Detroit schools can't meet payroll after June 30

(Reuters) - The cash-strapped Detroit Public Schools will run out of money to pay employees after the fiscal year wraps up on June 30, the schools' emergency manager said on Saturday.

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Obama takes final bow at star-studded Washington dinner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With seven performances under his belt, U.S. President Barack Obama will try one last time to bring the house down at the annual White House correspondents' dinner on Saturday, a night of playful ribbing of both politicians and the news media.

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Maryland man charged in bomb threat at Baltimore TV station

(Reuters) - A Maryland man accused of threatening Fox Television's Baltimore affiliate while wearing a hedgehog suit and a fake bomb vest loaded with foil-wrapped chocolate bars has been charged with arson and other counts, authorities said on Friday.

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U.S. West Point academy set for first woman dean in two century history

(Reuters) - The United States Military Academy is poised to have its first woman dean in its 216-year history after President Barack Obama nominated to the post a West Point graduate who currently leads the school's Department of Social Sciences.

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Ringling elephants, a famed U.S. circus act, pack up trunks for retirement

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Elephants take a final bow at Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus on Sunday, ending a 145-year spectacle that delighted fans but enraged animal activists, who say the highly publicized retirement is not enough.

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U.S. top court declines to block Texas voter identification law

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid to block a Texas law that requires voters to show a government-issued form of photo identification before casting a ballot, but left the door open to a renewed challenge before the November elections.

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Oklahoma legislation aims to ensure punishment for sex crimes

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Oklahoma lawmakers will take up legislation next week aimed at ensuring sex crimes do not go unpunished in the state because the victims were unconscious or intoxicated when they occurred.

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Charleston church shooting suspect's friend to plead guilty to lying

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - A friend of the gunman accused of slaying nine black parishioners in a 2015 attack on a South Carolina church will plead guilty on Friday to lying to investigators and concealing knowledge of the plan, court documents show.

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Flights to Philadelphia temporarily halted after two plane emergencies

(Reuters) - All flights into Philadelphia International Airport were halted for less than an hour on Friday morning after two planes reportedly were forced to make emergency landings.

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Apple employee died of self-inflicted gunshot wound: police

(Reuters) - The Apple Inc employee found dead at the company's California headquarters committed suicide, dying of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, police said on Thursday.

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About 20 demonstrators arrested outside of Trump rally in California

(Reuters) - Some 20 demonstrators were arrested on Thursday outside a Donald Trump campaign rally in southern California, where the Republican presidential front-runner vowed to his supporters to get tough on illegal immigration if elected.

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Brother of San Bernardino shooter arrested with two others

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Three people linked to the couple responsible for December's mass shooting in San Bernardino, California were arrested on Thursday on conspiracy, marriage fraud and other charges unrelated to the massacre, U.S. prosecutors said.

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U.S. to consider banning criminal history from federal job applications

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. agency that oversees personnel hiring for the federal government will propose a rule that would remove questions about criminal history from job applications, the Office of Personnel Management said on Thursday.

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Fox TV station in Baltimore evacuated after bomb threat

(Reuters) - Offices of the Fox Baltimore television affiliate WBFF were evacuated after a bomb threat and fire on Thursday, the station reported.

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U.S. military punishes 16 over 2015 Afghan hospital bombing

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military will announce on Friday that has it taken disciplinary action against 16 service members over a deadly Oct. 3 air strike in Afghanistan that destroyed a hospital run by the international medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, U.S. officials tell Reuters.

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Minnesota police obtain sealed search warrant for Prince's residence

(Reuters) - Authorities in Minnesota obtained a search warrant in connection with the death of pop star Prince and also won a court order to keep the findings secret, documents showed Thursday.

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First funeral held six days after Ohio family massacre

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Almost a week after eight family members were found shot to death at four separate homes in rural Ohio's Appalachian foothills, the first funeral for the victims is being held on Thursday as investigators work to identify the killers.

