Monthly Archives: <span>September 2020</span>

West Virginia Hospital Settles Whistleblower Suit for $50M

A financially strapped West Virginia hospital has agreed to pay the federal government $50 million to resolve claims that it improperly issued payments and kickbacks to physicians under the direction of management, the U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday. The Justice …

OSHA Cites Smithfield Foods For Lax Coronavirus Safety for Meat Plant Workers

The U.S. Labor Department said on Thursday it cited Smithfield Foods for failing to protect employees from the coronavirus, making it the first major U.S. meatpacker to face a fine after outbreaks at slaughterhouses infected thousands of workers. The citation …

EU Wants Better Self-Regulation by Facebook, Google, Twitter; Plans Liability Changes

Two years after agreeing to a self-regulatory code of practice to tackle disinformation, Facebook, Alphabet’s Google, Twitter and other tech rivals must try harder to be more effective, the European Commission said on Thursday. Fake news related to COVID-19 has …

Summer Storms Bring Alberta’s Tab for Severe Weather Insurance Claims to $2 Billion

Severe weather events have hit Alberta hard over the spring and summer months. Four events from April to August brought the insured damage total for natural catastrophes in the province to $2 billion, based on surveys from to Catastrophe Indices …

Report Urges Urgent Action from Financial Regulators to Address Climate Change

Yet another report in a long line of reports is out urging urgent action from financial regulators, including insurance regulators, the Federal Reserve and the Securities Exchange Commission. The report was commissioned by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and …

Cal/OSHA Cites Food Manufacturer, Staffing Firm for Not Protecting Workers from COVID

Cal/OSHA has issued citations to frozen food manufacturer Overhill Farms Inc. and its temporary employment agency Jobsource North America Inc. with over $200,000 in proposed penalties to each employer for failing to protect hundreds of employees from COVID-19 at two …

IMA Select Acquires Phillip Gira Insurance Agency in Colorado

IMA Select has completed its acquisition of Phillip Gira Insurance Agency in Denver, Colo.’s Glendale/Cherry Creek area. Inga Phillip, who founded and served as CEO for Phillip Gira Insurance Agency for the past 35 years, will join IMA Select as …

Texas Reminds Insurers, Agents of Data Accuracy Responsibilities

The Texas Department of Insurance has issued a bulletin reminding all regulated entities, their agents, and their representatives that they are responsible for the accuracy of the data used in rating, underwriting, and claims handling – even if the data …

North Carolina Hospital System Investigating Cyberattack Against Software Vendor

A cyberattack against an international software company includes a database breach which may have compromised personal information, a North Carolina hospital system said. Atrium Health posted a notice of the attack on its website, saying some information, possibly including a …

Ohio State University Sued for Age Discrimination

Federal officials have sued Ohio State University (OSU) for alleged age discrimination after the university fired a human resources generalist in the College of Education and Human Ecology (CEHE) because of his age. In its lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment …