Patricia Wells

The Research Triangle in North Carolina, known for its strong economy driven by education and healthcare, is facing new challenges. Major universities like Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have attracted businesses and jobs to the Raleigh-Durham area. However, recent federal funding cuts are putting this economic growth at risk. For … Read more

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has appointed Maria Ailor as the new interim director of the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI). Ailor steps into this role with an impressive background, bringing over 30 years of experience in public service and insurance regulation. Before her appointment, Ailor served as the assistant director of DIFI’s … Read more

Honda is recalling over 259,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a serious brake issue. This problem can cause the brake pedal to shift out of its proper position, which may prevent drivers from stopping their cars effectively. The recall affects certain models of the Honda Pilot from 2023 to 2025, as well as the … Read more

Foundational learning is a key focus for professionals in insurance and risk management, according to The Institutes Knowledge Group’s annual Skills Report. This report highlights the importance of education in areas such as risk assessment and insurance operations. In 2024, over 182,000 courses were completed by learners in the industry, with many pursuing more than … Read more

Aflac, the well-known health and life insurance provider, is facing a serious situation after discovering a cyberattack on its U.S. network. This incident may have exposed the personal information of its customers, adding Aflac to the growing list of insurance companies targeted by cybercriminals. The company identified the breach on June 12 and believes a … Read more

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of fuel producers challenging California’s vehicle emissions standards. On Friday, the justices decided with a 7-2 vote that a lawsuit brought by Valero Energy and other industry groups should not have been dismissed. This ruling overturns a previous lower court decision that claimed the plaintiffs did not … Read more

Krispy Kreme has announced a significant data breach that occurred in late 2024, affecting over 161,000 individuals, primarily current and former employees and their families. The company is now reaching out to those impacted to inform them of the situation. In a statement on its website and a notification to the Maine attorney general’s office, … Read more

Hurricane Erick made landfall on Mexico’s southern Pacific coast early Thursday, causing significant damage in the state of Oaxaca. The storm hit near the resort town of Puerto Escondido around 5:30 a.m. local time as a Category 3 hurricane, but it quickly weakened to a Category 1 as it moved inland. Winds dropped to 85 … Read more

A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded during a test at the company’s facility in Texas, marking yet another setback for Elon Musk’s ambitious space plans. The explosion occurred on June 18 around 11 p.m. CT while the rocket was undergoing a static fire test, which is a procedure where the engines are fired while the rocket … Read more

A federal appeals court has ruled that Carnival Cruise Lines is not liable for a sexual assault that occurred on one of its ships, despite the troubling circumstances surrounding the incident. The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision that dismissed the lawsuit filed by a young woman identified only as … Read more