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Eighty arrested in Ontario child porn, sex bust: police

TORONTO (Reuters) - Eighty suspects have been arrested in Ontario on charges including sexual assault and child pornography in cases involving at least 20 victims, following a multi-agency Canadian-U.S. operation, authorities said on Thursday.

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Colorado clinic accused gunman due in court for competency hearing

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) - A man accused of fatally shooting three people and wounding nine others at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado last year is set to return to court on Thursday for a hearing to determine if he is mentally competent enough to fire his lawyers.

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Exclusive: No wall, but more high-tech gear, fencing sought by U.S. border agents

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal agents who patrol the U.S. border with Mexico want 23 more miles (37 km) of fences, better radios and more aerial drones to tighten the southern frontier, according to an unpublished U.S. government study that influences budget requests.

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U.S. university head sent on leave over claim she quashed bad publicity

(Reuters) - The chancellor of the University of California, Davis was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday over claims the school spent $175,000 to quash negative Internet posts.

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Opioid medication found on Prince, at death scene: media

(Reuters) - Authorities investigating the death of Prince found prescription opioid medication on him, according to various news outlets on Wednesday, the same day court records showed a judge appointed a bank to safeguard the music legend's estate.

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Georgia executes man for 1998 murders of a father, two children

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A man described by a prosecutor as "pure damn evil" for killing two children and their father in 1998 was executed in Georgia on Wednesday.

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Ex-House Speaker Hastert gets 15 months, admits sex abuse

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, once one of the country's most powerful politicians, was sentenced on Wednesday to 15 months in federal prison for a financial crime related to sexual abuse of high school wrestlers he coached decades ago.

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Merck sex discrimination case could be collective action: judge

(Reuters) - A federal judge has granted preliminary approval for a lawsuit accusing Merck & Co Inc of underpaying female sales representatives to go forward as a collective action.

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Biggest gang bust in New York City history results in 120 arrests

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. authorities staged the largest gang takedown in New York City history on Wednesday, arresting 120 reputed rival gang members and their associates for murder, robbery, drug dealing and other charges, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said.

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Former U.S. hostages move closer to restitution for Colombia ordeal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three Americans who endured a half decade as hostages of Marxist-led Colombian rebels moved closer to winning restitution on Wednesday, through U.S. legislation making it easier for former captives to claim assets seized from drug traffickers.

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Labor agency files complaint against VW on row with UAW in Tennessee

(Reuters) - The U.S. National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday filed an unfair labor practices complaint against Volkswagen AG for not bargaining with a portion of plant workers at its Tennessee plant represented by the United Auto Workers union.

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NLRB files complaint against VW on labor row with UAW in Tennessee

(Reuters) - The U.S. National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday filed an unfair labor practices complaint against Volkswagen AG for not bargaining with a portion of plant workers at its Tennessee plant represented by the United Auto Workers union.

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Man found dead at Apple headquarters in California

(Reuters) - An Apple Inc employee has been found dead in a conference room at the company's headquarters in Northern California, police said on Wednesday, calling it an "isolated incident" that did not involve any other victims or suspects.

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Alabama city makes bathroom access by gender identity a crime

(Reuters) - An Alabama city appears to be the first in the country to specify criminal penalties for violators of an ordinance requiring people to use bathrooms that match the gender on their birth certificates, civil rights groups said on Wednesday.

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FBI says cannot submit method for unlocking iPhone for interagency review

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday that it did not own the rights to the technical method it used to open an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters and therefore "cannot" submit details of the mechanism to an interagency review process.

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Obama to visit Flint, Michigan to hear about water crisis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will visit Flint, Michigan next week to hear from residents about the drinking water crisis, the White House said on Wednesday.

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White House locked down for security incident: Secret Service

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House was locked down for the second time in two days for a security incident, a Secret Service official said on Wednesday.

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Real estate heir Durst gets seven years in prison for U.S. gun crime

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - A New Orleans judge on Wednesday sentenced real estate scion Robert Durst to seven years in prison for a federal gun crime and agreed to recommend that he serve his time in a California prison.

