Patricia Wells

Exxon Mobil has decided to delay its plan to build a huge new plastics plant in Calhoun County, Texas. The $10 billion project on the Gulf Coast was supposed to start construction next year, but the company says current market conditions have led them to slow things down for now. The plant was designed to … Read more

Walmart is facing a lawsuit for mistreating two employees with intellectual disabilities at its Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin store. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the case, accusing Walmart of refusing to provide a job coach and allowing supervisors to create a hostile work environment. The problem took place in late 2021, when the … Read more

Federal officials announced the arrest of a 29-year-old man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, a blaze that devastated parts of Los Angeles earlier this year. The fire, which began on New Year’s Day, tragically took 12 lives and destroyed thousands of homes in the Pacific Palisades area. Jonathan Rinderknecht, who lived in the Pacific … Read more

Hill Country Underwriters has officially launched its new insurance program in Texas, aimed specifically at artisan contractors. This managing general underwriter (MGU) is offering a fresh product that includes General Liability and Inland Marine coverage tailored to specialty construction trades. The new insurance is designed to protect contractors against common risks. General Liability coverage helps … Read more

Nebraska has missed a key deadline to grant licenses to marijuana growers under a new medical marijuana law approved by voters last November. The state’s Medical Cannabis Commission, which was created to oversee the program, announced it would not meet the Wednesday deadline to issue licenses, leaving patients and advocates frustrated. Lia Post, a Nebraska … Read more

Acrisure, a major insurance broker based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is planning to lay off 400 employees from its accounting department starting early next year. The company said this move is driven by advances in technology and artificial intelligence that are reshaping how it operates. The layoffs will affect about 20% of Acrisure’s roughly 2,000 … Read more

Ned Gaines has officially taken on the role of commissioner at the Nevada Division of Insurance. He had been filling the position in an acting capacity since early July. The appointment was made by Kristopher Sanchez, the head of Nevada’s Department of Business and Industry. Gaines brings over 25 years of experience to the job. … Read more

NFP, an Aon company, has strengthened its benefits team by bringing in two seasoned leaders, Mark Carroll and Bill Schmidt. Both will serve as vice presidents of Benefits in NFP’s Atlantic region. Based in northern Virginia, they will report to Katie McLaughlin, senior vice president of Benefits. Bill Schmidt comes with 30 years of experience … Read more

A California lawmaker is demanding the resignation of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara after reports surfaced that Lara used taxpayer money for lavish international trips. Assemblyman David Tangipa, a Republican from Fresno, is calling on Lara to step down following an investigation into travel expenses linked to at least a dozen overseas trips. The Fair Political … Read more

The US Supreme Court has turned away an appeal that sought to hold Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook responsible for radicalizing the man who killed nine people at a South Carolina church. The court refused to allow a lawsuit claiming Facebook’s algorithms helped fuel the shooter’s extremist views. The case stems from the tragic 2015 shooting … Read more