INSURANCE NEWS
Helicopter Crashes Into Radio Tower Near Downtown Houston, Killing 4
HOUSTON (AP) — Four people aboard a helicopter were killed when it crashed into a radio tower in Houston and burst into flames, officials said. The helicopter went down just before 8 p.m. Sunday in a neighborhood east of downtown …
Energy Company Seals Well in West Texas 19 Days After it Exploded
ODESSA — A Houston-based energy company has sealed a hemorrhaging well in West Texas 19 days after it exploded, sending a torrent of water and other chemicals dozens of feet into the air. The company, Kinder Morgan, said that workers …
AM Best Assigns Superior Credit Rating to Iowa-Based Berkley Luxury
AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “aa-” (Superior) to Berkley Luxury Insurance Company (Berkley Luxury), based in Urbandale, Iowa. The outlook assigned to the FSR …
BHP Says Claim it Put Profit Over Safety ‘Unjustified’ in Brazil Dam Collapse Case in UK
BHP said on Wednesday that allegations a pursuit of profit over safety contributed to Brazil’s worst environmental disaster were “far-fetched and unjustified,” as the miner opened its defense to a mammoth lawsuit at London’s High Court. More than 600,000 Brazilians, …
UK Warns of Grain Threat After Russia Steps Up Port Attacks
An increase in Russian attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure in recent weeks threatens food shipments to destinations from Gaza to southern Africa, the UK warned. British intelligence has detected a “noticeable increase in Russian risk appetite,” leading to at least …
AIG Plans to Consolidate Atlanta Ops Into Innovation Hub
American International Group, better known as the global insurance enterprise AIG, said it will consolidate its Atlanta-area operations into a huge new innovation hub in Brookhaven, on the north side of the city. The 180,000-square-foot workspace on Summit Boulevard Northeast …
Cash-Flush Florida Tries to Buy Back Its Bonds for First Time
Florida bond investors are about to have an unusual decision to make — whether to sell their debt back to the state that issued the securities in the first place. The state is offering its first ever buyback, or what’s …
Risk Strategies Adds Blaisdell Insurance to Benefits Practice in New England
National specialty insurance broker Risk Strategies reported it has acquired George W. Blaisdell Insurance, an employee benefits agency based in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. The acquisition expands the Risk Strategies Employee Benefits Practice in its New England region. Terms of …
FAA Finalizes Pilot Training, Certification Rules for Air Taxis
The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday finalized comprehensive training and pilot certification rules for flying air taxis, addressing a key hurdle to the deployment of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The FAA called the rule “the final piece in …
E. Coli Outbreak Tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Kills 1, Sickens Dozens
One person died and dozens fell ill from E. coli infections linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers in 10 states, led by Colorado, where 26 people were sickened, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Tuesday. The E. coli …
Firefighter Killed Responding to Connecticut State Park Fire
A Connecticut firefighter was killed while battling a massive brush fire at Lamentation Mountain in Berlin. Governor Ned Lamont ordered flags lowered to half-staff in honor of Robert Sharkevich Sr., a member of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department and former …
Markets/Coverages: MGA Rokstone Inks 3-Year Direct & Fac Property Deal With Aviva
Rokstone, the London-based speciality re/insurance MGA that is part of the Aventum Group, has announced a three-year binding authority agreement with Aviva for its direct & facultative (D&F) property portfolio. The facility enables Rokstone to write global property D&F business …