California Adopts Rules Allowing Testing And Deployment of Heavy-Duty AVs

The California Department of Motor Vehicles on Tuesday adopted new regulations for autonomous vehicles, allowing manufacturers to test and deploy heavy-duty driverless vehicle technology on the state’s roads. Related: Tesla Avoids California Sales Halt Over Autopilot Marketing The new regulations …

Georgia Governor Candidate Hired Undocumented at His Mansion, Comp Claim Argues

A workers’ compensation claim has turned into accusations that the billionaire frontrunner in the Georgia governor’s race, a health care executive who has vowed to deport more immigrants, hired illegal immigrants to work on his property. Republican Rick Jackson, founder …

Rational Market? How About ‘Dumb’ and ‘Bizarre’?

Industry executives who described insurance and reinsurance markets as “rational” in the not-so-distant past are now using words like “dumb” and “bizarre” to characterize soft-market competitor moves happening faster than expected, and in unusual places. W. Robert Berkley, Jr., chief …

Newport Specialty Partners Acquires New York Personal Lines MGA Complex Coverage

Newport Specialty Partners, a new specialty insurance platform backed by Lovell Minnick Partners, announced that it has acquired Complex Coverage, Inc. (CCI), a managing general agency focused on homeowners and personal lines coverage in New York. The transaction is Newport’s …

Appeals Court Overturns $8M Defamation Award for Former Alabama Justice

An appeals court has reversed an $8.2 million defamation verdict awarded to Alabama politician Roy Moore, who sued a super PAC over a 2017 political ad detailing misconduct accusations against him. The panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of …

Iran War Fuels Piracy Surge Off Somalia Coast, EU Agency Says

The war in Iran is fueling a resurgence in maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia, according to a European Union naval force patrolling the region. There have been at least three confirmed hijackings in the past week alone, with …

Viewpoint: Japan and Korea Insurers to Accelerate M&As in the US and Globally

Japan and Korea insurers have shown unprecedented demand for M&As and strategic investments overseas in the past few years, targeting opportunities in both developed and emerging markets. While insurers from these two Asian economies have nuanced appetites and different capital …

Russia Shadow Fleet Undeterred by Starmer’s Threat as Ships Keep Crossing UK Waters

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision last month to let the British military board ships of Russia’s so‑called “shadow fleet” has had no clear impact on the number passing through UK waters, a Reuters analysis shows. In the month after Starmer’s …

Data Center Boom Strains Texas Homebuilders’ Need for Electricians

Abilene builder Gene Lantrip is on the front lines of Texas’ population boom, but a new force is making it harder to finish construction on homes. Data centers are poaching the electricians he needs to install light switches and wiring …

New MGA Ascendri Aims For High-Value Homes in Catastrophe-Exposed Areas

Ascendri Insurance Services, a new managing general agency, has launched to address high-value risks in catastrophe-exposed markets. Starting in California, Ascendri will provide excess & surplus homeowners coverage for homes with insured values up to $10 million, targeting a segment …

Fast-Moving Storms Batter the Midwest With Hail, Heavy Rain

Fast-moving storms pummeled parts of the Midwest with hail, strong wind and heavy rain Monday, flooding streets, stranding commuters and downing many trees, including one in western Michigan that landed on a man and killed him. More than 56 million …

AMA Says Research on Medical Liability Claims Shows ‘Broken’ System

New research studies from the American Medical Association (AMA) reveal many physicians face a significant risk of being sued during their careers. The ever-present risk of lawsuits—even when no error occurred—and high medical liability insurance premiums have contributed to a …

Bill to Extend Federal Terrorism Insurance Backstop Introduced in Senate Committee

A bipartisan effort is underway in the Senate with the introduction of a bill to extended the federal terrorism risk insurance program for seven years. A federal backstop for terrorism risk was first initiated late in 2002 by the Terrorism …

Purdue Pharma Receives $5.5B Sentence, Paving Way for Opioid Settlement

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma was sentenced on Tuesday to $5.5 billion in fines and penalties stemming from its 2020 guilty plea to charges of deceiving government regulators and paying kickbacks to doctors to boost opioid sales. The sentencing in New …

LaGuardia Controller Staffing on Night of Collision May Have Violated Rules

Air traffic controller staffing at LaGuardia airport on the night an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck may have violated the facility’s procedures by combining roles before midnight, according to a document seen by Reuters. The crash at …

