Viewpoint: Middle Market Businesses Are Cutting Costs – But May Be Increasing Risks
When I talk with our agents that serve middle market clients, the same themes consistently emerge: middle market businesses are optimistic, but they’re also fatigued and looking for more than traditional risk transfer from their insurance partners. Many owners are …
POSTED APRIL 23, 2026 6:03 AM |
People Moves: Goldie to Oversee Nationwide’s Management Liability, Cyber Teams; Former FIO & NAIC Exec. Joins The Council; Smallcombe Appointed CUO, Ascot US
Bobbie Goldie to Oversee Nationwide’s Private Company Management Liability, Cyber Liability Teams Nationwide is tapping insurance industry veteran Bobbie Goldie to oversee the insurance and financial services company’s private company management liability and cyber liability teams. She’ll assume that role …
POSTED APRIL 23, 2026 5:27 AM |
State Farm Paid a ‘Hail’ of a Lot of Claims in 2025
Providing its annual report of hail-related claims, State Farm said that it paid out $5.6 billion nationally for such claims in 2025, and $1.4 billion in Texas alone. The giant insurer’s report on hail claims includes a list of the …
POSTED APRIL 23, 2026 5:12 AM |
Roblox Settles With Three States For $35.8 Million Over Child Safety
Roblox Corp. has reached settlements with attorneys general in three states over child-safety protections. As part of the deals, the video game company pledged to curb dangerous interactions on its platform, according to statements from the offices of the attorneys …
POSTED APRIL 23, 2026 5:02 AM |
Man Pleads Guilty in Crash That Killed Sheriff’s Recruit, Injuring 25 Others in California
A California man pleaded guilty to a wrong-way crash that killed a sheriff’s recruit and injured more than two dozen other recruits. Nicholas Gutierrez, 25, pleaded guilty this week to a fatal wrong-way crash that resulted in the death of …
POSTED APRIL 23, 2026 5:00 AM |
California Wildfire Risk Bills Cruising Through Legislature
Two bills that are getting bipartisan support aimed at reducing wildfire risk in California are quickly making their way through state Legislature. Senate Bill 894 and Senate Bill 1297, which both address wildfire risk reduction in the state, passed through …
POSTED APRIL 23, 2026 5:00 AM |
EY and IIF: Four in Five CROs Rank Cyber Among Top Risks
Eighty percent of insurance chief risk officers rank cyber among their top five risks, according to a new report from EY and the Institute of International Finance. That was up 14 percentage points year over year. The third annual EY–IIF …
POSTED APRIL 23, 2026 5:00 AM |
Wall Street Law Firm Apologizes for AI ‘Hallucinations’ in Court Filing
Sullivan & Cromwell, a premier Wall Street law firm, apologized to a federal judge for submitting a court filing with inaccurate citations and other errors generated by artificial intelligence. In a letter dated April 18, Andrew Dietderich, co-head of the …
POSTED APRIL 23, 2026 5:00 AM |
Ex-CEO, ex-CFO of Bankrupt AI Company Charged With Fraud
The former chief executive and chief financial officer of iLearningEngines, which provided AI-driven business automation technology, were indicted on charges they defrauded investors and lenders by fabricating “virtually all” of the now-bankrupt company’s customer relationships and revenue. Former CEO Puthugramam …
POSTED APRIL 23, 2026 5:00 AM |
FedEx to Pay $280,000 to Settle Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
FedEx Express will pay $280,000 and furnish other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced. In the lawsuit, the EEOC charged that in February 2023, FedEx failed to …
POSTED APRIL 23, 2026 5:00 AM |
World Insurance Buys Long Island Agency
World Insurance Associates LLC reports that it acquired the business of Baldon Insurance Group of Patchogue, New York. Terms of the January 1, 2026 transaction were not disclosed. Baldon, which was established in 2000, is a Long Island independent agency …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 6:00 PM |
Texas AG Sues Kratom Retailers for Deceptive Marketing
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against two California-based online kratom retailers for deceptively marketing and selling synthetic kratom products and adulterated products that are up to 96% 7-hydroxymitragynine (“7-OH”). According to the lawsuit, that is nearly fifty …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 4:52 PM |
People Moves: Pekin Insurance Names Colvert as VP – Sales & Marketing
Pekin Insurance announced that John Colvert has joined the organization as Vice President – Sales & Marketing. Colvert brings more than two decades of leadership experience across Property & Casualty insurance and life and financial services. He most recently served …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 4:31 PM |
