Latest USA Headlines

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

IIABNJ Launches U.S. Veterans Pre-Licensing Program

May 22 2015 // The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New Jersey (IIABNJ) is launching a new program aimed at supporting the men and women of the armed forces and assisting them in finding post-military careers in the insurance...

ConAgra to Settle Georgia Peanut Butter Salmonella Charges for $11.2M

May 22 2015 // ConAgra Foods agreed to pay $11.2 million, a sum that includes the highest criminal fine ever in a U.S. food safety case, to settle a federal charge that the company shipped Peter Pan peanut butter tainted with salmonella...

Steve Wynn’s Assault on Nevada Free-Speech Raises Yelp’s Ire

May 21 2015 // Steve Wynn’s push for a stronger hand when suing people who badmouth him is being viewed by some, including Yelp Inc., as stacking the deck against free speech.The social media site called on its subscribers to stop...

Uber Facing Another Setback As Texas Passes on Ridesharing Law

May 21 2015 // Uber Technologies Inc.’s attempt to replace a patchwork of local rules in Texas with a state law regulating its car-booking business is headed for defeat because lawmakers have yet to act on a key measure with only...

BP Settles Gulf Oil Spill Cross Claims with Halliburton, Transocean

May 21 2015 // BP Plc has settled with oilfield services provider Halliburton Co. and contract driller Transocean Ltd. cross claims related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the worst offshore disaster in U.S. history.BP still faces...

Amlin Reports 1.4% Drop in Q1 Gross Written Premiums to $1.96 Billion

May 21 2015 // London-based Amlin plc reported gross written premium for the three months ended March 31, 2015 of £1.26 billion ($1.96 billion), compared with £1.27 billion ($1.97 billion) reported for the said period in 2014. At...

Lawsky to Step Down as New York’s Top Financial Regulator Next Month

May 20 2015 // Benjamin Lawsky will step down next month as New York’s top bank regulator after four years, during which he threatened to take away the U.S. charters of some of the world’s biggest banks and collected billions...

Illinois Court Urged by Philip Morris to Toss $10B Smokers’ Verdict

May 20 2015 // A $10.1 billion verdict against Philip Morris USA over misleading consumers about the safety of “light” cigarettes should be overturned, lawyers for the company argued in the Illinois Supreme Court.The award...

Takata Agrees to Recall 34 Million Cars for Air Bag Replacement

May 20 2015 // Japanese air bag manufacturer Takata Corp. is doubling a recall of potentially deadly air bags to nearly 34 million vehicles, making it the largest automotive recall in American history, U.S. safety regulators said on...

FEMA Sends Out 1st Round of Letters Offering to Review Sandy Flood Claims

May 19 2015 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday mailed out its first round of letters to the National Flood Insurance Program policyholders who filed Superstorm Sandy-related claims, asking whether they want their claims...

Supreme Court Eyes Letting Businesses Pay to End Class Actions

May 19 2015 // The U.S. Supreme Court will consider giving businesses a new tool to thwart class action lawsuits, agreeing to decide whether a defendant can end a case by offering full payment to the lead plaintiff.The case helps shape...

IRS Scrutiny of Offshore Tax Avoidance Repels Bids for Bermuda Reinsurers

May 19 2015 // The IRS’s scrutiny of tax avoidance in offshore locations has discouraged bidders from taking over reinsurers, potentially reducing the companies’ value.Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. and Platinum Underwriters...

Court Grants Google Copyright Win in Anti-Muslim Film Case

May 19 2015 // Google Inc., joined by broadcasters and free speech advocates, beat back an actress’ bid to block her appearance in a controversial online video and avoided a ruling it warned would make “Swiss cheese” of...

Asian-American Groups Target Harvard, UNC for Alleged Racial Bias in Admissions

May 18 2015 // A coalition of more than 60 Asian-American groups filed a federal discrimination action against Harvard University, claiming racial bias in undergraduate admissions. The administrative complaint follows the filing of a...

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 Sierra...

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 excess...