aon Close to Acquiring USI Insurance From KKR in $17 Billion Deal, WSJ Reports
Aon Plc is close to an agreement to acquire insurance brokerage USI Insurance Services from private equity firm KKR for about $17 billion, including debt, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. The deal …
New Illinois Law Requires Insurance for High-Speed E-Bikes
Some Illinois e-bike riders will need to carry insurance starting in 2027 under a law signed this week by Governor JB Prtizker. The new law requires riders of e-bikes and e-motors capable of traveling over 28 mph to have a …