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Appeals Court Affirms Conviction of Ex-Police Chief in Insurance Fraud Case

Article 1 Comment A federal appeals court this month affirmed the conviction of a former Texas police chief who arranged the destruction of a personal vehicle, falsely reported it stolen, and received insurance proceeds. The United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a jury could find beyond a reasonable doubt that Christopher Filline, a police chief in Castroville, conspired with a colleague to commit wire fraud. Filline argued the government failed to show there was agreement to a scheme between two parties. In 2016, Filline and his wife were under serious financial stress, facing $30,000 in credit card debt, and delinquent mortgage and car payments. Filline’s wife drove a 2007 Lincoln Navigator, a car that Filline complained was a “piece of junk.” Ambrose Rymers, who worked under Filline as an animal-control officer, testified that Filline asked him on several occasions to get rid of the Navigator. Sympathetic to Filline’s financial troubles, Rymers contacted cousin with a criminal background to help with destroying the vehicle. The scheme was enacted on July 16, when Rymers’ cousin took the Challenger to a dead-end road in Bexar County, doused it with gasoline, and set it on fire, while Rymers watched. The two...

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US Ships Escort Oil Tankers Through Hormuz at Night, Burgum Says

Article 0 Comments US forces are helping move millions of barrels through the Strait of Hormuz under the cover of darkness, sometimes escorting more than 20 ships per night out of the vital waterway, US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Friday. Now that sea mines have been cleared, the initiative has led to “some nights, more than 20 ships coming out,” Burgum said Friday on CNBC. With some ultra-large carriers holding 2 million barrels of crude, that adds up to “substantial amounts of oil that have come out of the strait,” Burgum added. Burgum’s comments offer some of the most fulsome descriptions yet of a once clandestine operation to free oil tankers and other commercial ships that have been trapped since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum; photo credit: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg The waterway previously provided passage for about a fifth of the world’s crude flows, and its effective closure has blocked millions of barrels from reaching the market daily, causing a global spike in oil and fuel prices. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the effort has helped suppress crude costs, claiming in a social media post that more...

People Moves: Willis Re Taps Ogilvie and Dart From Carpenter for Key Roles in London, Bermuda; Aon Promotes Dando as Chief Broking Officer for Global Broking Center 0

People Moves: Willis Re Taps Ogilvie and Dart From Carpenter for Key Roles in London, Bermuda; Aon Promotes Dando as Chief Broking Officer for Global Broking Center

Article 0 Comments 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 will collaborate closely with colleagues and trading partners to strengthen market engagement and enhance service delivery in their specific markets. Ogilvie will be based in London and Dart in Bermuda. Ogilvie has more than 20 years of experience across the insurance, reinsurance and retrocession markets in both London and Bermuda. Prior to joining Willis Re, he served as head of Property Retrocession in Bermuda at Guy Carpenter and previously held management positions within the firm’s London operations, working across property, specialty and casualty lines. Chris Dart Dart joins Willis Re with 23 years of experience in Bermuda...

Ontario’s Top 10 Costliest Cities for Auto Theft in 2025: IBC 0

Ontario’s Top 10 Costliest Cities for Auto Theft in 2025: IBC

Insurance Bureau of Canada releases new ranking based on auto theft claims Ottawa, ON (May 13, 2026) – Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is releasing its latest list of the top 10 costliest cities in Ontario for auto theft claims. Toronto, Brampton, and Mississauga have maintained their respective top three rankings since the last report from IBC. Ottawa has moved up two places in the rankings to the fourth spot. Hamilton moved up a staggering four spots from ninth to fifth. And Vaughan now occupies the seventh spot, down from fourth. “While IBC applauds the efforts of provincial and municipal governments, law enforcement and insurers in helping to curb the auto theft crisis, there is still more work to be done by all stakeholders,” said Amanda Dean, Vice-President, Ontario and Atlantic, IBC. “Ending auto theft requires a sustained, coordinated and whole–of–society approach.” According to newly released data, claims costs for auto theft in Ontario reached $485 million in 2025, down from $723 million in 2024. However, auto theft in Ontario remains well above historical levels, with the number of auto theft–related claims up 97% and losses up a staggering 330% since 2017. Table 1: Top 10 Costliest Cities in Ontario...

Combined Canada Introduces New Cancer Care Insurance Product to Help Canadians Manage the Financial Impact of Cancer 0

Combined Canada Introduces New Cancer Care Insurance Product to Help Canadians Manage the Financial Impact of Cancer

New offering provides flexible, cost-effective coverage designed to address rising out-of-pocket costs and deliver peace of mind Markham, ON (May 13, 2026) – Combined Canada, a Chubb Benefits Company and leading provider of supplemental accident, health, disability, and life insurance products in Canada, is pleased to announce the launch of Combined Cancer Care, a new insurance product designed to help Canadians navigate the financial challenges associated with a cancer diagnosis. According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) and reported by the Canadian Cancer Society, an estimated 254,100 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in 2026. With nearly 2 in 5 Canadians expected to develop the disease in their lifetime, cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada (87,900 projected in 2026). Following a diagnosis, many patients face significant out-of-pocket expenses from prescription drugs and travel for treatment to caregiving and lost income that can place considerable financial strain on individuals and families. Key features of Combined Cancer Care include: Daily benefits for inpatient and outpatient cancer care (up to $400 per day, paid directly) Optional lump-sum diagnosis benefits ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 Coverage options that include heart attack and stroke protection Access to Teladoc Health Canada’s Expert Medical...