NJ Insurance Regulators Tell Lawmakers They Need Big Staff Increase

New Jersey’s insurance and banking regulators on Tuesday defended their push for a roughly 18% hike in their budget for the next fiscal year, a request that comes even as Gov. Mikie Sherrill has said she is seeking to close …

California Jet Fuel Woes Deepen as Asia Flows Hit Decade Low

Jet fuel exports from Asia to California are at the lowest point in at least a decade, adding another pressure point to a burgeoning air travel crunch on the West Coast stemming from the war on Iran. With two days …

People Moves: XPT Specialty Salt Lake City Makes Two Senior Hires

XPT Specialty hired Travis Hirschi as a producer and branch manager and Kristin Miller as an underwriter in its Salt Lake City, Utah, office. Hirschi and Miller will work with retail agents to support hard-to-place and non-standard commercial risks across …

North Texas Tornadoes Leave 2 Dead and Destroy Multiple Homes

A tornado-producing thunderstorm left at least two people dead in northern Texas and displaced at least 20 families, with many homes sustaining major damage, authorities said Sunday. At least one person was killed and numerous homes were damaged Saturday night …

Dallas Hail, Tornado Threats Are Grounding Hundreds of Flights

A powerful band of thunderstorms threatening softball-sized hail, tornadoes and dangerous winds are menacing Dallas and the US South, grounding hundreds of flights and knocking out power to thousands. As of 3:45 p.m. local time, 278 flights were canceled at …

Georgia Blaze Shows How Climate Change Has Led to More Wildfires in the East

Often considered more a problem for Western North America, wildfires are becoming more intense, frequent and damaging in the East, such as this week’s blaze that destroyed dozens of homes in Georgia, fire scientists said. Researchers blame a number of …

Register: Risky Future AI Tools for Commercial Auto, Telematics & Fleet Risks on April 29

Insurance Journal’s Risky Future series is hosting the “Commercial Auto, Telematics & Fleet Risks” Demo Day, a series of free AI tool demonstrations designed exclusively for commercial auto carriers, fleet underwriters, risk managers, brokers and more. This event features vendors …

Lockton Unveils Plans for Future Global Headquarters in Leawood, Kansas

Lockton revealed new details this week of its future global headquarters located in Leawood, Kansas. The insurance brokerage will be based in a twelve-story building that will serve as the centerpiece of a 34-acre project. Lockton first announced the headquarters …

Small Plane Crash in Minnesota Kills North Dakota Legislator and the Pilot

A small plane crashed just after taking off from Crystal Airport north of Minneapolis on Saturday, killing a North Dakota state legislator and the pilot, authorities said. North Dakota state Rep. Liz Conmy, of Fargo, was killed in the crash, …

People Moves: MGA Banyan Risk Taps Ex-SiriusPoint CEO Malloy as Executive MD; CFC Names Finn From Canopius as Head of Cyber Exposure, Proactive Risk

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at managing general agents Banyan Risk and CFC. A summary of these new hires follows here. MGA Banyan Risk Taps Ex-SiriusPoint CEO Malloy as Executive MD Banyan Risk Ltd., a specialty managing …

Manufacturer Fined $80K Over Sex Discrimination Lawsuit at Oklahoma Plant

Sofidel America Corp., an international manufacturer of paper products with a plant in Inola, Oklahoma, will pay $80,000 and furnish other relief to settle a sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission …

People Moves: Novatae Names Kadlic as VP of Strategic Partnerships; Alliant Names Miller as VP Within Employee Benefits Group

Novatae Risk Group, the wholesale insurance business of World Insurance Associates, announced that J. Clay Kadlic has joined the company as its new vice president of strategic partnerships. In this role, Kadlic will lead the development and execution of strategic …

Markets/Coverages: Digital Lloyd’s Syndicate Ki Expands Follow Capacity

Ki, the algorithmically powered Lloyd’s digital-follow platform, announced it has added capacity to its platform, allowing brokers to access larger line sizes across six Lloyd’s syndicates. Tokio Marine Kiln (TMK) will become Ki’s fifth capacity partner, utilizing Ki’s technology to …

How Pennsylvania Added 33,000 Insurance Agents in 3 Years

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) is touting its success in growing the insurance agent workforce in the state. Over the last three years, the state has made entry for new insurance agents into the insurance industry faster, while also encouraging …

Cogitate Powers Bridge Specialty Group’s New Personal Lines Digital Marketplace

Bridge Specialty Group has started a personal lines digital marketplace built on insurance technology provider Cogitate’s DigitalEdge platform. The digital platform is designed to streamline agent quoting, enhance underwriting efficiency, and support scalable expansion of carrier access. As one of …