Latest USA Headlines

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

U.S. Safety Agency Eyes Cell Phone Use Ban for Bus, Truck Drivers

Sep 25 2009 // Safety investigators told federal regulators three years ago that it was dangerous for bus drivers to talk on cell phones while driving and recommended a ban.The National Transportation Safety Board put that recommendation...

Lloyd’s First Half 2009 Pretax Profits up 29% to $2.18 Billion

Sep 24 2009 // Lloyd’s conservative management, combined with a notable lack of major natural catastrophes, has resulted in a £1.32 billion ($2.18 billion) pretax profit for the first half of 2009, compared to £949...

U.S. Should Focus on Value, Pay Doctors a Salary: Healthcare Experts

Sep 24 2009 // The secret to fixing healthcare in the United States is to focus on value, a measure that takes into account both quality and cost, says Dr. Denis Cortese, president of the Mayo Clinic.The Rochester, Minnesota-based...

Ratings Recap: Fairfax (debt), Swiss Re (notes), Rembrandt,

Sep 23 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its preliminary ‘BBB-‘ senior unsecured debt, ‘BB+’ subordinated unsecured debt, and ‘BB’ preferred shares ratings on Fairfax...

China, U.S. Try to Jumpstart U.N. Climate Change Talks

Sep 23 2009 // China laid out a plan to curb carbon emissions by 2020 and U.S. President Barack Obama called on all nations to act now to tackle global warming, as world leaders tried to inject momentum into climate change talks.With...

10 Years Ago, Hurricane Floyd Brought Flooding, Evacuations to Carolinas

Sep 22 2009 // In the dark of night on Sept. 15, 1999, Kelly Andreucci stood on the front porch of his childhood home along Godfrey Avenue and worried about the rain drenching his neighborhood.That night, Hurricane Floyd skirted the...

UN Seeks Momentum in Climate Talks as Obama, Hu Speak

Sep 22 2009 // China and the United States, the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters, will try to ignite efforts Tuesday to secure a U.N. global warming pact as worries grow of a “dangerously close” deadlock in...

U.S. Senate Panel Takes On Health Care Plan

Sep 22 2009 // The U.S. Senate Finance Committee opened consideration of its long-delayed health care reform bill Tuesday, with affordability topping the list of concerns for Democrats who control the panel.Committee members filed 564...

White House Targets Insurers for Health Insurance Premiums

Sep 22 2009 // The White House kept insurance companies squarely in its sights Tuesday in the push for healthcare reform by releasing research showing that health insurance premiums have risen far faster than inflation in every U.S....

As AIG Stabilizes, Greenberg’s Revised Bailout Under Consideration

Sep 21 2009 // Insurer American International Group Inc.’s once-desperate financial state has started to stabilize, a government agency said Monday, as an influential lawmaker said he would look at easing the terms of the...

AIG Stabilizing But Ability to Repay U.S. Unclear, Says Report to Congress

Sep 21 2009 // Insurer American International Group’s ability to restructure its business and repay billions of dollars to the U.S. government remains in doubt, U.S. congressional investigators said in a report released on...

Mexican Passenger Buses Avoid Safety Checks When Entering U.S., Says Audit

Sep 21 2009 // Some Mexican passenger buses are not being inspected when they enter the U.S. because they cross the border on evenings and weekends, there are no inspectors or the crossings lack safe places for inspections, according to...

Las Vegas Malpractice Fraud Case Reinstated by Federal Court

Sep 21 2009 // A federal appeals court has reinstated a criminal case against a Las Vegas attorney and medical consultant accused of participating in a scheme to inflate medical costs, protect doctors from malpractice lawsuits and share...

A.M. Best: New Regulations, Market Conditions and Financial Crisis Wreak Havoc on Workers’ Comp Line

Sep 21 2009 // Challenging market conditions, the financial crisis and the recession drove profitability downward for the U.S. workers’ compensation market in 2008.Changing regulatory conditions and reforms have also impacted the...

Reinsurers’ Rendezvous Reveals Reflection; Sea Level Rise Imperil Coasts; Pirates Ahoy!

Sep 21 2009 // The world’s reinsurers gathered in Monte Carlo over the first weekend in September for their annual conclave. This year’s meetings were calm by comparison with prior years — no hurricanes ravaging...

Feds, Regulators, Congress Eye the Future of Credit Rating Agencies

Sep 21 2009 // The nation’s insurance regulators, Congress and the SEC have eyes on credit rating agencies and the standards they must follow in the future.The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) said it will...

Safety, Training Standards Lacking for Increasingly-Popular Robotic Surgery

Sep 18 2009 // Surgeons are increasingly turning to high-tech robotic equipment to operate on patients with prostate cancer and other conditions but some medical authorities worry about inadequate training and lax standards among...

Insurance Industry Facing Increased Regulatory, Legislative Activity: Study

Sep 18 2009 // Legislative and regulatory activity affecting the insurance industry has increased considerably in 2009 compared to the previous two years, according to a new report.From January to July 2009, more than 10,000 pieces of...

U.S. Businesses Urged to Prepare for Absenteeism Due to H1N1 Flu

Sep 18 2009 // The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday offered companies new guidelines for coping with the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, warning that employers could face crippling absenteeism as the U.S. flu season takes hold.In the 16-page...

Home Insurers Use Lava Maps to Limit Exposure on Hawaii’s Big Island

Sep 18 2009 // The U.S. Geological Survey’s 35-year-old maps of lava danger zones in this southern corner of Hawaii’s Big Island are a tableau of earthy colors and odd shapes originally meant for scientific and planning...