Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, July 8
Jul 8, 2008
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Fitch Rates Florida Hurricane Fund Bonds
Fitch Ratings has assigned an ‘AA-‘ rating to Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) Finance Corp.’s $625 million series 2008A revenues bonds.
Denver, Florida Cities Are Top Tornado Danger Zones
A hazard mapping firm said today that its top 10 list of tornado-prone metro areas has five Florida cities on it, with a rural section of Denver in first place
Florida Medical Assn., AARP turn up heat on Martinez
When Congress reconvened Monday after a week off, Florida Sen. Mel Martinez was under heavy pressure from Florida AARP and the state medical association to drop his opposition to a bill that would shield doctors from a steep Medicare pay cut. As the New York Times reported, Republicans nationwide are feeling the heat. The Florida alliance of AARP and FMA is a case of strange bedfellows, since they’re often on opposite sides of political issues.Â
Read the reviews of the Storm Safety Whistle
What they tested: Storm safety whistle
COLUMN:Â Geoff Oldfather: Understanding hurricane jargon can make your stomach churn
The weather babblers are positively gleeful now that they have a hurricane to get all breathless about.
EDITORIAL: The state may be paying for nothing in Warren Buffett deal
If you’re already worth around $60 billion, what’s another $4 billion, more or less?
Spare change, which might explain why investor Warren Buffett’s willing to offer it up to buy that much in bonds, which the state of Florida would then use to pay insurance claims in the event of a catastrophic hurricane.
Advisers for Crist, Seminoles discuss court ruling on blackjack
Gov. Charlie Crist’s top advisers met Monday with representatives of the Seminole Tribe to discuss what comes next after the Florida Supreme Court’s decision that Crist had no authority to allow blackjack and table games at tribal casinos.
Orlando-area members of Congress pick their pet projects for budget
Six Central Florida lawmakers are seeking more than $293 million for pet projects next year, just slightly less than the $303 million they requested last year.
U.S. Sen. Nelson thinks bills can slash oil prices
Staffers for U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D.-Fla., said Monday they hope that at least one of several bills introduced by Nelson and other U.S. senators will soon pierce what they call artificially inflated crude oil prices that helped bring American gasoline prices to top $4 a gallon.
On June 3, Nelson introduced a Senate bill aimed at ending speculative trading of oil and other energy commodities. He’s also signed on to a bill introduced June 26 by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
Poll: Diaz-Balarts’ rivals close on their heels
Four months out from the November election, a poll suggests South Florida’s congressional races could be close contests.
A new poll suggests tight races between two Miami Democrats and the Cuban-American Republican members of Congress they are challenging.
Varn claims ‘substantial compliance’
House candidate: People’s right to vote comes first
Circuit Judge Kevin Davey mistakenly put the wording of Florida’s “resign to run” law ahead of the people’s right to vote, former Leon County School Board member Fred Varn told an appeals court Monday.
Bill Gillespie was remembered Monday as a home-grown attorney, proud to have served in the state Legislature.
In 2007, Marion County teenagers Ashley Truelove and Latisha White submitted a crime-fighting idea to House Speaker Marco Rubio’s “100 Ideas†initiative. Why not, they suggested, have the state begin collecting DNA samples from felons and sexual offenders to build a database for future investigations?
‘Glades restoration plan hinges on land trade with Fanjul family
The powerful and politically savvy Fanjul family is in the catbird seat when it comes to the multibillion-dollar Everglades restoration plan.
Q&A | Shannon Estenoz with the South Florida Water Management District
Everglades, sugar buyout deal has its hurdles
When Gov. Charlie Crist announced the proposed $1.75-billion buyout of U.S. Sugar, Shannon Estenoz stood on the stage with him representing the state agency that will handle the purchase, the South Florida Water Management District.
UCF gets $8.75M for energy research
Energy experts plan to help Floridians temper rising energy prices through a new statewide consortium fueled by a $50 million state investment.
U.S. scientists fear for the nation’s coral reefs, share data at Fort Lauderdale seminar
Nearly half of the U.S. coral reefs are in poor or fair condition, federal officials announced Monday.
Online gasoline seller lacks vendor
MyGallons.com, which lets users prepurchase gasoline, is looking for a new vendor while nearly 6,000 members wait to get their cards.
Miami-based online gasoline seller MyGallons.com is still working to secure a payment network vendor and repair the ”F” rating the Better Business Bureau gave it last week.
GOP Looks To Redistrict Itself Back Into Power
For months, a sense of dread has been percolating within Republican circles over potentially massive congressional losses in 2008. Facing the possibility of a more pronounced minority status in the House and more than a couple seats lost in the Senate, the GOP has begun setting its sights on a contingency plan: redistricting.
U.S. Senate clears way for housing rescue vote Wed.
The U.S. Senate moved closer on Monday to passing election-year legislation meant to save hundreds of thousands of troubled homeowners from foreclosure.
U.S. Reinsurance Players Uncertain How Market Conditions Will Add Up
Despite the fact that mergers and acquisitions among primary insurers, new capacity, a softening market and bigger retentions are forcing U.S. reinsurers to work harder to retain accounts and attract new business, major players are vowing to hold the line in this renewal season, maintaining that in spite of such growth challenges, relaxing underwriting standards will not pay in the long term.
MarketScout Points To Possible End Of Soft Market
The end of the soft market may be near, as underwriting results are weakening and outside economic factors are weighing on insurers, according to an electronic insurance exchange.
New Product Covers Legal Costs If Buyers Decide To Challenge Claim Denial
The risk that a claim won’t be paid—a potential downside that every buyer of insurance faces—was an uninsured exposure until recently, according to the developers of a new policy to provide coverage so that risk managers can contest such rejections.
Did Your Company Make Ward’s Top 50?
The Ward Group has released its annual list of top performing property/casualty insurance companies, and there were a few surprising names left off the catalog.
Interview: N.Y.’s Dinallo Sees Insurance Exchange Open by 2009
New York Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo said Monday a revival of the defunct New York Insurance Exchange could happen as early as next year.
New York Insurance Department Adds Coverages to ‘Free-Trade Zone’
Insurers would no longer file rates and forms with regulators for some professional liability and errors and omissions coverages under a plan by the New York insurance department to add those coverage to the ‘free trade zone.’
Pennsylvania Bans Lenders from Requiring Excess Home Insurance
Pennsylvania homeowners may be entitled to a reduction in their homeowners’ insurance premiums, thanks to The Mortgage Property Insurance Coverage Act that Gov. Rendell signed into law on July 4.
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