Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Complex Trial Over Blame for Gulf Oil Spill Set to Open
Feb 24 2012 // It could be the ultimate case for passing the buck. A massive trial over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill heads for a New Orleans federal courtroom on Monday, to determine how much BP Plc and others should cough up for...
Willis Tabs Zurich Exec to Lead U.S. Construction Surety Business
Feb 23 2012 // Willis North America, a unit of global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, appointed Sean McGroarty as New York-based national surety leader of Willis North America construction practice. Sean McGroarty Previously,...
4.0 Earthquake in Missouri Shakes 9 States
Feb 23 2012 // Just days after the 200th anniversary of a series of massive earthquakes in southeast Missouri, residents woke up on Feb. 21 to a rumbling reminder that they live in one of the continent’s most active seismic...
Judge: BP, Anadarko, Transocean May Be Liable for Oil Pollution Claims
Feb 23 2012 // BP Plc and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. are liable and Transocean Ltd. may be liable for civil damages under federal pollution laws over the catastrophic 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a U.S. judge ruled. Wednesday’s...
Struggling Floridians Line Up for Mortgage-Mending
Feb 23 2012 // Nearly 1,200 people lined up at a downtown Miami conference center on Wednesday, holding onto mortgage documents and income statements in the hope of saving the homes they are struggling to pay for. Seated at rows of long...
AIA’s Snyder Describes Korea Trade Pact as ‘Excellent Model’
Feb 22 2012 // The long-awaited implementation of the Free Trade Pact between the Republic of Korea, or South Korea, and the U.S. (KORUS) is scheduled to go into effect on March 15. The date will see the conclusion of negotiations that...
The Hartford Hires Chartis U.S. Underwriting Chief Tucker
Feb 22 2012 // Hartford Financial Services Group announced three senior management appointments, including Tom Tucker as chief underwriting officer of commercial markets and head of specialty casualty. He will start his post at The...
Starr Cos. Hires ING Group Exec to Lead Starr Strategic Partners
Feb 22 2012 // Starr Companies appointed X. Rick Niu as senior managing director of Starr Strategic Partners, a newly formed division dedicated to serving the insurance and investment needs of Asian and other emerging market companies...
U.S. Drops Major Anti-Bribery Prosecution
Feb 22 2012 // The Obama administration on Tuesday dropped a major bribery prosecution that had been part of a campaign to crack down on corruption after the government suffered several setbacks in court in a case involving military...
U.S. Firms Seek Clarity on Anti-Bribery Law
Feb 22 2012 // U.S. corporations asked the government to explain what it considers a bribe of a foreign official, saying the lack of clarity has had a chilling effect on business. The Chamber of Commerce and dozens of other trade groups...
U.S. Justice Dept. Closes Allianz Indonesia Bribery Probe w/o Charges
Feb 21 2012 // The U.S. Justice Department has closed its investigation into whether Allianz SE violated a foreign bribery law through its insurance business in Indonesia and does not plan to bring charges, according to a letter reviewed...
Allied World U.S. Creates Mergers & Acquisitions Division
Feb 21 2012 // Allied World U.S. has expanded its professional lines operations through the launch of a new mergers and acquisitions division that will be headed up by Jeff Anderson, vice president, in the company’s New York...
U.S. Risk Promotes Mullens to EVP
Feb 21 2012 // U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. has promoted Mike Mullens, the current national practice leader for the U.S. Risk healthcare division, to executive vice president. Mullens has more than 35 years experience in the insurance...
U.S. Should Expect Another Above-Normal Tornado Season in 2012
Feb 21 2012 // The U.S. should expect an active severe weather season with above-normal tornadoes in 2012. That’s after a near-record number of tornadoes in 2011, according to forecasters at AccuWeather.com in State College,...
Mitsui Unit to Pay $90 Million Over Gulf Oil Spill
Feb 21 2012 // Mitsui & Co. Ltd.’s MOEX Offshore agreed with the U.S. Justice Department to pay at least $90 million to settle some of its liability in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the first government settlement involving...
Cruise Ship Industry Leaves Crash Victims Little Hope for Recovery
Feb 21 2012 // When Walter Henry Alderfer learned last month about the Costa Concordia shipwreck off Italy, it brought back bad memories. In April 2007, he, his wife and his daughter were aboard the Sea Diamond cruise ship when it struck...
MF Global Judge to Review Insurance for Former Executives
Feb 20 2012 // The U.S. judge overseeing MF Global’s bankruptcy plans a closer review before deciding whether any of an estimated $190 million of insurance coverage for former company executives should instead go to customers....
Q4 Reports: Earnings Continue to Disappoint
Feb 20 2012 // The Hartford Q4 Profit Down 79% Hartford Financial Services Group reported $127 million for its 2011 fourth-quarter net income, down 79 percent from one year ago. Results were dragged down by higher net capital losses and...
Media Firms Could Face Insurance Woes in 2012
Feb 20 2012 // U.S. communications, media, and technology (CMT) companies can expect their insurance market conditions to further deteriorate in 2012, continuing a trend that began in the second half of 2011, according to a report...
BP Wins Ruling Keeping Prior Accidents Out of Gulf Spill Trial
Feb 20 2012 // BP Plc won a court order to keep references to some previous accidents out of the trial to assess blame for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the oil company’s second victory in as many days to bar potentially...
