Canada, US praised by UN for disaster reduction deal
The leaders of Canada, the US and Mexico have been praised by the United Nations for their part in a “major breakthrough” on climate change and disaster reduction.
President Obama, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Enrique Peña Nieto have committed to work together on human health and disaster risk reduction efforts; as well as to work to achieve 50 per cent clean power generation by 2025.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser said that the three leaders’ example should be followed by other G20 members.
“The new North American Climate, Clean Energy and Environment Partnership is a major breakthrough and raises hopes that we can still limit temperature rise to well below 2ºC as envisaged in the Paris Agreement on climate,” Mr Glasser said.
Hospitals still waiting for payment from collapsed co-op Arches
The Utah co-operative insurer Arches Health Plan collapsed in October 2015 but healthcare providers are still waiting for around $33 million from the Utah Department of Insurance
The Deseret News reports that the department may not settle outstanding claims with hospitals until 2017 after the federal government reversed a planned $11 million contribution.
The news comes amid comments by former Arches CEO Sean Greene that the co-op should never have ceased operation and accused the insurance department of “spooking” large policyholders.
Greene says that he thought closing the co-op was the best option until he saw the way the department was handling the liquidation with liquidator costs and legal fees running at about $80,000 a month according to official records.
Assured Guaranty completes acquisition of CIFG North America
Maryland-based Assured Guaranty has completed its $450 million acquisition of CIFG Holdings Inc., the parent company of CIFG North America.
The deal was announced in April and means that CIFG will operate as a subsidiary of Assured Guaranty Corp. adding $5.5 billion to Assured’s insured portfolio.
