Latest USA Headlines

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

Data Shows Hoboken’s Share of Sandy Aid on Par With Other N.J. Towns

Jan 27 2014 // The city whose Democratic mayor said New Jersey’s GOP Gov. Chris Christie’s administration tied Superstorm Sandy aid to her support for a real estate project has, so far, received a level of aid from state-run...

U.S., Canada Officials Say Tougher Oil Train Safety Rules Needed

Jan 27 2014 // Warning that a “major loss of life” could result from an accident involving the increasing use of trains to transport large amounts of crude oil, U.S. and Canadian accident investigators urged their governments...

Willis Connects US and Global Facultative Operations

Jan 27 2014 // Willis Group Holdings announced that its US facultative arm, Willis Facultative North America, has joined together with its global facultative operation, Faber Global.“The addition of Willis Facultative North America...

Global Natural Disasters Cost Insurers $45B in 2013

Jan 27 2014 // In 2013, there were 296 separate natural disaster events that produced total economic losses of $192 billion – four percent below the 10-year average of $200 billion, but above the average 259 events, according to a...

Fourth Quarter Activity Brings a Strong Finish to 2013

Jan 27 2014 // While deal flow was calm for most of the year, fourth quarter merger and acquisition (M&A) activity was lively and momentum was strong going into 2014. With 74 transactions announced in the last three months of 2013,...

Top 10 Corporate Risks in 2014: Allianz Risk Barometer

Jan 27 2014 // Business interruption (BI) and supply chain, natural catastrophes and fire/explosion top the list of company risks in 2014, according to the third annual Allianz Risk Barometer, which surveyed some 400 insurance experts...

Fastest Growing E&S Carriers in Top 30 Revealed: Fitch Report

Jan 27 2014 // In a year-end report on the U.S. excess and surplus lines market, data compiled by Fitch Ratings revealed that the top growing E&S writers in recent years were not necessarily the biggest.The report, published in Dec....

Companies Can’t Stop Data Theft at Reasonable Cost: Execs at Davos

Jan 24 2014 // Fighting online data fraudsters is almost impossible as their ability to hack into new technology often outpaces companies’ efforts to protect it, senior businessmen and bankers gathering for the World Economic Forum...

Republicans Vow to Develop Alternative to Obamacare

Jan 24 2014 // Top Republicans are saying they can no longer just be the party of “No” on Obamacare: They need to come up with an alternative healthcare policy.While many Americans are skeptical of President Barack...

Canada, U.S. Safety Agencies Urge Fast Action on Oil-by-Rail Cars

Jan 24 2014 // North American regulators should phase out the type of rail car involved in last July’s deadly Lac-Megantic crash “sooner rather than later,” Canadian investigators said on Thursday, urging the United...

Pacific Trade Partners Working on Final Stages for Agreement: U.S. Official

Jan 24 2014 // Pacific Rim trading partners are working to resolve the last thorny issues in sealing an ambitious free trade pact and are likely to have further high-level talks next month, a senior U.S. trade official said on...

Worries Mount Over Winter Wildfire Season Not Soon to End

Jan 23 2014 // A winter wildfire season offers some unique challenges for firefighters like Mike Lopez.Lopez is president of CDF Firefighters, which represents the employees of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or...

Regulators Reviewing Berkshire Hathaway for Systemic Risk

Jan 23 2014 // Regulators are starting to scrutinize Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. to determine whether it is important enough to the financial system to require Federal Reserve supervision, according to two people with...

Reinsurance at Crossroads As New Factors Sweep Away Old Habits

Jan 23 2014 // Part I – The Market in the Developed EconomiesA significant number of reinsurance treaties were renewed this month, heavily concentrated in property catastrophe coverage. It’s become apparent, however, that this...

Officials Suspect 2 Nabbed in Texas Linked to Target Fraud Case

Jan 22 2014 // Two Mexican citizens who were arrested at the border used account information stolen during the Target security breach to buy tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise, according to a South Texas police...

Progressive Reports 20% Profit Gain in Q4

Jan 22 2014 // Progressive Corp., the fourth- largest U.S. auto insurer, said profit climbed 20 percent in the fourth quarter as margins improved a year after Superstorm Sandy.Fourth-quarter net income rose to $299.8 million, or 50 cents...

West Virginia Politicians Call for State, Federal Regulation of Chemicals

Jan 22 2014 // West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin this week proposed tighter regulations for chemical storage facilities after a spill contaminated the water supply for 300,000 people.Tomblin, the Democratic...

Travelers More Than Triples Profit in Q4 on Lower Disaster Losses, Higher Prices

Jan 21 2014 // Travelers Cos., the property/casualty insurer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, said fourth-quarter profit more than tripled as claims costs from natural disasters fell a year after Superstorm Sandy.Net income rose to...

State Laws Provide Leeway For Businesses Reporting Data Breaches

Jan 20 2014 // A decade of lawmaking by U.S. states to ensure consumers are told when their data has been hacked still lets companies such as Target Corp. wait weeks or even months to disclose security breaches.Forty-six of 50 U.S....

Twenty Years Later Big Lesson From Northridge Quake Lost

Jan 17 2014 // Twenty years ago today a big one hit the Los Angeles area, killing several people and injuring thousands, damaging tens of thousands of properties, shutting down businesses, putting out of operation some of the...