National News

Robot Detects Spill on Aisle 3 But Human Cleans It Up

A wheeled robot named Marty is rolling into nearly 500 grocery stores to alert employees if it encounters spilled granola, squashed tomatoes or a broken jar of mayonnaise. But there could be a human watching from behind its cartoonish googly …

Here Comes the New Generation of Very Rich Americans

The rich are getting richer, and younger. A survey of U.S. investors with $25 million or more finds their average age dropped by 11 years since 2014, to 47. These fabulously rich Americans, whose ranks have more than doubled since …

J&J to Pay States $120 Million to Settle Hip Implant Marketing Claims

Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy Orthopaedics unit have agreed to pay $120 million to resolve deceptive marketing claims by several U.S. states over the company’s metal-on-metal hip implants. Attorneys general of 46 U.S. states announced the settlement agreement in …

Travelers Grew Q4 Profit Despite California Wildfire, Hurricane Michael Losses

Travelers Cos. reported that despite catastrophe losses from the California wildfires and Hurricane Michael, it boosted its profit in the fourth quarter of 2018 thanks to growth in premiums and investment income. Net income rose to $621 million from $551 …

Fund Manager LJM Sues to Find Those Behind Market Volatility Losses

LJM Partners Ltd. on Friday filed a lawsuit against unnamed parties it holds responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars it lost after last year’s jump in stock market volatility that effectively put the fund manager out of business. LJM …

From Banks to Telecoms, Large Firms Disclose Risks, Opportunities of Climate Change

Bank of America Corp. worries flooded homeowners will default on their mortgages. The Walt Disney Co. is concerned its theme parks will get too hot for vacationers, while AT&T Inc. fears hurricanes and wildfires may knock out its cell towers. …

Insurance Covered $90B of Natural Disaster Losses in 2018, Leaving 60% Protection Gap

The economic costs of last year’s 394 natural catastrophe events came to US$225 billion with insurance covering US$90 billion of the overall total, creating the fourth costliest year on record of insured losses, according to an Aon report titled “Weather, …

2 Markel CATCo Execs Leave After Reserves Inquiry Unveils ‘Personal Relationship’

Markel Corp. has reported that Anthony Belisle, Markel CATCo chief executive officer, and Alissa Fredricks, Markel CATCo chief executive officer for Bermuda, are no longer with the company following the disclosure of a “personal relationship” that the insurer said violated …

Corporate Culture, Cyber Risk Are Top of Mind for D&O Underwriters

Transparency and culture awareness were the key takeaways from a panel discussion on top directors and officers’ claims trends that took place at this year’s Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) annual conference in San Diego. An audience poll at the …

Insurance Agents Assured of Trump Pass-Through Tax Break Under Final Treasury Rule

The U.S. Treasury today issued final regulations and other guidance on a provision of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that allows owners of sole proprietorships, partnerships, trusts, and S corporations to deduct up to 20 percent of their qualified …

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