Latest USA Headlines

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

Judge Denies Delay of BofA Directors’ $20 Million Settlement Over Merrill

May 15 2012 // A U.S. federal judge in New York on Monday refused to delay the approval process for a controversial $20 million settlement between Bank of America Corp. directors and shareholders who accused the bank of overpaying for...

HP Loses Battle with IRS Over Tax Shelter Designed by AIG

May 15 2012 // Hewlett-Packard Co. on Monday lost a battle with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for more than $190 million in tax refunds tied to a Dutch tax shelter designed by the derivatives arm of American International Group. The...

Lloyd’s U.S. CEO Comments on the Importance of ‘Vision 25’

May 14 2012 // Lloyd’s announcement on Friday of the launch of its “Vision 25” program, an ambitious plan to prepare the historic London market for the future, came as no surprise to Hank Watkins, CEO of Lloyd’s...

New York Judge Orders Anonymous Blogger into Court Over Business Reports

May 14 2012 // A New York judge has ordered an anonymous blogger to appear in court next week over accusations that the blog Alfredlittle.com wrote false reports about a Chinese company to drive down the stock. The blogger was served...

N.J. Gov. Christie Vetoes Health Insurance Exchange

May 11 2012 // New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed legislation, Assembly Bill 2171, that would have begun to establish an online, state-run health care exchange in New Jersey in line with the federal Affordable Care Act. The creation...

Guy Carpenter Names New CEO, COO for U.S. Operations

May 11 2012 // Guy Carpenter & Co. LLC, a global risk and reinsurance intermediary division of N.Y.-headquartered Marsh & McLennan Companies, appointed Andrew Marcell as chief executive officer of U.S. operations and Pete...

Florida Supreme Court Hears Class Action Arbitration Argument

May 11 2012 // A pay day loan company’s lawyer argued this week that the Florida Supreme Court must uphold a contract provision prohibiting customers from banding together in class action arbitration cases against the firm because...

Judge to Insurer: Pay Legal Fees in Pending Insider Trading Fraud Case

May 11 2012 // A federal judge said during a court hearing in New York on Thursday he is prepared to order an insurance company to keep paying the legal fees of several former hedge fund managers and traders caught up in an insider...

U.S. Calls $2M NYC Deal Largest Fair Housing Act Settlement Ever

May 10 2012 // The federal government has announced that a settlement with a New York City landlord will result in more than $2 million being paid to tenants who were sexual harassment victims. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced the...

Senate Panel to Probe Ties Between Painkill Drugmakers, Medical Nonprofits

May 10 2012 // A U.S. Senate panel has launched a probe of possible links between three drugmakers and nonprofit medical groups that advocated for increasing the use of prescription painkillers, now the target of a nationwide law...

La Nina Exits As Expected; El Nino Fate Uncertain

May 9 2012 // The U.S. Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said the La Nina pattern blamed for a crippling drought in Texas and severe dry spells in South America has vanished as expected and is unlikely to reappear later this year. U.S....

Future Vision: Will Driving Become Too Safe to Insure?

May 8 2012 // What would happen to the auto insurance industry if automobile safety improves to the point that vehicle collisions become relics of the past? That’s the question explored by global consulting and research firm,...

Oklahoma Insurance Agent Headed to Prison for not Filing Tax Returns

May 8 2012 // An Oklahoma insurance agent has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for not filing his federal income tax returns. Barry G. Brockman of Oklahoma City was sentenced for not filing tax returns for the calendar...

Young Drivers Know Risks But Text Anyway: Survey

May 8 2012 // Most young American drivers agree that it is dangerous to text while driving, but nearly a third admit they do it anyway, a survey by Consumer Reports shows. While eight in 10 said they knew of the risks, about 29 percent...

Blue Cross Fights North Carolina Claim It Blocks Competition

May 8 2012 // North Carolina’s Blue Cross plan and the national Blue Cross licensing organization asked a federal court to reject a lawsuit claiming the company’s network of insurance plans across the country are limiting...

Investor Protest Votes on Executive Pay Here to Stay

May 8 2012 // Company directors will remain under pressure from shareholders over executive pay long after the market downturn ends and lawmakers stop the heckling that has helped prompt votes against remuneration policies at this...

Traffic Deaths At Record Low in U.S. in 2011

May 8 2012 // Traffic fatalities on U.S. roads in 2011 fell to their lowest level since federal safety regulators started counting in 1949, the regulators said on Monday. Preliminary data estimates that 32,310 people died in motor...

Stock Sale Lowers U.S. Stake in AIG to 61%

May 8 2012 // The U.S. Treasury on Monday said it is trimming its ownership stake in American International Group Inc. to 61 percent from 70 percent by selling more shares of the insurer’s common stock. The U.S. government said it...

U.S. Treasury Could See $15 Billion Profit from AIG Bailout: GAO

May 8 2012 // U.S. taxpayers could see a profit from the 2008 bailout of American International Group Inc. (AIG), according to a Congressional report. “When all the assistance is considered, the amount the federal government...

Job Disability Rolls Rise During Recession

May 7 2012 // Monica Soltes was excited 10 years ago to leave Merrill Lynch and start her own business as an independent financial planner in San Diego. After she fell off a porch at her cousin’s cottage and broke her elbow, her...