To recap the issues raised during last 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, September 27th, please email Michael Barry at michaelb@iii.org.
CALIFORNIA’s WILDFIRES CAUSE FATALITIES AND EXTENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE
The ongoing multiple wildfires’ death toll stood at least 20 people as of mid-week and thousands of homes and businesses in northern California have been either destroyed or damaged.
The I.I.I.’s Janet Ruiz has discussed the wildfires’ insurance implications with major outlets, such as The New York Times, and KQED-FM, the Bay Area’s National Public Radio (NPR) station, among others, while the I.I.I.’s Michael Barry briefed Marketplace Radio on these same issues.
President Trump’s declaration of a major disaster made federal funding available to Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Sonoma, and Yuba counties.
Meanwhile, in southern California, the Anaheim evacuees returned home this week. The Canyon 2 Fire (Orange and Riverside counties) burned 7,500-plus acres but no longer threatens residential neighborhoods, according to Anaheim Fire and Rescue.
HURRICANE NATE IMPACTS LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, AND ALABAMA
Nate made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on the weekend of October 7-8, causing storm surge damage and power outages in numerous Gulf Coast states.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry is taping on Friday, October 13, an interview with Fox News Channel’s (FNC) Rick Leventhal for a piece marking Superstorm Sandy’s fifth anniversary. The segment is to air on the weekend of October 28-29.
The I.I.I.’s James Lynch discussed with The Detroit News’ J.C. Reindl the reasons why policymakers want to reform Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance system. The story has since been published.
Reuters’ New York City-based Suzanne Barlyn (suzanne.barlyn@thomsonreuters.com) is seeking commercial insurance sources for a story she’s developing on insuring festivals.
CAPITOL HILL
The number of U.S. highway fatalities rose 5.6 percent in 2016 as compared to 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA).
The NHSTA study prompted Pittsburgh’s CBS radio affiliate (KDKA-AM), to conduct a live interview yesterday (October 10) with the I.I.I’s Loretta Worters on distracted driving. Worters also spoke to CBS MoneyWatch about NHTSA’s findings.
A U.S. Senate committee is holding a public hearing on Consumer Data Security and the Credit Bureaus on Tuesday, October 17, at 10 a.m.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) rejects about half of the loan applications filed after a natural disaster because the SBA does not believe the businesses can repay the loan, according to a story in today’s (October 11) Wall Street Journal print edition.
STATES
California
A Bakersfield (Kern County) couple surrendered to authorities this week and were charged with multiple felony counts for allegedly conspiring to defraud an auto insurer after a September 2016 accident.
Florida
The insurance industry’s response to Hurricane Irma was the subject of a state Senate hearing on Monday, October 9. In its coverage, the Palm Beach Post also noted a Gainesville-based property insurer was hit especially hard by Irma.
Axis Underwriters, Inc., a Miami-based insurance agency, allegedly submitted 38 fake applications for residential and commercial insurance coverage through an unnamed finance company, the state’s Chief Financial Officer announced.
Georgia
The Associated Press reports FEMA’s new flood maps for Glynn County will take effect in January 2018, and may move certain properties to moderate from high-risk zones.
The state House Study Committee on Distracted Driving convened this week in Savannah to discuss ways to reduce auto crashes caused by motorists using cellphones while driving.
Louisiana
The Baton Rouge Advocate reports thousands of people are still residing in temporary housing because of the region’s August 2016 floods.
Jeff Sadow, a political science professor at Louisiana State University (LSU)-Shreveport, wrote an op-ed for the Advocate which called for broadening the private flood insurance market.
New York
The Department of Financial Services (DFS) finalized a new regulation to limit the amount auto insurers can reimburse for healthcare services performed outside of New York State under its no-fault insurance law.
Ohio
The potential causes of a fatal amusement park ride disaster at July 2017’s Ohio State Fair were explored last week by Columbus’ NBC affiliate.
West Virginia
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal of a former Massey Energy CEO who was convicted on a charge related to the company’s deadly 2010 mine explosion.
MEDIA MATTERS
Weather.com took home the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Network Television website in 2016-2017.
An effort to unionize the Los Angeles Times’ newsroom employees is setting up a potential clash with the newspaper’s parent company, Tronc, The New York Times reports.
Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why has shut down production in northern California due to the wildfires.
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.
