Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Fires, Floods & Heatwaves on 3 Continents: Blame the Jet Stream, a Warming World
Jul 27 2018 // Sweltering? Swimming? Choking on wildfire smoke? Blame it on the jet stream and a warming world. Kinked, buckled, stuck or stalled, it doesn’t matter how you describe it, the jet stream — the ribbon of wind...
2 Florida Towns No Longer Designated as Top U.S. Speed Traps
Jul 27 2018 // After being number 1 for almost a quarter of a century, the Florida towns of Waldo and Lawtey are now no longer designated “Traffic Traps” by AAA. AAA’s Florida public affairs director Matt Nasworthy...
Crypto Prediction Market on Blockchain Raises Regulatory Concerns
Jul 27 2018 // The next confrontation between government regulators and a blockchain startup appears set to ensnare a prediction market platform that goes by the name Augur. After going live on July 10, Augur allows anyone to create...
Texas Contractor Ordered to Pay $250K After Worker Fatality at Dallas Site
Jul 26 2018 // A Texas construction contractor has been ordered to pay $250,000 in criminal and civil penalties an employee suffered a fatal fall at an apartment complex in Dallas, federal safety officials said. U.S. District Court Judge...
Petrobras Reaches $3.5M Settlement in Texas Refinery Emissions Case
Jul 26 2018 // A U.S. unit of Brazilian state-run company Petrobras agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle a lawsuit over alleged toxic emissions from its Pasadena, Texas, oil refinery, the company said. The settlement, which is subject to...
Missouri’s U.S. Sen. McCaskill Wants Tighter Rules on Duck Boats After Accident
Jul 26 2018 // Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill announced that she wants to enshrine into law federal recommendations to improve duck boat safety such as getting rid of canopies that can trap passengers if the vehicles sink, a move...
Trump, EU Agree to Trade Talks; Place Auto Tariffs on Hold
Jul 26 2018 // In what the EU chief called a “major concession,” U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on Wednesday to refrain from imposing car tariffs while the two sides launch negotiations to cut other trade barriers, easing...
India’s HPCL Cancels Iran Oil Purchase After Insurer Refuses to Provide Cover: Sources
Jul 26 2018 // India’s Hindustan Petroleum Corp. (HPCL) canceled the purchase of an Iranian oil cargo earlier this month after its insurance company refused to provide coverage for the crude because of U.S. sanctions, three sources...
Global H1 Insured Natural Disaster Losses 40% Lower than 10-Year Average: Aon
Jul 26 2018 // Global insured losses from natural disasters for the first half were preliminarily estimated at US$21 billion, which is 40 percent lower than the 10-year average of US$35 billion and 19 percent lower than the 18-year...
Reinsurer SCOR Reports 37% Drop in Q2 Net Profit on U.S. Tax Reform
Jul 26 2018 // French reinsurer SCOR said its net profit in the second quarter of this year fell 37 percent to 96 million euros ($112.58 million) because of an accounting charge related to tax reforms in the United States. Excluding the...
San Francisco May Screen Insurers for Their Fossil Fuels Investments
Jul 26 2018 // The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has become what is believed to be the first U.S. municipal body to try to force insurance companies to stop insuring and investing in fossil fuels. The board on Tuesday voted...
Ascot Creates U.S. Trade Credit Division; Hires Collins, Barrett to Lead
Jul 25 2018 // Bermuda-based specialty insurer Ascot has created a trade credit insurance division with the appointments of Doug Collins as executive vice president of Trade Credit and Anthony Barrett as senior vice president of Trade...
Study Warns of Cyber Hacking Risk to Firms Using SAP, Oracle Management Software
Jul 25 2018 // At least a dozen companies and government agencies have been targeted and thousands more are exposed to data breaches by hackers exploiting old security flaws in management software, two cyber security firms said in a...
Flood Model Development Helps Hiscox Re & ILS Enter U.S. Flood Protection Market
Jul 25 2018 // Less than 12 percent of U.S. homeowners have a flood insurance policy, despite the fact that flooding is the country’s most common natural disaster, said Katy Sivyer, underwriter for North America and the Caribbean...
Court: Georgia Worker Not Protected from Firing Because of Sexual Orientation
Jul 25 2018 // A federal appeals court in Atlanta last week reaffirmed its decision that workers aren’t protected against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation, though two of the 11 judges strongly disagreed. Gerald...
Chicago Insurance Exec Accused of $13.5M Fraud
Jul 24 2018 // A Chicago-based vice president of an insurance underwriting group fraudulently obtained more than $13.5 million from a corporate client by fraudulently issuing and collecting premium payments on “matching...
M&A Deals Likely to Become More Challenging as Sellers Seek High Deal Values
Jul 24 2018 // The current operating environment continues to prompt mergers & acquisitions (M&A) among insurers and reinsurers. However, the number of potential M&A candidates has declined and sellers’ expectations of...
National Security Agency Chief Forms Task Force to Counter Russian Cyber Threats
Jul 24 2018 // Paul Nakasone, U.S. cyber commander and director of the National Security Agency, confirmed that he’s created a special task force to address Russian threats in cyberspace. Russia has “great capabilities on...
The Legal Engine Driving More Than 800 Lawsuits Against Opioid Makers
Jul 24 2018 // The place might sound familiar, even if you’ve never been there: the Appalachian foothills, down by the Ohio River, where the sirens scream addiction and death. Twenty-six overdoses in one afternoon. The highest...
CRU GROUP Welcomes New USA, Senior Business Development Leader
Jul 24 2018 // Toronto, Ontario Canada, July 24, 2018 – Kyle Winston, President and CEO of CRU GROUP, today announced the hiring of Laura Pastore as the new Vice President U.S. Business Development for Catastrophe Response Unit...
