Latest USA Headlines

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

Negotiators Fail to Reach Pacific Trade Pact; More Talks Expected

Aug 3 2015 // High-level negotiations in Hawaii on a trade agreement in the Pacific Rim wrapped up without a final deal as disagreements over dairy and vehicle policies trumped progress in other areas. The dialogue may resume within...

Car Hacking Risk Could Be More Widespread

Aug 3 2015 // The cybersecurity issues that led Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV to recall 1.4 million vehicles this month could pose a problem for cars and trucks from other automakers, the top U.S. auto safety regulator said on...

Neiman Marcus Ruling Aids Plaintiffs in Data Breach Class Actions

Aug 3 2015 // Data breaches at big retailers are becoming almost commonplace, and class actions by affected consumers are typically not far behind.Now, a federal appeals court in Chicago has made it harder for retailers who are hacked...

People – Midwest

Aug 3 2015 // Westfield Insurance, a super-regional property and casualty insurance carrier based in Westfield Center, Ohio, hired Robyn Hahn as the new role of group marketing and communications leader.Hahn will assume overall...

New Madrid Report Shows Need for Quake Insurance, Missouri Insurance Director Says

Aug 3 2015 // Missouri’s top insurance regulator says a new report on exposures within the reach of the New Madrid seismic zone reinforces the need for residents in affected areas to purchase earthquake insurance.Missouri...

U.S. Appeals Court Sides with Kansas Drivers in FedEx Employee Status Case

Aug 3 2015 // In early July, FedEx lost a round in employment practices litigation over whether or not its drivers are employees of the company under Kansas labor statutes.On July 8, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit agreed...

Insured Catastrophe Losses Fell 36% in First Half of 2015

Aug 3 2015 // Property/casualty insurers’ catastrophe losses in North America for the first-half of this year were down 36 percent to $8.1 billion from 2014’s total of $12.6 billion, making it the lightest catastrophe first...

Evolving Consumer Base Is Changing Personal Lines: Conning

Aug 3 2015 // There are “far-reaching implications” for personal lines insurers and the products and services they provide as the U.S. continues to undergo changes in its demographic structure, an industry report states.The...

Deal Activity Still Impressive

Aug 3 2015 // Deal count for the second quarter of 2015 was one of the most active quarters on record with 87 announced transactions. The total deal count for year-to-date 2015 (as of July 6, 2015) was at 187 (U.S. based transactions)....

People – Southeast

Aug 3 2015 // J.M. Wilson has added Kayley Dana to the firm’s Charleston, S.C., office as transportation underwriter. Dana is responsible for quoting new and renewal transportation risks, and serving independent insurance agents...

U.S. Appeals Court Rules for State Farm Whistleblowers in Katrina Fraud Case

Aug 3 2015 // A federal appeals court has ruled that whistleblowers who sued State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. can seek more evidence of fraud against the U.S. government after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.In its decision, the New...

Intellectual Property: Conan O’Brien, Doobie Brothers, ‘Happy Birthday’, Michael Jordan

Jul 31 2015 // Conan O’Brien Sued Over JokesComedian Conan O’Brien was sued for copyright infringement for using several jokes on his late-night talk show that he’s accused of lifting from the Internet. In a complaint...

Brit Reports H1 After-Tax Profit of US$6.4M, Compared to $94.5m in 2014

Jul 31 2015 // London-based Brit plc, which completed its merger with Fairfax Financial Holdings in the first half of this year, reported operating profit before foreign exchange and transaction related expenses of $70.9 million,...

U.S. Issues Final Oil Train Safety Rules

Jul 31 2015 // The Obama administration on Wednesday released a new regulation intended to prevent explosive rail disasters such as the 2013 oil train derailment that killed 47 people and destroyed part of Lac-Megantic, Quebec.The new...

Is Climate Change Now Its Own Industry?

Jul 30 2015 // Interest in climate change is becoming an increasingly powerful economic driver, so much so that some see it as an industry in itself whose growth is driven in large part by policymaking.The $1.5 trillion global...

Facebook’s Facial Recognition Software Draws Privacy Complaints, Lawsuit

Jul 30 2015 // When you are identified in a picture on Facebook, biometric software remembers your face so it can be “tagged” in other photographs.Facebook Inc. says this enhances the user experience. But privacy advocates...

Boston Ends Bid to Host 2024 Olympics

Jul 29 2015 // Boston’s bid to host the 2024 Olympics is over.The city and the U.S. Olympic Committee severed ties after a board teleconference Monday, USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky told The Associated Press. The decision throws...

Multi-State Cargo Theft Ring Busted in Indiana; 8 Charged

Jul 29 2015 // Eight individuals have been charged in a 23-count indictment in an organized scheme to steal tens of millions of dollars in merchandise from shipments of cargo moving through the state of Indiana and elsewhere, United...

N.Y. Law Firm Skadden May Be Required to Pay Overtime for Temp Attorneys

Jul 29 2015 // A federal appeals court said on July 23 the New York law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom may owe overtime pay to a contract lawyer for performing non-legal work, a decision that could make it more costly for...

MMC CEO Glaser Surveys Competitive Landscape in Wake of Consolidation

Jul 29 2015 // Recent merger deals in the insurance industry among its competitors and carrier partners should not hurt Marsh & McLennan (MMC) and could instead make its insurance and reinsurance advisory services even more...