Insurance Journal

Man Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Driver’s Licenses for Ineligible Applicants

A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty to conspiring to obtain driver’s licenses for ineligible applicants, principally illegal aliens, federal prosecutors reported. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts said that Cesar Agusto Martin...

Posted: Jun 20, 2025

SpaceX’s Starship Explodes on Test Stand in Yet Another Setback

A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded on a test stand in Texas, adding to a series of setbacks to Elon Musk’s space ambitions that include trips to Mars. The huge blast enveloped the craft as it stood upright on a test …

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Krispy Kreme Starts Notifying Over 160,000 People Affected by Data Breach

Krispy Kreme released new information about its late 2024 data breach and said it is notifying affected individuals—many of them current or former employees, and their families. According to a post on its website and a notification to the attorney &#...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Plenty of Investor Interest in Insurance Despite Drop in Deal Volume, Says PwC

Deal volume is down but the total value of the deals that were made is up, according an analysis by PwC of mergers and acquisitions in the insurance sector. The look at M&A activity showed total deal value within the …

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Florida’s Evolving Bad-Faith Landscape: What Claims and Insurance Pros Need to Know

Bad faith litigation has long posed both legal and reputational risks for insurers operating in Florida. With the enactment in 2023 of House Bill 837—a sweeping tort-reform measure—there are important changes to how insurers and their claims professi...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Major Hurricane Erick Hits Mexico’s Pacific Coast, With Life-Threatening Floods Expected

Hurricane Erick made landfall on the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, on Thursday morning, authorities said, potentially bringing intense rains and life-threatening floods and mudslides. The storm made landfall around 5:30 am local time in the town of Santia...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Update: Hurricane Erick Weakens Over Mexico, Leaving Trail of Damage in its Wake

Hurricane Erick weakened after slamming into Mexico’s southern Pacific coast as a major hurricane on Thursday, leaving a trail of damaged businesses, wrecked boats and flooded streets in the state of Oaxaca as authorities warned of risks from h...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Hard Rock Stadium Tightens Security at Club World Cup After Miami Chaos Last Year

Almost a year since the Copa America final nearly ended in tragedy, big numbers of soccer fans are back at Hard Rock Stadium — this time for the Club World Cup with heightened security. A combined crowd of nearly 120,000 …

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

California Utilities Weigh Power Shutdowns as Dry Winds Approach

California utilities are mulling power shutdowns as breezy dry conditions across the state raise the risk of wildfires. Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. may turn off power to at least 11,543 customers in 15 counties, according to its website. Souther...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Alabama DOI Encourages Insurers to Use More Than Drones in Nonrenewals

Alabama’s insurance commissioner this week urged property insurers to be judicious in the use of drones and aerial imagery in making nonrenewal decisions, but stopped short of issuing new regulations. “If an insurer uses aerial imagery as...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

People Moves: Aon Promotes Rieth to Global Cyber Leader

Aon Promotes Rieth to Global Cyber Leader Aon plc, headquartered in London, promoted Brent Rieth to global cyber leader within Commercial Risk Solutions. Rieth, based in Chicago, Illinois, currently serves as head of Cyber Solutions, North America, w...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Racketeering Suit Alleges NY Insurance Fraud Scheme by Lawyers, Medical Providers

A New York specialty insurance managing underwriter for contractors and construction risks has sued a New York City personal injury law firm and dozens of medical providers, alleging a wide-ranging scheme to defraud insurers through staged constructi...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Verisk: Q1 Claims Volume Hits 5-Year Low but Severity Up on Wildfire Losses

The first three months of 2025 brought devastating wildfires to California, significant wind and hail events to Texas, and substantial increases in tornado activity to “Tornado Alley,” but claim volume decreased to a five-year low, accord...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Clear Group Acquires UK Commercial Broker, C.R. Toogood & Co.

The Clear Group, he London-based insurance intermediary, announced the acquisition of C.R. Toogood & Co. Ltd., a commercial insurance broker based in East Horsley, Surrey, UK. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Clear said this stra...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Mideast Ship Insurance Costs Jump Following Iran-Israel Attacks

The cost of insurance for ships sailing in the Persian Gulf jumped as attacks between Iran and Israel raised risks for vessels in the area. Underwriters are now charging 0.2% of the value of a ship for calls into the …

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Planetary Waves Linked to Wild Summer Weather Have Tripled Since 1950: Study

Climate change has tripled the frequency of atmospheric wave events linked to extreme summer weather in the last 75 years and that may explain why long-range computer forecasts keep underestimating the surge in killer heat waves, droughts and floods,...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

US Plans Texas Facility to Stop Flesh-Eating Cattle Pest

The US Department of Agriculture announced a plan to open an $8.5 million facility in South Texas to combat the spread of the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating bug that is deadly to cattle. The facility, expected to be completed …

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Illinois Manufacturer to Pay $520K Settlement Over Clean Air Act Violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with manufacturer Eakas Corp. for alleged Clean Air Act emissions violations at the company’s facility in Peru, Illinois. The company will pay $520,200 in penalties. Eakas produces...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Oklahoma Insurance Department Expands Second Pilot Launch of Fortified Grants Program

The Oklahoma Insurance Department said that it has expanded its second pilot launch of OKReady, a program that allocates up to $10,000 in grant funds to residents to strengthen homes to the IBHS Fortified standard. OID announced that eight new &#8230...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Oklahoma Expands Second Pilot Launch of Fortified Grants Program

The Oklahoma Insurance Department said that it has expanded its second pilot launch of OKReady, a program that allocates up to $10,000 in grant funds to residents to strengthen homes to the IBHS Fortified standard. OID announced that eight new &#8230...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

South Padre, Texas Officials Worried About Potential FEMA Cuts

In the wake of the Trump administration’s announced plans to cut back on federal disaster spending, South Padre Island officials are concerned their beaches will be left vulnerable should a storm hit this hurricane season. City staff alerted Ci...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Spain Reveals Details of Chain Reaction That Caused Outage

Spain’s most-detailed account yet of the missteps leading to April’s nationwide blackout failed to fully explain why the power grid was so unstable in the first place. Over 182 pages, including redactions that blot out the names of compan...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Brookfield’s Insurer Trims Private Credit, Citing Crowded Trade

Brookfield Corp.’s insurance unit has pulled back from investments in private credit as surging demand from rival bidders pushes yields down. Brookfield Wealth Solutions started to reduce its allocation to private credit six months ago, and is...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Former Ohio Doctor Loses Defamation Lawsuit Against Ex-Employers

A former Ohio doctor who was fired before being found not guilty on murder charges in the deaths of 14 patients lost a defamation lawsuit against his former employers on Monday, after a judge stepped in for a jury on …

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

US Supreme Court Sets Test for Which Courts Can Hear EPA Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court established rules of the road on Wednesday to determine when lawsuits challenging actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency related to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions should be heard by regional appeals cou...

Posted: Jun 19, 2025