Declarations

The Bee Stings

“The guys did get stung on a regular basis. Everyone got stung at least a couple of times.”

— Fire Chief Travis Leary, of Clinton, Maine, said of first responders who had worked to ensure that the 15 million honeybees that were in hives strapped on tractor-trailer that crashed and overturned on Interstate 95 were safe. The bees, used to pollinate blueberry fields, were mostly contained. Leary, who suffered several bee stings, said responders didn’t immediately realize bees were the truck’s cargo. The driver was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Everybody at Risk

“Everybody in Florida is at risk.”

— Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, said while visiting Sanford, Florida, a landlocked city in the middle of the Sunshine State. Brennan was among the U.S. officials who predict, prepare for and respond to natural disasters who visited Sanford, bringing a message for all Floridians: It’s not a matter of if a hurricane will hit, but when. The 2024 hurricane season is expected to be busier than average, according to forecasters.

Full Replacement Coverage

“Requiring full replacement coverage and an annual verification would come at a higher cost and may not always be the best choice for homeowners.”

— Jimi Grande, with the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, said after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac decided to hold off on an apparent plan to scrutinize mortgages on homes that don’t carry full replacement value insurance coverage. The decision “creates an opportunity to speak with insurers and other stakeholders to gather more information about the problem of underinsurance, what they can do to help, and how they can best go about it,” Grande said in a statement.

Farmers in California

“Farmers has operated in California for nearly a century, and while challenges remain, we are encouraged by the positive changes taking place in the state’s commercial insurance marketplace.”

— Eric Coleman, president of Business Insurance for Farmers Insurance, said in a statement after the company announced it will resume accepting new business commercial multi-peril applications for auto service and repair, habitational, manufacturing, real estate and wholesale distribution policies in California. Farmers had previously lifted its temporary moratorium on writing new commercial automobile insurance policies in the state.

Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act

“I am grateful to legislative leaders and the Governor for understanding our goal to help Oklahoma consumers reduce their homeowners insurance rates and fortify their homes against mother nature.”

— Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready said after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into law the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act, which aims to provide financial grants to construct or retrofit homes, making them more resilient against the destructive forces of tornadoes, windstorms and hail. Grants will be made available by the Oklahoma Insurance Department to residential property owners who meet specific eligibility criteria.

‘No Authority’

“EEOC has no authority to resolve these highly controversial and localized issues, which are properly reserved for Congress and the states.”

— A lawsuit filed by 18 Republican-led U.S. states seeks to block the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from enforcing broad legal protections for transgender workers. The complaint filed in federal court in Knoxville, Tennessee, alleges the federal workplace bias agency lacks the power to assert that federal law requires employers to use transgender workers’ preferred pronouns and allow them to use bathrooms that match their gender identity. The EEOC in its guidance says denying accommodations to transgender workers amounts to workplace harassment based on sex.

Topics California Oklahoma