INSURANCE NEWS
California Wildfire Continues to Spread Rapidly to 164K Acres
A massive wildfire in Northern California has destroyed an undetermined number of buildings and is threatening thousands or properties, prompting thousands of evacuations orders, as it continued to rage on Friday morning. The Park fire, which became the state’s largest …
Rushed Railcar Inspections and ‘Stagnated’ Safety Record Reinforce Concerns
Major freight railroads are rushing railcar inspections, reinforcing known safety concerns raised by unions for years, but at a House hearing Tuesday they’ll present new evidence from federal inspectors that railcar checks are routinely less than two minutes per car. …
Louisiana’s $3B Coastal Restoration Project Divides Residents
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Proponents of a nearly $3 billion project to restore part of southeast Louisiana’s rapidly vanishing coastline released a study Tuesday touting the expected economic benefits of its construction, even as the project faces pushback and litigation …
Niagara Falls Hopes Insurer Can Solve Mystery of Last Year’s Car Crash, Explosion
A police investigation into the crash and explosion that killed two people in a high-powered luxury car at a Niagara Falls border crossing last year has concluded with the crash’s cause still a mystery, authorities said. The probe into the …
GE Vernova Blames Manufacturing Flaw for Vineyard Wind Offshore Blade Failure
A manufacturing flaw led to a turbine blade failure at the Vineyard Wind offshore project off the coast of Massachusetts this month, the part’s producer, GE Vernova, said on Wednesday. The turbine blade broke on July 13 and left potentially …
Ryan Specialty Announces Unification of Ryan Financial Lines
Ryan Specialty announced the unification of Ryan Financial Lines and the expansion of its product offerings. Ryan Financial Lines’ formation was announced in December 2023. The first phase was implemented in March 2024 with EmergIn Risk rebranding into RFL Cyber. …
People Moves: Vantage Promotes Bellitti as Chief Pricing & Portfolio Actuary, Names BHSI’s Valzania as CUO; AXA XL Promotes Bailey as Head of Professional, Bermuda
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Vantage Group Holdings and AXA XL. A summary of these new hires follows here. Vantage Promotes Bellitti as Chief Pricing & Portfolio Actuary, BHSI’s Valzania Named CUO Vantage Group Holdings Ltd. …
Illinois Legislature Clarifies How Damages are Calculated Under BIPA to Avoid ‘Annihilative Liability’
A bill (SB2979) amending Illinois’ Biometric Information and Privacy Act (“BIPA”), passed by both houses of the legislature on May 16 and now on Governor Pritzker’s desk, effectively overturns a recent Illinois Supreme Court ruling that could have had a …
Employers Turn to New Technology to Safeguard Workers From Extreme Heat
McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — At the start of every work day, construction worker Charles Smith puts on the essentials: hard hat. Safety glasses. A reflective vest. And a small, watch-like band for his wrist. But rather than track time, its …
Typhoon Gaemi Lashes Southeast China After Pounding Taiwan, Flooding Philippines
Typhoon Gaemi lashed towns on China’s coastal Fujian province on Friday with heavy rains and strong winds as the most powerful storm to hit the country this year began its widely watched trek into the populous interior. The storm, which …
Minnesota School Settles With Professor Fired for Showing Image of the Prophet Muhammad
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A former adjunct professor on Monday settled a federal religious discrimination lawsuit against a private Minnesota school after she was pushed out for showing a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in class. Details of the …
Devastating Wildfire Burns Down Almost 50% of Western Canadian Tourist Town
A raging wildfire has devastated the western Canadian tourist town of Jasper, potentially destroying up to 50% of structures, and firefighters were trying Thursday to save as many buildings as possible, authorities said. Jasper is in the middle of mountainous …