Michigan Woman Pleads Guilty in Beauty Store Theft Ring
A Michigan woman pled guilty to organizing a high-volume theft ring targeting Ulta Beauty stores in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Cheaira Broughton, 38, of Detroit, was charged by the Department of Attorney General …
Texas Man Gets Life After Investigation Finds Arson Used to Cover Murder
A Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) investigation helped lead to a lifetime prison sentence for a Panhandle man who set a house fire to cover up the murder of a 4-year-old girl. Humberto Martinez pleaded guilty to capital murder …
AM Best Revises Outlooks to Stable for Members of Western Reserve Group
AM Besthas revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a” (Excellent) for the following pooled members of Western Reserve Group: Western Reserve Mutual Casualty …
Risk Theory Launches Dealer Transit Service to Address Vehicle Theft
Risk Theory, a Dallas, Texas-based platform of insurance distribution businesses, announced the launch of Dealer Transit, a new logistics solution designed to help dealerships mitigate the growing risk of vehicle theft during transit. The program is backed by Risk Point, …
Rich Britons Reap Biggest Benefits From UK State Flood Program
It’s not how the program was supposed to work. But thanks to a legal anachronism, Britain’s state-backed plan intended to help those most exposed to flooding has ended up favoring the country’s richest property owners. Economists at the Bank of …
Iran Is Drafting Law to Introduce Tolls for Hormuz Transit
The Iranian parliament is working on a draft bill that would impose a fee on vessels seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Fars, citing an unnamed lawmaker, said the plan would …
Viewpoint: Insurance Broker Valuations – The Elephant in the Room
While insurance broker valuations remained resilient in 2025, essentially staying near all‑time highs, the elephant in the room—Brown & Brown (NYSE: BRO)—has received little attention. From a valuation perspective, what happened with Brown & Brown? After the brokerage’s value surged …
P/C Underwriting Income Up $40B in 2025, Says Verisk and APCIA
Verisk and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association released preliminary 2025 underwriting results for the property/casualty industry, with a $40 billion increase over the prior year. For private U.S. P/C insurers, the underwriting gain for 2025 was $63 million compared …
High Levels of Cancer-Causing Benzene in European Cooking Gas, Study Finds
Domestic gas supply in several European cities contains high levels of benzene, an odorless substance that can cause cancer, according to research released on Wednesday. Gas samples taken in UK homes contained 37 times more benzene than North American gas, …
After 62 Years, Florida Appeals Court Drops the Expert Witness Rule on Attorney Fees
Just over three years ago, Florida lawmakers effectively ended one-way attorney fees, disincentivizing much of the costly property insurance claims litigation that had plagued the industry. Last week, a Florida appeals court issued what it called a “sea change” and …
EXPLAINER-Can US Government Be Held Liable for LaGuardia Airport Collision?
Investigators are probing the potential causes of Sunday’s collision between an Air Canada Express plane and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The two pilots were killed. Air Canada said 39 of the 76 passengers and crew …
Pinnacol Assurance in Colorado Paying $15M Dividend for Colorado Members
Colorado workers’ compensation provider Pinnacol Assurance announced it will distribute a $15 million general dividend to its members in 2026. Pinnacol members can expect to receive dividend checks starting March 25. More than 46,000 members in the state will receive …
People Moves: ALKEME Names Stradling CFO; Machut and Quintero Join Alliant
ALKEME Insurance Appoints Stradling as Chief Financial Officer ALKEME Insurance named Ryan Stradling chief financial officer. Stradling has experience scaling organizations through execution, strategy and data-driven decision-making. Stradling has experience across the insurance, healthcare, and SaaS industries, where he has …
Harvard Faces Pressure From Two New Trump Administration Probes
The Trump administration said Monday it has initiated two new investigations into Harvard University over alleged antisemitism on campus and racially discriminatory admissions practices. The inquiries, launched by the Department of Education’s civil rights division, are the latest effort from …
Meta, Google Lose Case Over Social Media Harm to Kids
A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and Alphabet’s Google negligent for designing social media platforms that are harmful to young people, in a $6 million verdict that will serve as a bellwether for numerous similar cases. The jury …
Chaucer, Ceto Launch Lloyd’s Marine MGA, Underwriting With Real-Time Vessel Data
Chaucer Group, the London-based specialty re/insurance group, and Ceto AI, the maritime technology specialist, announced the launch of a new marine managing general agent (MGA), operating as a Lloyd’s coverholder. Under the arrangement, Ceto is authorized to bind marine hull …
Florida OIR Grants Permit to Startup Sypher Insurance and Takeouts for Others
Sypher Insurance Exchange, the startup property insurer that the Florida Association of Insurance Agents invested in two years ago, has won a permit to operate from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. The Tampa-based reciprocal now has until mid-May to …
Markets/Coverages: Brit Launches Cargo Consortium With up to $80M of Capacity
Brit Group Holdings Ltd., the London-based specialty re/insurer, announced the launch of “BRIDGE,” a new cargo consortium. The consortium, which will be one of the largest consortiums in the cargo market, is now writing business and offers cargo line capacity …
US Supreme Court Backs Cox in Fight Over Pirated Music
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday Cox Communications cannot be held liable for piracy by its internet service subscribers of songs owned by Sony Music, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and other labels, ending their billion-dollar-plus music copyright …
Ohio AG Sues Contractors for Allegedly Defrauding Consumers
In lawsuits filed recently in three counties, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost accuses three home-improvement contractors and a builder of outdoor structures of defrauding consumers of $564,000 combined. “Homeowners trust contractors or businesses with their hard-earned money,” Attorney General Dave …
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