INSURANCE NEWS
NYC Mayor Mamdani’s Rent Freeze Heaps Pressure on a Teetering CMBS Deal
A $506 million bet on thousands of New York rent-stabilized apartments has already soured for bond investors. Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s rent freeze threatens to make it worse. The commercial-property bond, backed by the mortgage on 53 buildings across Queens, Brooklyn, …
Hormuz Traffic at a Trickle as Ship Attacks Heighten Concerns
Observable traffic transiting the Strait of Hormuz remained at a trickle as attacks on vessels and Iranian threats heightened safety concerns for shipowners and crews considering a trip through the waterway. Shipping activity was subdued on Tuesday after six smaller …
China Signals Nation Is Ready to Lead Global Climate Action
China signaled it plans to take a more important role in steering the global campaign to tackle climate change, as officials offered further details on strategy to mitigate and adapt to rising temperatures. The nation “will constructively lead the multilateral …
Rhine Falls to Lowest Since 1880, Threatening European Trade
The Rhine River’s water levels dropped to the lowest in nearly 150 years as hot, dry weather grips Europe, threatening to disrupt a crucial route for transporting coal, fuel and industrial commodities across a large swath of the continent. The …
Britain Says it Is Open to AI Regulation if Voluntary Safeguards Fall Short
Britain would consider regulating advanced AI models if its current voluntary system for testing them before deployment no longer proved sufficient to protect the public, AI Minister Kanishka Narayan told Reuters. Britain has favored a light-touch approach to AI regulation, …
Europe’s Wildfire Season Exposes Climate Insurance Gap
Domestic insurers are expected to absorb most of the losses from Europe’s worst wildfire season in recent history, but the blazes are also raising a bigger question: who will pay as climate-driven disasters become more frequent and destructive? Authorities have …
UBS Fined $125M by US Regulators for Money Laundering Violations
UBS was fined $125 million by U.S. regulators on Aug. 3 for violating the Bank Secrecy Act, the largest civil fine ever against a broker-dealer for violating the main U.S. anti-money laundering law. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial …
Product-Defect Presumption Lives On: Florida Appeals Court Upholds $103M vs. Ford
A Florida appeals court has upheld a $103 million jury award against Ford Motor Co. after a modified Ford Mustang exploded in 2017, leaving the owner with severe burns over much of his body and the loss of his hands. …
New Jersey Settles Trucker Misclassification Claims for $2.7 Million
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) has reached a $2.7 million settlement with STG Logistics, Inc. and subsidiaries resolving allegations that the shipping and logistics companies misclassified hundreds of truck drivers as independent contractors in violation …
California Supreme Court Rules for Gilead, Says Drugmakers Don’t Have ‘Duty to Innovate’
California’s highest court ruled on Monday that manufacturers of drugs that are considered safe do not owe a duty to patients to try developing drugs that could be even safer, ruling in favor of Gilead Sciences in the closely watched …
DOXA Buys LimitFi Platform for Credit Risk Insurance Products
Specialty insurance platform DOXA announced it has acquired LimitFi, a platform for capital and credit-risk insurance products. Connecticut-based LimitFi specializes in default-risk transfer and alternative credit products including non-payment insurance. The platform connects banks and lenders seeking capital relief and …
Farmers Files to Expand Coverage And Raise Rates for California Small Businesses
Farmers Insurance filed an upgraded business insurance rating plan to expand commercial insurance coverage for business owners across the state and a rate hike of 15%. The plan, which incorporates elements from the Sustainable Insurance Strategy, includes coverage in in …