Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hurricane Center Tracking 3 Atlantic Storms: Katia, Maria and Nate
Sep 8 2011 // It’s a busy time of year for the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The NHC is currently following one hurricane – Katia, and two tropical storms – Maria and Nate. Katia is following the previously forecast...
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Arsons, Attempted Murder
Sep 7 2011 // Steven Scott Cantrell, of Crane, Texas, pled guilty to hate crime charges stemming from a series of racially-motivated arsons in December 2010, including the arson of a historic African-American church as part of an effort...
Central Texas Fires Slowly Being Contained but Blazes Continue Across State
Sep 7 2011 // Three out of four of the main fires burning on the outskirts of Texas’ capitol city, Austin, have been mostly contained, officials say, but the largest and most destructive blazes in Bastrop County are only about 30...
Best Affirms Ratings of Lloyd’s Syndicate 958 (Omega); Outlook Stable
Sep 7 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Ltd. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of ‘a+’ of Lloyd’s Syndicate 958, which is managed...
Hurricane Katia Now Expected to Miss East Coast
Sep 6 2011 // Hurricane Katia powered up to a major Category 4 storm Monday, but was expected to veer away from the U.S. East Coast later this week, avoiding a direct hit on a seaboard already battered by Hurricane Irene. The U.S....
States Offer U.S. Banks Deal Over Mortgage Lawsuits: Financial Times
Sep 6 2011 // Big U.S. banks in talks with state prosecutors to settle claims of improper mortgage practices have been offered a deal that may limit their legal liabilities in return for a multibillion-dollar payment, the Financial...
AIG’s Plane Leasing Unit ILFC Files for Initial Public Offering
Sep 6 2011 // AIG’s aircraft leasing unit, International Lease Finance Corp., filed for an initial public offering Friday despite deep uncertainty in equity markets that could delay an offering until next year. ILFC Holdings Inc.,...
Damages Ruling May Be Pivotal in BP Gulf Oil Case
Sep 6 2011 // A key court ruling in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill litigation could change the landscape in the massive case — encouraging more plaintiffs to sue, or spurring the parties to make a deal to resolve what could be a...
After Drenching New Orleans, Tropical Storm Lee Threatens Southeast
Sep 5 2011 // After testing New Orleans’ flood defenses over the weekend, Tropical Storm Lee moved northeast Monday after weakening to a tropical depression, and threatened to bring heavy rains and flooding to a large section of...
People
Sep 5 2011 // David J. Bresnahan has been named president of Lexington Insurance Co., the surplus lines unit of Chartis Insurance. He is succeeding Peter Eastwood, who is moving into his new role as president and chief executive officer...
People
Sep 5 2011 // David J. Bresnahan has been named president of Lexington Insurance Co., the surplus lines unit of Chartis Insurance. He is succeeding Peter Eastwood, who is moving into his new role as president and chief executive officer...
Terrorism 10 Years After
Sep 5 2011 // Ten years after the events of Sept. 11, 2011, terrorism remains a significant risk both globally and within the United States. The need to be vigilant against those who would harm innocent people in the name of whatever...
Fitch: Hurricane Irene Losses Manageable
Sep 2 2011 // Hurricane Irene, while inflicting severe economic damage, will come in far behind the most severe storms to strike United States in recent years, according to a new report by Fitch Ratings. At over $45 billion of insured...
Best Affirms Catlin Insurance Companies Ratings; Outlooks Stable
Sep 2 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of ‘a’ of Bermuda-based Catlin Insurance Company...
Gulf Coast Told to Keep Eye on Possible Storm
Sep 1 2011 // A low-pressure system pushing northwest through the Gulf of Mexico has a strong chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next two days and threatening U.S. states on northern coast of the gulf, the National Hurricane...
Customer Satisfaction with Home Insurers Improves, Says J.D. Powers
Sep 1 2011 // Customer satisfaction with homeowners insurance companies this year is up from 2010, but still remains below levels achieved in 2009. Overall satisfaction with homeowners insurance companies averages 769 in...
Irene’s Impact on Private Insurance Markets
Aug 31 2011 // The $7 billion in estimated losses from Hurricane Irene compound the vast damage caused by weather in the United States this year. Yet despite billions they’ve paid out for floods, tornadoes and earthquakes, big...
Judge Blocks Punitive Damages in Fossamax Claim Against Merck
Aug 31 2011 // A federal judge on Tuesday threw out part of a bellwether lawsuit against Merck & Co. over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax causes jaw damage. The plaintiff, Linda Secrest, may pursue her claim that Fosamax...
Irene’s Impact on Fragile U.S. Economy
Aug 31 2011 // The struggling U.S. economy should escape largely unscathed from Hurricane Irene and may even get a boost from reconstruction. Irene, which killed about 40 people when it dumped 5 to 15 inches (12 to 38 cm) of rain over...
Can Federal Flood Insurance Handle Irene Losses?
Aug 31 2011 // The only thing worse than getting flooded out of your home once is getting flooded out of it twice. Or, for that matter, over and over again. Margaret Wert bought her Wayne, New Jersey house in 1999, relying on assurances...