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Turkish businessman pleads not guilty to U.S. charges over Iran sanctions

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Turkish businessman pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges that he and others conspired to conduct hundreds of millions of dollars in financial transactions for the Iranian government or other entities to evade U.S. sanctions.

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Three dead, one wounded in Mississippi shootings

(Reuters) - Three people were killed and one critically wounded in shootings early on Wednesday in north-central Mississippi, a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation official said.

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Clampdown on trade secret theft seen passing U.S. Congress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Corporate trade secrets, including manufacturing processes and computer methods, would enjoy greater legal protections against theft under legislation expected to be approved by the U.S. Congress on Wednesday.

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Supreme Court weighs Virginia ex-governor's corruption appeal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell's appeal of his conviction on corruption charges involving $177,000 in gifts and sweetheart loans from a businessman seeking to promote a dietary supplement.

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Pentagon aims to curb tobacco use by military: memo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has issued new policy guidelines aimed at curbing tobacco use within the U.S. military that include raising the prices of tobacco on military bases to match local market prices.

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Cargo ship El Faro's voyage data recorder located: U.S. NTSB

ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - The voyage data recorder from the ship El Faro, which sank in October during a hurricane off the Bahamas killing all 33 crew onboard, was located on Tuesday in 15,000 feet (4,600 meters) of water, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said.

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Cockfighting clues found on Ohio property of slain family -officials

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Investigators probing the mysterious execution-style killings of eight family members in rural Ohio last week have found evidence of illegal cockfighting and marijuana cultivation on their property, state officials said on Tuesday.

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Lawyers file $220 million damage claim against EPA in Flint water crisis

(Reuters) - Lawyers for residents of Flint, Michigan, have filed a $220.2 million damages claim alleging negligence on the part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contributed to dangerous lead levels in the city's water supply.

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FBI director suggests iPhone flaw may remain secret

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI Director James Comey said on Tuesday that his agency was still assessing whether a vulnerability used to unlock an iPhone linked to one of the San Bernardino killers would go through a government review to determine if it should be disclosed to Apple or the public.

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Union says Volkswagen staff won't pay price for Dieselgate in wage talks

BERLIN (Reuters) - Volkswagen has no right to use the crisis over its emissions test cheating to deny workers a reasonable wage increase, the IG Metall union said, reiterating its call for a 5 percent pay hike for about 120,000 VW staff in western Germany.

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Baltimore votes in mayoral primary a year after Freddie Gray unrest

(Reuters) - Baltimore voters cast ballots in the Democratic nominating contest for mayor on Tuesday, with a Maryland state senator leading a crowded field a year after rioting sparked by a black man's death in police custody.

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Federal judge upholds voter ID law in North Carolina

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - A federal judge upheld a North Carolina law on Monday that requires voters to show certain forms of photo identification at the polls, in a key victory for Republicans in a presidential election year who say the law is needed to prevent fraud.

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Exclusive: U.S. agencies split over fingerprinting parents of child immigrants

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. immigration enforcement officers are proposing that fingerprints be taken from all people claiming custody of children who have entered the United States illegally without an adult relative, a measure that opponents said could keep thousands of families apart.

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TV personality Erin Andrews settles video stalker case: reports

(Reuters) - Television personality Erin Andrews has reached a settlement with the owner and operator of the Nashville hotel where a nude video of her that went viral was secretly recorded, according to media reports on Monday.

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Cosby sex assault prosecution can move ahead: Pennsylvania court

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania appeals court on Monday cleared the way for the first and only criminal case against Bill Cosby to proceed, rejecting the comedian's attempt to have the charges thrown out due to a deal he contends was reached with prosecutors a decade ago.

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Two accused in Mexican cartel lawyer slaying on trial in Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas (Reuters) - Two men accused of tracking an alleged high-level member of a Mexican drug cartel for two years to help set up his ambush slaying in Texas in 2013, go on trial on Monday afternoon in U.S. federal court in Fort Worth.

