National News

Anthem, Cigna in Court Battles Over Failed Merger

There’s no dispute that a $48.9 billion merger announced in 2015 between health insurers Anthem Inc. and Cigna Corp. imploded two years later over antitrust concerns. Now, the question is whether one owes the other billions for the deal’s failure. …

Vatican Said to Be Changing Law Shielding Bishops Who Hide Sex Abuse

The legal loopholes that have allowed Catholic bishops to escape sanction when they cover up clergy sex abuse cases may be closing. Two U.S. cardinals have confirmed that the Vatican is working on a “clarification” to a 2016 law that …

GEICO’s Nicely Quietly Retired as CEO; Roberts at Helm

Warren Buffett used his annual letter to heap praise on Tony Nicely, the long-time chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s GEICO insurance unit. The letter also offered some perhaps surprising news: Nicely retired as CEO last year. Nicely handed …

Berkshire Hathaway in Talks to Sell Workers’ Compensation Unit Applied Underwriters

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is in advanced discussions to sell its Applied Underwriters workers compensation unit to a consortium of insurance firms, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. The deal would be a rare divestment by Buffett, …

2 CATCo Executives Sue Markel Over Firing; Claim They Are Owed $77 Million

Two fired executives of Markel’s Bermuda reinsurance operations are suing Markel claiming the company created a false narrative alleging they violated corporate policy by having a personal relationship in order to escape having to pay them bonuses worth millions of …

Michael Jackson Estate $100M Lawsuit Alleges ‘Character Assassination’ by HBO

The estate of Michael Jackson sued HBO for $100 million over what it says is the “posthumous character assassination” of the late singer in the “Leaving Neverland” documentary. The Jackson estate alleges HBO, which is owned by AT&T Inc., violated …

U.S. Working with Mexico, Canada to Block African Swine Fever

The United States, Canada and Mexico are coordinating efforts to prevent the arrival of a highly contagious swine disease that has swept through China’s hog herd and parts of Europe, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Thursday. The disease, …

Financial, Reputational Costs of Cyber Attacks Can Ruin Small, Medium Firms: Chubb

The average price tag for a business to recover after a cyber attack is $400,000, which can be fatal for small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to a report published by Chubb. This hefty cost of repairing the business and its reputation …

U.S. Wants Regional Response Teams for Oil Train Wrecks

Federal transportation officials are requiring railroads to establish regional response teams along oil train routes following a series of fiery derailments. The new rule is aimed at having crews and equipment ready in the event of an accident. It applies …

Broken Nike Basketball Shoe Could Be Product Liability Case

The high-profile failure of a Nike Inc. basketball shoe on Wednesday night was more than an epic embarrassment for the athletic brand. It could be a product-liability case. Duke University star freshman Zion Williamson — the consensus No. 1 pick …

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