Insurance Journal

California Labor Commish Fines Costco, Others $868K for Misclassifying Drivers

Costco, Ryder Last Mile Inc. and Mega Nice Trucking LLC $868,128 citation has been issued by the California Labor Commissioner’s Office for worker misclassifying and labor law violations affecting 58 delivery drivers. The LCO reports that Ryder...

Posted: Nov 04, 2025

US Sees Air Safety Risks as Government Shutdown Hurts Flying

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he’d close US airspace if officials determined air travel was dangerous, as the government shutdown stretches into its second month. “If we thought that it was unsafe, we’ll shut the whole ai...

Posted: Nov 04, 2025

Viewpoint: California Workers’ Comp Outlook And What Stakeholders Need to Know

Workers’ compensation insurance premium rates in California have been in a steady decline for many years, after a series of reforms to the system reduced claim payouts, and subsequent changes to the experience modification rating calculation de...

Posted: Nov 04, 2025

People Moves: Encova Insurance Names Webber and Rao as VPs

Encova Insurance, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, named Zach Webber as vice president, corporate actuarial, and Boppana Rao as vice president, enterprise digitization, AI and data. Webber has nearly two decades of actuarial experience across both co...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Still Resonates 50 Years Later

Spend enough time along the shores of Lake Superior and it won’t be long before there’s some reminder of what happened “when the gales of November came early.” This year marks the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund &#...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

ReSource Pro Acquires Indiana-Based Supportive Insurance Services

ReSource Pro, a strategic operations partner serving the insurance industry, announced the acquisition of Supportive Insurance Services (SIS), a provider of licensing and renewal services. SIS’s deep specialization in adjuster licensing and com...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Lawsuit Seeks to Overturn Dallas Ordinances, Including LGBTQ+ Protections

Two years after state lawmakers passed a sweeping law aimed at preventing Texas cities from adopting progressive policies, that law may finally get its first major test. Three Dallas residents sued the city in Denton County District Court Wednesday t...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

NAIC Announces Johnston Interim CEO as Anderson Departs

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) said late last week that its chief executive officer, Gary Anderson, stepped down to “pursue other endeavors.” Anderson left the NAIC on Oct. 29. NAIC Chief Regulatory Affairs Off...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

WV OIC Accepting Input on American Modern’s 47% Auto Rate Increase Request

The West Virginia Office of the Insurance Commissioner is accepting comments about a proposed 47.38% average increase in auto liability rates filed by American Modern Property and Casualty Insurance Co. About 504 policyholders will be affected. Writt...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Bank Sells Tompkins Agencies to A. J. Gallagher for $223 Million

Tompkins Financial Corp. has closed on the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary, Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc. (TIA), to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. for approximately $223 million in cash. The transaction generates a pre-tax gain of $183 million...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Bank Sells Tompkins Agencies to A.J. Gallagher for $223 Million

Tompkins Financial Corp. has closed on the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary, Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc. (TIA), to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. for approximately $223 million in cash. The transaction generates a pre-tax gain of $183 million...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Monkey Escape in Mississippi Gives Glimpse Into Secret World of Animal Research

The recent escape of several research monkeys after the truck carrying them overturned on a Mississippi interstate is the latest glimpse into the secretive industry of animal research and the processes that allow key details of what happened to be &#...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Nation’s Largest Fleet of Police Cybertrucks to Patrol Vegas

The nation’s largest police fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks is set to begin patrolling the streets of Las Vegas in November thanks to a donation from a U.S. tech billionaire, raising concerns about the blurring of lines between public and private &#...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Hackers and Crime Rings Are Teaming Up to Steal Cargo, Cyber Firm Says

Hackers are infiltrating trucking and freight companies in a scheme to steal and sell cargo shipments, a growing campaign that could end up costing companies and consumers billions of dollars, according to new cybersecurity research. Sunnyvale, Calif...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

MMA Buys Collector Auto and Motorsports Agency

Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) announced the acquisition of Hayden Wood Insurance Agency Inc., a Southborough, Massachusetts-based independent agency. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The Hayden Wood Insurance Agency was founded in 1946 by H...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Connecticut Approves Workers’ Compensation Cost Decrease for 2026

Connecticut’s insurance regulator has approved an industry filing that will lower workers’ compensation rates beginning January 1, 2026. The new voluntary market rates will reflect an average 3.8% decrease in loss costs. The rate for assi...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Insured Losses From Hurricane Melissa Could Reach $4.2 Billion, Verisk Estimates

Insured losses from Hurricane Melissa’s strike on Jamaica are expected to range between $2.2 billion and $4.2 billion, according to estimates from data analytics firm Verisk. The Category 5 hurricane made landfall in southwestern Jamaica last w...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Vietnam Flood Deaths Rise as New Storm Tracks Toward Coast

The death toll in Vietnam from last week’s record-breaking downpours has climbed to 37 as another powerful storm bears down on the country’s coast and floodwaters rise again in some tourism hubs. The national weather agency warned that ri...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Two New Suspects Handed Preliminary Charges in Louvre Jewels Heist: Prosecutor Says

The Paris prosecutor said Saturday two new suspects were handed preliminary charges for their alleged involvement in the crown jewels heist at the Louvre museum, three days after they were arrested by police as part of the sweeping investigation. Lau...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Two New Suspects Handed Preliminary Charges in Louvre Jewels Heist, Prosecutor Says

The Paris prosecutor said Saturday two new suspects were handed preliminary charges for their alleged involvement in the crown jewels heist at the Louvre museum, three days after they were arrested by police as part of the sweeping investigation. Lau...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Markets/Coverages: AXA XL Offers Cyber Solution for Europe, APAC Construction Firms

AXA XL announced the launch of a new cyber solution designed to provide construction firms in Europe, Asia and Australia with enhanced protection against the rapidly evolving landscape of cyber threats. Available by endorsement to AXA XL’s cybe...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

People Moves: H.W. Kaufman Group Promotes 16 Across Executive and North American Teams; Howden US Na...

H.W. Kaufman Group Makes Promotions Across Executive and North American Teams H.W. Kaufman Group, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, promoted 16 members of its executive and North American teams to new roles. The announcement follows the 20...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Jamaica Catastrophe Bond Has Now Triggered, Government Says

Jamaica’s catastrophe bond has now triggered as a result of the fallout from Hurricane Melissa, the government said. “Over the next few weeks we’ll get more details into what the payout is,” Dana Morris Dixon, minister of educ...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

A Toy Maker Takes His Case Against Trump’s Tariffs to the Supreme Court

Within days of Donald Trump announcing his sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs in April, Rick Woldenberg was looking for a law firm to help him sue the U.S. president. “I’m not willing to allow politicians to destroy what we hav...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025

Buffett’s Berkshire Cash Hits $382 Billion, Earnings Soar

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s cash pile soared to $381.7 billion in the third quarter, a fresh record, and operating earnings surged 34% at Chief Executive Officer Warren Buffett’s conglomerate. That figure hit $13.5 billion, as the firm&#821...

Posted: Nov 03, 2025