Latest USA Headlines

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

Bayer Extends Genetically Modified Rice Settlement Deadline

Oct 26 2011 // Rice farmers have nearly a month to file for part of a $750 million settlement to claims that they lost money because Bayer CropScience mistakenly sold genetically modified seed in the United States. The original deadline...

Oil Firm Agrees to Plead Guilty in North Dakota Bird Deaths

Oct 26 2011 // One of seven oil companies charged with killing migratory birds during drilling operations in North Dakota has agreed to plead guilty and pay $12,000. Slawson Exploration Co. Inc., of Wichita, Kan., was charged under the...

NOAA Study: US values Hawaii Reefs at $33.57B

Oct 26 2011 // Americans peg the value of coral reefs around the main Hawaiian Islands at $33.57 billion, a study commissioned by the federal government said last week. Officials frequently cite coral reefs as being vital to tourism and...

Death Toll from U.S. Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak Rises to 28

Oct 26 2011 // The death toll linked to listeria-contaminated cantaloupes in the United States has climbed to 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. Whole or pre-cut Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupe from...

U.S. Offering Small Businesses Free Cyber Security Tool

Oct 25 2011 // The U.S. government is making it easier for small businesses to beef up defenses against cyber criminals through a free, online tool, the top U.S. communications regulator said Monday. The Small Biz Cyber Planner will...

Mexican Truck Finally Enters U.S. Under NAFTA

Oct 24 2011 // The first Mexican long-haul truck bound for the U.S. interior crossed at the international bridge at Laredo, Texas, Friday, carrying electronic equipment destined for suburban Dallas and fulfilling a controversial...

AIR Updates Terrorism Insurance Model for U.S.

Oct 24 2011 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide (AIR) has updated its terrorism model for the United States to reflect less frequent and lower-severity attacks based on a reassessment of the threat by a team of terrorism...

Weak Markets to Hobble Canadian Insurer Results

Oct 24 2011 // Canadian insurers are looking at a bleak quarter of financial results due to a sharp drop in stock markets and bond yields, and analysts are staying cautious on the stocks even at rock-bottom valuations. Sun Life Financial...

Best’s Managing Director-Europe: Solvency II is Coming to an Insurer near You

Oct 24 2011 // Stefan Holzberger, A.M. Best’s managing director-analytics, recently moved to London from the U.S. He is well placed to analyze the impact of the European Union’s Solvency II regulations, not only on the...

AIG Fraud Suit Against Bank of America Won’t Be Moved to State Court

Oct 21 2011 // A federal judge rejected American International Group Inc.’s request to move its $10 billion mortgage fraud lawsuit against Bank of America Corp. back to a New York state court, where AIG believed the case...

Chubb Profit Falls in Q3

Oct 21 2011 // The Chubb Corp. reported that net income in the third quarter of 2011 was $298 million compared to $572 million in the third quarter of 2010. Net income per share declined to $1.04 from $1.80. Operating income was $252...

Officials Say Bipartisan Deal on Cybersecurity Possible

Oct 21 2011 // Senior Obama administration officials and a bipartisan group of U.S. senators agreed on Wednesday to push for cybersecurity legislation as quickly as possible, the White House said Thursday. White House spokeswoman Caitlin...

Aspen US, Brownstone to Offer Coverage to Property Owners

Oct 20 2011 // Aspen US Insurance and Brownstone Insurance Agency have formed a partnership effective September 1, to bring underwriting and claims services to the commercial residential property market. This new partnership allows...

Workers’ Comp Results Deteriorated for Northeastern States Last Year

Oct 20 2011 // Most states in the northeastern region reported deteriorating workers’ compensation underwriting results last year, according to latest data from A.M. Best. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maine and Rhode Island...

New York-based Holborn Hires Two Executives From U.S. RE

Oct 19 2011 // Independent reinsurance broker Holborn Corp. appointed Wesley Zeliff as vice president and Shinji Ueda as assistant vice president. Both new executives will be based in the firm’s New York headquarters. Zeliff comes...

Court May Revive Viacom Copyright Claim Against YouTube

Oct 19 2011 // In a copyright infringement case at the heart of media company battles to win Internet viewers, an appeals court grappled on Tuesday over whether to revive Viacom Inc.’s landmark $1 billion lawsuit against Google...

BP Gets $4 Billion from Anadarko for Gulf Oil Spill Costs

Oct 18 2011 // Anadarko Petroleum Corp. will pay BP Plc $4 billion toward clean-up and victim compensation for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The amount is less than BP might have won in court, but it softens the blow of overall...

BP Settles for $4 Billion from Anadarko for Oil Spill Costs

Oct 18 2011 // Anadarko Petroleum Corp will pay BP Plc $4 billion toward clean-up and victim compensation for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The amount is less than BP might have won in court, but it softens the blow of overall...

Outlining the Risks of the Business Traveler

Oct 17 2011 // Business travelers say there’s no substitute for being there. Even though budgets are tight and new technology makes it easy for people to connect virtually anywhere, businesses understand that it is crucial for...

U.S. SEC to Limit Charges Against Allianz

Oct 17 2011 // The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not plan to charge Allianz SE for illegal activity at its private equity investments, according to two people familiar with the matter, in a case that could have tested the...