Latest USA Headlines

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

FEMA Charges Georgia Man with Multiple False Claims

Mar 29 2010 // Desima James would seem to be the unluckiest man in America.In 2005 and 2006 alone, he suffered through three devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes, a tornado in Indiana and flooding in New Hampshire. Or so he told the Federal...

High-Powered Trial Attorneys Compete for Toyota Litigation

Mar 26 2010 // Scores of high-powered U.S. trial lawyers pursuing Toyota in court over the car company’s wide-ranging safety recalls gathered Wednesday to compare notes, strategize and jostle for a prime shot at the legal...

P/C Insurers Can Handle Chinese Drywall Costs, Says Moody’s

Mar 26 2010 // Property/casualty insurers are expected to continue to handle costs for defective Chinese drywall claims in the normal course of business, according to a rating analyst with Moody’s Investors Service.Losses from...

Marsh Joins Aon, Willis in Rejecting Contingent Commission Income

Mar 25 2010 // Giant insurance broker Marsh says its main brokerage unit will not accept contingent commissions on business for U.S. or Canadian clients but its Marsh & McLennan Agency and its affinity and personal lines business...

Insurance Agents, Carriers Make Progress in Modifying Dodd Bill

Mar 24 2010 // Insurance agents and carriers are reporting progress in their efforts to modify a proposed federal financial services regulation bill passed by the Senate Banking Committee, while risk managers have extended their support...

EU Trade Chief Says U.S. Must Make First Move to Restart Doha Round

Mar 23 2010 // The European Union cannot make more concessions on farm trade to restart stalled world trade talks and the United States must make the first move, the EU’s new trade chief said on Monday.The ball was not in the...

How States Are Responding to Healthcare Reform Law

Mar 23 2010 // Many U.S. states are worried that the healthcare overhaul plan approved by the U.S. House of Representatives will usurp their sovereignty and impose more spending on their already stretched budgets.Republican attorneys...

Terrorism Coverage in the Everyday World

Mar 22 2010 // Because of the threshold amount, many acts of domestic terrorism may not be certified. Even under the TRIA, insurers may exclude coverage for loss resulting from ‘non-certified’ acts of terrorism.After the...

Airing Out the Issues of Money Laundering

Mar 22 2010 // As the international community steps up its efforts to fight money laundering, a number of countries are now requiring insurers to obtain additional information from their customers to screen out possible bad actors.For...

Declarations

Mar 22 2010 // Kentucky Shock“Shame on you for the blatant, arrogant, self-effacing abuses. Equally shocking is for the board to allow executives involved in the oversight of such abuses to remain.” —Cold Spring Mayor Mark...

Employer Healthcare Costs Rose 7.3% in 2009

Mar 22 2010 // Average healthcare costs for U.S. employers rose by 7.3 percent in 2009, surpassing inflation and the growth rate in overall healthcare spending, Thomson Reuters reported Monday.Overall U.S. healthcare spending, including...

Louisiana’s Rep. Melancon: Chinese Drywall Poses a Fire Hazard

Mar 22 2010 // U.S. Congressman Charlie Melancon (LA-03) sent a letter to the nation’s top fire official requesting his assistance in protecting homeowners from toxic Chinese drywall. In his letter to U.S. Fire Administrator Kelvin...

First Tsunami Awareness Week: States To Test Communication System

Mar 22 2010 // In the wake of last month’s tsunami in Chile and less than six months after a tsunami hit American Samoa — both events that resulted in loss of life and property — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

Insurance Agents, U.S. Chamber Unhappy with Healthcare Reform

Mar 22 2010 // Independent insurance agents are among those today expressing their disappointment with the health care reform bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The House approved the Senate-passed bill and also approved a...

It Figures

Mar 22 2010 // 4.6%Nebraska’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6 percent in January, still less than half the national rate of 9.7 percent, according to state officials. The preliminary December rate of 4.7 percent...

Survey Ranks California’s Lawsuit Climate Among Worst in the Nation

Mar 22 2010 // A new national survey finds that California’s lawsuit climate is among the worst in the country and on par with states including Alabama, Louisiana, and West Virginia. Among local jurisdictions, Los Angeles’...

It Figures

Mar 22 2010 // 1,018The number of grants South Carolina has awarded to coastal homeowners who have taken steps to shield their homes against hurricane winds the past two years. Insurance Commissioner Scott Richardson said that the SC...

WTO Needs ‘Political Miracle’ to Conclude Doha Deal in 2010

Mar 19 2010 // Members of the World Trade Organization are likely to conclude next week that it will take a political miracle to agree a new trade deal this year, consigning yet another Doha round deadline to the dustbin.The U.S. and...

Federal Healthcare Reform Triggering Opposition by States

Mar 19 2010 // As the U.S. Congress once again rallies to pass healthcare reform legislation, momentum is growing in many states to pass laws to block the changes — a move that could lead to a legal battle over states’...

Toyota Facing Possible Triple Damages in Consumer Resale Value Suits

Mar 18 2010 // Lawyers seeking civil damages against Toyota Motor Corp. on behalf of U.S. consumers for diminished resale value of recalled vehicles are broadening their cases to add racketeering claims against the automaker.Using...