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, October 8, please email Loretta Worters at lorettaw@iii.org.
I.I.I. REBUTS CONSUMER FEDERATION OF AMERICA’S (CFA) STUDY ON AFFORDABILITY OF U.S. AUTO INSURANCE POLICIES
The I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig was interviewed by NBC’s affiliate branch service and The Washington Post, making these points, in response to this Monday, September 29, CFA news release. The CFA report got no pick-up on social media platforms.
I.I.I.’s PRESIDENT APPOINTED TO INSURANCE INDUSTRY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION’S (IICF) NATIONAL BOARD OF GOVERNORS
The I.I.I. announced Hartwig’s appointment in this Wednesday, October 1, news release.
NEW YORK’S INDEPENDENT AGENTS AND BROKERS GATHERING IN MANHATTAN ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28
The Independent Agents & Brokers of New York (IIABNY) are convening at the Millennium Broadway Hotel, in Times Square, later this month. The full program is here.
INDEXED UNIVERSAL LIFE INSURANCE POLICY SALES ROSE 13 PERCENT IN FIRST HALF OF 2014, COMPARED WITH ONE YEAR AGO
The Wall Street Journal cited LIMRA’s numbers but went on to say this type of life insurance product has increasingly garnered the attention of regulators because of the way it is being sold.
CAPITOL HILL
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., was the site this week of opening arguments in Starr International Company v. The United States of America.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is studying the potential effects of new capital rules on insurers, and how they should be tailored as outlined in the Dodd-Frank Act’s Collins amendment.
STATES
Alaska
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake on Thursday, September 25, caused no significant damage or injuries while jolting the Anchorage area, according to The Wall Street Journal.
California
The King Fire (El Dorado County) was 92 percent contained as of Monday, September 29. More than 97,000 acres have burned since it broke out on Saturday, September 13.
San Franciscans who rent their residences via services such as Airbnb may be required to have $500,000 in liability insurance, to be paid for by either the host or the “hosting platform.”
The district attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles sent letters to the most popular transportation network companies, urging them to operate in compliance with state law.
Colorado
Denver’s suburbs were struck by a severe hail storm on Monday, September 29, causing damage to autos and homes. Centennial was among the hardest-hit towns.
Florida
Nineteen hurricanes have struck South Florida, during the month of October, since 1865, the Sun Sentinel reports. Among them were Wilma in 2005, and Irene in 1999.
Kansas
The two major party candidates for insurance commissioner—Republican Ken Selzer and Democrat Dennis Anderson—will debate one another in Wichita on Friday, October 17.
Louisiana
Starting October 1, FEMA is sending refund checks to around one million of its 5.5 million National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders, the Times-Picayune reports.
Michigan
The president signed a disaster declaration, making federal funding available in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties after they were impacted last month by severe storms and flooding.
Mississippi
Tammra Cascio, Esq., general counsel to Gulf Guaranty Life Insurance Company since 2000, has been retained to represent the Mississippi Insurance Coalition.
New York
New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) can now suspend a TLC-licensed driver who receives a summons for a crash in which a person is either critically injured or dies.
Oklahoma
Four members of the North Central Texas College women’s softball team were killed last Friday when a tractor-trailer collided with their bus near Davis. The NTSB is investigating.
The driverless car market should be allowed to evolve with minimal governmental interference, The Oklahoman’s editorial board stated, citing a George Mason University study.
Oregon
The Buzzard Complex wildfire in the southeastern part of the state accounted for about 40 percent of the 957,000 acres which have burned this year on public and private lands.
Washington
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is making low-interest disaster loans available to residents and business owners affected by the state’s July 9-August 5, 2014, wildfires.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
The eruption on Saturday of Japan’s Mount Ontake has been a popular topic in social media. The Associated Press reports the death toll now stands at 48, making it the nation’s deadliest volcano in 88 years.
Here in the U.S., scientists are predicting Mount St. Helens—a volcano in the state of Washington—is getting ready to erupt again. It may take a few years, or decades, but scientists do not believe it will be similar to the 1980 eruption.
Today (Wednesday, October 1) marks the beginning of Cyber Security Month. Throughout October, the I.I.I. will be engaging with this campaign by posting content to the I.I.I.’s various social media platforms related to identity theft and cyber risks.
MEDIA MATTERS
CNN has launched a new digital product, CNNGo, allowing viewers to watch from a mobile device CNN’s previous 24 hours of on-air programming.
Fox News Channel (FNC) was the most-watched cable channel in primetime between July-September 2014, reaching an average of 1.79 million viewers between 8 and 11 p.m.
The New York Times plans to eliminate about 100 newsroom jobs, through a combination of buyouts and layoffs, a number equal to 7.5 percent of its newsroom staff.
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
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