Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, July 31
Jul 31, 2013
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Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
There are no insurance-related events scheduled for today.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Moody’s praises push to shrink Citizens
A top debt-rating firm gave high marks Tuesday to the move to jettison policy holders from the state-run Citizens insurance program, the Miami Herald’s Douglas Hanks reports.
Pinellas official among candidates for Florida Citizens property insurance watchdog post
The search for an internal watchdog at Citizens Property Insurance Corp. was narrowed from 88 applicants to 13 candidates on Tuesday, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Jim Turner reports via Tampa Tribune.
High Water Levels at Florida’s Lake Okeechobee
The Army Corps of Engineers has activated its emergency operations center in response to high water levels at Lake Okeechobee, the Associated Press reports via Insurance Journal.
New York Times: Hurricane Tips From Cuba
Cuba is one of the United States’ most valuable meteorological partners, the New York Times reports.
As expected, Tennessee-based Community Health Systems announced Tuesday morning that it had agreed to purchase Health Management Associates of Naples, owner of St. Petersburg’s Bayfront Health System. The deal was valued at $3.9 billion. Community would also assume $3.7 billion in HMA debt, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Florida Remains Number One in Home Seizures
Florida remains tops in the nation for the highest percentage of distressed homes and the number of completed foreclosures, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reports.
Florida consumer confidence falls after 4-month climb
After four months of ratcheting upwards, Florida’s consumer confidence dropped three points to 78 in July, The Florida Current reports.
Jesse Jackson joins Capitol protest
The Rev. Jesse Jackson joined young people occupying Gov. Rick Scott’s outer office Tuesday and said protests against Florida’s “stand your ground” law after the acquittal of George Zimmerman mark “the Selma of our time” in civil rights progress, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
Florida advocate for elderly placed on leave
Florida’s top advocate for the elderly and nursing home residents was placed on “indefinite” leave last week amid an internal investigation into unspecified alleged wrongdoing, plunging the state’s Long-term Care Ombudsman Program once again into controversy, the Miami Herald’s Carol Marbin Miller reports.
Blog: Can Education Commissioner Tony Bennett survive the school grade scandal?
Nationally celebrated education reformer Tony Bennett was wooed to Florida in January to bring stability to the state education department, Kathleen McGrory blogs for Tampa Bay Times.
Blog: John McCain says Charlie Crist would be very competitive candidate for governor
Sen. John McCain says Charlie Crist would be a tough candidate if he decides to challenge Gov. Rick Scott, as expected, blogs Alex Leary for Tampa Bay Times.
Matt Gaetz Poised to be Legislative Force
The son of Senate President Don Gaetz, Matt Gaetz threw his hat in the ring for the seat his father currently holds, Jeff Henderson reports for SunshineStateNews.com.
Jake Raburn Gears Up for Second Term in the Florida House
Rep. Jake Raburn, R-Valrico, is getting ready to run for a second term in the Florida House, hoping to showcase his conservative credentials as he prepares for a Republican primary challenge, Kevin Derby reports for SunshineStateNews.com.
Long-forgotten seawall protected New Jersey homes from Hurricane Sandy’s powerful storm surges
A forgotten, 1,260-meter seawall buried beneath the beach helped Bay Head weather Sandy’s record storm surges and large waves over multiple high tides, the Journal of Engineering reports.
GAO: Impact of Financial Crisis on Property and Casualty Industry Difficult to Measure
The impact of the financial crisis on the P&C insurance industry was difficult to measure, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, writes Arthur Postal in National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
Enterprise Risk Management Programs Growing, Deloitte Says
The role of risk management is steadily growing, with 62 percent of institutions having an enterprise risk management program in 2012, says risk management and consulting firm Deloitte.
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