Latest USA Headlines

All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.

House Passes Bill to Exempt Expatriate Plans from Affordable Care Act

Apr 30 2014 // The House has approved bipartisan legislation to exempt U.S. health plans sold to expatriate workers from having to comply with requirements under the Affordable Care Act. The measure, which passed 268-150, is aimed at...

Senate Cybersecurity Bill Gives Firms Liability Protection for Sharing Data

Apr 30 2014 // U.S. administration officials, private sector executives and privacy advocates are reviewing a draft of a bill that would encourage sharing of cybersecurity data between the government and companies, two key Senators said...

N.Y. Rep. Grimm Calls 20-Count Indictment Against Him ‘A Political Witch Hunt’

Apr 30 2014 // U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y., 11th District), who as a House Financial Services Committee member was instrumental in adopting the flood insurance relief bill and in advocating for renewal of Terrorism Risk Insurance...

Irish Developer Still Pursuing Tallest U.S. Tower in Chicago

Apr 30 2014 // Garrett Kelleher, the Irish developer trying to restore Chicago’s status as home to the tallest building in the U.S., has one last chance to keep his dream alive. The planned lakefront skyscraper is nothing more than...

Supreme Court Rules Patent Suit Winners Can Get Legal Fees

Apr 30 2014 // Companies that successfully fight off “unreasonable” patent lawsuits can get their legal fees paid, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a decision that may benefit Google Inc., Apple Inc. and other technology...

Court Revives Suit Over WWII Site Cleanup in California

Apr 29 2014 // A divided U.S. appeals court revived efforts by oil companies to force the federal government to reimburse them for the cost to clean up a Southern California site where they had dumped toxic sludge during World War II. By...

Storm Threat Continues in South; 11 Lives Already Lost in Southeast

Apr 29 2014 // Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are expected to sweep across the U.S. South, threatening more damage to a region where dozens died in the past two days. There’s a moderate risk of severe storms, high winds and...

Past Bank, Insurer Battles Don’t Deter Treasure Hunter’s Return to Shipwreck

Apr 29 2014 // Treasure-hunter Bob Evans has spent half his life dreaming about the SS Central America, a pre-Civil War steamship decaying in the lightless depths off South Carolina. Now he’s returning to the shipwreck after 23...

Supply Chain, Data Breach, Political Unrest Top Overseas Risks for Businesses: Chubb

Apr 29 2014 // As U.S. and Canadian businesses plan to expand their business overseas this year, their executives are worried about supply chain failures, data breaches and political instability, according to a survey by the Chubb Group...

U.S. Removes Philippines from Piracy Watch List after 20 Years

Apr 29 2014 // The United States said it has removed the Philippines from its piracy watch list after two decades following significant reforms put in place by Manila, raising prospects for increased trade and investment between the two...

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...