Author: completebodyneeds

A blast of intense heat across eastern Texas is set to challenge the state grid’s all-time power demand record. Preliminary estimates from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or Ercot, show demand late Monday afternoon neared the 85.508 gigawatts record set in August 2023. The grid operator has forecast even higher peak loads Tuesday and Wednesday evening. As cooling demand spiked, the grid operator said more than 114 gigawatts was available to supply the system on Monday. An Ercot spokesperson said the power demand record was not eclipsed on Monday, according to official meter readings. Millions of Texans are under…

Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance Holding Company Appoints Roddy as CFO Scott Roddy Mutual of Enumclaw (MOE), headquartered in Enumclaw, Washington, appointed Scott Roddy as chief financial officer (CFO) of the Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance Holding Company. Roddy brings more than 20 years of executive leadership experience with Liberty Mutual Insurance. Most recently, he served as senior vice president and chief operating officer of Comparion and Liberty Mutual Insurance Agency, overseeing strategy, finance, technology, operations, and carrier partnerships. Previously, he served as chief financial officer for Liberty Mutual’s Asia Pacific operations, leading finance for a $1.7 billion business across eight countries.…

Ormond Beach-based Security First Insurance, with almost 50,000 dwelling/fire policies in Florida, announced it has cut average rates and is offering new discounts for DP policyholders. The carrier said it has reduced rates by an average of 5.6% for its dwelling/fire basic policies, statewide, effective July 15. For dwelling owner (DF3-DO) policies, Security First has expanded eligibility, added new premium discounts, and has enhanced disappearing deductibles. The dwelling owner policy enhancement took effect June 15 for new and renewal business. The changes are another indication of a much-improved Florida property insurance market, which was experiencing regular, double-digit rate hikes almost…

Across the US last week, different disasters — from Canadian wildfire smoke darkening the skies in the Midwest and Northeast to extreme heat along the East Coast to catastrophic flooding in Texas — disrupted daily life and put people’s health at risk. When multiple weather catastrophes play out like this at the same time, or in quick succession, experts refer to them as compound events. As climate change makes compound events more likely, experts warned that grappling with them is further complicated by the Trump administration’s cuts to disaster work. The American disaster complex has long been struggling to cope…

The world’s largest berry company will have to face a class-action lawsuit for supposed “greenwashing” after it allegedly failed to disclose the risk or use of pesticides containing what are known as “forever chemicals.” In a class-action lawsuit filed earlier this month in Superior Court in California against Driscoll’s Inc., plaintiffs claim violations of false advertising, unfair competition, and the state’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act. Driscoll’s makes multiple statements of environmentally friendly, safe, and sustainable practices in marketing collateral, but the plaintiffs say an independent study recently revealed the presence of pesticide residue, including PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), on…

Flooding rain is set to make a return to New York and New Jersey Tuesday, days after a weekend storm blocked city streets and forced pedestrians to wade through thigh-high water in some areas. Up to four inches (10 centimeters) could fall Tuesday as storms pass over the New York City area during the morning and evening hours, said Joe Pollina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. New York’s emergency management department has warned that conditions may be similar to those that paralyzed parts of the city on Saturday. “It’s usually an inch an hour that will cause flooding…

Once again, Insurance Journal is seeking the best retail insurance agencies to recognize for the annual Best Agencies to Work For awards. Does your retail insurance agency stand out as a great place to work? Does it foster a strong workplace culture, support employees’ professional growth, offer competitive pay and benefits, and provide leadership that empowers its team? If so, nominate your agency for Insurance Journal’s 2026 Best Agency to Work For awards today. We want to hear directly from the employees who know their agencies best. How to Nominate: You must be a current employee of the agency you…

Aon plc is expanding its proprietary Data Center Lifecycle Insurance Program (DCLP) with an additional $1.5 billion, increasing the program’s first-party coverage capacity to $5.0 billion. In addition, Aon is offering integrated risk solutions that support digital infrastructure assets from development through long-term operations. Think climate risk advisory, security risk consulting, environmental risk solutions, operational resilience expertise, among other services. “Digital infrastructure has become one of the most important and capital-intensive asset classes in the global economy,” said Joe Peiser, CEO of Risk Capital, Aon, in a media statement. “As clients build larger and more complex data center portfolios, they…

Global insurance companies had a strong 2025 with improved profitability and premium growth but new research from Bain & Company warns insurers to “enjoy it while you can.” “Insurers should enjoy today’s momentum – but they should not mistake it for structural advantage,” Andrew Schwedel, partner in the financial service practice at consulting firm Bain & Company. “The industry’s next phase of value creation will depend on whether insurers can lower the cost of risk, by preventing losses, expanding access to advice and coverage, improving productivity with AI, and using capital more efficiently. Those that do will be better positioned…

New York City officials are reporting that three people have died and eight people are currently hospitalized due to the outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease on the Upper East Side. More than 60 cases have been reported since the first cases were identified on July 2. The affected area encompasses the neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville (ZIP codes 10028, 10128, and 10075). Last week, the New York City Health Department said the number of new cases appeared to be slowing. After the city tested the cooling towers of all 183 buildings in the affected neighborhoods, it began requiring owners of…