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Growing Hail Threat

“Here we show a 36.5%–42.1% increase in global hailstorm-induced damage potential by the late twenty-first century, with the magnitude determined by the emission scenario.”
— An abstract for “Rising global hail damage potential in a warming world,” posted in the journal Nature. Researchers from Peking University and from Central Michigan University found that the frequency of hail-stones larger than 1.18 inches in diameter will rise by as much as 52%, while the chance of smaller stones will likely decline, due in large part to warmer temperatures and higher humidity near the surface of the planet.

Medical Debt Erasure

“Nobody should go broke just because they got sick, but our healthcare system too often leaves families on the hook for bills they simply can’t pay. That’s exactly why partnerships like this one matter so much.”
— Allison Sesso, president and CEO of Undue Medical Debt, on a new round of medical debt relief for Connecticut residents. Governor Ned Lamont’s administration launched the program in partnership with Undue Medical Debt to give relief to qualifying residents who are having difficulties paying outstanding medical bills. The latest round will erase debt for 97,000 residents.

Secure Messaging Suit

“Texans deserve to know whether their private communications are indeed truly private. WhatsApp markets its services as secure and encrypted, but it does not deliver on those promises. I am suing to protect Texans’ privacy and ensure that WhatsApp by Meta does not mislead Texans by unlawfully accessing private conversations and data.”
— Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on messaging privacy concerns, adding WhatsApp to the growing list of companies he has accused of violating Texans’ data privacy. Paxton filed a lawsuit against the messaging app and its parent company, Meta.

Regulating Rate Increases

“Illinois has a competitive insurance market, but when policymakers focus on controlling rates instead of reducing costs and risk, consumers end up with fewer choices and a less stable market.”
— Brian Christenberry, regional vice president for NAMIC, commenting on Illinois legislative measures HB 4273 and SB 714, which give the Illinois Department of Insurance the ability to review and overturn rate increases that are deemed “excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory.” The insurance industry heavily opposed the measures, warning that expanded government control over insurance rates will reduce competition and drive prices up without addressing the underlying drivers of premium increases.

Law and Order AI

“These orders, though reasonable and motivated by valid concerns, have created a patchwork of differing disclosure and certification obligations for the parties and attorneys who participate in the court system throughout our State. The Court believes that a uniform, statewide approach to AI-related disclosure and certification would better balance the needs of the court system with the interests of the external users of that system.”
— The Florida Supreme Court in a recent order issuing statewide rules designed to hold attorneys more accountable for the use of AI in filings. The rules require lawyers to certify that case rulings and opinions cited in filings actually exist and are accurately referenced.

Explosion Fallout

“I’ve had a lot of inbound calls from my brokers, who have been receiving a lot of inbound calls from their clients.”
— Dennis Willette, senior vice president and head of environmental at Westfield Specialty Insurance. Following the implosion of a massive tank at a Washington state paper mill that killed 11 workers and spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of chemicals, people in the environmental specialty line are fielding calls from clients to discuss their coverage. Many general liability policies have a pollution exclusion structured mainly to address this type of issue, which is why the environmental market exists.