Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
UN Says China, U.S. Climate Cooperation Raises Hopes for Global Deal
Mar 6 2014 // Closer cooperation between China and the United States, the top two greenhouse gas emitters, on combating global warming is boosting prospects for a U.N. deal meant to be agreed next year, the U.N.’s climate chief...
U.S. Congresswoman: Flood Insurance Bill Bad for Michigan
Mar 5 2014 // A U.S. Congresswoman from Michigan wants her state to opt out of the National Flood Insurance Program, saying it’s not good for Michigan homeowners. U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) voted against H.R. 3370,...
University Of Nevada Earthquake Lab Now World’s 2nd Biggest
Mar 4 2014 // There’s a whole lot of shakin’ going on at the University of Nevada, Reno. UNR’s seismic-simulation facility became the largest in the United States and second largest in the world this week with an...
Court Rules BP Must Honor Terms of $9.2 Billion Oil Spill Settlement
Mar 3 2014 // BP Plc must abide by terms of a $9.2 billion settlement it reached with victims of the 2010 oil spill, a federal appeals court ruled in rejecting the company’s objections that the deal is being misinterpreted by the...
Insurance Units’ Profits Drive Berkshire Hathaway
Mar 3 2014 // Insurance operations contributed $5.7 billion to total operating income of $15.1 billion for Berkshire Hathaway in 2013—with an underwriting profit of $2.0 billion (after taxes) representing the 11th year in a row with...
North Dakota Farmers Accused of Intentionally Spoiling Spuds Plead Not Guilty
Feb 28 2014 // Two brothers who operated a North Dakota potato farm pleaded not guilty to charges they intentionally spoiled their spud crop after the 2006 harvest in order to collect federal disaster payments. Aaron Johnson, 50, and...
Best Maintains Review/Negative Status for OneBeacon Group’s Ratings
Feb 28 2014 // A.M. Best has maintained the under review with negative implications status on the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of certain indirect...
Zurich CEO Senn Says Time to Go on Offense to Attract Investors
Feb 28 2014 // Zurich Insurance Group AG’s CEO Martin Senn said an above-average dividend is no longer enough for investors and that now is the time to expand his business as the economy rebounds. “The world is a bit more...
Halliburton Supreme Court Case Could Curb Securities Fraud Class Actions
Feb 28 2014 // A quarter-century after the U.S. Supreme Court opened the era of class action shareholder litigation, the justices may be poised to shut it down. The court will hear arguments March 5 on a Halliburton Co. appeal targeting...
Pilots Defend Safety of Home-Built Planes
Feb 28 2014 // Leonard McGarity flew countless miles during a quarter-century as an American Airlines pilot, captaining the most sophisticated planes in commercial aviation. But in his spare time, the 58-year-old McGarity enjoyed outings...
‘Patent Troll’ Issue Reaches Supreme Court
Feb 28 2014 // A dispute between two fitness equipment makers landed at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, giving justices a chance to consider how to deal with so-called patent trolls, companies that acquire patents to sue for...
XL Acquires Global Ag Insurance to Expand Crop Coverage
Feb 27 2014 // XL Reinsurance America Inc., a subsidiary of XL Group Plc, the insurer led by Chief Executive Officer Mike McGavick, has acquired Global Ag Insurance Services LLC to add sales of coverage to farmers in the U.S....
Supreme Court Allows Stanford Fraud Suits by Investors; Willis Among Defendants
Feb 27 2014 // Victims of R. Allen Stanford’s $7 billion Ponzi scheme can sue outside companies, including insurance broker Willis and law firms, alleged to have played a role in the fraud, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, dealing a...
BP Loses Bid to Halt Payments to Seafood Workers
Feb 26 2014 // BP Plc lost a bid to have a judge suspend about $1.3 billion in payments to seafood-industry workers who are part of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill settlement because of alleged improprieties by a lawyer involved in the...
Target’s Cyber Insurance Softens Blow of Massive Credit Breach
Feb 26 2014 // Target Corp. shares made strong gains after it reassured investors that customers were beginning to return to its U.S. stores, suggesting that the impact of a massive data breach may not be as severe as some had...
N.J. Court Seeking Ways to Expedite Sandy Flood Litigation Process
Feb 26 2014 // A New Jersey federal court is seeking ways to expedite the litigation process for hundreds of flood insurance coverage-related cases that have been filed in wake of Superstorm Sandy. The U.S. District Court for the...
XL Group Acquires Global Ag Insurance in Western U.S.
Feb 26 2014 // XL Reinsurance America Inc., a subsidiary of XL Group plc, has acquired Global Ag Insurance Services, a crop insurance provider based in the Western United States. The two companies initially partnered in 2011 to deliver...
U.S. to Mandate Tests of Oil Being Transported by Train
Feb 26 2014 // Federal regulators issued an emergency order on Tuesday requiring oil from North Dakota being loaded onto trains to be tested and properly labeled to reflect its volatile nature after a series of explosive train...
California Senator Pleads Not Guilty In Workers’ Comp Fraud Case
Feb 25 2014 // State Sen. Ron Calderon pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges that he accepted $100,000 in bribes in return for pushing legislation, charges that could send him to federal prison for years. Calderon, a member of a...
Grandpa and Grandma Much Safer Behind the Wheel Than Predicted
Feb 25 2014 // Safety researchers expressed concern a decade ago that traffic accidents would increase as the nation’s aging population swelled the number of older drivers on the road. Now, they say they’ve been proved...
