Author: completebodyneeds

From a distance, the small solar farm in central Tennessee looks like others that now dot rural America, with row upon row of black panels absorbing the sun’s rays to generate electricity. But beneath these panels is lush pasture instead of gravel, enjoyed by a small herd of cattle that spends its days munching grass and resting in the shade. Silicon Ranch, which owns the 40-acre farm in Christiana, outside of Nashville, believes cattle-grazing is the next frontier in so-called agrivoltaics, which mostly has involved growing crops or grazing sheep beneath the panels. The solar company debuted the project this…

Reconstruction cost inflation in the U.S. cooled in the second quarter, offering a bit of relief for insurers and businesses, a new report shows. Verisk’s Q2 2026 360Value Quarterly Reconstruction Cost Analysis shows total reconstruction costs, which includes materials and retail labor, rose 3.6% year-over-year, a pace that was down from 5.2% growth in the prior year’s period. Quarter-over-quarter growth slowed to 0.8%. Residential reconstruction costs rose 3.2% nationally. Commercial costs climbed 4.1%. The report out Wednesday arrived as wholesale prices, a broad measure of inflation wholesale, in April posted their highest annual increase in more than three years. The…

The Bank of Canada struck an optimistic tone on the economic impact of artificial intelligence, arguing that widespread adoption of the technology will boost the country’s ailing productivity without significant job losses. In her first speech as external deputy governor, Michelle Alexopoulos extolled AI for its potential to increase output per hour worked, adding that it could also improve business competitiveness, boost wages for workers and create cost savings for consumers. The productivity gains from AI depend on whether the technology ends up being the so-called general purpose type, like computers, where use spreads throughout the entire economy and create…

It’s a mystery on the streets of New York City. What traffic law violator with unpaid fines is driving a black Pontiac Trans Am that looks like the car with the talking computer from the 1980s TV series “Knight Rider,” and even has the same license plate? Officials at an Illinois museum are among the people who would like to know. The Volo Museum near Chicago, which has a replica of the show’s Trans Am that hasn’t moved from its exhibit in years, recently received a $50 traffic ticket from the Big Apple, alleging its car was doing 36 mph…

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt this week signed a bill that gives the insurance department the authority to review insurance rate changes before they can go into effect. Under House Bill 3781, all rates in competitive markets shall be filed 30 days before their effective date, along with supplementary information providing support for the rate change. For non-competitive markets, insurers must provide rate filings 60 days before implementation. The legislation, takes effect July 1, 2027, moves Oklahoma from a use-and-file system to a file-and-wait system. The new law allows the insurance commissioner to review filings and request actuarial data when rates…

The odds are rising that a weather-roiling El Niño will emerge in the next few months and strengthen through the year, threatening global crop supplies, altering storm patterns and pushing temperatures toward record highs. There is an 82% chance El Niño will develop in the equatorial Pacific between May and July, and a 67% chance it will be either a strong or very strong event when it peaks between November to January, the US Climate Prediction Center said in a Thursday statement. “El Niño could likely be declared in the next two months,” said Nathaniel Johnson, a meteorologist with the…

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a revised budget that shows no deficit for this year and next, as the state draws another boost from the technology and artificial-intelligence boom. The budget proposal released Thursday shows revenues that are $16.5 billion higher than projections. That improvement gives Newsom, a Democrat, more room to protect programs popular with the party’s voters as he prepares to leave office after the next election, as a potential contender for the presidency in 2028. But the surge in revenue doesn’t erase California’s longer-term financial problems, leaving the next governor to manage a budget that remains vulnerable…

While auto insurance leaders reported premium growth percentages in the single digits last year, with sprinters like Progressive and Root up in the low-to-mid teens, premiums at Tesla’s insurance operations skyrocketed 40.7%, according to a new analysis. S&P Global Market Intelligence reported total direct premiums across Tesla’s insurance business topped $1 billion last year, coming in at nearly $1.4 billion, compared to $970.8 million in 2024. But while Tesla’s premiums soared—particularly in California, where a whopping 585% jump brought the state’s premiums to $725 million, compared to just over $100 million in 2024—loss ratios for one of the Tesla insurers,…

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing a Brecksville man accused of taking consumers’ money for collectible model trains that he never delivered. The lawsuit, filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, alleges that Chase D. Wheeler operated Chase’s Train Garage, an online business that advertised limited-edition model trains for preorder through social media and online marketplaces. “This guy’s sales practices went off the rails,” Yost said. “Cheating customers out of what they pay for isn’t the way business is done in Ohio.” Yost’s lawsuit maintains that Wheeler accepted full payment from consumers for model trains made by the manufacturer…

As Premier Group Insurance (PGI) surpasses the $1 billion written premium milestone, the organization is making a clear and deliberate statement about its future. Alongside this achievement, Denver, Colorado-based PGI is unveiling a two-year leadership transition plan designed to position the company for its next phase of growth—and the next billion. Founder and CEO Youngdon Yun has announced a structured evolution of the leadership team, with defined roles and responsibilities that reinforce long-term continuity and organizational perpetuation. The transition reflects a forward-looking strategy, signaling not only where PGI is headed, but who will lead it there. Matt Genova, Rex Hickling,…