Allstate Can Proceed with Recovery in Texas RICO Case: Fifth Circuit
Allstate can move forward in its recovery of $4.7 million it paid to settle fraudulent medical claims with a Houston, Texas medical facility, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled. The federal appellate court reversed a …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 5:30 PM |
Trump Officials Vow to Keep All US Coal Plants Running
Trump administration officials vowed to keep US coal power plants operating, casting it as an imperative to meet surging electricity demand and drive a revival of the nation’s industrial base. “The goal is 100% open,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 5:03 PM |
Dealmakers See More Retail Mergers, IPOs After Tariffs Sidelined M&A Last Year
Dealmakers predict an uptick in mergers and IPOs for retailers and consumer goods companies this year after punishing tariffs on imports to the U.S. had sidelined activity in the industry for the first half of 2025. Several national restaurant and …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 4:33 PM |
Texas Proposes 13,000% Fee Hike on Hemp THC Shops
Texas state health officials have proposed raising licensing fees by as much as 13,000% for some hemp businesses, among a slate of changes that many industry members and advocates say will shutter small operations in favor of large out-of-state companies. …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 4:29 PM |
New Texas Law Expedites Medical Benefits for Injured Death Investigation Professionals
The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) adopted amendments to the Texas Administrative Code, concerning medical disputes for workers’ compensation claims and preauthorization, concurrent utilization review, and voluntary certification of health care. The amendments are necessary to …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 4:26 PM |
Part That Broke on UPS Plane in Kentucky Failed 4 Times on Other Planes Years Ago
Boeing warned plane owners in 2011 about a broken part that contributed to a UPS plane crash that killed 15 last year but at that point the plane manufacturer didn’t believe it threatened safety, the National Transportation Safety Board said …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 3:48 PM |
AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of Michigan Millers Mutual
AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to A+ (Superior) from A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “aa-” (Superior) from “a” (Excellent) of Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Company based in Lansing, Michigan, a …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 3:38 PM |
Wisconsin Medical Care Partnership to Pay $162K in Back Wages
A federal court has ordered a Wisconsin-based multicounty medical care partnership to pay $162,486 in back wages and liquidated damages to 68 case managers after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found the employer did not pay case managers all …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 3:30 PM |
Thumbs Down on SELF DRIVE Act as Written, Says Industry Trades
Federal lawmakers have begun to discuss numerous pieces of legislation focusing on the evolving automobile industry, with legislation addressing consumer data rights, parts and repair, pedestrian safety, driver-assistance technology and even catalytic-converter theft. In preparation for a hearing Jan. 13, …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 3:30 PM |
Georgia Seeks to Spend $1.8B to Unclog Interstate 75
Georgia’s governor said Wednesday that he wants to spend $1.8 billion to unclog one of traffic-choked Atlanta’s notorious chokepoints on the most important highway between the Midwest and Florida. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, serving his last year in office, says …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 3:05 PM |
Federal Judge Allows Equinor to Restart New York Offshore Wind Project
A federal judge on Thursday cleared Norwegian offshore wind developer Equinor to resume work on its New York Empire Wind project, which President Donald Trump’s administration halted along with four other projects last month. The ruling by U.S. District Judge …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 1:50 PM |
Tesla Gets 5-Week Extension in Probe of Full Self-Driving Traffic Violations
U.S. auto safety regulators have granted Tesla a five-week extension to respond to an investigation into whether its vehicles violated traffic laws while the Elon Musk-led company’s Full Self-Driving system was engaged. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 1:41 PM |
People Moves: Lloyd’s Appoints Bichard From PwC as CFO, Succeeding Cliff
Lloyd’s, the insurance and reinsurance marketplace, announced that Jim Bichard has been appointed as chief financial officer. He will start in April 2026 and will become a member of Lloyd’s Executive Team, reporting directly to Patrick Tiernan, chief executive, and …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 12:24 PM |
Greensill Bank Sues UK Government for $441 Million Over COVID Loan Guarantees
Greensill Bank, a subsidiary of collapsed finance firm Greensill Capital, is suing Britain’s business department for just over 330 million pounds ($441.7 million) after it canceled guarantees for COVID-19 business loans, court documents showed. The administrators of the German-based bank …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 9:33 AM |
Venezuelan Oil Industry Is Running on WhatsApp After Cyberattack
Venezuela’s oil industry is running its day-to-day operations via phone calls and handwritten reports in the month since a cyberattack on state-owned oil giant Petróleos de Venezuela SA. A Dec. 15 attack shut down PDVSA’s system, leaving the company to …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 9:21 AM |
Fitch Warns of Eastern European Downgrades if Greenland Strife Cracks NATO
A raft of European countries could face a one-notch credit rating downgrade if tensions with the U.S. over Greenland fracture NATO and raise the prospect of more trouble with Russia, Fitch’s top sovereign analyst said on Thursday. Fitch already applies …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 9:11 AM |
Ex-PIMCO Executive Scores Milestone on Launch of Catastrophe Bond ETF
An exchange-traded fund tied to bets on natural disasters has started trading in London, after becoming the first such ETF to attract a lead market maker.The KRC Cat Bond UCITS ETF was launched with the goal of drawing more retail …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 9:01 AM |
NAIC Names Committee Leaders for 2026
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) recently announced its 2026 committee leadership “Chosen by their peers, our 2026 committee leaders bring unique skills, backgrounds, and viewpoints to the challenges and opportunities we face, reflecting the strength of the state-based …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 7:50 AM |
US Senators Introduce Long-Awaited Bill to Define Crypto Market Rules
U.S. senators late on Monday unveiled draft legislation that would create a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency which, if signed into law, would clarify financial regulators’ jurisdiction over the burgeoning sector, potentially boosting digital asset adoption. The crypto industry has long …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 6:34 AM |
Publishers Seek to Join Lawsuit Against Google Over AI Training
Publishers Hachette Book Group and Cengage Group asked a California federal court on Thursday for permission to intervene in a proposed class action lawsuit against Google over the alleged misuse of copyrighted material used to train its artificial intelligence systems. …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 6:14 AM |
South Africa Closes Kruger Park as Deadly Floods Kill Dozens
Deadly floods prompted South Africa’s iconic Kruger National Park to shut to further visitors, after extreme rainfall killed dozens in the northeast of the country and neighboring Mozambique. The South African Weather Service on Thursday issued its highest weather warning …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 6:10 AM |
Polish Premier Blames Russia for Cyberattack on Energy Facilties
Poland fought off a wave of cyber threats from Russia which targeted its energy infrastructure in December, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. A series of attacks in the last days of the month hit two power plants and renewable energy …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 6:05 AM |
SC Workers’ Comp Commission Bans Most Wireless Devices in Courtroom
The South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission this week banned all wireless communication devices, including cellphones, laptop computers, cameras and even smart watches, from the Commission’s courtroom. The bulletin, issued Jan. 12, said the order does not apply to staff, lawyers, …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 6:01 AM |
Amwins Expands Professional Products as Stonetrust Moves Into South Carolina
Less than a month after Stonetrust Commercial Insurance announced it had expanded into North Carolina, the workers’ compensation carrier has added South Carolina to its sphere of influence. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Stonetrust now writes workers’ comp and employers …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 6:01 AM |
Virginia Strengthens Oversight of Nursing Homes
Virginia officials are touting the state’s efforts in strengthening oversight of the state’s 300 nursing homes, including filling leadership and inspector positions and improving how complaints are handled. “Virginia families deserve confidence that when a loved one lives in a …
POSTED JANUARY 16, 2026 6:00 AM |