Barack Obama News

New BP CEO Dudley: Gulf Disaster a ‘Wake Up’ Call to Prioritize Safety

BP Plc’s newly named chief executive Tuesday called the Gulf oil spill a “wake-up call” for the entire industry as the company tallied up its losses and disclosed two U.S. investigations. Bob Dudley, who will replace gaffe-prone Tony Hayward as …

Congress Set to Tackle Oil Spill Liability, Drilling Safety

U.S. Senate Democrats are set to unveil a slimmed-down energy bill Tuesday aimed at reforming offshore drilling, but House lawmakers are taking up a tougher bill on Friday that adds another hurdle to get a bill signed into law this …

BP Claims Fund On Alert for Phonies While Cutting Red Tape

Swindlers, scammers and even a few strippers are flocking to the Gulf Coast in search of a piece of the $20 billion BP Plc has set aside to compensate residents for spill-related losses. Adjusters passing out emergency funds in Louisiana …

Claims Fund Chief Says BP Stalling on Payments to Oil Disaster Victims

British energy giant BP Plc is holding up payments to economic victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Kenneth Feinberg, administrator of a $20 billion compensation fund, said Saturday. “I have a concern that BP is stalling claims. Yes, …

Tropical Storm Threatens Gulf Oil Disaster Containment

BP Plc oil spill workers in the Gulf of Mexico prepared for a possible evacuation Thursday as a tropical storm threatened more delays in attempts to end the environmental disaster. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Bonnie, the …

Obama, Cameron Push Sanctions on Iran, Including Insurance

Britain and the United States said Tuesday it was not too late for a peaceful solution to the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program, but said they were determined to enforce new sanctions. The United Nations approved sanctions against the Islamic …

President Signs Historic Financial Reform Legislation

President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed a sweeping overhaul of the financial regulatory system. The “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act,” drafted in response to the recent financial crisis, makes significant changes to financial services regulation. The 2,300-page …

Minor Earthquake Shakes Up U.S. Capital

Earthquakes are so rare in the Washington area that even a geology student wasn’t quite sure what was going on when a minor one hit early Friday. Was it a truck passing by? A low-flying plane? Gerasimos Michalitsianos, who will …

SEC Creates New Divisions to Oversee Large Financial Firms

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Friday it created three expert units to focus on big financial companies, complex securities and securities offerings. The new offices within the division of corporate finance largely mirror the industries and products that …

It Figures

120 The number of days Congress extended the National Flood Insurance Program after leaving town and letting it expire on June 1. The latest temporary reauthorization is until Sept. 30 and retroactive to June 1. The NFIP should return to …