Catastrophe bond issuance for the first-half of 2026 is now projected to reach $16.3 billion according to the latest Artemis Deal Directory data, which could rise further as there remain a number of offerings in the market which could upsize, while further new deals could emerge.Catastrophe bond issuance in 2026 has continued to accelerate and the addition of State Farm’s new $1.5 billion of Merna Re Enterprise cat bonds yesterday has given issuance a meaningful boost. As of today, completed and fully settled issuance of 144A catastrophe bonds and the few private cat bond placements we track in our Deal…
Author: Awais
The rural health-focused system has struggled to find its footing ever since spinning off from Community Health Systems a decade ago. Now, Quorum is hoping that a pivot to nonprofit status is the answer.
Meta Platforms on May 21 settled the first case set for trial seeking to make social media companies cover the costs that school districts say they have incurred to combat a mental health crisis allegedly fueled by platforms. The agreement fully resolves a lawsuit brought by Breathitt County School District in eastern Kentucky, following earlier settlements by co-defendants Alphabet’s YouTube, Snap and TikTok. The case had been scheduled for a June 15 trial in federal court in Oakland, California. Breathitt is among roughly 1,200 school districts pursuing similar claims. Its case was selected as a bellwether, or test case, for…
Editorial Note: Originally published in November 2009, this resource is updated as needed to reflect the latest developments. Key Facts Although the U.S. has been involved in efforts to address the global AIDS crisis since the mid-1980s, the creation of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003 marked a significant increase in funding and attention to the epidemic. Now, more than 20 years in, PEPFAR reports saving an estimated 26 million lives and is currently providing HIV prevention and treatment services to millions. PEPFAR has been the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease…
Citing a need for the financial services industry to be prepared for increased cybersecurity threats, New York’s regulator has issued new guidance. The guidance from the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) identifies risk management and compliance efforts that banking, insurance and other financial services organizations and individuals should consider taking when they become aware of a “heightened cybersecurity threat environment.” DFS defines a “heightened threat environment” as a period when cybersecurity risks are “significantly elevated and therefore have a high likelihood” of impacting information systems, nonpublic information or operations. DFS noted that this latest guidance does not…
When two workers died last month in a violent chemical reaction at Ames Goldsmith Catalyst Refiners near Charleston, federal records showed the facility had previously been cited for safety violations in 2018. But that doesn’t mean inspectors had regularly checked on the operation in the years between. In fact, the facility had not been inspected again before the fatal incident, highlighting a problem with workplace safety in West Virginia and across the country: federal inspectors do not regularly inspect the most dangerous workplaces. Here’s how workplace safety inspections work in West Virginia, and why labor advocates are calling for more…
In late 2024, Gretchen Holloway was approved for a new federally funded program that promised to cut her $900 utility bills by helping repair her nearly century-old home. For years, the retired teacher in Valley, Alabama, had been trying to hold together the house where she’s lived her entire life, but her pension and Social Security income weren’t enough. Floors had collapsed. One bathroom no longer worked. Gaps around doors and windows let air pour in and out, sending her heating and cooling costs soaring. The program offered a way out. It was going to “help me get my home…
A West Virginia uninsured motorist policy specified that the policyholder must report an accident to police within 24 hours. But that’s not enough to negate a claim, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals decided this week. The West Virginia National Auto Insurance Co. policy for Danny and Jackie Dobbins also noted that the insurer has no duty to provide coverage if the failure to report the incident “is prejudicial to us,” the court explained in overturning a lower appeals court decision in the case. The couple did report the crash to the insurance company within four days, and West…
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to attempt to deal with the impacts of artificial intelligence on workers and businesses. Related: Acrisure to Cut 2,250 Employees, Citing Advances in Technology and AI The order directs the state to explore policies that include severance standards, employment insurance and transition support for displaced workers, worker ownership models, universal basic capital concepts, expanded workforce training and better tracking of hiring and payroll trends to help respond to potential layoffs and economic disruption. The order directs the certain state agencies to: Evaluate and support opportunities to expand and enhance worker ownership models…
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Markel and Aon. A summary of these new hires follows here. Markel Taps Talbot’s O’Donoghue to Lead Fine Art & Specie for London Operations Markel Insurance, the insurance operation within Markel Group Inc., announced the appointment of Danny O’Donoghue as head of Fine Art & Specie, effective immediately. Danny O’Donoghue O’Donoghue will be responsible for leading the strategic and sustainable expansion of Markel’s fine art & specie portfolio to further enhance the organization’s position in London as a fine art & specie insurer. O’Donoghue will be based in London, reporting to…
Enough time had passed since the patient’s previous colonoscopy that she met the criteria to undergo another, said Steven Itzkowitz, a gastroenterologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She was in “reasonably good health,” and the risks of the procedure — bleeding, reaction to anesthesia, perforation of her colon — were fairly low. But she was 85. And she would need to briefly discontinue the blood thinners she took because of the cardiac stents keeping her arteries open; doing so could increase the risks. Had Itzkowitz and his patient faced this decision five years…
Tradecraft ILS Advisors has been launched as a new independent consulting and advisory firm focused on the insurance-linked securities (ILS) market by well-known industry executive and former AXIS ILS leader Kyle Freeman.With Tradecraft ILS Advisors, Freeman aims to work with organisations to help them in their strategic decision-making, transaction negotiations, contract structuring, and analysis, of insurance-linked securities opportunities and risk transfer arrangements. The consultancy will work with both new market entrants and experienced ILS market participants that are looking to innovate in the space, while presumably Freeman’s experience would also be invaluable to investors looking at the asset class. Freeman…
Acrisure’s CEO told employees that about 2,250 of them won’t be with the company by the end of 2027. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based global broker is planning to reduce its headcount by about 11%, mostly in the U.S., said a memo from CEO Greg Williams to employees. Acrisure has about 19,000 team members, according to its website. Layoffs at the private equity-backed company started May 21 and will “continue in phases into 2027,” said Williams. Acrisure did not immediately respond to a request for comment but Williams’ memo said the company is entering a “new phase of execution.” Related: Viewpoint:…
A 36-year-old Ohio man has been sentenced for computer fraud after causing more than $860,000 in losses, Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced. Maxwell Schultz, Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty Nov. 18, 2025. Senior U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered him to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about the damage and sophistication of the attack and how Schultz used another employee’s account to mask his intrusion which led to the investigation of that account initially. In handing down the sentence,…