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U.S. appeals court restores Brady's 'Deflategate' suspension

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Monday restored the four-game "Deflategate" suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, handing the National Football League a victory in the latest round in a battle with one of its marquee players.

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Critics of North Carolina transgender law deliver petitions seeking repeal

RALEIGH, N.C. (Reuters) - Opponents of a North Carolina law that restricts bathroom choices for transgender people said they have nearly 180,000 signatures on petitions demanding its repeal as lawmakers return on Monday for a legislative session receiving national scrutiny.

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Cleveland to pay $6 million to settle police killing of Tamir Rice

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Cleveland officials have agreed to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy who was shot dead by a white police officer in 2014, according to documents filed in federal court on Monday.

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Dallas grand jury indicts former quarterback Johnny Manziel: reports

DALLAS (Reuters) - A Dallas County grand jury has indicted former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel on a charge of misdemeanor assault with bodily injury after he allegedly struck his ex-girlfriend, media reported.

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Connecticut man made threat on Twitter to bomb Trump rally: police

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A 20-year-old Connecticut man was arrested after being accused of sending threats on Twitter to bomb a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, authorities said on Sunday.

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Three federal agents shot in Kansas gun battle with suspect

(Reuters) - Three federal law enforcement officers were wounded in an exchange of gunfire with a suspect at a motel in Topeka, Kansas, authorities said on Sunday.

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Hunt for suspects in Ohio execution-style murder spree enters second day

(Reuters) - A manhunt for a suspect or suspects in the execution-style killings of eight family members in south-central Ohio entered its second full day on Sunday, with authorities providing no fresh information about the murders or the investigation.

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Pennsylvania voters torn over calls for a fracking ban

WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - For some Democratic voters in Pennsylvania, Tuesday's primary election will be more than just a chance to pick preferred candidates for public office - it will be a mini-referendum on the future of the state's downtrodden fracking industry.

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Ohio search continues after eight killed execution-style

(Reuters) - Ohio investigators worked through the night without making an arrest in the search for a suspect or suspects in the execution-style killings of eight members of the same family who were shot dead in four homes on Friday, officials said on Saturday.

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Five killed in apparently related shootings in Georgia: reports

(Reuters) - Five people were killed in Georgia on Friday in two separate shootings that authorities said appeared to be related domestic incidents, local media reported.

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Trump bashes Clinton, promises not to become boring

HOLLYWOOD, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump attacked his top Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on Friday, calling her "crooked," and promised his supporters that he would not bore them by becoming overly presidential.

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Prosecutors seek dismissal of charges against man in Arizona shootings

(Reuters) - Prosecutors in Phoenix on Friday filed court papers to withdraw criminal charges against a man who was arrested last year and accused in a string of Arizona freeway shootings, a spokesman for prosecutors said.

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Dog kills California baby in apparent accident: police

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A dog lying in bed with a San Diego couple and their infant boy was startled by the mother and bit the child to death on Friday, police said.

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Spy chief pressed for number of Americans ensnared in data espionage

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers are pressing the nation's top intelligence official to estimate the number of Americans ensnared in email surveillance and other such spying on foreign targets, saying the information was needed to gauge possible reforms to the controversial programs.

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Why did Prince die? Autopsy performed on music legend

(Reuters) - An autopsy on U.S. music superstar Prince on Friday sought to determine why the innovative performer died, but authorities cautioned it could take weeks before the results are made public.

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Charges cleared against man convicted of 1957 Illinois murder

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An Illinois man who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping and murder of a 7-year-old girl in 1957 was cleared of charges on Friday.

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Virginia governor signs order restoring voting rights for felons

(Reuters) - Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an order on Friday restoring the voting rights of more than 200,000 convicted felons who have completed their sentences in a move that could help the Democratic nominee in November's presidential election.

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Multiple fatalities at Ohio, media reports say seven dead

(Reuters) - Multiple people were found dead in a home in Pike County, Ohio, law enforcement officials said on Friday, with a television station reporting that up to seven were killed.

