Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Cyber Attacks in Europe, Middle East Could Be Work of Turkey-Sponsored Hackers
Jan 27 2020 // Sweeping cyber attacks targeting governments and other organizations in Europe and the Middle East are believed to be the work of hackers acting in the interests of the Turkish government, three senior Western security...
Australian Insurers Should Be Able to Withstand Mounting Bushfire Claims: AM Best
Jan 27 2020 // Australian insurers are well-capitalized and should be able to withstand losses from the 2019/2020 bushfire season, aided by strong capital positions and support from reinsurance partners, said AM Best. The ratings agency...
How China’s Coronavirus Will Test the U.S., Too: Opinion
Jan 27 2020 // As the Wuhan coronavirus spreads to America, it now seems quite possible the United States will face some considerable logistical challenges. Even if the virus turns out not to be very deadly, or mutates into a safer form,...
Internet Firms’ Liability Shield on Justice Department Meeting Agenda
Jan 27 2020 // The U.S. Justice Department is planning to hold a conference to discuss the future of a federal law which largely exempts online platforms from legal liability for the material their users post, sources familiar with the...
Study: Petrochemicals Boom Would Boost Greenhouse Gases
Jan 27 2020 // A multi-billion dollar boom in petrochemical plants proposed along the U.S. Gulf Coast could pump as much greenhouse gas into the air as 131 coal-fired power plants by 2030, according to a study released by University of...
U.S. Confirms 5 Cases of Coronavirus; 100 More Possible But Risk in U.S. Deemed Low
Jan 26 2020 // Five people in the United States, all of whom recently traveled from Wuhan, China, have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, officials of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Sunday. The count...
Workers’ Compensation Is Doing Well. Is It Time to Worry?
Jan 24 2020 // Although workers’ compensation results remain strong—and the line continues to outperform all other commercial insurance lines—worries about continued soft pricing and loss reserve levels for workers’...
Making Big Oil Pay for Climate Change May Be Impossible
Jan 24 2020 // Exxon Mobil dodged a bullet last month when a judge rejected a novel climate-change lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general. The case began with a promise from state officials that there would be a historic...
Insured Losses from Australia’s Hailstorms Hit US$352.5 Million
Jan 24 2020 // The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared a catastrophe for damage caused by hailstorms that struck eastern Melbourne, the Australian Capital Territory and parts of New South Wales on Sunday and Monday (Jan....
Roundup Plaintiffs, Bayer in Talks to Settle Claims For $10 Billion
Jan 23 2020 // In an effort to settle tens of thousands of claims that Bayer AG’s Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, lawyers for some plaintiffs are discussing with the company deals that could lead to a total payout of about $10...
Lyft Hopes New Expert Council Improves Safety for Riders, Drivers
Jan 23 2020 // Lyft Inc is putting together a council of experts to advise the ride-hailing company on its safety initiatives for riders and drivers, it said in a blog post on Tuesday. The Safety Advisory Council will include...
Environmental Group Warns ‘Forever Chemicals’ Widespread in U.S. Drinking Water
Jan 23 2020 // The contamination of U.S. drinking water with man-made “forever chemicals” is far worse than previously estimated with some of the highest levels found in Miami, Philadelphia and New Orleans, said a report on...
BMS Group Appoints Kohonen as Senior Vice President in Atlanta
Jan 23 2020 // BMS Group, the independent specialist (re)insurance broker, has appointed Jani Kohonen as senior vice president and Atlanta branch manager, effective on Jan. 29, 2020. He will be based in Atlanta and reports to Pete...
California Considers Declaring Common Pain Killer Carcinogen
Jan 22 2020 // A fight is coming to California over whether to list one of the world’s most common over-the-counter drugs as a carcinogen, echoing recent high-profile battles over things like alcohol and coffee. The drug is...
Trump Says U.S. Has Plan to Contain Coronavirus
Jan 22 2020 // President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States has a plan in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland,...
Ransomware Exposure Driving Up Cyber Insurance Costs
Jan 22 2020 // U.S. insurers are ramping up cyber-insurance rates by as much as 25% and trying to curb exposure to vulnerable customers after a surge of costly claims, industry sources said. The changes follow a challenging year of...
Massachusetts’ Sayata Labs Hires King Flynn as Head of Insurance
Jan 22 2020 // King Flynn has joined Sayata Labs, a Boston, Mass.-based, Axa-backed insurtech startup, as head of Insurance. Sayata helps insurance carriers and brokers accelerate their mid-market cyber business while simultaneously...
Natural Disasters in Past Decade Broke Records for Economic, Insured Losses: Aon
Jan 22 2020 // The past decade broke new records in terms of economic damages and insured losses, according to Aon’s latest catastrophe report. The costs to global economies reached US$2.98 trillion between 2010 and 2019, which was...
Pandemic Fears Grow as China Steps Up Efforts to Control New Flu-Like Coronavirus
Jan 22 2020 // Deaths from China’s new flu-like virus rose to nine on Wednesday with more than 470 confirmed cases, heightening global fears of contagion from an infection suspected to have come from animals. The previously unknown...
Iran Crash Victims May Need Political Backing in Fight for Damages
Jan 22 2020 // Families of the 176 people killed when Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner face a complicated legal battle where backing from the victims’ governments may be crucial as they seek damages, legal experts said. Lawyers...
