Author: completebodyneeds

Alphabet Inc.’s Google filed a lawsuit against a suspected Chinese cybercrime operation, alleging that the group used artificial intelligence to send more than 2 million text messages with fraudulent links attempting to scam cellphone users. Known as the Outsider Enterprise, the organization targeted hundreds of thousands of people in the US in an effort to steal personal information, according to a complaint that Google filed on Friday. The group is accused of sending 2.5 million messages to Android users containing links to Outsider-generated websites over a two-week period in May. Aided by AI, the cybercrime network coordinated through Telegram to…

Expect more efforts to reform California’s troubled homeowners insurance market from the state’s next top insurance regulator regardless of who wins a race that has now been whittled down to two candidates. Democrats Jane Kim and Ben Allen are advancing to the Nov. 3 primary in the race for California insurance commissioner. The top two vote-getters together garnered more than 45% of the votes cast in the June 2 primary. The winner will replace outgoing commissioner Ricardo Lara, who is term limited. Kim, who raised more than $700,000 during her campaign, is pushing a publicly backed single-payer disaster insurance system.…

The Trump administration declared a power emergency in the southeastern US as forecasters warned of dangerous heat that’s likely to stress power grids along the country’s east coast. An emergency order issued by the Energy Department on Thursday allows Duke Energy Corp. to operate power plants at their maximum output levels and exceed certain air pollution limits, as part of efforts to boost generation to meet soaring demand in North and South Carolina. The order is in effect through Friday night. “The order will mitigate the risk of unnecessary blackouts brought on by unusually high load forecasts and high temperatures…

Even as President Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the U.S. and remains the leading source of new power. Data released June 10 by global energy think tank Ember, along with a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, show the continued growth of solar and decline of coal in the United States despite federal policy. In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation’s electricity than coal, or 12.8%, Ember said. Coal supplied 12.2%, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever. “For years solar power…

Local governments in Florida will face “greater credit pressure” if voters approve a plan to largely eliminate property taxes on more than half of homes in the state, according to analysts at S&P Global Ratings. The proposal would introduce financial uncertainty and, if passed, could leave some local government bond issuers facing “material” revenue and spending challenges, according to a new report by S&P analysts, including Michael Parker, the rating company’s primary Florida analyst. The rating company grades more than 100 Florida credits, including 22 counties, 67 municipalities and 22 school districts. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled the proposal last…

Regulators at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance are raising issues with Airbnb over its Host Damage Protection (HDP) program, maintaining that it is an insurance product and Airbnb is offering it without being properly licensed. The State Corporations Commission has given Airbnb until July 31, 2026 to respond either by negotiating a settlement or by agreeing to defend itself at a hearing starting December 14, 2026. The state of Washington raised similar concerns a few years ago. Airbnb has long argued that the HDP is not an insurance product and the terms on its web site state that. Airbnb markets…

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at brokers Willis Re and Aon. A summary of these new hires follows here. Willis Re Taps Ogilvie and Dart From Guy Carpenter for Key Roles in London, Bermuda Willis Re, the international reinsurance broker and unit of WTW, announced the appointments of Jonathan Ogilvie as global head of Non-Marine Specialties and Chris Dart as head of Treaty Reinsurance, Bermuda, effective immediately. Jonathan Ogilvie In their roles, Ogilvie and Dart will be responsible for leading their respective teams, managing portfolio performance, and contributing to the expansion of Willis Re’s reinsurance platform. They…

Novo Nordisk said on Thursday it has identified a security incident in which certain information, including patient data from some clinical trials, was copied externally without authorization from its internal IT systems. The company, maker of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, said it has launched a probe with the assistance of external cybersecurity experts and is in contact with the relevant authorities. “The incident affected a limited amount of information related to patients participating in some of our clinical trials,” Novo said in its statement, without disclosing what type of trials. The potential categories of personal data affected may include…

Three UK clean-technology companies are teaming up to create what may be Europe’s biggest direct air capture facility. Low-carbon project developer Progressive Energy, together with carbon-capture specialists Airhive and Mission Zero Technologies, has formed a new company to build a plant in northeast England capable of capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. UnionDAC, as the venture is known, aims to begin sequestering CO2 in 2030 and, by 2032, capture 60,000 tons annually. UnionDAC’s plant, if it reaches its target, would overtake Climeworks AG’s Mammoth project in Iceland as Europe’s largest direct air capture facility. Mammoth can take in 36,000…

President Donald Trump pulled back threatened military strikes against Iran, a stark reversal that came just hours after he vowed to hit the Islamic Republic “VERY HARD” and threatened to seize its oil infrastructure. US forces had already pounded Iran with airstrikes for two straight days when Trump on Thursday morning said they would do so for a third. But then in the afternoon, Trump announced on social media the attacks were off, claiming again that a deal was close — without any confirmation from Iran. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that a signing could take place as…