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Hearing set in lawsuit against CIA interrogation program architects

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Attorneys for two former military psychologists who developed the CIA's Bush-era interrogation program will ask a federal court in Washington state on Friday to dismiss a lawsuit brought by former U.S. prisoners who allege they were tortured.

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Gunshots on a New Orleans bridge, and the decade-long road to justice

(Reuters) - Years before Black Lives Matter protesters roiled the streets of Ferguson and Baltimore, police officers in New Orleans killed two residents and maimed four others on a small bridge on the first Sunday after Hurricane Katrina.

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Journalists will not share Panama Papers with Justice Department

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The media group that coordinated the Panama Papers investigation into offshore companies said on Thursday it would not participate in a criminal probe by the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Uber drivers remain independent contractors as lawsuit settled

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Ride-hailing service Uber has agreed to pay up to $100 million to settle a class-action lawsuit which resolves a major challenge to its business model by allowing it to keep its California and Massachusetts drivers as independent contractors.

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Tiger on the loose captured in Texas, hunt is on for owner

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A young female tiger found wondering with a leash and collar around a north Houston suburb was captured on Thursday and police were searching for whoever let the predator out among the public.

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FBI paid more than $1.3 million to break into San Bernardino iPhone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said on Thursday the agency paid more to get into the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters than he will make in the remaining seven years and four months he has in his job.

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Official misconduct over Flint water crisis may be hard to prove: lawyers

(Reuters) - The lead criminal charge brought on Wednesday against two Michigan state officials in connection with the tainted water supply in Flint, Michigan, could be difficult to prove, lawyers familiar with the state's criminal law said.

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U.S. charges woman for exporting underwater drone technology to China

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Florida woman was charged with conspiring to illegally export U.S. technology used in underwater drones to a Chinese state-owned entity, according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday.

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Exclusive: Women, young more open on transgender issue in U.S. - Reuters/Ipsos poll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Transgender Americans may find greater acceptance in the future, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll that shows young adults and women more open to people using public bathrooms matching their gender identity.

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Former professional wrestler and entertainer Chyna dead at 45

(Reuters) - Former professional wrestler and reality television personality Chyna was found dead in her Los Angeles-area home on Wednesday, police said. She was 45 years old.

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U.S. border agents seize longest Mexico-California drug tunnel yet

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Federal agents have seized a ton of cocaine and seven tons of marijuana smuggled through a clandestine tunnel stretching a half mile beneath the U.S.-Mexico border, the longest one yet unearthed in California, authorities said on Wednesday.

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Judge denies Redstone granddaughter's bid to join competency suit

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California judge on Wednesday rejected a bid by Sumner Redstone's granddaughter to join the media mogul's ex-girlfriend in a lawsuit that challenges the 92-year-old billionaire's mental competency.

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Baltimore judge says second officer must testify in Freddie Gray case

(Reuters) - A Maryland judge ruled on Wednesday that a second Baltimore police officer must testify against two other officers also charged in the death of Freddie Gray a year ago.

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Exclusive: U.S. students given SATs that were online before exam

(Reuters) - At least five times in the past three years, U.S. high school students were administered SAT tests that included questions and answers widely available online more than a year before they took the exam, a Reuters analysis shows.

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One wounded in shooting at St. Louis' Washington University

(Reuters) - One person was wounded in a shooting at Washington University in St. Louis, and people on campus have been told to seek shelter, the school said on Wednesday.

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Harriet Tubman to be featured on U.S. $20 bill: Politico

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury has decided to replace former President Andrew Jackson with anti-slavery crusader Harriet Tubman on the U.S. $20 bill, and will put leaders of the women's suffrage movement on the back of $10 bill, Politico reported on Wednesday.

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U.S. Supreme Court rejects Iran bank's bid to avoid payout to attack victims

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that almost $2 billion in frozen Iranian assets must be turned over to American families of people killed in the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut and other attacks blamed on Iran.

