Hurricanes may flood entire cities, rip off roofs and level trees every year, but when it comes to overcoming public apathy, they're stunningly powerless. Two-thirds of residents in Florida and other coastal states feel no threat from storms. More than ... [full story]

A study of car safety released on Wednesday shows that four of the top-scoring automobiles in tests of five new models were small cars or so-called super-minis — including the Honda Jazz, Hyundai i20, Kia Soul and Peugeot 3008. The ... [full story]

There are signs that business conditions for U.S. commercial lines insurers are improving, though a full-scale economic turnaround “is still a long way off,” Standard & Poor's Corp. said in a Thursday report. Separately the rating agency said U.S. and Bermuda ... [full story]

Offshore energy operations are facing Monday’s hurricane season start with big coverage problems including deep cuts in capacity and huge premium increases, an insurance broker said. Bertil Olsson, energy leader for Marsh’s U.S. Energy, Mining and Power Practice, said during a ... [full story]

Two St. Louis-area men pleaded guilty Tuesday to a mortgage fraud scheme involving the sale of residential real estate in Sikeston. Russell Todd McBride, of Creve Coeur, and Robert Wrolstad, of O’Fallon, were charged in a 34-count indictment, Acting U.S. Attorney ... [full story]

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Pricing, capacity and terms and conditions in the surplus lines market remained relatively flat in the first quarter of 2009 compared with the same quarter in 2008, according to a National Assn. of Surplus Lines Offices' membership survey.  ... [full story]

DALLAS—The insurance sector is hiring even after layoffs and is doing better than other business segments, according to a recruiting expert. Insurance has been less affected by the economy than some other industries, like banking and real estate, said Robin Bland, ... [full story]

MIAMI, June 1 (UPI) -- The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season began Monday with a tropical wave reported over the Caribbean Sea and one tropical depression already spent. The season that runs through Nov. 30 is forecast to be "near-normal" or ... [full story]

President Obama's push to force Americans into smaller cars ignores one big problem -- small cars are less safe than big cars. Ignoring this fact will cost lives. Mr. Obama announced new miles-per-gallon regulations on May 19 that mandate that ... [full story]

WASHINGTON—The Federal Emergency Management Agency must accelerate development of its plan to improve the nation’s ability to respond to a national catastrophe, the Government Accountability Office said. In a report issued today, the GAO announced it has found 68 percent of ... [full story]