Inszone Acquires Arkansas’ Mena Insurance Agency
Inszone Insurance Services announced the acquisition of Mena Insurance Agency, Inc. This strategic acquisition brings a century-old institution and an experienced team into the Inszone organization, further expanding its footprint in Arkansas. Founded in 1911 by H.G. McLafferty, Mena Insurance …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 4:27 PM |
Protective Life to Acquire P/C Specialty Insurance Carrier Obsidian
In a rare crossing of insurance lines, Alabama-based Protective Life Insurance Co. is moving to expand into property/casualty lines by acquiring Obsidian Insurance Holdings, Inc., a New York-based property, casualty and specialty insurance platform. The companies say the acquisition will …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 3:40 PM |
Charlie Crist is Running for St. Petersburg Mayor
Former Florida governor and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist is seeking yet another office, this time running for mayor of his hometown of St. Petersburg. Crist, 69, has been a Republican, a Democrat and an independent during his political career. He …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 3:23 PM |
Trader Mercuria Sues Baltic Exchange Over Hormuz Freight Losses, Court Filing Shows
Commodity trader Mercuria is suing the Baltic Exchange, the world’s top provider of benchmark shipping indices, over losses it said were caused by oil tanker pricing data that did not account for the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 3:12 PM |
Tenn. Detective Facing Charges of Burning His Own Car, Filing False Insurance Claim
An arraignment has been rescheduled for a former sheriff’s detective in Tennessee who is charged with setting fire to his own vehicle and filing a fraudulent insurance claim. Daniel Lee Garrett, 44, who until recently was with the Scott County …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 3:05 PM |
US House Passes Farm Bill After Scrapping Pesticide Language Opposed by MAHA
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed its version of a five-year farm bill after stripping a provision opposed by the “Make America Healthy Again” movement that would have blocked some lawsuits against pesticide makers. The House passage shows …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 3:01 PM |
FDA Says Testing Reveals Domestic Infant Formula Supply Is Safe
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on April 29 said tested samples of infant formula available in the country contained very low levels of contaminants, confirming that the nation’s supply is safe for consumption. The agency tested more than 300 …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 2:25 PM |
Trucordia Acquires Paradiso Insurance of Connecticut
Trucordia reported it has acquired Paradiso Financial and Insurance Services in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. Paradiso offers auto, home, life, business and specialty lines insurance. Joining Trucordia will give Paradiso’s team and clients access to more carrier relationships, shared resources, and …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 2:00 PM |
LA Fire Suspect Angry About No Date for New Year’s, Prosecutors Say
Prosecutors said the man they charged with starting the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles was upset about a failed relationship and not having New Year’s Eve plans just before he set a small blaze which rekindled six days …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 1:58 PM |
Manufacturing Industry Top Target of Costly Cyberattacks: Report
A review of five years’ of proprietary claims data revealed just how vulnerable manufacturers are to cyberattacks and the high cost of disruptions, according to Resilience, which found more than 90% of total incurred losses in its manufacturing portfolio were …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 1:05 PM |
New Hampshire Ups DUI Test Refusal Penalty
New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte recently signed into law an increase in the penalty for drivers who refused a breath alcohol test when stopped on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI). Senate Bill 620 increases the administrative license suspension …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 12:30 PM |
People Moves: Howden Re Expands Cyber Reinsurance Team With 5 New Hires; Zurich Promotes McBride to Newly Created Role as Head of International Construction
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Howden Re and Zurich Insurance Group. A summary of these new hires follows here. Howden Re Expands Cyber Reinsurance Team With 5 New Hires Howden Re, the global reinsurance, capital markets …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 11:19 AM |
Markets/Coverages: Marsh Risk’s D&O Facility Offers Unlimited ‘Any One Claim’ Cover
Marsh Risk, a business of insurance broker and risk advisor Marsh, announced that its Marsh Alpha directors and officers (D&O) insurance facility now offers unlimited claims on a single, unrelated basis as standard. Marsh Alpha, which provides protection for individual …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 10:36 AM |
Arch Insurance EU Launches Europe Property Operations, While Opening Milan Office
Arch Insurance EU announced the launch of its European property operations, alongside the opening of a new office in Milan writing accident & health, cargo & logistics, fine art & specie, general liability and property, effective immediately. This development marks …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 10:12 AM |
Iran War Is ‘Supercharging’ Clean Energy Transition, UN Climate Chief Says
The Iran war is “supercharging” the world’s shift to renewable energy, as countries scramble to reduce their exposure to volatile oil and gas markets, the U.N. climate secretary said on Thursday. The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has upended oil and …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 9:02 AM |
Only Iran-Linked Traffic Moves Through Hormuz Amid Blockades
A few Iran-linked vessels are making their way through the Strait of Hormuz, as the crucial waterway remains effectively closed to most international shipping amid blockades by both Tehran and the US. Just a single Iran-linked fuel tanker was observed …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 8:24 AM |
Texas Camp Won’t Reopen This Summer Following Flood Deaths
Camp Mystic on Thursday said it has withdrawn its application for an operating license, a decision that means it will not reopen to campers this summer. The decision follows a grueling hearing earlier this week when Texas lawmakers pushed the …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 7:53 AM |
Michigan Gravel Company Agrees to Settlement Over PFAS Contamination
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has secured an agreement with Northeast Gravel Company and Boulder Creek Development Corporation to address PFAS contamination at their Belmont property. The Administrative Order on Consent (PDF) requires the companies to investigate the extent of …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 7:49 AM |
Missouri Hailstorm Damages Hundreds of Vehicles
Glass shards flew everywhere as Eric Gockel waited out one of the worst hailstorms to hit Missouri. One of the softball-size hunks of ice that hit the Springfield area on Tuesday measured 4.75 inches (12 centimeters). The hail killed an …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 7:43 AM |
Texas Hill Country on Alert for Flooding as Heavy Rains Approach
A band of severe storms bearing down on central Texas has raised concerns about flooding, with heavy rains expected near the site of last year’s deadly Fourth of July floods. Communities in the Texas Hill Country could see up to …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 5:31 AM |
Florida Firms Introduce New Tarp and Flood-Protection Products
Two new products on the market could help reduce losses and property insurance claims in storm-prone parts of the Southeast and beyond, makers announced recently. Flood Risk America, based in Lake Worth, Florida, said it has expanded its flood protection …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 5:03 AM |
Kentucky Insurance Agent Pleads Not Guilty in Church Premium Fraud Case
A Kentucky insurance agent charged with swiping premium payments from a church pleaded not guilty this week. Glen David Ramey, of Murray, Kentucky, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in district court on May 13, the Murray Ledger and Graves …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 5:02 AM |
Viewpoint: Decades-Old Approach to Workers Comp Claims Must Change
Historically, executing decisive, effective workers’ compensation claims has been a work in… well, compensation. As in compensating for holes in data that, if available or accessible, would help deliver far more expedient, cost-effective and successful outcomes for all parties. These …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 5:02 AM |
Upstate New York Agent Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $50M From Neighbors
A businessman accused of stealing more than $50 million from hundreds of people in upstate New York as part of a massive Ponzi scheme pleaded guilty this week to charges stemming from the fraud, according to the state attorney general. …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 5:00 AM |
That Dog Won’t Hunt. Jury Awards $5.2 Million to Accident Victim.
A New Jersey jury has awarded $5.2 million to a Watchung man who suffered spinal injuries after being hit in an accident in a Costco parking lot in 2017. The jury rejected the claim by the other driver and his …
POSTED MAY 01, 2026 5:00 AM |