Deloitte to Pay $21.5 Million to Settle US Probe Over DEI

Accounting firm Deloitte will pay $21.5 million to settle a U.S. Department of Justice probe over diversity, equity and inclusion practices, which President Donald Trump’s administration has cracked down on during his second term in office. The settlement marks a …

Google Expands Gemini Enterprise AI Platform for Law Firms, Lawyers

Alphabet’s Google on Tuesday expanded its Gemini Enterprise artificial intelligence platform with new tools for lawyers and law firms, accelerating a race among technology companies to meet legal sector demand for AI. The company said its Gemini Enterprise for Legal …

People Moves: Alacrity Solutions Promotes Boyd to COO

Alacrity Solutions Group LLC, headquartered in Fishers, Indiana, promoted Lee Boyd to chief operating officer (COO). Backed by over two decades of experience in the insurance industry, Boyd joined Alacrity in 2021 and has held the roles of vice president …

Missouri Contractor Sentenced for Fraud Scheme

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that a contractor has pled guilty to defrauding consumers through his residential contracting business. Gene M. Matlock, owner of Matlock Construction, pled guilty on August 17 to one felony count of deceptive business practices …

Texas Oil Industry Running Out of Space to Dispose Wastewater

Elected officials and industry leaders warn that Texas is at the “precipice” of running out of underground space to dispose of the nearly 1 billion gallons of wastewater that oil and gas production generates every day in the Permian Basin. …

Inszone Acquires Oklahoma’s Harris Insurance Services

Inszone Insurance Services announced the acquisition of Harris Insurance Services. This strategic acquisition strengthens Inszone’s personal lines footprint in Oklahoma, bringing a respected, century-old family agency into the Inszone family. Founded in 1925 by Charles R. Harris and later incorporated …

People Moves: Ames & Gough Names 3 Assistant VPs in DC Office

Ames & Gough, headquartered in Washington, D.C., appointed Tracy Benson, Christine Gibboni and Baynard Stanchina as assistant vice presidents in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. All three executives specialize in serving the risk management and insurance needs of Ames & …

Canada Announces Retaliatory Tariffs on $20 Billion Worth of US Goods

Canada on Tuesday announced retaliatory tariffs on C$27.6 billion ($19.94 billion) worth of United States goods, matching dollar-for-dollar new duties imposed by Washington, and unveiled financial support for Canadian businesses and workers caught in the escalating trade war. The counter-tariffs …

Viewpoint: When Andrew Returns – A Look Back at a Pivotal Insurance Event

At five o’clock on the morning of August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew came ashore near Homestead, Florida, as a Category 5 storm. It was one of only four hurricanes known to have struck the continental United States at Category 5 …

How One Florida Gas Station Worker Allegedly Defrauded Progressive of $44,700

For more than a year, a 31-year-old Fort Lauderdale gas station attendant was able to defraud Progressive Insurance of more than $44,700 before the insurer and state authorities caught up with him, according to an arrest affidavit. The scheme worked …

Willis Towers Watson Accuses Lockton of ‘Smash and Grab’ of Construction Team

Insurance broker Willis Towers Watson (WTW) is accusing rival Lockton Companies and 18 former employees of WTW’s Northeast construction insurance team of engineering a “smash and grab” operation that began on August 19. On that day, 18 members of WTW’s …

Judge Rejects First Brands’ Plan to Pay Down Debts by Pursuing Lawsuits

A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Monday rejected auto parts maker First Brands’ proposal to pay back creditors by pursuing litigation against insiders, instead converting the case to a more straightforward Chapter 7 liquidation. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez said that …

Firefighters Make Gains on Nevada Wildfire That’s Destroyed 30 Homes

Crews have started to contain a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Reno, Nevada, that destroyed more than 30 homes as it spread perilously close to dense neighborhoods, officials said Monday. Containment reached 27% and there was no new …

NCCI Recommends Another Workers’ Comp Rate Cut for Florida

The National Council on Compensation Insurance is recommending a 7.4% average rate decrease for workers’ compensation insurance, voluntary market, in Florida. If approved by state regulators, it would mark the 10th straight year of decreases, in line with most U.S. …