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Criminal charges filed against three people in Flint water crisis: local media

DETROIT (Reuters) - Three Michigan state and local officials were criminally charged on Wednesday in connection with the state attorney general's investigation into dangerous lead levels in Flint's drinking water, a crisis that has fueled widespread public outrage, according to local media reports.

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In U.S. bathroom battles, Florida transgender student fights for equality

SARASOTA, Fla. (Reuters) - For 17-year-old transgender male Nate Quinn, using the bathroom at school became a battle.

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Houston schools to reopen Wednesday but flood warnings not yet lifted

(Reuters) - Houston schools will reopen on Wednesday after heavy rains and flooding killed at least six people and forced the cancellation of classes for two days in the country's fourth most populous city.

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Criminal charges coming on Wednesday over Flint water: report

(Reuters) - Michigan's attorney general will announce criminal charges on Wednesday connected to his investigation into dangerous levels of lead in Flint's drinking water, the Detroit Free Press reported on Tuesday.

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U.S. court rules for Virginia student on transgender bathroom access

RICHMOND, Va. (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday ruled for a Virginia transgender student seeking access to the bathroom of his gender identity.

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N.Y. officer faces sentencing in fatal shooting of black man

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former New York City police officer convicted of manslaughter in the shooting of an unarmed black man in an unlit stairwell is due to be sentenced on Tuesday, after prosecutors recommended no prison time.

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Rainbow-colored nooses removed from tree on Tennessee campus

(Reuters) - Police at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee have removed six rainbow colored nooses - widely seen as a symbol of racial hatred - hanging from a tree on campus, the school said.

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Prosecutors turn fire on New York prison's culture of violence

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The guards, authorities say, wanted to send a message.

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U.S. top court appears unlikely to revive Obama immigration plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's bid to save his plan to spare millions of immigrants in the country illegally from deportation and give them work permits ran into trouble on Monday at the U.S. Supreme Court in a case testing the limits of presidential power.

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Houston deluged, five reported dead in Texas floods

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Torrential rainfall totaling 18 inches (46 cm) pummeled Houston on Monday, causing floods that were believed responsible for five deaths and that snarled transport and turned roads into lakes in the fourth most-populous U.S. city.

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Exclusive: Target increases minimum wage to $10 an hour - sources

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Discount retailer Target Corp has started raising employee wages to a minimum of $10 an hour, its second hike in a year, pressured by a competitive job market and labor groups calling for higher wages at retail chains, sources said. Target management has informed store managers, who in turn have started informing employees about the wage hike and most employees who earn less than $10 per hour should see their base pay go up in May, two sources with direct knowledge of the

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Reuters wins Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Reuters and the New York Times shared the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography for images of the migrant crisis in Europe and the Middle East and the Associated Press won the award for public service for a report on labor abuse in the seafood industry, the Pulitzer Board said on Monday.

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Hundreds of demonstrators arrested at U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Approximately 300 people were arrested on Monday outside the U.S. Capitol as demonstrators entered their second week of protests on issues ranging from the financing of political campaigns to easing college students' debt load.

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NFL's $1 billion concussion settlement upheld by U.S. appeals court

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Monday upheld the National Football League's estimated $1 billion concussion settlement with retired players, calling the agreement imperfect but fair.

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Ethiopian Desisa seeks third Boston Marathon win

BOSTON (Reuters) - Some 30,000 runners, including many of the world's elite, began to compete on Monday in the 120th Boston Marathon, the world's oldest continually run annual marathon.

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Despite spotlight, proving Flint lead damages no slam dunk

(Reuters) - Luke Waid drives 20 miles each day to shower at a relative's place, hauls bottled water back to his Flint, Michigan, home and worries about his 2-year-old daughter's irritability.

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Man who shot Maryland firefighters thought he was stopping break-in

(Reuters) - The man who fatally shot a Maryland firefighter and critically wounded another said he had thought he was stopping an attempted break-in when he opened fire, authorities said on Sunday.

