Author: completebodyneeds

The audit and verification of data centers ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott will involve about 250 to 300 projects, most of which are data centers, state grid operator officials told the Public Utility Commission on Friday. The officials’ testimony also highlighted just how data significant the buildout is: The 200 gigawatt of future demand accounted for by the projects that will be audited is more than twice the ERCOT grid’s peak demand record set last month. It will take the Electric Reliability Council of Texas “several months” to audit the projects, which must be completed before any data center can…

Amazon.com Inc. plans to expand its drone delivery operation to cities in at least five more US states in the coming months, the latest step toward turning the decade-old research-and-development project into a commercial service. Prime Air drones will start delivering packages by the end of the year from warehouses in suburban Chicago and Atlanta, as well as metro Cleveland and Syracuse, New York, Amazon said in a statement on Wednesday. The e-commerce giant currently delivers from 11 US locations, including the Houston and Dallas areas, and suburban Phoenix. A company spokesperson declined to say how many of the new…

A general contractor cannot be held liable for an injury of an employee of a subcontractor where the general contractor had little or no control over the subcontractor’s work or job environment. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court this week upheld a summary judgment in favor of New York general contractor Skyway Roofing against claims of negligence and negligent hiring brought by an injured roofer who worked for one of its subcontractors. The case turned on the subcontract, which was silent about safety and did not specify who was responsible for providing safety equipment, oversight, or training for the job replacing…

Seltzer Group Partners reported it has acquired Trego Insurance Agency in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Founded as an independent agency in 2020 and led by Steve Trego, Trego Insurance Agency serves commercial and personal lines clients across Pennsylvania and in several surrounding states. The relationship between the two organizations began well before the acquisition. Trego joined the Keystone Insurance Group agency network as a partner in 2020. Seltzer is one of the original three agencies that joined resources to form Keystone in 1983. According to Trego, by joining Keystone the agency gained access to more than 80 commercial lines and 25 personal…

The Texas Surplus Lines Association has announced the selection of Manpreet Sandhu as their Incoming Executive Director. Sandhu replaces Jean Patterson, who will be retiring at the end of 2026 with more than 45 years of service to TSLA. Patterson assisted in the search and will ease the transition of duties to Manpreet. TSLA Past President Kimmi Cantwell led the efforts of the Executive Director Search Committee through the selection process. Manpreet brings more than 15 years of operational and executive governance expertise, backed by a strong track record of leading industry-specific associations. In her most recent role as Director…

RockRose Risk, a US insurance brokerage specializing in wildfire zones, raised $12.5 million in a Series A funding round that was co-led by Crosslink Capital and Congruent Ventures, with participation from asset manager Nuveen. The San Francisco-based startup serves commercial property owners like homeowner associations and hotel groups as well as individual homeowners in the states of California, Colorado and Nevada. It seeks to lower clients’ insurance costs by quantifying the steps they take to reduce their wildfire risk. Now it’s looking to make risk mitigation services a part of its business. RockRose plans to perform work such as tree…

Maine Governor Janet Mills has appointed Sandra Darby, an actuary with the Maine Bureau of Insurance, as Acting Superintendent of Insurance effective August 18, 2026. Darby succeeds Tim Schott, who has served as acting superintendent since June 8 when Superintendent Robert Carey retired. According to the announcement, Schott is leaving the insurance bureau to assume a position with the office of Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey. Schott served for 17 years at the bureau, most of which were spent as the deputy superintendent. Darby has more than 11 years of experience at the bureau in the regulation of property, casualty,…

Rising temperatures in the ocean now have the potential to cause intense storms in Europe later this year, according to new research. The Mediterranean sea is heating up twice as fast as the average for oceans in the rest of the world, according to World Weather Attribution, a group of scientists that use peer reviewed methods to perform rapid studies of how climate change feeds into weather patterns. Its analysis shows that parts of the Mediterranean sea and the European Atlantic coast recorded surface temperatures that were more than 6C hotter than would be considered normal in June. “When we…

NOTE: This is the second part of a two-part series by guest contributor, Michael Gay. Here’s a link to part 1 if you haven’t read it yet. https://www.insurancejournal.com/blogs/academy-journal/2026/08/12/878595.htm Sometimes the Best Business Decision Is to Simply Walk Away Turning away revenue is difficult, especially when the opportunity comes from an important client. But declining an account beyond your competence is not failure. It is sound professional judgment. The issue is not whether the account is attractive. The issue is whether you are prepared to handle it responsibly. A candid response may be the best service you provide: “I appreciate the…

Munich Re Group on Aug. 19 said it has agreed to acquire cyber insurtech At-Bay, Inc. for $575 million. The cyber insurance and managed detection and response (MDR) provider primarily serving small- to medium-sized enterprises in the U.S. will be overseen by Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB), part of Munich Re’s Global Specialty Insurance business. HSB has been a partner of At-Bay since its founding in 2017. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter 2027 after regulatory approvals. “At-Bay’s market position and unique capabilities make it a perfect addition to our specialty insurance portfolio and an essential component…