Legal Battles Expected Over Corpus Christi’s Water Rate Referendum
Reservoirs have rebounded, but the fight over water isn’t over in Corpus Christi. The City Council has ordered a public referendum on a citizen-led petition that would sharply increase the price of water for industrial facilities during drought. The proposal …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 4:42 PM |
Midwest States Grapple With Recovery From Latest Severe Storms
Severe weather cut power to more than half a million people in the Chicago area and northwestern Indiana as perilous thunderstorms and tornadoes pummeled the region Tuesday, causing widespread damage and bringing lightning that injured people at an Ohio prison. …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 4:35 PM |
Kansas Woman Sentenced to Probation for Insurance Fraud
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt announced a Johnson County woman has been sentenced to 24 months of probation for insurance fraud. Jinky Alcantara, aged 39, pleaded guilty on May 26, 2026, in Johnson County District Court to one felony count …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 4:19 PM |
Shein Loses UK Lawsuit Against Temu Over Copyright Violations
Shein lost a UK lawsuit against PDD Holdings Inc.’s Temu over allegations its rival engaged in large-scale copyright violations. The Chinese-founded e-commerce giant must also compensate Temu for taking down thousands of product listings, according to a London court ruling …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 2:24 PM |
Taylor Farms Outbreaks Show Limits of US Ability to Safeguard Mexican Produce
Two foodborne illness outbreaks linked to Taylor Farms have exposed a weakness at the heart of North America’s food system: the United States is increasingly relying on Mexico’s produce industry, and regulators are straining to oversee it to keep consumers …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 2:17 PM |
Viewpoint: Storm Resilience Must Account for the Assets That Do Not Stay Put
Hurricanes, wildfires and other major weather events often dominate attention, but severe convective storms remain one of the most frequent and costly weather threats facing businesses. In 2025, there were a total of 23 billion-dollar disasters; 21 were severe storms. …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 1:43 PM |
Hawaii Faces More Tropical Threats From El Niño-Charged Pacific
A powerful patch of thunderstorms and wind is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Lala by Thursday before taking aim Hawaii this weekend. The weather system was 935 miles (1,500 kilometers) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, with top winds of 35 …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 1:25 PM |
Thoma Bravo to Take Accelerant Private in $4 Billion Deal
Accelerant said on Thursday that private equity firm Thoma Bravo will take the insurance marketplace platform private in an all-cash deal worth more than $4 billion, just over a year after its New York listing. Shareholders of Atlanta-based Accelerant will …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 1:16 PM |
UnitedHealth Investor Suit Alleges Security, Governance Lapses
UnitedHealth Group Inc. board members ignored a raft of governance and oversight risks for years before catastrophic failures triggered billions in losses for investors, a shareholder lawsuit alleges. An amended complaint filed Aug. 7 in a Minnesota federal court reveals …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 1:01 PM |
Low Rhine River Levels Disrupt German Industry
German companies are reporting growing disruption from Rhine water levels that have hit record lows, with chemical producers, utilities, steelmakers and agricultural traders warning of higher costs, transport bottlenecks and curbed production. While Germany has not yet suffered the widespread …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 11:35 AM |
Russia Eyeing Sabotage, Other Attacks in Europe, Officials Warn
Russia may escalate attacks against the Baltic States and Poland, a European intelligence official said, amid rising concern that Moscow wants to further intimidate nations supporting Ukraine. There are indications that Russian intelligence and security services are looking at so-called …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 9:37 AM |
Experts Race to Salvage Leaking Oil Tanker Grounded Off Oman
Specialists are racing to salvage a sinking shadow-fleet tanker off Oman that has caused a massive oil slick, with rough monsoon conditions threatening to hamper the effort. Specialist personnel have already boarded the Caroline Bezengi, a Suezmax that’s grounded among …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 9:23 AM |
Iran Battles Oil Spill Near Key Persian Gulf Island of Qeshm
