Gulf Banks Face $307 Billion Deposit Flight Risk if War Worsens, S&P Says
Gulf banks could face domestic deposit outflows of $307 billion if the Middle East conflict deepens, S&P Global Ratings said. An S&P report said it had seen no evidence of major outflows of foreign or local funding from banks in …
POSTED MARCH 18, 2026 5:30 AM |
Iran War Cost Spike Straining Farmers Ahead of Midterm Elections
US farmers, long one of Donald Trump’s most loyal constituencies, are increasingly worried by the Iran war as soaring fertilizer and fuel prices hammer them just as they are about to start planting crops for the year. “Is the war …
POSTED MARCH 18, 2026 5:23 AM |
SEC’s Top Cop Resigns After Just Six Months on the Job
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement director has resigned just over six months after she started on the job, the SEC said on Monday, a sudden departure for an agency that has changed dramatically under Republican leaders. Former military …
POSTED MARCH 18, 2026 5:11 AM |
Onex CEO Le Blanc Channels Buffett With Big Bet on Insurance
Onex Corp. made a big bet on an insurance startup, and it didn’t take long for the losses to mount. First there was the pandemic, then a deep freeze in Texas. In 2022, Hurricane Ian ripped across the Caribbean and …
POSTED MARCH 18, 2026 5:05 AM |
Germany Seeks Doubling of AI Data Centers by 2030
Germany plans to encourage investments in data centers to at least double domestic capacity and to boost artificial intelligence data processing at least fourfold by 2030, the government said on Tuesday. In a bid to catch up with the dominant …
POSTED MARCH 18, 2026 5:04 AM |
Hormuz Reopening Looks Unlikely Without a Ceasefire in Iran War
US President Donald Trump is desperate to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ease a growing global energy crisis. He won’t achieve that easily without a ceasefire in the war on Iran. Iran’s sporadic attacks on vessels and the threat …
POSTED MARCH 18, 2026 5:02 AM |
Major Offshore Wind Farm Trump Tried to Halt Finishes Construction
Construction is finished on a major Massachusetts offshore wind farm, the first project to reach this stage during President Donald Trump’s time in office. Offshore construction was completed Friday night on Vineyard Wind with the installation of the final blades, …
POSTED MARCH 18, 2026 5:00 AM |
LA County Metro Buses Will Warn Against Workers’ Comp Fraud
Los Angeles County buses will soon be large, rolling warnings against workers’ compensation fraud. L.A. County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced the launch of a countywide LA Metro bus advertisement campaign in which buses will bear warnings that lying …
POSTED MARCH 18, 2026 5:00 AM |
Patriot Growth Adds Morse Agency in Massachusetts
Patriot Growth Insurance Services announced it has acquired a new strategic partner, Morse Insurance Agency, a property/casualty insurance agency based in North Easton, Mass. Morse Insurance Agency operates multiple locations across the state, including offices in North Easton, Norton, Bridgewater, …
POSTED MARCH 18, 2026 5:00 AM |
People Moves: Alliant Private Client Hires Dantona as SVP
Jennifer Dantona joined Alliant Insurance Services as senior vice president with Alliant Private Client. Dantona is based in Irvine, California. She has more than 20 years of experience supporting personal insurance portfolios, including many individuals and families in the entertainment …
POSTED MARCH 18, 2026 5:00 AM |
Los Angeles, US West Brace for Second Bout of Record March Heat
Los Angeles and the U.S. Southwest are set for a second record heat wave in two weeks as temperatures soar, potentially straining electric grids, melting snowpack and raising health risks. Tuesday’s high in downtown Los Angeles is forecast to reach …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 6:49 PM |
SEC Preparing to Scrap Quarterly Reporting Requirement, WSJ Reports
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing a proposal to scrap the requirement for companies to report their earnings every quarter and giving them the option to share results twice a year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 4:01 PM |
TDI Names Tapp as Deputy Commissioner of Consumer Protection Division
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) announced Matthew Tapp as deputy commissioner of its Consumer Protection Division. Tapp will oversee the division, which helps Texans resolve insurance questions and complaints and protects consumers by overseeing agent and adjuster licensing. The …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 3:28 PM |
