INSURANCE NEWS
First Measles Death Reported in West Texas Outbreak
A school-aged child has died in Lubbock from measles, the first death reported in an ongoing outbreak that has infected more than 120 people in West Texas since January, Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed on Wednesday. According to …
Michigan Man Sentenced in Million-Dollar Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme
A man from Detroit, Michigan was sentenced last week for his role in a multi-state, million-dollar unemployment insurance fraud scheme aimed at defrauding the U.S. government and the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, of funds earmarked for unemployment assistance …
Inszone Acquires South Dakota’s Kouri & Associates
Inszone Insurance Services announced the acquisition of Kouri & Associates Inc., a Sioux Falls-based agency with a legacy dating back to 1970. This latest acquisition strengthens Inszone’s footprint in the Midwest and ensures Kouri & Associates’ clients gain access to …
Higginbotham Acquires EZ CERT from Program Insurance Group
Higginbotham announced an association with Program Insurance Group of Georgetown, Texas — also known as the home of EZ CERT, a nationally-deployed insurance certificate tracking service for franchisors and franchisees. Through the association, Higginbotham will acquire EZ CERT. EZ CERT …
Europe’s Warming Ocean Current ‘Unlikely’ to Collapse This Century
A new study disputes a long-held fear that climate change will lead to a quick, total collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the ocean current that brings warmth to northwestern Europe. Scientists from the UK’s Met Office and …
Lemonade CEO Declares ‘Best Quarter Ever,’ Posts Narrowed Q4 Loss of $30M
Insurtech Lemonade reported a fourth quarter 2024 net loss of about $30 million and a loss for the year of about $202.2 million. Results were in comparison to a net loss of $42.4 million for the fourth quarter 2023 and …
Fire Danger in LA Is All Around, But Signals to Residents Are Mixed
In the era of cutting-edge computer modeling, satellite data and AI, there has never been more abundant information on the danger that wildfire poses to homes in the Los Angeles area. But that didn’t necessarily help thousands of homeowners correctly …
Mississippi City Drops Lawsuit Over Editorial That Judge Had Ordered Removed
A Mississippi city dropped its lawsuit Monday against a newspaper that had its editorial criticizing local leaders removed by a judge in a case that sparked widespread outrage from First Amendment advocates. The city of Clarksdale’s board of commissioners sought …
Title Insurance Could Finally Come to New York Under Governor’s Budget Amendment
New York this year could become the 50th U.S. state to accept title insurance, after Gov. Kathy Hochul quietly submitted a single paragraph in her 2026 budget amendments last week. The proposed change “adds a provision stating the attorney general …
Warnings, Fines Fail to Stop Insurers and Banks From Overcharging Australian Clients
Last week the Federal Court fined Australia’s biggest superannuation company, AustralianSuper, A$27 million for overcharging customers. The company had breached its legal obligations under the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 by failing to identify and merge the duplicate accounts of …
Bank of America Scraps Diversity Goals in Latest Wall Street DEI Retreat
Bank of America Corp. is rolling back workplace representation targets and replacing references to diversity, joining peers in citing legal changes under the Trump administration. The bank will no longer have “aspirational” goals for diversity and inclusion, which were referenced …
Munich Re Faces $1.3 Billion in Claims From Los Angeles Wildfires
Germany’s Munich Re expects about 1.2 billion euros ($1.26 billion) in claims resulting from the Los Angeles wildfires, it said on Wednesday, representing the biggest loss reported so far by a single European reinsurer for the January catastrophe. The wildfires …