INSURANCE NEWS
60,000 Wawa-Branded Tumblers Recalled Because Their Metal Straws Can Cut Customers
Some 60,000 Wawa-branded beverage tumblers are under recall due to a laceration hazard posed by the products’ metal straw. According to a Thursday notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the metal straw inside the now-recalled tumblers can …
Changes to Washington Homeowners and Auto Premium Rule to Be Considered
Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has proposed modifying the state’s recently adopted premium change transparency rule. The proposal is specific to Phase 2 of the rule (the automatic inclusion of reasons for premium increases in policy renewals). It moves the …
Delta-8 Hemp and Texas Medical Marijuana Industries to Face Off in Upcoming Legislative Session
Jack Stinnett got life-changing news in 2020 when he learned the lump that appeared on the side of his neck was tongue and mouth cancer. He and his wife Karen quickly enrolled him at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, …
Data Centers Will Have to Make Minimum Power Payments in Ohio
Big data centers in Ohio will have to pay a minimum of 85% of the energy they need to cover the costs of grid improvements under a settlement submitted Wednesday by one of the state’s largest utilities. The pact was …
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Minnesota Trooper in Fatal Shooting of Black Man
A federal judge has dismissed a civil rights lawsuit against a white Minnesota state trooper who shot and killed a Black man during a traffic stop last year, ruling that the trooper’s actions did not violate the law. On Wednesday, …
Texas Pecan Farmers Fight to Save Water Suply
FORT STOCKTON — Zachary Swick plucked a pecan from one of the 78,000 trees at a sprawling West Texas farm — a rare sight in the desert known for oil rigs and pump jacks. He peeled away the pecan’s layers, …
Texas Assisted Living Facility Fined for Firing Nurse With Sleep Disorder
VibraLife of Katy, LLC, a rehabilitation and assisted living facility in Katy, Texas, will pay $80,000 and furnish other relief to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, the federal agency announced today. According …
Regional Banks With Florida Operations Brace for Loan Defaults After Hurricanes
Several regional lenders allocated loan-loss provisions in the third quarter to cover potential defaults by borrowers grappling with recent hurricanes, primarily in Florida, highlighting the risks extreme weather and climate change pose to banks. Two devastating hurricanes struck the Sunshine …
KBRA Says Florida Insurers Will Weather the Storms; Cat Fund Can Handle Payouts
Florida’s Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, a state-created layer of reinsurance, expects to pay out about $4.6 billion to help cover insurers’ losses in Hurricanes Helene and Milton. But that won’t trigger a surcharge on premiums. And a number of Florida property …
Allstate Says It’s Ready to Grow Homeowners Line With All 3 Distribution Channels
Allstate said it sees opportunity where others may not — in homeowners insurance. And the insurer plans to use all three distribution channels to do it. Due to rising trends in the frequency and severity of weather-related losses and in …
Retrial Begins in Civil Suit Against Contractor Accused in Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal
A military contractor accused of contributing to the abuse of detainees at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison two decades ago is again on trial in a federal courtroom after a long-awaited civil case earlier this year ended with a hung jury. …
Global Reinsurers’ ROE Jumps to 22% in 2023, but Market Softening Unlikely: AM Best
AM Best’s population of global reinsurance companies posted a return on equity (ROE) of 22% in 2023 – a five-year high that was driven mainly by favorable investment income and strong underwriting performance. The fundamentals are excellent but Hurricanes Helene …