Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Coastal Wetlands Found to Reduce Hurricane Property Damage by 10%-30%
Oct 27 2016 // Coastal wetlands provide important natural protection during hurricanes. How much? Natural habitats reduced property damage by about $625 million in the Northeast during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, a new study supported by...
USGS: 3rd Largest Oklahoma Quake Likely Caused by Wastewater Disposal
Oct 26 2016 // The third-largest earthquake in Oklahoma was likely triggered by underground disposal of wastewater from oil and natural gas production, the U.S. Geological Survey found in a report issued on Oct. 24. The magnitude 5.1...
U.S. Homeowners Insurers’ Premiums Growing But Return on Equity Down: Aon
Oct 26 2016 // The U.S. homeowners insurance market is on track for continued growth in direct premiums for 2016 despite a decreasing return on equity for insurers. U.S. homeowners premium is set to surpass $90 billion for the first...
U.S. Judge Approves $14.7 Billion Settlement for VW Diesel Car Owners
Oct 26 2016 // A U.S. judge on Tuesday approved one of the biggest corporate settlements on record, Volkswagen AG’s $14.7 billion deal arising from its diesel emissions cheating scandal, and the German automaker said it would begin...
Facebook, Google Amassing of ‘Faceprints’ Facing Legal Challenges
Oct 26 2016 // Facebook Inc.’s software knows your face almost as well as your mother does. And like mom, it isn’t asking your permission to do what it wants with old photos. While millions of internet users embrace the...
1.8 Million Western U.S. Homes at Extreme or High Wildfire Risk, Report Shows
Oct 26 2016 // Things haven’t gone as bad as they could have so far in 2016 coming off last year’s record-setting wildfire season in the Western U.S., according to a report out today detailing wildfire risks to properties in...
Industry Needs to Address Gaps in Workers’ Compensation, AMCOMP Panelists Say
Oct 25 2016 // At the American Society of Workers’ Compensation Professionals (AMCOMP) Fall Meeting held recently in New York, Mark Walls, vice president of communications and strategic analysis at Safety National, and Kimberly...
AARP Suit Says Workplace Wellness Programs Raise Medical Privacy Concerns
Oct 25 2016 // A lobbying group representing older Americans sued the Obama administration on Monday claiming regulations for programs designed to rein in employee health care costs will subject workers to invasions of their medical...
This Bud’s for Uber’s Self-Driving Truck Road Test
Oct 25 2016 // A tractor trailer full of beer drove itself down Colorado’s I-25 last week with nobody behind the wheel. Uber Technologies Inc. and Anheuser-Busch InBev NV teamed up on the delivery, which they said is the first time...
MetLife, U.S. Renew Court Battle Over ‘Too Big to Fail’
Oct 25 2016 // The U.S. government and the country’s largest life insurer are set for a rematch in a U.S. appeals court on Monday over how federal regulators decide a company is “too big to fail,” one of the most...
Clune Named Lockton’s U.S. President, Chief Operating Officer
Oct 24 2016 // Global insurance agency Lockton has named Peter Clune to be its next U.S. president and chief operating officer, effective May 1, 2017. He will succeed Glenn Spencer who was previously named president and CEO of Lockton...
Chinese Insurance Spree Continues as China Oceanwide Bids $2.7 Billion for Genworth
Oct 24 2016 // China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. has agreed to purchase Genworth Financial Inc. in a $2.7 billion cash deal, joining a record buying spree by Chinese companies as they seek to boost growth overseas. Monday’s deal...
Airbnb’s New York Fight Moves From Legislature to Courtroom
Oct 24 2016 // Airbnb Inc. is fighting to stay alive in the biggest rental market in the U.S. Hours after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law that will fine residents who rent out their apartments for illegal short-term...
People – East
Oct 24 2016 // H.J. Knight International Insurance Agency, a Braintree, Mass.-based full service brokerage firm specializing in insurance and risk management solutions, has named Joscelyn Urnek to the newly created position of director...
Dangers in Data Collection: How Much Is Too Much?
Oct 24 2016 // How to Help Insureds Manage Customer Privacy Risk Insurance carriers and agents have come to learn that increased data can lead to greater risk for insureds, and they are increasingly advising businesses to disclose data...
U.S. Seeks Tougher Cybersecurity Standards for Banks
Oct 23 2016 // U.S. bank regulators last Wednesday outlined cyber security standards meant to protect financial markets and consumers from online attacks against the nation’s leading financial firms. Leading banks will be expected...
Western Insurers Slowly Re-Enter Deals with Iran – a Market Valued at $9B
Oct 21 2016 // Western insurers are slowly reaching deals with Iran as they seek to re-enter a multi-billion dollar market although the pace of business is hampered by banking restrictions 10 months on from the lifting of international...
Could More State Commissioners Require Climate Disclosure?
Oct 20 2016 // Max Messervy took a decidedly positive tack when pried again and again to reveal any negative reaction to a report he puts together every so often. Messervy, the insurance program manager at sustainability leadership...
What to Expect for This Winter’s Weather Across U.S.
Oct 20 2016 // Forecasters at the U.S. Climate Prediction Center issued their U.S. winter outlook today, saying that La Nina is expected to influence winter conditions this year. La Nina favors drier, warmer winters in the southern U.S...
More Insurers Disclosing Climate Change Risks, Report Shows
Oct 20 2016 // Insurers in the U.S. are increasingly willing to disclose their risk management practices related to climate change, and that in part may be attributable to last year’s global accord in Paris and shifting attitudes...
