Nationwide Acquires Surety, Fidelity Renewal Rights From Main Street America
Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide announced Feb. 5 that it entered into an agreement to acquire the renewal rights for surety and fidelity bonds issued by Main Street America Insurance, a unit of American Family Insurance. Terms of the deal were not …
POSTED FEBRUARY 09, 2026 6:08 AM |
US Appeals Court Rejects Challenge to Trump’s Efforts to Ban DEI
A federal appeals court on Friday rejected a challenge to a move by President Donald Trump’s administration to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs at federal agencies and businesses with government contracts. A three-judge panel of the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th …
POSTED FEBRUARY 09, 2026 6:06 AM |
Florida Bill Would Allow High School Class in Place of CSR Ed Requirements
A bill moving swiftly through the Florida House of Representatives could help ease the shortage of customer representatives at insurance agencies by waiving longstanding education requirements. House Bill 1343 would allow insurance customer representatives to forego the courses now required …
POSTED FEBRUARY 09, 2026 6:02 AM |
Florida’s Commercial Clearinghouse Bill Stirring Up Concerns for Brokers, Regulators
A bill moving steadily through the Florida Legislature has suddenly ignited a storm of controversy, with some insurance agents and brokers worried it could benefit one large brokerage while costing others fees and flexibility on takeouts of Citizens Property Insurance …
POSTED FEBRUARY 09, 2026 6:01 AM |
Trump Demands $1 Billion From Harvard as Prolonged Standoff Appears to Deepen
President Donald Trump is demanding a $1 billion payment from Harvard University to end his prolonged standoff with the Ivy League campus, doubling the amount he sought previously as both sides appear to move further from reaching a deal. The …
POSTED FEBRUARY 09, 2026 6:00 AM |
California Attorney General Files Suit Against Companies for Ghost Gun Coding
A lawsuit that targets companies that distribute computer code that facilitates the illegal manufacture of 3D printed ghost guns was filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. The lawsuit filed on Friday in …
POSTED FEBRUARY 09, 2026 6:00 AM |
Concrete Firm Pleads Guilty to OSHA Violation That Led to Worker’s Death
A Massachusetts concrete services company pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to willfully violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety standards in a 2023 incident that led to a worker’s death. John Oliveira & Sons Stamp Concrete, Inc. …
POSTED FEBRUARY 09, 2026 6:00 AM |
California Produce Company Fined $6M for Farmworker Wage Violations
A California produce company was fined $6.7 million for wage violations affected more than 10,000 farmworkers. The California Labor Commissioner’s Office reached the settlement with Santa Maria-based Alco Harvesting LLC (dba Bonipak Produce Inc.) for the wage and hour violations. …
POSTED FEBRUARY 09, 2026 6:00 AM |
Fire at Pennsylvania Hospital Forces Evacuation of Dozens of Patients
A fire tore through a northeastern Pennsylvania hospital, sending smoke billowing into the air as dozens of patients were evacuated and emergency medical crews were rushed in from across the region, authorities said. No one was reported injured by the …
POSTED FEBRUARY 08, 2026 4:33 PM |
Freight Train Derails in Connecticut, Sending Cars Carrying Liquid Propane Into River
A freight train derailed Thursday in Connecticut, sending cars carrying flammable liquid propane into the water, though officials say they don’t appear to be leaking. Local and state officials said the derailment happened around 9 a.m. in Mansfield, near where …
POSTED FEBRUARY 08, 2026 3:51 PM |
LA Mayor Race Shaken by Wildfire Allegations
Billionaire Rick Caruso is sticking with his decision to stay out of the race for Los Angeles mayor, despite raising the prospect he would reconsider following a news report that Mayor Karen Bass asked to soften an after-action investigation into …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 6:11 PM |
McGowan Allied Specialty Insurance Announces Sales Territory Realignment
McGowan Allied Specialty Insurance announced a strategic realignment of sales territories within its in-house team designed to enhance services, improve regional coverage, and ensure a more tailored experience for clients across the country. The Ohio-based company said that by reallocating …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 5:27 PM |
Louisiana Agency to Pay $1.2M Refund for Illegal Overcharging on Surety Premiums
