Latest USA Headlines

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

Transocean Revises Bid to Limit Liability After U.S. Criticism

Jun 1 2010 // The Obama administration told Transocean Ltd. in a letter last week it was “simply unconscionable” for the drilling firm to try to limit its liability in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill accident, prompting the...

U.S. Mines Facing Shortage of Safety Air Packs

May 28 2010 // One of just two major makers of emergency air packs for U.S. coal mines has stopped selling the devices because they often don’t automatically start and the industry fears it will lead to a shortage, officials...

Saft: Lessons for U.S., UK from Japan’s Lost Decade

May 28 2010 // Deflation and a lost decade can be avoided it seems; all we need are perfect central bankers, sensible politicians, a biddable electorate and cooperative investors.Nothing to worry about there, then. In a speech on Monday,...

AIG on ‘Clear Path to Repaying Taxpayers,’ Says CEO Benmosche

May 27 2010 // The head of bailed-out insurance giant American International Group on Wednesday said the company was on its way to repaying the government, but a U.S. Treasury official said taxpayers could still face losses.AIG is...

World Warms, But Public Cools to Action on Climate Change

May 27 2010 // This year is on track to be the warmest worldwide since records began in the 19th century, yet voters seem to be cooling to strong action to combat climate change.Their doubts may be quietly sapping the will of governments...

Road Hazard: 20% of U.S. Drivers Would Flunk If Given Driving Test

May 27 2010 // The nation’s most knowledgeable drivers are in Idaho, Wisconsin, Montana and Kansas, while the least knowledgeable are in New York, New Jersey, Hawaii and California.That’s according to results from the 2009...

Aon: P/C Insurance Rates Decrease, Capacity Continues to Increase

May 27 2010 // Property rates will continue to drop 5 percent to 15 percent for most risks, despite record global catastrophic losses seen in early 2010, according to Aon Corp.’s 2010 U.S. Insurance Market Overview. Property...

Recent Patterns Heighten Threat of Active Atlantic Hurricane Season

May 27 2010 // The threat of an above-average 2010 Atlantic hurricane season has heightened over the past month and it now promises to be “a hell of a year,” a leading U.S. forecaster said Wednesday.William Gray, the...

Justice Department Defends Retroactive Liability Limit on BP

May 26 2010 // The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday that Congress could retroactively impose a higher liability cap on BP Plc to pay for the damage from its growing oil spill, and the company would likely lose if it challenged the...

U.S. Slams Transocean’s Attempt to Limit Liability for Oil Spill

May 26 2010 // The Obama administration Tuesday slammed as “inappropriate” an attempt by Transocean Ltd to limit its liability for its role in the BP Plc oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to under $27 million.Noting that the...

U.S. Hurricane Center Director Says Haiti is ‘Biggest Concern’

May 26 2010 // U.S. National Hurricane Center director Bill Read said Tuesday that earthquake-ravaged Haiti was his biggest concern as another Atlantic hurricane season gets under way. He also acknowledged that a powerful storm could...

U.S. Trade Chief Urges China to Lower Barriers

May 25 2010 // Potential Chinese moves to lower trade barriers could be as important as exchange rate reforms in easing economic strains with the United States, Washington’s top trade negotiator said as the two powers entered a...

Tropical Storm Risk Forecasts Active 2010 Hurricane Season

May 25 2010 // Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) provides “real-time mapping and prediction of tropical cyclone wind fields worldwide.” The firm is co-sponsored by Aon Benfield, with RSA and Crawford & Company. It has just...

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds IRS Power to Demand Work Papers

May 25 2010 // The U.S. Supreme Court let stand an appeals court decision upholding the power of tax authorities to demand legal work papers from corporations.The lower court ruled in favor of an Internal Revenue Service bid for legal...

Concern over China’s Protectionism at 10 Year High Says U.S. Chamber

May 24 2010 // Concern among U.S. companies that China is backtracking on opening its economy are at a 10-year high, the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said on Monday.Chamber President and Chief Executive Thomas Donohue said...

Montana Claims Rule Stands As Supreme Court Declines to Review

May 24 2010 // A Montana insurance rule that makes it more difficult for companies to deny claims will stand, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.“It is immensely important and affects the health insurance rights...

U.S. Drops Criminal Probe Against AIG Financial Products Executives

May 24 2010 // The U.S. Justice Department has dropped a probe of American International Group Inc. executives involving the credit default swaps that sent the insurer to the brink of bankruptcy and forced a huge taxpayer bailout,...

U.S. Vows to Replace BP on Oil Response If Necessary to Control Spill

May 24 2010 // The U.S. government will move aside BP from the operation to try to halt the Gulf of Mexico oil spill if it decides the company is not performing as required in its response to the well leak, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken...

Pressure Piles on BP As Gulf Oil Spill Widens

May 24 2010 // BP sharply reduced its estimate on Monday of how much oil it is siphoning off from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico as Washington kept the pressure on the energy giant over the environmental debacle.British-based BP...

Wall Street Banks Handed Setback in ‘Hot News’ Copyright Case

May 21 2010 // Three Wall Street banks suffered a legal setback when a federal appeals court in New York put on hold a ban on financial news service Theflyonthewall.com Inc. from quickly reporting “hot news” about their...