Author: completebodyneeds

Canopius Group, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, hired Melanie M. Brown, who will join the business on August 3 as head of U.S. claims. She will report to the incoming Canopius Group Chief Claims Officer Steve Parry. Brown has extensive experience in claims management across specialty, P&C, and reinsurance businesses. She most recently served as head of complex and specialty claims at Munich Re Specialty North America, where she oversaw strategy on managing high-exposure claims. Prior to this, she held senior claims leadership roles at Markel. Betsey Milord joined World Insurance Associates LLC (World), headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey, as chief…

The long-awaited future moved a little closer to the present this week when officials in Kissimmee, Florida, unveiled new infrastructure to support an air taxi/flying car service in coming years. “We will go from the Orlando area to Tampa within 30 minutes,” Kissimmee Aviation Director Shaun Germolus said at a news conference and statement, as reported by news outlets. The infrastructure at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport includes air-traffic management technology and a fast-charging station for an electric air taxi system and that’s expected to launch in the near future. State Sen. Kristin Arrington, D-Kissimmee, said history has shown that communities…

Second quarter 2026 net income at Travelers increased 46% to about $2.2 billion on lower catastrophe losses and favorable prior year reserve development. Catastrophe losses for the quarter, mostly from severe storms, were $518 million compared with $927 million for Q2 2025. The second-quarter catastrophe losses were more than paid for by favorable reserve development of $578 million. The Q2 combined ratio was 83.6, an improvement of 6.7 points over the result for Q2 2025. At the halfway point of 2026, net income has doubled to about $3.9 billion and the combined ratio improved 10.2 points to 86.1. Related: Travelers…

Mandatory evacuations across the Texas Hill Country are underway as life-threatening flash floods wreck bridges and roads with more heavy rain expected overnight. A wide swath of Texas is forecast to receive as much as eight inches (20 centimeters) of additional precipitation through Friday morning to cap off a week of downpours that revived memories of the catastrophic deluge that killed more than 130 people a year ago. Scattered thunderstorms redeveloped across parts of south and central Texas overnight into Friday, and brief tornadoes are possible in the stronger storms, according to the National Weather Service’s Austin and San Antonio…

Shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Yum Brands’ Taco Bell restaurants by California-based supplier Taylor Farms has been identified by investigators as a potential source of contamination in the cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people in the U.S., the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing two individuals familiar with the investigation. While the U.S. has experienced outbreaks of the parasitic intestinal infection before, the ⁠scale and geographic spread of this year’s outbreak are significantly larger, prompting concern among health officials. The outbreak, which began on May 1, has been concentrated in Michigan, with Ohio and New York also reporting…

A Kentucky jury has ordered the maker of a gun-building kit to pay $104 million in damages to the family of an 18-year-old who used a “ghost gun” to commit suicide in 2023. It was said to be the largest verdict ever against a gun seller. The jury found that the online retailer Husky Armory LLC, based in Omaha, flouted federal law and 2022 regulations by failing to verify the age of Henry Willis or to run a background check on him. The pistol had no serial number or sales record attached, the family’s lawyers said. The online company also…

New York’s attorney general sued several large chemical and agricultural companies on Thursday, alleging they knowingly sold harmful so-called forever chemicals used in cosmetics, non-stick cookware and other products. The lawsuit against 3M, DuPont de Nemours, The Chemours Company and Corteva and other manufacturers is the latest legal action over PFAS, which have been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers and developmental delays in children. “Big companies like 3M and DuPont knowingly sold toxic products that threatened New Yorkers’ health and polluted our environment for decades. It’s time for them to pay for the damage they caused,” New…

Water levels on the Rhine in Germany have risen after rain in the south and are forecast to rise further in the coming days, the country’s inland navigation agency said on Friday, though shallow water continues to hinder shipping and transport costs are rising. Shallow water after this summer’s heatwave and scarce rainfall means cargo vessels are only able to sail partly loaded on the river, increasing costs for cargo owners. Loads must be spread among several vessels sailing partly loaded, also increasing costs and creating extra expense for German industry. Vessels are often able to sail only 20% full…

The West Hartford Town Council voted unanimously on July 14 to approve a $20 million settlement of a lawsuit over the death of 5-year-old kindergartener Romeo D. Pierre Louis, who collapsed during recess at Charter Oak International Academy in 2022. …

The Coca-Cola Co. said it had temporarily suspended production operations of its Fairlife milk in the US after an unauthorized third party gained access to some of its systems. The cyberattack was connected to a ransomware event, Coca-Cola said in …