Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Report Finds West Virginia Roads, Bridges Among the Worst in U.S.
May 27 2015 // West Virginia received poor marks in a new report that examined traffic fatalities and road and bridge conditions in rural areas. Twenty-nine percent of major rural roads in West Virginia were in poor condition in 2013,...
Marcell Exits Guy Carpenter; Newhouse Named Interim CEO of U.S. Operations
May 26 2015 // Reinsurance specialist Guy Carpenter & Co. has appointed of Britt Newhouse, chairman, to the additional role of interim CEO of U.S. Operations. This appointment is effective immediately. At the same time, the firm...
Bird Flu Expected to Wane in U.S. as Weather Warms
May 26 2015 // An epidemic of bird flu that has devastated U.S. poultry flocks this year is likely to be under control within four months as the United States steps up measures to contain the virus, the head of the World Organization for...
SCOR Appoints Alridge as Chief Compliance Officer
May 26 2015 // Global reinsurer SCOR has appointed Spencer Alridge as Group chief compliance officer of the company’s Central Group Functions. Alridge will report to Romain Launay, general secretary, as of June 1. He will be based...
Are Planes Safe? Hacker Case Points to Deeper Cyber-Risk Issues
May 26 2015 // Security researcher Chris Roberts made headlines last month when he was hauled off a plane in New York by the FBI and accused of hacking into flight controls via his under seat entertainment unit. Other security...
Safety Chief Rosekind Shifts Defective Car Oversight into Overdrive
May 25 2015 // The U.S. auto safety watchdog, long criticized as toothless and slow, is showing both bark and bite under its new boss – a testimony to his credentials as a safety expert and a hardening of the administration’s...
IIABNJ Launches U.S. Veterans Pre-Licensing Program
May 22 2015 // The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New Jersey (IIABNJ) is launching a new program aimed at supporting the men and women of the armed forces and assisting them in finding post-military careers in the insurance...
ConAgra to Settle Georgia Peanut Butter Salmonella Charges for $11.2M
May 22 2015 // ConAgra Foods agreed to pay $11.2 million, a sum that includes the highest criminal fine ever in a U.S. food safety case, to settle a federal charge that the company shipped Peter Pan peanut butter tainted with salmonella...
Steve Wynn’s Assault on Nevada Free-Speech Raises Yelp’s Ire
May 21 2015 // Steve Wynn’s push for a stronger hand when suing people who badmouth him is being viewed by some, including Yelp Inc., as stacking the deck against free speech. The social media site called on its subscribers to stop...
Uber Facing Another Setback As Texas Passes on Ridesharing Law
May 21 2015 // Uber Technologies Inc.’s attempt to replace a patchwork of local rules in Texas with a state law regulating its car-booking business is headed for defeat because lawmakers have yet to act on a key measure with only...
BP Settles Gulf Oil Spill Cross Claims with Halliburton, Transocean
May 21 2015 // BP Plc has settled with oilfield services provider Halliburton Co. and contract driller Transocean Ltd. cross claims related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the worst offshore disaster in U.S. history. BP still faces...
Amlin Reports 1.4% Drop in Q1 Gross Written Premiums to $1.96 Billion
May 21 2015 // London-based Amlin plc reported gross written premium for the three months ended March 31, 2015 of £1.26 billion ($1.96 billion), compared with £1.27 billion ($1.97 billion) reported for the said period in 2014. At...
Lawsky to Step Down as New York’s Top Financial Regulator Next Month
May 20 2015 // Benjamin Lawsky will step down next month as New York’s top bank regulator after four years, during which he threatened to take away the U.S. charters of some of the world’s biggest banks and collected billions...
Illinois Court Urged by Philip Morris to Toss $10B Smokers’ Verdict
May 20 2015 // A $10.1 billion verdict against Philip Morris USA over misleading consumers about the safety of “light” cigarettes should be overturned, lawyers for the company argued in the Illinois Supreme Court. The award...
Takata Agrees to Recall 34 Million Cars for Air Bag Replacement
May 20 2015 // Japanese air bag manufacturer Takata Corp. is doubling a recall of potentially deadly air bags to nearly 34 million vehicles, making it the largest automotive recall in American history, U.S. safety regulators said on...
FEMA Sends Out 1st Round of Letters Offering to Review Sandy Flood Claims
May 19 2015 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday mailed out its first round of letters to the National Flood Insurance Program policyholders who filed Superstorm Sandy-related claims, asking whether they want their claims...
Supreme Court Eyes Letting Businesses Pay to End Class Actions
May 19 2015 // The U.S. Supreme Court will consider giving businesses a new tool to thwart class action lawsuits, agreeing to decide whether a defendant can end a case by offering full payment to the lead plaintiff. The case helps shape...
IRS Scrutiny of Offshore Tax Avoidance Repels Bids for Bermuda Reinsurers
May 19 2015 // The IRS’s scrutiny of tax avoidance in offshore locations has discouraged bidders from taking over reinsurers, potentially reducing the companies’ value. Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. and Platinum Underwriters...
Court Grants Google Copyright Win in Anti-Muslim Film Case
May 19 2015 // Google Inc., joined by broadcasters and free speech advocates, beat back an actress’ bid to block her appearance in a controversial online video and avoided a ruling it warned would make “Swiss cheese” of...
Asian-American Groups Target Harvard, UNC for Alleged Racial Bias in Admissions
May 18 2015 // A coalition of more than 60 Asian-American groups filed a federal discrimination action against Harvard University, claiming racial bias in undergraduate admissions. The administrative complaint follows the filing of a...
