Insurance Journal

People Moves: Westfield Names Haagen as Chief Underwriting Officer

Westfield, headquartered in Westfield Center, Ohio, named Henning Haagen as chief underwriting officer (CUO). Assuming the role on Sept. 2 and based in Westfield’s New York City office, Haagen will oversee the development and execution of enter...

Posted: Aug 28, 2025

Most Losses in Destructive Eaton Fire Tied to Conflagration Hazard, Report Shows

When the Eaton Fire burned in Los Angeles County in early January, 75% of the structures in the fire perimeter had a low to moderate wildfire hazard, but they carried a high to very high conflagration hazard. Eighty-four percent of …

Posted: Aug 28, 2025

EU Considers Secondary Sanctions to Hit Russia’s War Effort

The European Union is mulling introducing secondary sanctions in an effort to prevent third countries from helping Russia circumvent the bloc’s existing punitive measures against Moscow, according to people familiar with the matter. The EU is w...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

International Coalition Calls Out Three Chinese Companies Over Hacking Campaign

An unusually broad coalition composed of the United States, its traditional English-speaking allies, and other nations including Germany, Italy and Japan is calling out three Chinese companies over alleged hacking activity. In a 37-page advisory publ...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Risk & Insurance Education Alliance Offers Free CE Programs

AUSTIN, TX., AUG 27, 2025 – The Risk and Insurance Education Alliance, the leader in professional education for the risk and insurance industry for over 50 years, is pleased to announce a special offer for new Alliance members. Individuals who &#8230...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

How Climate Variability Threatens Corn Growers

Robb Rynd and his brother grew up farming and wanted to do more of it outside their day jobs, so they went in together on what’s now a little over 200 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and sorghum. Last year …

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Crumbling Michigan Dam Reveals Potential Risks of Private Hydroelectric Ownership

Amid stacked rows of brightly colored plastic kayaks and canoes, Khrystal Crosno recently helped an Ann Arbor family begin a floating trip along the scenic AuTrain River. The Earl family should spot turtles, herons and river otters during the 7-mile...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Texas Serial Arsonist Charged With Starting Hay Bale Fires

A serial arsonist in Lavaca County, Texas pleaded guilty to one count of felony vehicle arson and admitted to starting six hay bale fires dating to 2024, the Texas Department of Insurance announced this week. The Hallettsville Police Department arres...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Louisiana Governor: No ‘Immediate Danger’ After Auto Plant Fire

Following a massive fire on Friday at an automotive lubricant plant in southeast Louisiana, residents are reporting soot on cars and oily residue in nearby bodies of water. But Gov. Jeff Landry said that there is no indication of an …

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

20 Years Later, Hurricane Katrina’s Impact Echoes in Models, Mitigation and Reforms

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina swamped parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, the property insurance sector is better prepared for another catastrophic storm and the litigation that may follow, according to industry leaders. They point to tighter...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

West Virginia Lags Behind in Sites for New Businesses, But That is Changing

On the Ohio River in Wood County, officials are clearing hurdles to prepare sites for new businesses. Two locations, 70 acres of farmland and a sprawling industrial park, are set to become suitable for development, thanks to the first $150,000 &#8230...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

West Virginia Lags Behind in Sites for New Businesses, but That Is Changing

On the Ohio River in Wood County, officials are clearing hurdles to prepare sites for new businesses. Two locations, 70 acres of farmland and a sprawling industrial park, are set to become suitable for development, thanks to the first $150,000 &#8230...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Florida Uses Highway Weigh Stations as Immigration Check Points

Florida law enforcement will begin asking commercial truck drivers about their immigration status during inspections at highway weigh stations after a turnpike crash killed three people earlier this month. State Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpso...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Sompo to Acquire Aspen for $3.5 Billion to Expand Global Access

Sompo Holdings, a subsidiary of Sompo International Holdings, said it has an agreement in place to acquire Aspen Insurance Holdings for about $3.5 billion to further its geographical reach outside of its home territory. Tokyo-based Sompo early this y...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

OpenAI, Altman Sued Over ChatGPT’s Role in Teen’s Suicide

The parents of a teen who died by suicide after ChatGPT coached him on methods of self harm sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday, saying the company knowingly put profit above safety when it launched the GPT-4o version …

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Trump Tariffs Pile Pressure on Europe’s Industrial Base

When the Washington Commanders’ quarterback Marcus Mariota landed a last-second touchdown pass to clinch victory against the Dallas Cowboys in January, it’s unlikely devastated Cowboys fans were thinking about turf underlay, or the small...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

EU Auto Groups Press for Change to ‘No Longer Feasible’ Car CO2 Emission Targets

European Union targets to cut CO2 emissions from vehicles, including a 100% reduction for cars by 2035, are no longer feasible, the heads of the European automobile manufacturers’ and automotive suppliers’ associations said on Wednesday....

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Apple Watch Not a ‘CO2-Neutral Product,’ German Court Finds

Apple can no longer advertise its Apple Watch as a “CO2-neutral product” in Germany, following a court ruling on Tuesday that upheld a complaint from environmentalists, finding that the U.S. tech company had misled consumers. Apple had pr...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

When Luck Runs Out: Where $100B Hurricanes Might Happen

Lists published every hurricane season, adjusting the amounts of insurance losses for past events for inflation to current-dollar levels, give a misleading picture of the potential for a single event costing insurers $100 billion. Karen Clark & C...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Anthropic Settles Class Action From Authors Alleging Copyright Infringement

Artificial intelligence company Anthropic said in a court filing on Tuesday that it has resolved a class action lawsuit from a group of U.S. authors who argued that its AI training infringed their copyrights, marking the first settlement in a …

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Woman Sentenced After Pleading to Arson in Six Fires in North Carolina

A North Carolina woman was sentenced to as much as 12 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to setting six fires in Onslow County, on the state’s southeast coast. Chasity Dawn Keeter, 37, of Jacksonville, pleaded guilty to five …

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Wealthspire Acquires California-Based Marin Financial Advisors

Wealthspire Advisors LLC, an NFP company, has entered into an agreement to acquire Marin Financial Advisors in Larkspur, California. Marin Financial Advisors has provided individuals and families with financial services since 1987. The firm is led by...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

Grange Insurance Association Seeks to Form Mutual Holding Company in Washington

Grange Insurance Association has submitted an application to the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner to convert to a mutual holding company structure. The plan calls for two new parent entities to be formed, Granwest Mutual Holding...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

3 Hyundai and 2 GM Products on Mercury’s Most Affordable New EVs to Insure List

California-based Mercury Insurance compiled a list of the most affordable electric vehicles to insure. The list includes 2025 and 2026 model-year vehicles. Factors examined for the list include claims on similar vehicles, costs to repair and vehicle...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025

As AI Becomes Part of Everyday Life, it Brings a Hidden Climate Cost

Marissa Loewen first started using artificial intelligence in 2014 as a project management tool. She has autism and ADHD and said it helped immensely with organizing her thoughts. “We try to use it conscientiously though because we do realize t...

Posted: Aug 27, 2025