Monthly Archives: <span>March 2024</span>

Virginia Still Battling Shenandoah Valley Wildfires

Crews who have been battling still-burning wildfires in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley this week have gotten an assist from rain and from the state government, which has deployed new resources to the area, officials said Saturday. “Without a doubt the rain …

Alabama Bill Would Let Alfa Federation, Not Insurer, Sell Health Plans. BCBS Opposes

Alfa, one of the largest property-casualty insurers in Alabama, is clarifying that it is not planning to move into the health insurance business: A hotly debated bill in the state Legislature would allow Alfa’s affiliated farmers federation to offer a …

Minnesota Homeowners Report Surge in Insurance Complaints

Minnesota homeowners insurance complaints rose 108% from 2020 to 2023, with of those complaints from homeowners concerned their claims were denied or they faced high out-of-pocket costs after damage from wind and hail. The Minnesota Department of Commerce (DOC) shared …

Oklahoma Contractor Faces $103K in Fines After Fatal Workplace Asphyxiation

An Oklahoma City employer’s failure to follow federal safety procedures left a 30-year-old worker suffering fatal asphyxiation as they tried to make repairs inside a water tank at a McClain County wellsite in September 2023, a federal investigation has found. …

Biden’s LNG-Permit Halt Challenged by 16 States in Lawsuit

Texas, Louisiana and more than a dozen other US states challenged the Biden administration’s suspension of new licenses to export natural gas via ocean-going tankers. A lawsuit filed against President Joe Biden and the US Department of Energy in Louisiana …

Apple Antitrust Suit Mirrors Strategy That Beat Microsoft, but Tech Industry Has Changed

The U.S. government’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple draws on the watershed 1998 case that broke Microsoft’s stranglehold on desktop software, but that may prove to be an imperfect blueprint for addressing smartphone competition. The market for the iPhone today looks …

Challenges to SEC’s Climate Rules Sent to Appeals Court

A U.S. judicial panel on Thursday consolidated at least nine lawsuits challenging the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s new rules requiring public companies to report climate-related risks in a venue favored by Republican-led states and a business group. The St. …

Vermont Communities Hit by Summer Flooding Seek $3.5M to Elevate 20 Homes

Two of the Vermont communities hardest hit by last summer’s catastrophic flooding have requested $3.5 million in state funding to elevate 20 homes in Barre and the capital city of Montpelier for flood victims who still need safe places to …

China Scrutinizes PwC Role in $78 Billion Evergrande Fraud Case

Chinese authorities are examining the role of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in China Evergrande Group’s accounting practices after the developer was accused of a $78 billion fraud, ramping up pressure on the global accounting giant that audited a slew of developers before …

People Moves: Massaro Joins Hartford in Northeast; Alliant Adds Spina in New York

The Hartford, headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, appointed Matthew Massaro head of sales and underwriting for its middle and large commercial businesses’ Northeast division. Massaro has been with The Hartford for over 25 years, most recently serving as regional vice president …