Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Environmental Groups Sue, Charge Oil Train Safety Rules Inadequate
May 18 2015 // Seven environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging safety rules issued earlier this month for trains carrying oil, arguing the regulations are too weak to protect the public. The groups, including the...
Duke Energy Settles North Carolina Coal Ash Criminal Case for $102M
May 18 2015 // As Duke Energy pleaded guilty Thursday in a North Carolina courtroom to nine criminal violations of the federal Clean Water Act, federal prosecutors recounted examples where time and again the nation’s largest...
People – East
May 18 2015 // Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration announced the appointment of Daniel R. Judson as new commissioner at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Judson succeeds Joseph Murphy who stepped down from the...
Senators Convene Sandy Task Force; FEMA Vows Change
May 18 2015 // The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says he wants to fix what went wrong with the process of paying flood insurance claims following Superstorm Sandy. Craig Fugate told the first meeting of a congressional...
Insurers Warn Against Encroachment on State Regulation
May 18 2015 // Insurance companies are calling for Congress to ensure state-based insurance regulation remains protected from federal or international “regulatory encroachment.” “Congress must now increase its oversight...
People – South Central
May 18 2015 // U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. named Brian Edwards a senior broker in the Dallas office of U.S. Risk Brokers Inc. Edwards has more than 12 years of experience in the insurance industry. He specializes in brokerage of...
First Licensed Autonomous Freight Truck Hits the Road in U.S.
May 18 2015 // In a ceremony at Hoover Dam in May, Daimler Trucks North America unveiled the Freightliner Inspiration Truck, what it says is the first licensed autonomous commercial truck to operate on an open public highway in the...
Fracking, Earthquakes and Insurance: A Collision Course?
May 18 2015 // There is increasing information suggesting that hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking,” is not all it’s cracked up to be. While it is clear that the resurgence of oil and gas production in the...
Paulson’s Hedge Fund Bets $800M on AIG
May 17 2015 // Billionaire John Paulson’s hedge fund firm bought a position in American International Group Inc. in the first quarter valued at $800 million at the end of March, in his latest bet on the insurance industry. The New...
Brit Appoints Courchaine, Canna to New General Liability Team for U.S.
May 15 2015 // Global specialty insurer Brit PLC has named Steve Courchaine as senior vice president to launch a new General Liability team for Brit Global Specialty USA. Courchaine was formerly chief underwriting officer of IFG and has...
Iran Flexes Military Muscle in Persian Gulf, Amid Rising Tensions
May 15 2015 // With tensions over its roles in Yemen, Iraq and Syria already high, Iran is flexing its military muscle in the Persian Gulf. For the third time in as many weeks, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps patrol boats have fired at...
El Niño Likely to Last Through Northern Hemisphere Summer: U.S. Forecaster
May 15 2015 // The El Niño climate phenomenon is almost certain to last through the Northern Hemisphere summer, the U.S. weather forecaster said, raising the chance of heavy rain in the southern United States as well as South America,...
Iranian Boats Fired Shots Across Bow of Singapore-Flagged Ship in Persian Gulf
May 15 2015 // Four Iranian patrol boats fired warning shots across the bow of a Singapore-flagged merchant ship in the Persian Gulf on Thursday before it escaped into the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates, according to the...
Senate Now Expected to Pass Fast-Track Authority
May 14 2015 // U.S. Senate leaders agreed on a deal to move forward with President Barack Obama’s legislation to speed approval of trade agreements following a one-day rebellion by Democrats. The Senate will hold votes Thursday on...
NTSB: Amtrak Train Was Going Double the Speed Limit Before Crash
May 14 2015 // The New York-bound Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia, killing seven and injuring more than 200, was traveling 106 miles per hour just before the accident, more than double the speed limit, according to U.S....
Oil Industry Goes to Court to Block Oil Train Safety Rules
May 14 2015 // A U.S. oil industry group has launched a legal challenge to federal rules aimed at tightening safety standards in oil-by-train transport, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. The American Petroleum Institute on Monday...
Growing Yemen War Risk Threatens Vital Sea Routes; Premiums Likely to Jump
May 14 2015 // With Middle East giants Saudi Arabia and Iran squaring up on opposing sides in the Yemen war, the dangers to vital oil tanker and goods voyages are growing daily. Millions of barrels of oil pass through the Bab el-Mandeb...
AIG Names Schreiber Chief Strategy Officer, Eyes M&A Deals
May 13 2015 // American International Group Inc. named dealmaker Brian Schreiber chief strategy officer as the insurer shifts to expanding through acquisitions after years of contracting through asset sales to repay a U.S....
Appeal to Delay NFL Concussion Settlement
May 13 2015 // The National Football League’s $765 million settlement of concussion lawsuits is headed for an appeal, a move that could delay players’ access to benefits. Philadelphia U.S. District Judge Anita Brody’s...
Flood Insurance Does Not Cover Debris Removal From Insureds’ Land
May 13 2015 // A federal appeals court in Philadelphia recently ruled that a standard flood insurance policy from the National Flood Insurance Program does not cover the cost of cleaning up storm-generated debris not owned by the...
