To recap the issues raised during this week’s conference call, here are the key media stories we discussed, and the messages we’re conveying.
If there is a subject you would like to see addressed on Wednesday, January 4, please email Michael Barry at michaelb@iii.org.
YAHOO SAYS 2013 SECURITY BREACH COMPROMISED MORE THAN ONE BILLION ACCOUNTS
Sensitive user information such as names, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and encrypted passwords were released, according to The New York Times.
HURRICANE MATTHEW, TEXAS’s HAIL STORMS, AND LOUISIANA’s FLOODS TOPPED LIST OF 2016 U.S. NATURAL DISASTERS
Swiss Re’s assessment noted that Matthew, which made landfall in South Carolina on October 8, caused 733 deaths, most of them occurring in Haiti.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters was interviewed by Brides magazine’s Jill Sieracki about ring insurance.
The I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore spoke with Consumer Reports’ (CR) Tobie Stanger regarding the circumstances under which a private-passenger auto insurer can cancel a policy.
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry discussed the advantages of using dash cam footage when adjusting an insurance claim with CR’s Michelle Naranjo.
The I.I.I.’s Steven Weisbart discussed the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increase with AM Best’s D.C.-based Frank Klimko.
CAPITOL HILL
The U.S. Labor Department said the number of work-related fatal injuries nationwide was higher in 2015 (4,836 deaths) than in any year since 2008.
STATES
California
The California Earthquake Authority (CEA) reports it sold more than 43,000 new policies in the first 10 months of this year. The average annual new CEA policy growth rate is usually around 12,000 new policies.
One woman died, and five others were injured, after they were hit by a fallen tree branch in a Whittier park.
Hippo, a new technology company, issued a provocative challenge to agents who sell homeowners insurance.
Louisiana
Banks and other lenders have delayed the disbursement of flood insurance monies needed to repair flood-damaged homes, according to The Baton Rouge Advocate.
St. Tammany Parish will get nearly $4 million from FEMA. The parish is now required to produce a hazard mitigation plan, which will determine how the federal monies are allocated.
The city of New Orleans agreed to pay out $13.3 million to the relatives of four men who were killed by its police department soon after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.
Maryland
Two died, and 15 were injured, after a gas tanker skidded off of 1-95 last weekend and exploded. The accident caused a nearly 70-car pile-up.
Minnesota
An administrative law judge has ruled that the state’s insurance regulator cannot force insurers to complete a survey detailing the diversity of its vendors and governing boards, a Tuesday, December 20, Best Day news story reported.
New York
The state Legislature should raise the maximum monetary fine for employers whose conduct results in either the death or injury of an employee, the Manhattan District Attorney stated.
North Carolina
FEMA may be willing to purchase more than half of the 750 single-family homes in Princeville (Edgecombe County) which were damaged by Hurricane Matthew, the Associated Press reports.
The Disaster Recovery Act of 2016 will provide $201 million to help citizens and communities recover from Hurricane Matthew and the wildfires in the western part of the state.
Oklahoma
Energy regulators are predicting the number of induced earthquakes could increase as hydraulic fracturing operations expand. Firms are being told to shut down if a quake of 3.5 magnitude or stronger happens.
South Carolina
Nine hundred and forty-six (946) people have died so far this year on the state’s roadways, giving South Carolina the highest fatality rate per 100 million vehicles miles traveled in the U.S., the Insurance Department announced.
Tennessee
The president declared a major disaster exists in the state, making federal funding available to Sevier County residents impacted by the recent wildfires.
Texas
A Houston resident and the former CEO of a company whose oil production platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing three people in 2012, was indicted this week on federal financial fraud charges.
Vermont
Governor-elect Phil Scott reappointed Michael Pieciak as commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation.
West Virginia
Congress has approved $87 million more in federal funds to help the state recover from deadly flooding over the summer.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
Yahoo Data Breach
The Yahoo data breach has been a strong topic of interest in the past week. To follow the conversation on social, use the hashtag #YahooBreach. The I.I.I.’s latest whitepaper on cyberrisk offers details on the state of the U.S. cyber insurance market. In addition, our cyberrisk insurance infographic is something you can share with your social audiences.
Labor Department – Workplace Fatalities
A new report by the U.S. Labor Department shows that 2015 had the most workplace fatalities in any year since 2008. The I.I.I. website’s home page is currently spotlighting the latest facts and statistics on workplace safety. You can also follow the U.S. Labor Department on Twitter at @USDOL.
Orlando shooting relatives sue social media giants
Relatives of the June 2016 Orlando shooting victims are suing Facebook, Twitter, and Google, alleging these companies enabled the gunman’s radicalization. You can visit @BBCWorld on Twitter for additional information. They tweeted the story earlier today (December 21).
MEDIA MATTERS
Lisa Gibbs, The Associated Press’s New York City-based global business editor, was named Talking Biz News’ 2016 Business Journalist of the Year.
Nielsen is purchasing Gracenote, a major provider of media and entertainment metadata.
The I.I.I. is cited regularly in the media as an authoritative source of insurance information. To access the current I.I.I. press clips, click here.
