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Insurance Premiums to Grow 3% Despite Economic Slowdown: Swiss Re Global insurance premiums will grow 3 percent on average over the next two years even with an emerging global economic slowdown, Swiss Re said in its latest sigma report. Rising lost costs will fuel the moderate but steady increase, the … POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 10:07 AM

Australia Wildfires Continue to Rage, Destroying Homes, Forcing Evacuations Scores of wildfires continued to rage across vast tracts of Australia’s drought-stricken east coast on Wednesday, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes, some for the second time in a week. The most intense fires were concentrated in the … POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 9:49 AM

Venice Floods, Australia Wildfires Blamed on Climate Change Extreme floods in Venice, fires in Australia and even an outbreak of plague in China have been attributed to climate change this week, while researchers have warned that global warming could saddle future generations with life-long illness. Venice declared a … POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 9:28 AM

Texas Oilfield Services Firms to Pay $1.2M to Settle Federal Race Discrimination Suit Two Houston-based oil field services companies have agreed to pay a total of $1,225,000 to settle a race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by federal officials. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Nabors Corporate Services Inc. and C&J … POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 7:48 AM

Wisconsin Insurance Agent Loses License, Must Pay Nearly $800K in Penalties, Restitution An insurance agent in Wisconsin has had his license revoked and ordered to pay nearly $800,000 in penalties and restitution after being found in violation of insurance laws in the state. The former insurance agent, Barry Rumpel, may no longer … POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 7:11 AM

With Focus on Employee Wellbeing, Iowa’s Holmes Murphy Launches ethOs Waukee, Iowa-based employee-owned and controlled insurance broker, Holmes Murphy, has launched a new company focused on employee wellbeing — ethOs. Led by Ali Payne, EthOs will focus on improving workplace culture, engagement with multi-generational staff, and addressing all aspects of … POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 7:00 AM

Wirth Elected President of Illinois Independent Agents Group Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (IIA of IL) has elected Bill Wirth, of Wirth Agency in Waterloo, as president of the group for a term that runs until Sept. 30, 2020. As president, Wirth will serve as a member of … POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 6:53 AM

Gwartney Appointed VP, Employee Benefits at Oklahoma’s Universal Insurance Dason Gwartney has been named vice president and employee benefits practice leader at Universal Insurance Agency in Durant, Oklahoma, a unit of First United Bank. Gwartney joins First United/Universal with more than 25 years working with employee benefits and insurance … POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 6:48 AM

FAA Chief Vows Improved Safety Reviews of New Aircrafts and Pilot Technology Aviation regulators around the world need to do a better job of assessing hazards in aircraft designs and understanding how pilots might be tripped up by complex technology in the wake of the two fatal crashes on Boeing Co.’s 737 … POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 6:00 AM

CAC Specialty Names Schaper in Colorado to Lead Real Estate Practice CAC Specialty has named Chelley Schaper senior vice president in Denver Colo. Schaper has more than 20 years of experience, including 16 years at Lockton working with complex risk accounts, with a specialization in the real estate industry. Most recently, … POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 6:00 AM

Reuters: Health News

Big, fast cull in South Korea over swine fever raises safety concerns An extensive, rapid slaughter of hogs to control an outbreak of African swine fever has sparked concern over whether South Korea is prepared to dispose of the culled animal, as reports emerged this week a river was contaminated by pig blood. POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 4:37 AM

As swine fever fries China vaccine sales, Boehringer rewrites prescription for recovery Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim, the global No. 2 in animal health, is having to rebuild itself in China after a deadly pig disease decimated sales of unrelated mainstay vaccines, bringing write-offs and leaving it facing a three-year slog to recovery. POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 3:17 AM

New Zealanders to vote in referendum on legalizing euthanasia New Zealand lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday that would legalize euthanasia, paving the way for the public to vote on the issue in a referendum next year. POSTED NOVEMBER 14, 2019 1:34 AM

FDA panel votes against Lilly-Boehringer Ingelheim's diabetes drug Independent experts on an FDA advisory panel on Wednesday voted against the use of an already approved diabetes drug from Eli Lilly and Co and Boehringer Ingelheim as an add-on to insulin therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes. POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2019 10:11 PM

China says plague outbreak risk minimal after two new cases in Beijing Chinese health officials say the risk of an outbreak of pneumonic plague is minimal after two new cases were confirmed this week in Beijing, the official China Daily said on Thursday. POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2019 10:10 PM

Antibiotic-resistant infections killing twice as many Americans as once thought Nearly twice as many people are dying in the United States from antibiotic-resistant infections than previously believed, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday, as so-called "superbugs" alarm experts with their rate of growth and spread. POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2019 7:31 PM

Climate change exposes future generations to life-long health harm A child born today faces multiple and life-long health harms from climate change - growing up in a warmer world with risks of food shortages, infectious diseases, floods and extreme heat, a major global study has found. POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2019 6:37 PM

Apple Watch detects irregular heartbeats in U.S. study Apple Inc's Heart study, the largest yet to explore the role of wearable devices in identifying potential heart problems, found the device could accurately detect atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday. POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2019 6:33 PM

Genome sequencing in newborns raises ethical issues (Reuters Health) - Screening newborns for health risks using genomic sequencing can raise ethical and equity questions, the authors of a new paper warn. POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2019 5:33 PM

Second surgery for many ovarian cancers found ineffective (Reuters Health) - Going back into the operating room for surgery to help a woman whose ovarian cancer has reappeared may not help her live longer - instead, it might shorten her life, according to an international study of 485 women. POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2019 5:25 PM

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