Iran is battling an oil spill off Qeshm Island, underscoring the environmental risks posed by attacks on tankers in the Persian Gulf. Satellite images show a dark, elongated trail in waters off the coastal village of Shib Deraz — a …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 9:09 AM |
Australia Sets ‘World-Leading’ Minimum Pay, Insurance Rules for Gig Delivery Workers
Australia’s industrial umpire has approved new minimum standards requiring food and grocery delivery workers to be paid hourly rates above the national minimum wage and covered by injury insurance while on the job. Gig workers will be paid at least …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 8:37 AM |
Homeowners Insurance Market Reaches ‘Fragmented Phase,’ Says S&P GMI
New research from S&P Global Market Intelligence looks to suggest that homeowners insurers are reaching rate adequacy, but certain marketplace factors are creating what it called a “fragmented phase.” Nationally, the US effective approved homeowners rate change declined from about …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 5:13 AM |
Atlanta Airport Taps Munis for $1.1 Billion Mega Bond Sale
The world’s busiest airport is coming to market with a more than $1 billion municipal bond sale, boosting issuance in the lagging airport sector. Atlanta’s borrowing will help finance infrastructure improvements at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a cornerstone hub …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 5:02 AM |
WV Fire Commission Has Failed to Make Plan to Address High Fire Death Rate
West Virginia is one of the deadliest states for house fires, killing an average of 32 people per year between 2009 and 2023. An audit of the State Fire Commission in December of 2025 noted that the commission hadn’t compiled …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 5:02 AM |
Amynta Group Buys Virginia-Based Southern States Underwriters MGU
Amynta Group, an insurance services firm and managing general agent based in New York, said it has acquired Southern States Underwriters and SSC Insurance Agency, based in Richmond, Virginia. The underwriter and agency are the insurance operations of Southern States …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 5:01 AM |
People: Rivera Named President of FSLA at Convention
The Florida Surplus Lines Association installed its new officers and directors this week at what the association said was a record-breaking annual convention in St. Petersburg. “Our industry plays a vital role in helping Florida businesses and consumers find coverage …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 5:01 AM |
Lindsay Clancy Trial Focus Turns to Drugs Prescribed Before She Killed Her 3 Children
Lindsay Clancy messaged one of her caregivers less than two months before she killed her three young children in 2023 to say she was having “intrusive thoughts I never had before,” “feeling completely hopeless” and worried about becoming addicted to …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 5:00 AM |
Report Says Firefighting Tactics at Maine Lumber Mill Inadvertently Aided Deadly Blast
Firefighters who responded to a fire at a Maine lumber mill used tactics that inadvertently contributed to a massive explosion that killed three people, according to a report from federal investigators. The fire companies tried to extinguish the May 15 …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 5:00 AM |
Green Shield Expands Non-Admitted High-Value HO Program to California and Colorado
A specialty homeowners program serving high-value homeowners is coming to California and Colorado. Green Shield Risk Solutions is expanding its Guardian Elite Home, a non-admitted homeowners program for affluent primary and secondary residences, in California and Colorado. The rollout is …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 5:00 AM |
AI Data Center Boom Is ‘Maxing Out’ P&C Insurers, AIG CEO Says
American International Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Eric Andersen said that while the artificial intelligence buildout presents a “great opportunity” for the insurance industry, it’s also pushing property and casualty providers to their limits. AI data centers “need everything from …
POSTED AUGUST 13, 2026 4:08 AM |
Texas Trial Lawyers, Once a Democratic Force, Regain Clout in GOP
When Armin Mizani won the GOP primary for a north Texas House district in March, warning bells went off in certain Republican circles. It’s not his political ideology. Mizani is a die-hard conservative who, as mayor of Keller, proudly partnered …
POSTED AUGUST 12, 2026 4:49 PM |
Washington University in St. Louis Sued for Retaliation
Washington University in St. Louis is being sued for allegedly violating federal law by firing an employee in retaliation for her opposition to race discrimination and filing a discrimination charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to …
POSTED AUGUST 12, 2026 4:31 PM |