Nebraska Faces Urgent Task of Reversing Job Loss Trend
Not long ago, Nebraska’s growth was quite literally a national cover story. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts soared through the air wearing skis and goggles on the Olympic-themed March 2018 cover of Site Selection, an economic development industry magazine. The cartoon …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 4:29 PM |
Judge Rules to Temporarily Block Texas’ Smokeable Hemp Ban
A Travis County district judge has temporarily lifted a statewide ban on the sale of natural smokeable hemp products, such as flower buds and rolled joints, until at least April 28. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble granted the Texas Hemp Business …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 4:24 PM |
Florida Jury Finds Uber Liable for Actions of Driver Who Grabbed Passenger’s Thigh
Rideshare giant Uber is liable for the behavior of a driver who grabbed the inner thigh of a passenger as she was leaving the front seat of his car and asked if he could “keep her” with him, a jury …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 4:08 PM |
California Attorney General Suing Over CEQA Violations Involving Ancestral Remains
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing the City of Poway alleging it violated the California Environmental Quality Act by failing to respond to discoveries of burials of ancestral human remains and cultural resources during the construction of a luxury …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 3:36 PM |
Four Georgia Troopers Fired in Vehicle Pursuit-Insurance Scheme
Three Georgia State Patrol troopers and their supervisor have been let go after officers’ hot pursuits reportedly turned into cold cash from fleeing suspects’ auto insurance companies. News sites around the state reported that an internal investigation found the officers, …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 3:33 PM |
How Leaders Can Maintain Humanity in the Modern Insurance Era
As artificial intelligence and automation become faster and more precise, insurance industry leaders are finding that the differentiator isn’t just better technology but how the people behind the technology are using it. That’s according to experts at InsurTech New York’s …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 3:07 PM |
Markets/Coverages: MGA EverPeak Launches Multi-State Workers’ Comp Feature; Orion180 Offers New Product for Rental Property Owners
EverPeak Insurance launched a new multi-state feature that eliminates multi-jurisdictional friction for mobile workforces. Effective April 21, the new feature allows brokers to secure workers’ compensation coverage across 17 states in a single, 30-second digital workflow. The feature addresses a …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 2:17 PM |
Purdue Pharma’s $5.5B Sentencing for Opioid Charges Delayed
A federal judge on April 21 delayed the planned criminal sentencing of Purdue Pharma by one week, saying she wanted to allow more public participation before concluding a criminal case over the company’s marketing of addictive opioid drugs. U.S. District …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 1:41 PM |
Iran Seizes Ships in Strait of Hormuz After Trump Halts Attacks
Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, tightening its grip on the strategic waterway after U.S. President Donald Trump called off attacks indefinitely with no sign of peace talks restarting. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 12:47 PM |
WR Berkley Turns in Record Q1 Operating Income
First quarter 2026 net income at W.R. Berkley Corp. increased about 23.4% compared to the same period a year ago to about $515.2 million. Operating income for the first three months of the year was a record $514.3 million. The …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 12:45 PM |
Oil Trader CFOs Say Hormuz Closure Driving Wave of Disputes
The chief financial officers of some of the world’s top commodity trading houses warned that the protracted closure of the Strait of Hormuz may lead to a wave of disputes stemming from lost supply. Several oil and gas producing giants …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 12:33 PM |
Record Drought Sparks Worries About Fires, Water Supply and Food Prices
Drought in the contiguous United States has reached record levels for this time of year, weather data shows. Meteorologists said it’s a bad sign for the upcoming wildfire season, food prices and western water issues. More than 61% of the …
POSTED APRIL 22, 2026 5:13 AM |