Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Deadly 2012 Hurricane Season Ends
Dec 3 2012 // The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season that spawned the destruction of Sandy and Isaac has come to an end as one for the record books. There were 19 named storms in what meteorologists consider an above-average year that tied...
Weathered Income
Dec 3 2012 // Do poor- and middle-income residents in the United States suffer more, economically, from extreme weather than affluent people? According to a new report on the impact of extreme weather events that have occurred over the...
U.S. Judge Allows Civil Suits in Meningitis Outbreak to Proceed
Nov 30 2012 // A federal judge in Boston on Wednesday allowed civil suits against the pharmacy at the heart of the deadly U.S. meningitis outbreak to proceed and noted that any criminal case would have priority in gathering evidence.An...
Hurricane Center Seeks to Improve Storm Surge Warnings
Nov 30 2012 // Friday marks the end of an Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season where the greatest devastation was caused by water rather than wind, U.S. National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb said. Accordingly, the center is...
Ratings Recap: Zurich America, Prism, FAIRCO, American Standard
Nov 30 2012 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Illinois-based Zurich American Insurance Company (Zurich US) and its...
West Virginia Mine Blast Probe Widens, Top Executives Could Be Next
Nov 30 2012 // Federal prosecutors investigating the West Virginia mine explosion that killed 29 men have widened their net, filing criminal charges against a longtime Massey Energy executive who worked closely with former CEO Don...
U.S. Regulators Urge Flexibility in Basel III Rules for Banks, Insurers
Nov 30 2012 // U.S. lawmakers and state financial regulators on Thursday called on federal officials to revamp proposed rules that would force financial firms to hold much more capital, asking them to consider the impact on small banks...
Goverment Allows WellPoint Purchase of Amerigroup
Nov 29 2012 // WellPoint Inc. can move forward with its $4.5 billion purchase of health insurance rival Amerigroup Corp after Amerigroup alleviated antitrust concerns by selling operations in Virginia, the U.S. Justice Department said on...
Climate is ‘Changing before our Eyes’ Says World Meteorological Organization
Nov 29 2012 // The fact that Arctic sea ice has melted this year to its lowest recorded level shows, along with other weather extremes, that “climate change is taking place before our eyes,” the World Meteorological...
Munich Re Study Focuses on Rising ‘Cyber Crime’
Nov 29 2012 // “Cyber attacks are a reality and companies need to prepare themselves,” warns Munich Re in a recently released study – “Cost of Cyber Crime” – conducted by the Ponemon Institute....
Appeals Allow Louisiana Cardiologist Convicted of Fraud to Remain Free
Nov 28 2012 // A former Lafayette cardiologist is asking to remain free pending a request that the U.S. Supreme Court hear an appeal of his 2009 health-care fraud conviction and 10-year prison sentence. The Advocate reports Dr. Mehmood...
Senate Preparing New Iran Sanctions, Expanded Insurance Ban
Nov 28 2012 // New sanctions aimed at reducing global trade with Iran in the energy, shipping and metals sectors may soon be considered by the U.S. Senate as part of an annual defense policy bill, senators and aides said on Tuesday. The...
White House Request for Sandy Aid Expected to Include Flood Insurance Funds
Nov 28 2012 // The White House is expected in the coming days to send Congress a multibillion dollar request to fund recovery from Superstorm Sandy, which caused an estimated $71 billion in damages in New York and New...
Hobby Lobby Appeals Morning-After Pill Decision
Nov 27 2012 // Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. is asking a federal appeals court to block part of the federal health care law that requires the Christian family-owned arts and crafts company to provide insurance coverage for emergency...
New York, New Jersey Put $71 Billion Price Tag on Sandy
Nov 26 2012 // New York state and New Jersey need at least $71.3 billion to recover from the devastation wrought by Superstorm Sandy and prevent similar damage from future storms, according to their latest estimates. The total, which...
AIR Worldwide Raises Sandy Insured Loss Estimates to $16-$22 Billion
Nov 26 2012 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide today revised up its industrywide Sandy insured loss estimates to the $16 billion-$22 billion range. AIR Worldwide had previously estimated on Oct. 30 — the day after Sandy...
Veterans’ Advocate Seeks to Change Attorneys’ Role in Disability Claims
Nov 26 2012 // David Huffman has helped thousands of military veterans seeking disability benefits navigate the complex, often slow and at times frustrating claims process. The Wood County, West Virginia lawyer can relate: he was a...
Fitzpatrick Named ANV Chief Operating Officer; Will Lead U.S. Expansion
Nov 26 2012 // ANV Holdings BV, the Dutch-headquartered specialty insurance business and owner of Lloyd’s Syndicate 1861, announced that Sean Fitzpatrick has joined its executive team as chief operating officer of the ANV Group, as...
Swiss Re Estimates Claims from Hurricane Sandy at around $900 Million Net
Nov 26 2012 // Swiss Re announced that its estimates of claims from Hurricane Sandy are around $900 million, net of retrocession and before tax. The bulletin warned, however, that “this estimate is subject to a higher than usual...
Alterra, Ullico Casualty to Offer U.S. Professional Liability Program
Nov 26 2012 // Alterra Capital Holdings Limited’s subsidiary Alterra America Insurance Co. has entered into a long-term partnership with Ullico Casualty Group, Inc. (UCG), a subsidiary of Ullico Inc., that will allow Alterra to...
