Latest USA Headlines

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

Treasury to Sell More AIG Shares for $5 Billion

May 7 2012 // The U.S. Treasury has agreed to cut its ownership stake in American International Group Inc. to 63 percent by selling 163.9 million shares for approximately $5 billion, with the insurer agreeing to buy back about $2...

Swiss Re in New $400 Million Nat Cat Bond for Europe, U.S. Wind Risks

May 7 2012 // Swiss Re Ltd. Announced that it has secured $400 million in natural catastrophe coverage through a newly-formed issuer Mythen Ltd., which it described as a “flexible program that allows Swiss Re to cede wind risks in...

Shrimp Processors Object to BP Oil Spill Settlement

May 7 2012 // Shrimp processors have asked a federal judge to delay preliminary approval of BP Plc’s proposed settlement of economic damage claims from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, arguing that it is unfair to parts of the...

U.S. Tells Industry to Further Test Safety of Nanotechnology Products

May 7 2012 // U.S. health regulators said consumer products that use nanotechnology may have unknown effects on the human body, and advised food and cosmetic companies to further study the safety of these particles.The U.S. Food and...

BP Proposes Gulf Oil Spill Claims Settlement

May 7 2012 // BP Plc reached settlements on April 18 to resolve billions of dollars of claims from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and asked a U.S. judge for a long delay in any trial over remaining disputes stemming from the...

Insurance Jobs Outlook: Getting Better, Region by Region

May 7 2012 // The property/casualty insurance jobs outlook is slowly, gradually getting better – or at least not getting worse. A growing number of insurance businesses are hiring more workers this year. Meanwhile, many others are...

Oil, Economy Fuel Insurance Hiring in Texas

May 7 2012 // Across the nation, employment levels in insurance agencies and brokerages declined at a faster rate than the overall U.S. employment level since the recession began in 2007. The good news: Some independent agencies across...

U.S. Tells Industry to Further Test Safety of Nanotechnology Products

May 7 2012 // U.S. health regulators said consumer products that use nanotechnology may have unknown effects on the human body, and advised food and cosmetic companies to further study the safety of these tiny particles.The U.S. Food...

CEOs Remain Bullish on Firming Rates

May 7 2012 // The 2012 first-quarter corporate earnings season is in a full swing — and that gives us a valuable opportunity to listen to top insurance CEOs and their perspective on pricing.The Travelers Companies CEO Jay Fishman...

Best Affirms, Upgrades SCOR’s No. American Subs Ratings; Outlook Stable

May 4 2012 // Following its rating actions on the parent company, France’s SCOR SE, A.M. Best has upgraded the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “a+” from “a” and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR)...

BP Wins Delay of Gulf Oil Spill Trial

May 4 2012 // A trial to assign blame and damages that could total tens of billions of dollars for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has been put off until January, in a setback for the U.S. government, which wanted to try its case this...

Judge Blocks $90 Million Insurance Settlement for Lehman Directors, Officers

May 4 2012 // With a nod to country singer Kenny Rogers, a federal judge has refused for now to allow insurers for former officers and directors of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. to pay $90 million to settle a fraud lawsuit brought by...

Aon Benfield’s April Global Cat Reports near $1 Billion in Tornado Losses

May 4 2012 // Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon plc, has released its latest edition of its Global Catastrophe Recap report, which reviews the natural disaster perils that occurred worldwide...

Va.-Based Genworth Financial’s CEO Resigns; Acting Chief Named

May 3 2012 // Genworth Financial Inc. said Tuesday that Chairman and CEO Michael D. Fraizer has resigned, and the board has tapped Chief Financial Officer Martin P. Klein to fill as CEO while it searches for a successor.Fraizer helped...

Court Bans Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Windows 7 from German Market

May 3 2012 // A court in Mannheim, Germany ruled on Wednesday that Microsoft infringed Motorola Mobility’s patents and ordered Microsoft to remove its Xbox 360 gaming consoles and Windows 7 operating system software from the...

BP’s $7.8 Billion Gulf Oil Spill Settlement Wins Initial Court OK

May 3 2012 // BP Plc won preliminary court approval of an estimated $7.8 billion settlement to resolve more than 100,000 claims by individuals and businesses stemming from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.The accord comprises two...

Once Again, Flood Insurance Program to Expire Unless Congress Acts

May 3 2012 // Federal officials are putting fresh pressure on Congress to take action on the National Flood Insurance Program, whose authorization expires at the end of this month, one day before hurricane season begins.The NFIP has...

Flexpoint Ford Agrees to Acquire GeoVera From Hellman & Friedman

May 2 2012 // Chicago, Ill.-based Flexpoint Ford LLC, a private equity firm focused on the financial services and healthcare sectors, announced its affiliates have signed a definitive agreement to acquire Fairfield, Calif.-based GeoVera...

Dead Mexican Teen’s Family To Pursue Suit in Texas

May 2 2012 // A lawyer for the family of a 15-year-old Mexican boy killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in 2010 says they will press on with their lawsuit against the agent despite U.S. prosecutors’ decision not to charge...

Christian Group Sues Michigan City, Muslims Over Event

May 2 2012 // A Christian legal advocacy group has claimed in a federal lawsuit that officials in a western Michigan city violated the rights of a self-proclaimed former terrorist by interrupting him during an event on free speech at a...