A Louisiana insurance agency has been ordered to pay $1.2 million in premium refunds for overcharging fraudulent fees on commercial surety bond policies. The Louisiana Department of Insurance announced that Alexander Ellsworth and his agency, Ellsworth Corporation, will pay a …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 5:15 PM |
Allstate CEO Wilson Takes on Affordability Issue During Earnings Call
Allstate posted significantly higher net and underwriting income for the fourth quarter and full year. With affordability top of mind, that leads to questions about excessive profits. Similar to Chubb’s earnings call, analysts asked Allstate CEO Tom Wilson to comment …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 4:58 PM |
People Moves: NFP Appoints Spencer in Northeast; Lawley Promotes 3 Partners
NFP Appoints Spencer as SVP, Commercial Risk, Northeast NFP, an Aon company and property/casualty broker and benefits consultant headquartered in New York City, appointed Jack Spencer as senior vice president, commercial risk, in its Northeast region. Based in West Hartford, …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 4:31 PM |
WTW Reports Q4 Organic Revenue Growth of 6%; Data Center Clients Boost Business
Insurance broker WTW reported fourth quarter revenue of $2.94 billion, a decrease of 3% compared to $3.04 billion for the same period in the prior year due to the sale of TRANZACT. Q4 2025 organic revenue growth was 6%, while …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 4:08 PM |
Alabama, NC Public Safety Officers Investigated in ‘Chop Shop,’ Disability Fraud
Fraud investigations in two Southeastern states have led to the arrest or administrative leave for three public safety officers. In Alabama, two University of Alabama at Birmingham police officers have been placed on leave in connection with an investigation into …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 4:07 PM |
Pipeline Explodes at Delfin LNG Planned Project in Louisiana
A natural gas pipeline connecting to the proposed Delfin LNG project located offshore in southwestern Louisiana exploded Tuesday, according to the local emergency preparedness office. The blast on the 28-mile pipeline occurred while operators were performing routine maintenance, said Ashley …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 3:38 PM |
Starbucks Wins Dismissal of Missouri Lawsuit Over DEI Policies
A federal judge in Missouri on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by the Republican-led state accusing Starbucks SBUX.O of using its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as a pretext to systematically discriminate based on race, gender and sexual orientation. U.S. …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 3:31 PM |
Inside the Toxic Legacy of Georgia-Based Mulitbillion-Dollar Carpet Empire
Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant 3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back. “That’s not a logo,” fumed Shaw, CEO of …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 3:28 PM |
Ken Griffin, Steve Ross Team Up to Lure More CEOs to Florida
Ken Griffin and Stephen Ross, who are among the highest-profile billionaires to move to South Florida during the pandemic, are bankrolling a new campaign to get others to follow in their footsteps. The pair is funding a $10 million drive …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 2:59 PM |
EPA Outlines Trump Plan to Speed up Rebuilding of Homes Destroyed in LA Wildfires
Trump administration officials traveled to Los Angeles this week to outline the president’s plan to override state and local rules and speed up the permitting process for reconstruction of tens of thousands of homes destroyed by last year’s wildfires. Last …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 2:39 PM |
Man Charged in Organized Cargo Theft of Snow Crab, Blueberries, Cologne
A New York man has been arrested and charged for allegedly conspiring to use hacked email accounts of legitimate truck-load carriers to book cargo with shippers and selling the items for illicit profit. Forbes was arrested on Feb. 5 in …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 2:17 PM |
Tainted Baby Milk Hits Billionaire Family’s Powerful Dairy Empire
For the secretive billionaire Besnier family, the recent recall of potentially dangerous infant formula made by its nearly century-old firm brings an uncomfortable feeling of deja vu. Just eight years ago, the French clan behind Groupe Lactalis, the world’s biggest …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 12:57 PM |
Danone Recalls More Infant Formula in Europe
Danone is withdrawing batches of infant formula in Austria, Germany and France, the company and an Austrian government food agency said, expanding an industry recall sparked by contamination with the toxin cereulide. Cereulide, which can cause nausea and vomiting, has …
POSTED FEBRUARY 06, 2026 10:52 AM |