INSURANCE NEWS
Bulgarian Surveillance Firm Circles Sold Phone Spy Tools to Repressive States: Report
A Bulgaria-based company sold controversial surveillance technology to governments in countries with records of repression, enabling authorities to track mobile phones and eavesdrop on private communications, according to documents obtained by Human Rights Watch. The surveillance firm Circles offered tools …
Capital Factory CEO Killed in Private-Jet Crash in Texas
Joshua Baer, the founder and chief executive officer of the venture capital firm Capital Factory, died Tuesday in a plane crash in South Texas, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Baer, a major player in the Texas technology and startup space, was …
Biofuels Are Key to Avoiding Sharp Farmland Drop, S&P Says
Expanding biofuel demand is a “powerful catalyst” to restore profitability to American farms, according to a new study, as harvests balloon and lawmakers consider broadening the market for corn-based ethanol. Climbing crop yields are creating persistent surpluses thanks to better …
Uber to Offer Robotaxis in Houston With Lucid and Nuro, Posing Challenge to Waymo
Uber Technologies Inc. will offer driverless robotaxi rides in Houston in vehicles developed by Lucid Group Inc. and Nuro Inc., setting it up to challenge Waymo in the fourth-largest US city. Nuro is already testing the vehicles in Houston, but …
People Moves: Hiscox appoints Bailey as Head of Channel, Traded and Corix; CRC Group Names Greenwood CEO of Underwriting Division
Hiscox appoints Bailey as Head of Channel, Traded and Corix in the US Hiscox, with headquarters in Atlanta, appointed Lori Bailey as head of channel, traded and Corix. Bailey will report to Mary Boyd, CEO of Hiscox USA, and will …
Wanted: War-Zone Divers to Scrape Barnacles From Ships in Persian Gulf
Demand for ocean divers who specialize in barnacle scraping is soaring as ships stranded in the Persian Gulf for more than three months prepare to disembark. The surge in orders for crews to clean ship hulls fouled by algae, slime …
Amazon Faces Billions in Penalties From Potential FTC Ad Suit
Amazon.com Inc. is facing a possible lawsuit from the US Federal Trade Commission that may lead to billions of dollars in civil penalties, over claims the e-commerce giant misled advertisers, according to people familiar with the matter. The FTC, which …
Some States Are Forging Ahead With AI Regulations
Six months after President Donald Trump warned states not to regulate artificial intelligence, they are increasingly doing just that. Congress has stalled on producing federal regulation of artificial intelligence as states forge ahead and scrutinize how chatbots interact with children, …
Scientists Found the Coral Reefs That Can Survive Climate Change
Some coral reef ecosystems have a far greater chance of surviving the effects of climate change than previously understood, according to new global research. About 166,000 square kilometers (64,093 square miles) of coral reefs across 71 countries have capacity to …
Michigan Man Charged With Setting Fire to Church
A Flint, Michigan man was charged last week in a criminal complaint with arson and other related offenses for setting fire to St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced. According to the criminal complaint, …
Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Ban on Self-Referrals Does Not Apply to Pharmacies
The anti-referral provision in Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation law does not prevent a provider from referring a patient to a pharmacy in which the provider has a financial interest. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled 5-2 that the law’s prohibition on …
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Race: Sullivan, Quinn Advance to Runoff
The race for the next Oklahoma insurance commissioner narrowed on Tuesday, as Bob Sullivan and Marty Quinn advanced out of the Republican primary to an Aug. 25 runoff. Sullivan, a third-generation insurance professional, was the top vote-getter, receiving about 37% …