Latest USA Headlines

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

Longer Routes Help Oil Tankers Mitigate Iran Sanctions

Mar 21 2013 // Oil tanker owners are cushioning the impact of Iranian trade restrictions by shipping crude over greater distances to some of Asia’s biggest economies, the founder of Nordic American Tankers Ltd. said on...

Governments Getting Into Patent Buying Business: Reuters

Mar 20 2013 // Patent competition in the United States is usually a fierce arena for private companies, but now the South Korean and French governments are suiting up. Both countries have launched patent-acquisition companies, with the...

Supreme Court Insurance Ruling a Setback for Class Action Claimants

Mar 20 2013 // The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that a homeowner seeking to sue his insurer could not file suit in a state court considered friendly to plaintiffs. In a unanimous ruling that marks a setback for lawyers who file...

Some Massachusetts MetLife Employees Take Work-From-Home Option

Mar 19 2013 // Insurance giant MetLife Inc. recently announced it will be transitioning some 2,600 jobs from five Northeastern states and California to new U.S. retail and technology hubs in North Carolina. The company’s decision...

Expected Small Airports’ Tower Closures Raising Safety, Insurance Concerns

Mar 19 2013 // When landing a plane amid birds, bobcats or alligators, it helps to have an air traffic controller on the lookout. But many small airports across the United States face losing this extra pair of eyes starting April 1, as...

More U.S. Than European Drivers on Phone: Study

Mar 19 2013 // Distracted driving is more widespread in the U.S. than in Europe, according to a study that surveyed drivers about their cellphone and texting habits. More U.S. drivers reported talking on their cellphones behind the wheel...

Mississippi Court Grants Appeal in ‘King Of Torts’ Case

Mar 18 2013 // The Mississippi Supreme Court has reinstated the appeal of a lawsuit against a former federal prosecutor and a political blogger over a book they co-wrote about the judicial corruption case involving former attorney...

Court Throws Out Class Action Against JP Morgan Over Clearing Broker

Mar 18 2013 // A U.S. federal appeals court on Friday threw out a class action lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase & Co., making it easier for companies that clear trades to avoid being accountable to investors who are defrauded by their...

BP Challenges ‘Absurd’ Oil Spill Claims

Mar 18 2013 // BP launched its promised appeal against “fictitious” and “absurd” oil spill compensation payouts on Friday and asked a judge to temporarily halt those made on a so-called business economic loss...

Report: Japan PM Abe’s Pacific Trade Pact Gambit Pays Off, for Now

Mar 18 2013 // Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s first politically risky step of declaring the country’s intent to join talks on a U.S.-led Pacific Rim free trade pact appears to be paying off as his record high...

RAA: U.S. Reinsurers Had Higher Profits, Improved Underwriting Results in 2012

Mar 15 2013 // The Reinsurance Association of America (RAA) said a group of 19 U.S.-based property/casualty reinsurers reported higher net written premiums and net income for 2012 compared to 2011. The RAA said Thursday that a survey of...

Credit Suisse to Pay $400 Million to Settle U.S. Bond Lawsuits

Mar 15 2013 // Credit Suisse Group AG has agreed to pay at least $400 million to settle lawsuits by investors over the Swiss bank’s role in raising money for a healthcare financing company that collapsed in a $2.9 billion fraud...

Washington Could Take Over More State Health Exchanges

Mar 15 2013 // The U.S. government could have to run more state health insurance exchanges than expected under President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, if U.S. states pursuing their own marketplaces cannot complete them on time, a...

Sirius XM Sues D&O Insurers, Seeks to Recoup Post-Merger Defense Costs

Mar 14 2013 // New York-based satellite radio services company Sirius XM Radio Inc. filed a lawsuit against two directors and officers insurers last week. Sirius XM alleges XL Specialty Insurance Co. and U.S. Specialty Insurance...

U.S. Welcomes China Talks on Cyber Security

Mar 14 2013 // The White House on Wednesday welcomed China’s willingness to hold talks with Washington about cyber security threats, amid growing U.S. concerns about hacking attacks emanating from China. U.S. National Security...

CEOs Urge Federal Government to Go ‘Light’ on Cyber Security

Mar 14 2013 // Corporate leaders from the defense, technology, energy and banking industries told President Barack Obama on Wednesday they agreed cyber attacks were a top security threat but that they were looking for a “light...

National Weather Service Chief Focused on Improving Forecasting

Mar 14 2013 // Computing power gives Europeans a commanding advantage when it comes to weather forecasting and storm tracking, but the new head of the National Weather Service hopes to see the United States regain its leadership in that...

Insurance Weighs in on Working from Home

Mar 13 2013 // Working from home has become a hot topic following Yahoo Inc. CEO Marissa Mayer’s announced plans in late February to bring telecommuters back into the office, and the issue is being taken up by some insurance firms,...

Recent Storms Ease Drought in Middle of United States

Mar 13 2013 // Recent rain and snowstorms have eased the grip of the worst U.S. drought in decades in portions of the nation’s midsection, swelling some major inland rivers to near flood stage and drenching some farmland enough to...

President Obama Meeting with CEOs Over Increasing Cyber Threats

Mar 13 2013 // Cyber security threats against the United States are growing, President Barack Obama said before a meeting on Wednesday with corporate leaders about the issue, as concerns rise about hacking attacks emanating from...