Latest USA Headlines

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

CSU’s Gray May Reduce Atlantic Storm Outlook

May 14 2009 // Colorado State University hurricane forecaster Bill Gray said Wednesday he may reduce his next Atlantic season forecast because sea temperatures are cooling and a weak El Nino may appear by late summer.“Things are...

U.S. Hurricane Center Applying Storm Surge, Other Lessons Learned

May 14 2009 // Tropical storms are unpredictable, but as the National Hurricane Center’s director contemplates ways to improve forecasting errors and communicating with the public, he is confident he has an ally at the Federal...

U.S. Chamber Questions Lack of Due Process in EU Antitrust Decisions

May 14 2009 // The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has issued a bulletin which raises its “concerns that the European Commission’s levy of a record setting antitrust fine against Intel is part of a larger, troubling...

Top 100 Profile: Locked into the Customer at No. 1 Lockton

May 14 2009 // As Insurance Journal prepares for another Top 100 Independent Property/Casualty Agency List, to be published in our Aug. 3, 2009, magazine, the editors wanted to highlight a few of the current Top 100 agencies. Throughout...

ING’s Q1 Loss Wider than Expected

May 13 2009 // Dutch banking and insurance group ING reported on Wednesday a much bigger than expected first-quarter net loss of €793 million ($1.085 billion), or 39 €-cents (53.3 U.S. cents) per share, hurt by a sharply...

New H1N1 Flu Virus Not Quite a Pandemic-Yet, Says WHO

May 12 2009 // The new H1N1 virus shows no signs of sustained person-to-person spread outside of North America and so has not yet tipped over into a pandemic, a top World Health Organization official said Monday.Dr. Keiji Fukuda, acting...

U.K.’s Marketform Group Launches Five New Classes of Business

May 12 2009 // The London-based Marketform Group Limited, a leading market for non-US medical malpractice and other specialty lines, has announced that it is now underwriting five new classes of business.Chairman Holly Bellingham...

U.S. Justice Department Plans New Antitrust Effort

May 12 2009 // The Justice Department warned corporate America on Monday that the government will aggressively investigate big firms that improperly dominate markets.Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney said the department is...

U.S. to Require Ships Sailing Off Somalia to Post Guards

May 12 2009 // The U.S. Coast Guard will require U.S.-flagged ships sailing around the Horn of Africa to post guards and ship owners to submit anti-piracy security plans for approval, a Coast Guard official said Tuesday.The new...

Idaho Hispanic Population Shows Buying Power

May 11 2009 // Two years ago, Nestor Carrillo could fit the demands for his Mexican candies and tortillas into one truck as he drove products to a handful of stores across Idaho. Carrillo now has four trucks, three employees and delivers...

An Awakened Washington Promises More Stress for Directors & Officers

May 11 2009 // Corporations and their directors and officers are living in fear. Fear of the next financial scandal, the next stock market plunge, the next lawsuit. Fear of bankruptcy. Fear of angry policymakers inside Washington and...

Like ‘Waiting for Godot,’ WTO Awaits Next US Move

May 8 2009 // Most countries are ready to finish the long-running Doha round of world trade talks, but all bets are off until the Obama administration determines how to proceed, a group of visiting diplomats from developing nations said...

No New Government Funds for AIG

May 8 2009 // American International Group, the giant insurer bailed out by the U.S. government, reported its smallest loss in six quarters on Thursday, hurt once more by investment losses and write downs.AIG has lost more than $100...

Seattle, Washington and Metropolitan Area Most Secure Places to Live in U.S.

May 8 2009 // Those seeking a place to live, work or raise a family in a safe and secure environment should consider the Pacific Northwest, according to the fifth annual Most Secure U.S. Places to Live rankings from Farmers Insurance...

AIG Reports $4.35 Billion Q1 Loss

May 7 2009 // American International Group, Inc. (AIG) today reported a net loss for the first quarter of 2009 of $4.35 billion compared to a net loss of $7.81 billion in the first quarter of 2008.The loss was less than the $5 billion...

FDIC’s Bair Says U.S. Needs Systemic Risk Council as Regulator

May 6 2009 // The United States needs a council of regulators to oversee threats to the financial system, in addition to a regulator to supervise the largest financial institutions, the head of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp...

Max Capital Group’s Q1 Net up 82% to $44.5 Million

May 6 2009 // The Bermuda-based Max Capital Group reported net income for the three months ended March 31, 2009 of $44.5 million, or $0.78 per diluted share, compared to net income of $7.7 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, for the...

Marsh Posts Q1 Profit As Lower Costs Offset Revenue Drop

May 6 2009 // Marsh & McLennan Cos Inc., the second-largest global insurance broker, posted a first-quarter profit on Wednesday, reversing a year-earlier loss, as lower costs helped offset a decline in revenue.Chief Executive Brian...

Fight against Pirates Also Needed Ashore Says Top Navy Admiral

May 5 2009 // The fight against piracy must involve efforts on land and at sea, the U.S. Navy’s top officer said Monday, saying the issue was more complex than just putting arms on commercial ships.“Pirates don’t live...

Berkshire’s Buffett: Life Insurers Took ‘Crazy’ Financial Risks

May 5 2009 // Billionaire Warren Buffett on Sunday criticized some life insurers for taking on “crazy” financial risks by selling variable annuities, or retirement products that promised unrealistic guarantees to buyers.The...