CMS Deputy Administrator Kimberly Brandt told Congress last week that the CMS couldn’t meet with Minnesota before cutting off Medicaid funding because of litigation. Democrats say her testimony made no sense.
Author: Awais
The Trump administration said Monday it has initiated two new investigations into Harvard University over alleged antisemitism on campus and racially discriminatory admissions practices. The inquiries, launched by the Department of Education’s civil rights division, are the latest effort from Washington to pressure the Ivy League university into reshaping its policies. “If Harvard continues to stonewall as we try to verify its basic compliance with antidiscrimination statutes, we will vigorously hold them to account to ensure students’ rights are protected,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. If found to be in violation of the law, the department…
The Iranian parliament is working on a draft bill that would impose a fee on vessels seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Fars, citing an unnamed lawmaker, said the plan would be finalized next week, and would legally recognize Iran’s oversight of Hormuz, a vital conduit which connects some of the world’s largest oil and gas producers in the Persian Gulf with the wider world. The narrow waterway has been all but closed since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began almost a month ago, and has become a focal point…
Jurors in the first two trials in the U.S. from a growing wave of lawsuits targeting social media firms over harm to children have found Meta and Alphabet’s Google liable, potentially teeing up an appeals fight that could reshape how U.S. law shields tech companies from lawsuits. In California, a Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and Google liable for a young woman’s depression and suicidal thoughts after she said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube at a young age, ordering them to pay a combined $6 million in damages. In a separate New Mexico case, jurors on…
Introduction Costs associated with health care and other household expenses weigh heavily on LGBT adults and health care affordability is poised to be a significant issue for all voters as we approach the 2026 midterm elections. This data note highlights the health care affordability challenges facing LGBT adults, a growing population that faces health related disparities, including related to both mental and physical health. At the same time, LGBT adults are a lower income group compared to non-LGBT adults. Findings from KFF Health Tracking Polls show that LGBT adults face more widespread concerns with affording basic necessities, including health care,…
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit on Wednesday accusing mutual fund giant Fidelity of cheating many investors in its $439.1 billion Fidelity Government Money Market Fund by keeping them in higher-cost share classes than they were eligible for. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett in Manhattan rejected claims that Fidelity unjustly enriched itself, and the fund’s board and investment managers breached their fiduciary duties, by failing to automatically convert “retail class” shares into lower-cost “premium class” shares once balances hit $100,000 in non-retirement accounts or $10,000 in retirement accounts. Retail investors said Boston-based Fidelity shortchanged them out of millions of dollars…
Risk Theory, a Dallas, Texas-based platform of insurance distribution businesses, announced the launch of Dealer Transit, a new logistics solution designed to help dealerships mitigate the growing risk of vehicle theft during transit. The program is backed by Risk Point, a Risk Theory Company and underwriting platform specializing in insurance solutions for dealerships. Dealer Transit integrates insurance protection with a technology-enabled transportation platform to provide dealerships with a secure and insured method of transporting vehicles. This initiative reflects Risk Theory’s broader strategy of combining underwriting expertise, technology partnerships, and specialized programs to address emerging risks within the industries it serves.…
“Cyber risk is increasingly systemic, operational and identity-driven,” said Xavier Marguinaud (pictured on the left), head of cyber – international at Tokio Marine HCC. “Many of the most significant events (in 2025), including ransomware attacks, were not isolated data breaches, but disruptions that cascaded across suppliers, cloud platforms and entire sectors. This highlights how interconnected modern digital ecosystems have become.”
A Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) investigation helped lead to a lifetime prison sentence for a Panhandle man who set a house fire to cover up the murder of a 4-year-old girl. Humberto Martinez pleaded guilty to capital murder on March 4 for strangling 4-year-old Hope Raley. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Perryton Fire Department in Ochiltree County was putting out the house fire in 2022 when they found Raley. A medical exam confirmed that she died from strangulation before the fire was set. The fire department found Martinez hiding in…
A Michigan woman pled guilty to organizing a high-volume theft ring targeting Ulta Beauty stores in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Cheaira Broughton, 38, of Detroit, was charged by the Department of Attorney General in November 2025. Broughton faces one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony. Broughton organized a rash of “push-out” thefts perpetrated on Ulta Beauty retail locations throughout metro Detroit on more than 13 occasions in October and November 2023. The small, organized group was observed entering the storefront, grabbing as much high-value merchandise as they could carry or…
Waiting for renewal cycles, sometimes nearly a year out, can leave agencies exposed to hidden coverage gaps or outdated terms. To avoid gaps, Germond recommends a structured, proactive approach. “Put together a schedule,” she advised. “We’re going to take 10% of our book each month… and ensure that coverage is right.”
Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, argues a new policy from Anthem creates an “impossible” mandate for independent physicians and hospitals.
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Everest Group and AXA XL. A summary of these new hires follows here. Everest Appoints Busti From AXIS as Head of North America Treaty Reinsurance Everest Group Ltd., the Bermuda-based specialty re/insurer, announced the appointment of Jason Busti as head of North America Treaty Reinsurance to lead the division’s treaty reinsurance business across the United States, Bermuda, and Canada. Jason Busti He will report to Jill Beggs, executive vice president and CEO of Reinsurance, and will serve as a key member of her leadership team. Prior to joining Everest, Busti served…
A new report from Cotality warns that hailstorms can now produce insured losses comparable to a category 4 hurricane, with the firm highlighting that hail is beginning to shift from a secondary peril to a major driver of catastrophe losses, with implications for homeowners, carriers and reinsurers across the property market.Data from the report reveals that more than 43.5 million U.S. properties are at moderate or greater risk from damaging hail, representing roughly $17.84 trillion in reconstruction cost value (RCV). Jon Schneyer, Cotality’s Director of Research and Content, commented: “Hail doesn’t command the same headlines as hurricanes, floods or wildfires,…