INSURANCE NEWS
Judge Recommends Approving 17% State Farm Rate Hike in California
It looks like California’s largest homeowners insurer is getting a large rate increase following billions of dollars in losses from the Los Angeles wildfires and pullback on writing new policies in the state. Administrative Law Judge Karl Seligman recommended approval …
At Least 10 Sickened in Listeria Outbreak Linked to Prepared Foods
At least 10 people in the U.S. have been sickened in a listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat food products, and a producer is voluntarily recalling several products, federal officials said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Saturday that federal, …
1 Killed, 32 Injured in Bus Vs. SUV Crash on LA Area Freeway
One person was killed and 32 people were injured, including two critically, when a tour bus and a sport utility vehicle collided on a Los Angeles area freeway, officials said. The lone occupant of the SUV died after the vehicle …
Florida OIR Fines Centauri Specialty for Unappointed Adjusters, Other Issues
Sarasota-based Centauri Specialty Insurance, now part of Arbol’s Lilypad Insurance Holdings, used non-appointed adjusters in the wake of Hurricane Ian in 2022 and has agreed to pay a $100,000 fine to Florida regulators. A market conduct examination by the Florida …
Maine Weighs What to Do When Religion Collides With Auto Insurance
Maine lawmakers today are expected to consider a measure that would allow followers of the Mennonite religion to self-insure for motor vehicle insurance. Rep. Steve Foster (R-Dexter) introduced the bill on behalf of his Mennonite constituents who say insurance violates …
Four Hondurans Indicted in Florida on $89M Workers’ Comp, Tax Avoidance Charges
A grand jury in Orlando last week indicted four Honduran nationals for allegedly operating an off-the-books cash payroll scheme for construction workers that defrauded workers’ compensation insurers and avoided payroll taxes. Iris Villafranca, Mario Flores, Osman Zapata, and Cristofer Oseguera …
Court to Weigh Small Business Bid to Block Trump Tariffs
Five American small businesses will ask a U.S. court on Tuesday to halt President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, arguing the president overstepped his authority by declaring a national emergency to impose across-the-board taxes on imports from nations that sell …
Markets/Coverages: CRC’s Starwind Specialty Launches 4 Programs
Starwind Specialty Insurance Services, a CRC Group company, said it has launched four insurance programs — Starwind Environmental, Starwind PVT (Political Violence & Terrorism), Starwind Equipment, and Starwind Cannabis. Starwind Environmental, led by Program President Mike Padula, delivers solutions including …
Georgia Insurance Commissioner King Joins Race for Ossoff’s U.S. Senate Seat
Inflammatory Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene won’t, but Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King will run for the U.S. Senate now held by Democrat John Ossoff. King, a former police chief in Georgia, was appointed to the insurance commissioner job in 2019 …
Former XL CEO McGavick Returns to Insurance With AI Firm Mea Platform
Mike McGavick is returning to the insurance world as a strategic advisor and board chairman of Mea Platform, an artificial intelligence firm focusing on transactions and operations for carriers, managing general agents, and brokers. McGavick is the former CEO of …
Grid Warns Extreme Heat Risks Summer Power Shortages in Midwest to East
PJM Interconnection LLC, the largest US electric grid serving about 20% of Americans from the Midwest to East Coast, warned that extreme heat this summer could trigger supply shortages for the first time. While PJM expects to have enough power …
FAA Convening Emergency Task Force on Newark Telecom Outages
The Trump administration said on Monday it was convening an emergency task force and fast-tracking urgent steps to prevent additional telecom outages at the facility overseeing Newark air traffic after three incidents have shaken public confidence. Acting Federal Aviation Administration …