INSURANCE NEWS
Texas Lawmakers Pass Legislation to Improve Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigate Damages
Texas lawmakers approved a series of bills this year that aim to better prepare Texas for wildfires and to mitigate their damage. The legislation includes a study on wildfire risk zones, increasing funding for rural volunteer fire departments, and creating …
People Moves: Wallace & Turner Insurance Elevates Four to Partnership
Wallace & Turner, Inc., with offices in Springfield and Urbana, Ohio, named four new equity partners. All are based in Wallace & Turner’s Springfield office. Ben Galbreath has nearly two decades of experience in personal, commercial, life and supplemental benefits …
Victoria’s Secret Says Cyber Incident Led to Temporary Website Shut Down
Victoria’s Secret on Tuesday disclosed that a security incident relating to its information technology systems had led it to temporarily shut down its website for a few days last week. The company said it shut down corporate systems and e-commerce …
Alberta Wildfires Shut About 7% of Canada’s Oil Production
Wildfires in Canada’s energy heartland of Alberta have shut down almost 350,000 barrels of daily heavy crude production — about 7% of the country’s output — as a major blaze near the province’s eastern border menaces oil sands operations. Cenovus …
People: FAIA Names Head of Professional Development; Madison Leads MJ in Tennessee
The Florida Association of Insurance Agents, the largest agent organization in the state, has named Greg Thomas director of professional development. Thomas was previously director of insurance agent and agency services for the Florida Department of Financial Services, where he …
Mondelez Sues Aldi, Alleging Grocery Chain Copies Packaging to Confuse Customers
Snack food maker Mondelez International is suing the Aldi supermarket chain, alleging the packaging for Aldi’s store-brand cookies and crackers “blatantly copies” Mondelez products like Chips Ahoy, Wheat Thins and Oreos. In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Illinois, Chicago-based …
Greyhound Bus, Other Crashes Leave 5 Dead and Dozens Injured in Tennessee
Vehicle crashes across Tennessee in the last few days have left five people dead and dozens more injured. In the tourist town of Gatlinburg, seven people, including two pedestrians, were injured in a multivehicle crash on Sunday. The accident occurred …
Risk Strategies Acquires Missouri’s Schroeder Insurance
Risk Strategies announced it has acquired Schroeder Insurance, a Missouri-based firm with a specialty focus in the commercial lines and private client sectors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Led by brothers Paul and Ted Schroeder, who each have …
Massachusetts Cuts Red Tape on Insurers, Plus Banks, Contractors, Barbers and More
Massachusetts is eliminating a series of insurance and other business regulations with a goal of making it easier and less costly to conduct business in the state. According to Gov. Maura Healey, her administration’s “Massachusetts Means Business” initiative is axing …
California Plan to Ban Plants Close to Homes Overlooks Some Truths About Flammability
One of the most striking patterns in the aftermath of many urban fires is how much unburned green vegetation remains amid the wreckage of burned neighborhoods. In some cases, a row of shrubs may be all that separates a surviving …
Above-Average Number of Storms Predicted for North Atlantic in 2025: Munich Re
Current climatic conditions suggest that there will be a slightly above-average number of storms in the North Atlantic during the 2025 hurricane season, according to Munich Re in its Hurricane Outlook 2025. However, Munich Re warned that this year’s outlook …
More Than 1,000 Former Rugby Players in Concussion Lawsuit
The number of former rugby players taking legal action against sports governing bodies on claims they suffered brain injuries during their careers has grown to more than 1,000, a British law firm said on Monday. Rylands Garth, based in London, …