Reinsurance Rates Continued Softening During April Renewals, Despite Iran War
Reinsurance rates continued to soften during the April 1 renewals despite the unstable geopolitical landscape and uncertain economic outlook, according to major reinsurance brokers. “The orderly completion of the renewal, with no structural disruption, disciplined capacity and cedent-friendly pricing outcomes, …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 4:19 PM |
Toymaker Hasbro Reports Cybersecurity Incident
Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based toymaker Hasbro, Inc. reported it is investigating a cybersecurity incident after identifying unauthorized access to its network on March 28. The company said it has taken certain systems offline and launched an investigation with the assistance of …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 4:04 PM |
Mississippi Lawmakers Revive Wind-Mitigation Program with $15,000 Grants
Mississippi will soon become the latest state to provide wind-mitigation grants for homeowners if the governor signs bills approved by lawmakers this week. Senate Bill 2049 revives a 20-year-old retrofit plan and creates the Strengthen Mississippi Homes Program, providing grants …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 3:57 PM |
Georgia Boards Owe $3M to Military Spouses With Out-of-State Licenses
The state of Georgia must pay some 5,000 military service members and their spouses a total of $3 million to settle charges that state boards failed to recognize out-of-state professional licenses. The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 2:49 PM |
US Exempts Gulf of Mexico Drillers From Endangered Species Rules
A committee of senior officials in President Donald Trump’s administration voted on Tuesday to exempt the Gulf of Mexico oil and gas industry from a federal law meant to protect endangered species including whales, birds and sea turtles. The decision, …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 2:32 PM |
Kroger Houston Division Faces Lawsuit for Disability Discrimination
Kroger Texas L.P. – Houston Division, operator of Kroger grocery store #300 in Houston’s Clear Lake/NASA area, violated federal employment law when it failed to accommodate and then fired an employee because of her disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 2:28 PM |
Texas Woman Loses Wrongful Arrest Lawsuit in Controversial Abortion Case
A Trump-appointed federal judge in South Texas this week dismissed a lawsuit filed by a woman in the Rio Grande Valley who alleged that her rights were violated after prosecutors charged her with murder in a controversial case that made …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 2:20 PM |
Tugboat Captain Charged in Crash That Killed 3 Girls from Miami Sailing Camp
A tugboat captain has been charged in a deadly Miami collision in July that killed three girls from a sailing camp, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, of Miami, faces a charge of seaman’s manslaughter in the crash, …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 1:57 PM |
Fleet Lender Pays $1.64M to California to Settle False Claims Allegations
A commercial fleet lender is paying $1.64 million to settle allegations it made false claims to take advantage of a loan loss insurance program. California Attorney General Rob Bonta settled with Crossroads Equipment Lease and Finance over alleged false claims …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 1:54 PM |
New York Restaurateur Charged In No-Fault Auto Insurance Fraud Scheme
Federal law enforcement officials report they arrested Zhan Petrosyants, charging him with operating an extensive no-fault automobile insurance fraud scheme that involved submitting tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent medical claims and laundering the proceeds. Petrosyants, 44, also known …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 1:50 PM |
Jury Can’t Reach Verdict in Corruption Trial of Fired FirstEnergy Execs
Jurors failed to reach a verdict on Tuesday in the corruption trial of two fired FirstEnergy Corp. executives charged with alleged roles in a $60 million scheme to bribe politicians for a $1 billion nuclear bailout and other favors. The …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 1:46 PM |
Warmer Winters Causing Costly Water Pollution Crisis
When pollution gets bad enough in the rivers supplying Iowa’s largest city with drinking water, it costs Des Moines around $16,000 a day to run a special system to filter out dangerous nitrates. It’s a fact of life in the …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 1:43 PM |
Hail a Growing Loss Driver on Rising Tide of Severe Convective Storms, Allianz Says
Hailstorms drove record insured damages as severe convective storms become more common and damaging, popping up in new places, a new report shows.
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 12:42 PM |
Stolen Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse Were Probably Uninsured, Market Sources Say
Three paintings by French masters Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse stolen from a museum in northern Italy last week were probably not insured, according to market sources. One fine art underwriter told the Reuters publication The Insurer that …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 10:17 AM |
UK Motor Finance Scandal to Cost Lenders $12 Billion
The motor finance industry must pay around 9.1 billion pounds ($12 billion) to compensate UK motorists for unfair vehicle loans under the market regulator’s trimmed, final bill for one of Britain’s costliest financial mis-selling scandals. The headline number, unveiled by …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 9:14 AM |
Secret Codes and Yuan Fees Get Ships Through Iran’s Hormuz Tollbooth
In recent days, the operator of an oil tanker stuck in the Persian Gulf received a compelling proposal. After weeks at anchor with missiles and drones passing overhead, it could finally sail safely out through the Strait of Hormuz and …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 8:39 AM |
Oil Prices Surge, Allies Discuss Securing Hormuz, as Trump Vows to Step Up Iran Attacks
Hopes for a swift end to the Middle East war faded on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran, sending oil prices back well over $100 a barrel in a blow to consumers around the …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 7:53 AM |
Meet the New AI Coworker Who Won’t Stop Snitching to Your Boss
The Slack messages began arriving at 5:47 a.m. on a recent Monday. Three sales proposals had gone out the previous week and none of the team members had scheduled follow-ups. The reminders were crisp, professional and relentless — and they …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 7:25 AM |
People Moves: Shankland to Lead Markel Ocean Cargo, US; Verisk Hires Murphy to Lead Sales for Claims Solutions; Kalepa Appoints Howell as Head of Product
Markel said James Shankland has been appointed head of ocean cargo, U.S. He will lead the growth of Markel’s U.S. cargo portfolio, and be responsible for underwriting strategy, portfolio management and broker engagement. He’ll work closely with actuarial, claims, operations …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 5:43 AM |
Baidu Robotaxis Freeze Mid-Ride in Wuhan, Trap Passengers
A number of Baidu Inc.’s Apollo Go robotaxis suddenly stopped on the streets of China’s Wuhan city on Tuesday, trapping passengers in vehicles and raising concerns about the safety and reliability of autonomous driving technology. Wuhan police received multiple reports …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 5:15 AM |
Perplexity AI Machine Accused of Sharing Data With Meta, Google
Perplexity AI Inc. was accused in a lawsuit of surreptitiously sharing the personal information of its users with Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google in violation of California privacy laws. As soon as users log into Perplexity’s home page, …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 5:13 AM |
EPA Watchdog Finds Nation’s Most Toxic Sites Are Vulnerable to Flooding, Wildfires
About 100 of the nation’s most contaminated toxic waste sites are in areas prone to flooding and wildfires, a potential public health threat to millions of Americans in surrounding communities, the internal watchdog at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 5:09 AM |
Viewpoint: Why Brokers Struggle to Navigate Data Complexity and What to Do About It
The insurance industry relies on data to assess and price risks, and to develop products that meet policyholders’ needs. Insurance agencies and brokerages collect data about customers and their risks, and this data in turn is exchanged with underwriters to …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 5:05 AM |
People Moves: Lockton Expands California Footprint in Life Sciences
Lockton has expanded its presence in California across the evolving life sciences sector, hiring Cristina Varner as senior vice president and life sciences practice leader for the West region. Varner has more than 25 years of experience in the life …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 5:00 AM |
People Moves: Patriot Growth Names Bowie National Cyber Leader
Patriot Growth Insurance Services, headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, named Jason Bowie as national cyber practice leader. Bowie has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance brokerage industry, with a background in cyber liability, errors & omissions (E&O), …
POSTED APRIL 02, 2026 5:00 AM |