Congress should approve a proactive, comprehensive strategy to manage wildfires, which cost the US up to $893 billion annually, write Karen Collins of APCIA and Libby Zemaitis of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. Such measures require a long-term commitment and are crucial to "break the relentless cycle of costly post-disaster recovery and reconstruction," Collins and Zemaitis write. Research by The Nature Conservancy has found bipartisan support for greater federal investment in battling wildfires, they note.

APCIA expressed support for a comment letter to the federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules in which Lawyers for Civil Justice says it has reviewed contracts illustrating the extent to which litigation financiers can influence cases by their involvement. In addition, APCIA said it encourages support for two House bills that would crack down on and require disclosure of third-party litigation financing: the Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation Act and the Litigation Transparency Act of 2025.

--Sam Whitfield, senior vice president of federal government relations at APCIA

California legislators have measures that would broaden workers' compensation coverage, notably for farmworkers who experience heat-related injuries when employers are found in violation of heat safety regulations. The bill, which has reached Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk, would provide a presumption of compensability in such cases, and it would have a sunset date of Jan. 1, 2031.

The California Legislature has approved legislation that would enable owners of manufactured and mobile homes to obtain full replacement cost coverage, which no insurer in the state currently provides for such properties, said Sen. Minority Leader Brian Jones. The bill also would allow California FAIR Plan coverage for owners of manufactured and mobile homes.

Challenges persist in the market for medical professional liability insurance, with rates experiencing double-digit increases in the first half of the year, Marsh says in a report. Among hospitals, 45% of Marsh clients have faced rate increases of 10% to 25%, while 10% have experienced increases between 25% and 50%, the report says.

President Donald Trump has issued disaster declarations that will allow four states and tribes in two states to receive federal disaster aid in light of spring and summer storms and flooding. The declarations apply to Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota and Wisconsin and to tribes in Montana and South Dakota. The aid largely will support public agencies and nonprofits, except in Wisconsin, which received approval for individual assistance.

The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor Invest 92L, a tropical disturbance in the central Atlantic with a 90% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone within a week. In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Mario is forecast to bring rain to the Southwestern US later this week.

FinWise Bank has reported a data breach involving an ex-employee who accessed sensitive files after leaving the company, affecting 689,000 customers of American First Finance, which partners with FinWise to originate and fund loans. FinWise has responded by enhancing internal controls.

The Senate has confirmed Stephen Miran, a top economic adviser to President Donald Trump, to the Federal Reserve's board in a 48-47 vote along party lines. Miran has said he will keep his role as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers while serving on the Fed, raising concerns about the central bank's independence.