National News

Microsoft Reports Outage of Some Office and Cloud Services

Updated: July 30, 3 p.m. EDT Microsoft Corp. said it has started to resolve an outage affecting its Azure cloud service. The issue resulted from an unexpected usage surge, according to a status page with live updates on the incident. …

Cowbell Secures $60M Series C Funding From Zurich

Cowbell, a provider of cyber insurance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), announced on July 26 that it has closed a $60 million Series C equity investment from Zurich Insurance Group, a global multiline insurer. “This investment from Zurich is …

Insurance Comparison Site The Zebra Buys Marble

Personal lines insurance comparison site The Zebra said it has acquired Marble, a digital platform for managing and saving on insurance. The acquisition is effective as of July 25, 2024. Terms of the deal, the first in The Zebra’s 12-year …

Public D&O Price Decreased 5.2% in Second Quarter, Says Aon

The average price for directors & officers liability insurance decreased 5.2% per $1 million in limits in the second quarter, according to Aon Commercial Risk Solutions. Aon said the decrease compared to the same quarter in 2023 was the ninth …

Nationwide Plans 5% Reduction in Employee Headcount

Insurer Nationwide said late last week that it is reducing its headcount by about 5% over the next year. “We can’t speculate on the total number of job impacts,” said Nationwide in a statement. “Eligible associates are able to apply …

Senators Call on FTC to Investigate Automakers’ Sale of Driving Data

Two U.S. senators are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate automakers selling customers’ driving data to brokers who package it and then sell it to insurance companies. In a letter to FTC Chairwoman Linda Khan, Democrats Ron Wyden …

Tyco, TIG Insurance Agree to Settle ‘Forever Chemicals’ Fire Foam Litigation

Three months after Tyco Fire Products agreed to pay $750 million to communities with groundwater affected by so-called “forever chemicals” found in fire-stopping foam, Tyco has reached a tentative settlement with one of its insurance companies. “…We write jointly on …

AM Best: Migration to Cat-Prone States Fuels Record HO Underwriting Losses in 2023

The U.S. homeowners insurance segment suffered a $15.2 billion underwriting loss in 2023, more than double the loss seen in the previous year and the line’s worst underwriting results since at least 2000, according to a new AM Best report. …

Indivior Reaches $86 Million Opioid Settlement With 16 States

Indivior reached an $86 million settlement with 16 U.S. states over the drug manufacturer’s alleged role in spreading opioid addiction across the United States, New York Attorney General Letitia James said on Friday. James said the settlement in principle concerned …

Crop Insurance Won’t Let Some Farmers Adapt to Climate Change

In Kansas, where a prolonged drought has killed crops and eroded the soil, Gail Fuller’s farm is like an oasis. Sheep, cows and chickens graze freely on crops and vegetation in a paradisiacal mess. But if Fuller’s farm were to …

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