Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hiscox Increases U.S. Terrorism Insurance Capacity to $200 Million
Apr 28 2014 // Hiscox has increased capacity to $200 million for U.S. domiciled terrorism risks. The additional capacity addresses the increased demand for standalone terrorism coverage caused by the upcoming expiration of the U.S....
Hartford to Sell Japan Operation to Orix in $895 Million Deal
Apr 28 2014 // Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. agreed to sell its Japanese operation to Orix Corp. as Chief Executive Officer Liam McGee narrows the U.S. insurer’s focus. Orix will pay about $895 million for the business,...
Supreme Court Facing Additional Patent Issues This Week
Apr 27 2014 // Even as it deals with hot-button issues like campaign financing and affirmative action, the U.S. Supreme Court has patents on its mind these days. The court, which has already heard four patent-related cases this term,...
Chubb Reports Drop in 1Q Profit Due to Winter Weather, Fire Losses
Apr 25 2014 // The Chubb Corp. reported a drop in net income in the first quarter of 2014 to $449 million, compared to $656 million in the first quarter of 2013. The drop was due in large measure to claims from severe winter weather and...
Safety Board Says Rail Oil Tanker Rules Should Be Put on Washington Fast Track
Apr 25 2014 // Spurred by a series of fiery train crashes, a push by government and industry to make safer tank cars used for shipping crude oil and ethanol has bogged down in squabbling and finger-pointing over whether they’re...
U.S. Supreme Court to Decide Fate of Mississippi Fire Protection Fee
Apr 25 2014 // The U.S. Supreme Court will consider May 15 whether to hear an appeal over whether a Mississippi fire protection district can charge a fee for its services to local property owners. Court officials say a decision could be...
Best Affirms Wilton Re, U.S. Subs Ratings
Apr 25 2014 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of Wilton Reinsurance Bermuda Ltd., Wilton Reassurance Company, based in Minneapolis,...
UPDATE: Missing Malaysia Jet Search Likely to Take Years – US Official
Apr 25 2014 // The search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is likely to drag on for years, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters on Friday, as an underwater search for any trace of the plane’s wreckage off west...
Customers Switching Auto Insurers Unhappy with New Prices: J.D. Power
Apr 24 2014 // Customers who switch auto insurance carriers due to poor service often end up sorry they did because they end up paying more with their new insurer, according to the latest J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Insurance Shopping...
Hackers Target Global Tanker, Container Shipping Fleet
Apr 24 2014 // The next hacker playground: the open seas – and the oil tankers and container vessels that ship 90 percent of the goods moved around the planet. In this internet age, as more devices are hooked up online, so they...
Damages Phase of BP Gulf Spill Trial to Begin in January
Apr 24 2014 // The high-stakes penalty phase of BP’s trial over its role in the 2010 U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil spill will start next January, court officials said on Tuesday, and billions of dollars could be on the line. Fines under...
Mining Industry Vows to Fight Obama Administration Coal Dust Rule
Apr 23 2014 // The Obama administration ordered a 25 percent cut in the levels of coal dust in U.S. mines to reduce deadly black lung disease, a move that drew criticism from the mining industry and the threat of a lawsuit. The rule...
Odds of El Nino This Year Increasing, Says U.S. Climate Center
Apr 23 2014 // The odds are increasing that an El Nino weather system will form this year, portending drought for Australia and Asia and a warmer winter in the U.S. Northeast. The U.S. Climate Prediction Center now says there’s a...
Safety Laws Still Lacking a Year After Texas Plant Blast
Apr 23 2014 // It has been a year since a fire caused a huge explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant that killed 15 people, yet companies in the state can still store hazardous chemicals in flammable wooden containers in buildings without...
GM Ignition Defects Lawsuit in California Awaits Bankruptcy Ruling
Apr 23 2014 // A lawsuit against General Motors Co. in California over ignition-switch defects linked to 13 deaths was put on hold until a bankruptcy judge in New York rules on whether some compensation claims can be brought without...
Genworth Financial to Raise as Much as $700 Million in Australia Offer
Apr 23 2014 // Genworth Financial Inc. plans to raise as much as $700 million by selling a minority stake in its Australian mortgage guarantor, in what may be the biggest share sale in the country for more than three years. The seller of...
GM Asks Court to Enforce Bankruptcy Liability Shield Against Ignition Lawsuits
Apr 22 2014 // General Motors Co. filed a motion in a U.S. bankruptcy court to enforce a bar on lawsuits related to ignition defects in cars sold before its 2009 bankruptcy as it fights a class action lawsuit that seeks to set aside the...
Report: Former EU Banker Urges Reactivate Securitization to Enhance Credit
Apr 22 2014 // Jacques de Larosiere says he is an isolated and modest man. Yet the 84-year-old former head of the International Monetary Fund is one of the most influential voices in European and global finance. An eminence grise as...
Bigger and More Frequent Wildfires Burning Western U.S.
Apr 21 2014 // Wildfires across the western United States have been getting bigger and more frequent over the last 30 years, according to a new study. The number of wildfires over 1,000 acres in size in the region stretching from...
2013 P/C Insurers’ Results Show Net Gain on Underwriting– First Since 2007
Apr 21 2014 // U.S. property/casualty insurers’ net income after taxes grew to $63.8 billion in 2013 from $35.1 billion in 2012, with insurers’ overall profitability as measured by their rate of return on average...