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USDOT Rescinds ‘Disparate Impact’ Civil Rights Regulation

Article 0 Comments The U.S. Transportation Department said Wednesday it is rescinding part of its long-standing civil rights regulations that prohibit conduct that has an unintended “disparate” impact. In April 2025, President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies not to enforce laws that prohibit policies and practices with discriminatory impacts that are often unintended. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the department is making clear its regulations “prohibit only intentional discrimination, not conduct or activities that have a disparate impact,” and added USDOT will not take action on disparate-impact liability. Curbing so-called disparate impact liability, which is common in employment-related cases, removes a tool the government has used for decades to also police discrimination in housing, education, lending and other areas. Federal Discrimination Laws Date to Civil War On June 9, the Justice Department said the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s legal guidance to deter disparate impacts on protected groups of workers is wrong because it focuses solely on outcomes with no regard for an employer’s intent. Numerous federal laws, some dating back to the years after the Civil War, prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, religion and other protected traits. Courts long understood discrimination to be an intentional act, but that...

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Australia Insurance Broker Steadfast Gets Offer From Amwins, PE Firm Dragoneer

Article 0 Comments Australian insurance broker Steadfast Group Ltd. received an indicative offer from US specialty insurance distributor Amwins Group Inc., and private equity firm Dragoneer Investment Group LLC, that sent its shares surging by a record 36%. The conditional, non-binding cash offer of A$6 per share ($4.21) announced Wednesday is a nearly 52% premium to the stock’s Tuesday closing price, giving the company an enterprise value of about A$7.7 billion, including debt, according to Sydney-based Steadfast. The move follows two lower offers from the consortium for the company, Steadfast said. Dragoneer intends to take ownership of Steadfast’s retail brokerage business, while Amwins plans to acquire the firm’s underwriting agency business, according to a statement. Steadfast said its board “has determined that it is in the best interests of Steadfast shareholders,” to explore the deal and it agreed an eight-week due diligence period with the would-be purchasers. The company’s shares surged to A$5.38. The offer follows a share price slump that wiped out around 40% from Steadfast’s market value from a high last year until Tuesday. The decline began in late October with the biggest-one day slump after the firm said that Chief Executive Robert Kelly would take temporary leave...

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MMA Alleges Broker Patriot Poached 11 Surety Team Members

Article 0 Comments Marsh & McLennan Agency has filed suit against brokerage Patriot Growth Insurance Services and eight former members of a surety team over an alleged poaching scheme. Filed early June in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and since remanded to state court, the lawsuit names former employees Keith Wallace Harrelson, Ryan McClendon, Albert Bowen Evans, Jeffrey Cutshall, Rebecca Burrus, Hailee Wesson, Hunter Harper, and Jennifer Barranco—who had each worked at MMA’s Birmingham, Alabama office. The group made up about half of the surety team in Birmingham, said MMA, and most resigned on May 18 by leaving letters on top of their laptops and cellphones, according to the lawsuit. During the days that followed, Barranco resigned as did two others from the team, Michelle Hicks and Kayla Loyd. Eleven in total resigned to join Patriot, doing business under the brand Turner Insurance & Bonding Co., MMA alleged. Each defendant is in violation of employment contracts, said MMA, which pointed out in the suit that several of them immediately filed for declaratory judgement in Alabama to make their MMA agreements unenforceable. Since the team left, MMA said it has received no fewer than 71 broker-of-record...

Sun Life Essentials™ brings workplace savings plans to Canadian small and medium-sized employers 0

Sun Life Essentials™ brings workplace savings plans to Canadian small and medium-sized employers

Nearly eight in ten working Canadians (76%) want employers to play an active role in building their financial security Less than half are currently receiving workplace savings support at work (41%) Working Canadians list financial stability as the most important aspect of employment Toronto, ON (Jan. 21, 2026) – Sun Life is pleased to announce Sun Life Essentials™ and Sun Life Essentials Plus™, new digital-first workplace savings solutions designed specifically for small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs). The plans are built to be simple and accessible, helping business owners better support their employees in building long‑term financial stability and confidence. Amid rising uncertainty and cost pressures, building a stable and loyal workforce is a priority for businesses of all sizes. Workplace savings plans can be a practical way for employers to invest in their people without adding complexity. Recent research conducted by The Harris Poll for Sun Life, underscores why this support matters right now. More than a quarter of working Canadians say financial stress is impacting productivity and engagement at work. And 87 per cent believe employers that help workers save earn greater loyalty. “Small business owners are the backbone of our economy, and we know how much they’re carrying...

Cyber risk tops the list as businesses seek greater resilience: new Marsh business risk report reveals shift in priorities 0

Cyber risk tops the list as businesses seek greater resilience: new Marsh business risk report reveals shift in priorities

London, UK (May 11, 2026) – According to a new report by Marsh Risk, a business of Marsh, and the world’s leading insurance broker and risk advisor, cyber risk is, for the first time, the top concern among UK business leaders. It is cited as the leading concern for 46% of business leaders, up three percentage points from 2024, and up from 20% in 2023. Marsh Risk’s UK Business Risk Report – which surveyed more than 2,000 business leaders, from sole traders to businesses of with over 250 employees across the UK – provides industry level insight and practical recommendations to help organizations prioritize actions, allocate capital and engage with insurers more effectively. The report underscores the need for businesses to adopt flexible risk management approaches that can adapt as threats evolve and interact across domains. The top risks include cyber threats (46%); economic and financial (44%); compliance, legal and regulatory (40%); and people (39%). According to the report, high profile attacks, greater digitalization and supply chain vulnerabilities have elevated cyber risk to board level, due to widespread operational disruption, potential regulatory exposure and reputational harm. Respondents also highlighted the growing interconnectedness of threats, signalling a move by organizations to...