Texas

Extreme weather could aggravate growing property insurance pressures on governments.

Senator Bryan Hughes, a Republican, sent letters to major insurers, including Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co., Progressive Corp., and Allstate Corp., with questions about proposals related to the energy industry, according to a copy seen by Bloomberg News.

This was supposed to be the first year Ukraine would send an official delegation of startups to South by Southwest, the annual technology and arts festival in Austin, Texas. The plan was, of course, disrupted by a war at home.

Nicholas is the Atlantic’s 14th storm in 2021. Half of the storms so far have hit the U.S., and Ida was the season’s worst, crashing into the Louisiana coastline before devastating New York with rain and floods that killed more than 40 people. On Monday, AIR Worldwide updated its projected losses from Ida, saying the storm probably caused $20 billion to $30 billion in insured losses. Earlier estimates were around $18 billion.