Fortescue Suspends Executive Over Sexual Harassment Allegations

Australian miner Fortescue Ltd. has suspended an executive over sexual harassment allegations, and engaged law firm MinterEllison to conduct an independent investigation into the matter. The incident is being treated “extremely seriously” and the employee is being stood down while …

China’s Hackers Use DeepSeek for Attacks, Researchers Say

Chinese hackers are ramping up attacks after integrating DeepSeek and other open-source artificial intelligence models into their operations, highlighting attackers’ ability to leverage basic AI tools to hit targets abroad. State-affiliated cyber groups more than doubled the amount of attacks …

Europe’s Record Heat Is Splitting Stock Winners From Losers

Even as Europe’s heat wave finally breaks, money managers say they’re still coming to terms with how climate change will affect their portfolios. Pictet Asset Management’s Katie Self says her firm has been fielding calls from clients about the risks …

New Zealand Insurance Industry Failing to Meet Māori Needs, Market Watchdog Says

New Zealand’s insurance industry is failing to consistently meet the needs of Māori, with affordability barriers and difficulties insuring collectively owned land leaving them less likely to have cover, according to a study by the market watchdog. The Financial Markets …

Japan’s Tokio Marine Eyes Insurer Suncorp as Preferred Takeover Target, FT Reports

Japanese insurer Tokio Marine has identified Australian insurer Suncorp as a preferred takeover target after reviewing several potential options, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Tokio Marine reviewed several takeover targets over the past …

Markets/Coverages: Classic Car Insurer OpenRoad Expands to 40 States

OpenRoad Insurance, a provider of specialized insurance for classic and collector vehicles and related coverages, said it is now licensed in 40 U.S. states, up from 35 since March. OpenRoad launched two years ago. The latest states added to OpenRoad …

Nuclear Verdicts Go Boom, Increase 40.7% in 2025

So-called “nuclear” verdicts did not subside in 2025. In fact, it was quite the opposite. According to a new report from strategic communications and research firm Marathon Strategies, there were nearly 200 verdicts resulting in an award of at least …

Kentucky High Court Recalculates Employer Attorney Fees, Recovery in Subrogation

A preschool’s insurance carrier is partly obligated to defend a child abuse negligence suit, despite alleged criminal acts. And an employer’s share of attorney fees must be deducted from the amount available from subrogation—not from the full settlement amount in …

Harvard to Pay $53 Million Settlement Over Body Parts Sold by Former Morgue Manager

Harvard Medical School says it agreed to pay $53 million to settle class action lawsuits by relatives of body donors whose remains were sold on the black market by its former morgue manager. Harvard Medical School Deans George Q. Daley …

Judge Approves $117.5 Million Settlement in ‘Complex’ Comcast Data Breach Case

A federal judge has approved a $117.5 million data breach settlement against Comcast Cable Communications. The agreement represents one of the largest data breach settlement amounts and, with 31.7 million potential members, one of the largest classes in a data …

Los Angeles Faces Days of 100F Heat as Southwest Fire Risk Grows

Los Angeles is bracing for a lengthy heat wave as the weather system that’s cooked Texas expands westward and begins stripping moisture from Southern California’s terrain. Heat alerts stretch from Santa Barbara along California’s central coast to the U.S.-Mexico border …

AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of Arkansas’ Kinsale

AM Best has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a+” (Excellent) from “a” (Excellent) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) of Kinsale Insurance Company (Kinsale) based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The outlook of …

People Moves: TDI Names Kranes as Deputy Commissioner of Strategy and Performance

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) announced Michelle Kranes as deputy commissioner of the Strategy and Performance Division on August 17. Kranes will oversee the division that supports TDI’s strategic planning, performance and risk management, and process improvement through technology, …

Alfalfa Sprouts Linked to Food Poisoning in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Minnesota health officials are warning consumers not to eat certain brands of alfalfa sprouts that have been tied to an unusual outbreak involving different disease-causing bacteria. Officials say 23 people in Minnesota have become ill with either E. coli or …

Wisconsin Food Manufacturer Cited After Worker Fatalities

The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Wisconsin-based food products manufacturer after two incidents involving industrial kettles releasing hot steam and liquid, causing three worker deaths and two serious injuries. Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration …

Texas Court Slashes $50M Judgment Against Alex Jones

A Texas court on Friday slashed a $50 million judgment that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre over his false claims that one of the deadliest mass shootings in …