The state of Florida has reluctantly agreed to pay Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway $224 million now, in exchange for a promise it will be able to borrow $4 billion from Berkshire later, if the state gets severely slammed by hurricanes this year.    Read More

The flooding in Iowa has spread its economic stress to more than just rising corn prices. Many Iowa-based companies are also feeling the strain, causing production to stop and stocks to move.   Read More

In the "You don't say?" file, the U.S. Geological Survey is predicting that California has a "99.7 percent chance" of getting hit by an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or worse in the next 30 years. This information is used by insurance companies in setting earthquake policy rates.    Read More