Illinois Commercial Bakery Cited for Worker Safety Violations
The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Chicago, Illinois-based commercial bakery for repeatedly exposing employees to safety hazards after a worker suffered a broken arm in September 2025 when clearing dough from a machine while working on the production …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 3:24 PM |
Corpus Christi City Council to Address Looming Water Crisis
As drought tightens its grip on South Texas, city leaders in Corpus Christi are expected to deliver what could be the most sobering update yet on the region’s water supply outlook. At Tuesday’s city council meeting, officials are expected to …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 3:21 PM |
DUAL North America Names Ashby CEO
DUAL Group announced the the appointment of Ed Ashby as chief executive officer, DUAL North America, effective March 23. Ashby will lead the U.S. business from New York, reporting to Richard Clapham, CEO, DUAL Group. Ashby joins from Axis, where …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 3:13 PM |
Howden Announces Leadership Changes for Regional Restructuring
Howden, the London-based insurance broking group, announces leadership appointments and regional structure changes, aiming to better serve clients and insurer partners. Howden said the changes will more closely align expertise and shape the business to bring all of its growing …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 2:48 PM |
Facing Suit From Former Employer, Parrish Appointed Howden CEO, Americas
Howden said Michael Parrish has been appointed CEO, Americas in a move the broker said would align better for clients. “Howden Americas, under Mike’s leadership, will bring together the exciting new retail broking operations in the US with our fast-growing …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 2:32 PM |
Tennessee Minors Sue Musk’s AI System, Alleging it Generated Sexual Images of Them
Three Tennessee plaintiffs, including two minors, sued Elon Musk’s xAI on Monday, alleging that it knowingly designed its Grok image generator to let people create sexually explicit content by using real photos of others. The lawsuit, filed in the San …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 2:12 PM |
‘Zombie’ Second Mortgages Spur New Battles in California, Maryland
In a room outside the Maryland State Senate chamber last winter, consumer advocates were meeting privately with lawmakers to explain how borrowers were losing their homes over “zombie” loans, old second mortgages that they hadn’t heard from lenders about in …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 2:00 PM |
Tornadoes, High Winds Leave Damage Across Parts of the Southeast
From Alabama to North Carolina, tornadoes and probable tornadoes ripped a roof off a warehouse, damaged homes and left many without power across the Southeast. News sites reported that a confirmed tornado, with winds of 85 mph, struck an air-conditioning …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 1:55 PM |
Woman Admits Stealing Checks From Builder and Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund
A Crofton, Maryland woman has pleaded guilty in two separate felony theft schemes, according to Attorney General Anthony G. Brown. On Monday in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, Carolyn Rae Aldridge admitted to stealing a combined total of $185,296.28 during …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 12:21 PM |
IMO Chief Says Naval Escorts Won’t Guarantee Ship Safety Through Strait of Hormuz: FT
The head of the International Maritime Organization has said that naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz will not “100 percent guarantee” the safety of ships attempting to transit the waterway, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Military assistance was …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 11:01 AM |
Middle East War to Intensify Soaring European Corporate Distress
The outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East and surging energy costs are expected to exacerbate soaring levels of financial distress among European corporates, according to Alvarez & Marsal Inc. Even before the US and Israel began their attacks on …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 8:44 AM |
Update: Hormuz Escape Route Suggests Ships Navigate on Iran’s Terms
A Pakistani tanker earlier this week became the latest vessel to sail out through the Strait of Hormuz by hewing closely to the Iranian coast, suggesting an approved route that points to Tehran’s tightening grip on the narrow waterway — …
POSTED MARCH 17, 2026 8:10 AM |