United States News

Global Regulators Seek Coordination for Financial Reforms

Global regulators cannot adopt one-size-fits-all rules and practices as they react to the financial crisis, but it is possible to have common principles, a top Japanese regulator said Wednesday. Other market watchdogs and industry members at a conference here echoed …

BP’s U.S. Shares Plunge on Oil Spill Liability Fears

BP Plc shares tumbled nearly 16 percent on U.S. exchanges to a 14-year low Wednesday on rising fears about how the wounded company will cope with the massive costs of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. The stock has now …

Chemical BPA Used In Most Food Can Linings Raises Concerns

Yolande Sprague could be forgiven for feeling virtuous. Four years ago, just after giving birth to her second child, the Dover, new Hampshire stay-at-home mom heard about BPA, a chemical inside some plastics that can leach into water or food …

And the Best, Worst States for Tort Liability Costs Are…

Alaska, Hawaii and North Carolina get thumbs up while New Jersey, New York and Florida get thumbs down for their tort liability costs in the latest ranking by a free-market think tank. The states with the worst performance had the …

Cavignac & Associates Appoints Brouwer Surety Department Manager

San Diego-based risk management firm Cavignac & Associates has named Gerrit (Gary) Brouwer surety department manager. A 29-year veteran of the surety bond industry, Brouwer will serve as the primary liaison between the agency’s surety accounts and surety companies, responsible …

Study Ties 1811, 1812 Midwest Quakes to Illinois Fault

New research by U.S. Geological Survey scientists is casting doubt on the long-held idea that the New Madrid fault zone in Missouri’s Bootheel unleashed a series of devastating earthquakes in 1811 and 1812. In a new study, the researchers say …

CNA Completes Sale of Its Argentinean Subsidiary to QBE

CNA Financial Corporation announced that it has completed the sale of its Argentinean subsidiary, CNA Aseguradora de Riesgos del Trabajo (CNA ART S.A.), to QBE the Americas, the Australia-based insurer and reinsurer. The sale price was $66.3 million, which CNA …

Change in Michigan Law Opened Door to Lawsuits Against Hooters

An attorney for two former waitresses in Michigan who said Hooters fired them because of their weight told a newspaper the case is about civil rights. But Hooters said the appearance of its waitresses is a legitimate business concern. “This …

Hawaii Insurance Commissioner Schmidt Resigns

J.P. Schmidt, Insurance Commissioner of the State of Hawaii, announced he be leaving his position to join the Honolulu law firm of Bays Deaver Lung Rose Holma, effective July 1. Schmidt will be practicing general business, corporate and government regulatory …

Congress’s inability to act leaves many in flood prone areas vulnerable – for the second time this year and the fourth in 12 months’ time. When it rains it pours, as the saying goes. By extension, one could say that …