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Local Zika outbreaks in United States 'likely': U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is likely to see outbreaks of the Zika virus, with perhaps dozens or scores of people affected, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Sunday.

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Pope says its crazy to see his meeting with Bernie Sanders as political

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Saturday that his meeting with Bernie Sanders, contesting the Democratic candidacy for the U.S. Presidency, was not meddling in politics and that anyone who thought otherwise should "look for a psychiatrist".

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Driver's license claim could put the brakes on U.S. immigration case

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - One of the pivotal issues in the closely watched battle over President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday is the rather banal subject of the money Texas pays for driver's licenses.

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Hurricane forecasting pioneer William Gray dies at 86

DENVER (Reuters) - William Gray, a pioneer in hurricane forecasting at Colorado State University and a skeptic of the science behind human-made global warming models, died on Saturday, the school said in a statement.

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Discovery of cars sheds no light on missing Washington state couple

(Reuters) - Police who found a Land Rover and Jeep belonging to a missing Washington state married couple in a remote wooded area earlier this week say a search of the two vehicles turned up no evidence leading to their whereabouts.

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Hundreds of flights canceled in Denver as blizzard hits Colorado

(Reuters) - A powerful blizzard swept through Colorado on Saturday, dumping at least 2 feet (61 cm) of snow in some parts of the state and forcing the cancellation of most of the scheduled flights at the Denver airport, officials said.

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U.S judge says terrorism convict can't be deported to Pakistan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Maryland man believed to be the youngest person ever convicted of U.S. terrorism charges may not be deported to Pakistan because he would likely face torture there by government officials, an American judge has ruled.

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Helicopter crash reported near Baltimore-Washington Airport

(Reuters) - A helicopter crash was reported on Saturday near Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, but no one was seriously injured, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

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Tiger recovering after killing Florida zoo worker

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - A male Malayan tiger was recovering on Saturday at a Florida zoo, a day after he killed a 38-year-old zoo worker preparing for evening routines in a behind-the-scenes area where tigers eat and sleep, according to zoo officials.

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Wounded Maryland volunteer firefighter expected to survive shooting

(Reuters) - A Maryland volunteer firefighter critically wounded by gunfire that killed a colleague is expected to survive, Prince George's County authorities said on Saturday.

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First gender-neutral restroom opens at Los Angeles school

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles high school on Friday opened the first gender-neutral restroom in the nation's second-largest school district, and likely the state, in a move geared toward accommodating transgender students.

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Apple opposes U.S. appeal over iPhone in New York drug case

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc said the U.S. government had failed to show a continued need for its help accessing a locked iPhone in a New York drug case after a third party came forward with a solution to crack a different phone belonging to one of the shooters in December's San Bernardino killings.

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Not guilty pleas entered for last defendants of 2014 Nevada ranch standoff

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - A Las Vegas judge on Friday entered not guilty pleas for the last five defendants to be arraigned over a high-profile standoff about cattle grazing rights between armed protesters and federal agents at the Nevada ranch of Cliven Bundy in 2014.

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Firefighters 'seriously injured' during Maryland shooting

(Reuters) - Two firefighters were "seriously injured" on Friday in Maryland during a shooting with multiple victims, fire officials and local media said.

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Obamas donated less to charities in 2015 as income slipped

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle donated less to charities in 2015 as their income also dipped, tax returns released by the White House showed on Friday.

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Mississippi governor signs law allowing armed church security

(Reuters) - Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed a gun rights bill on Friday allowing churches to create security programs designating members to carry firearms to defend worshipers against violence.

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Cirque du Soleil cancels North Carolina shows over transgender law

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - Cirque du Soleil said on Friday it was canceling shows in North Carolina over a new state law that it called discriminatory, the performance group said on Friday, becoming the latest entertainment act to take a stance against the measure.

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Fired workers' pregnancy was not 'perfect look' for P&G: lawsuit

(Reuters) - A former cosmetics saleswoman for Procter & Gamble Co is suing the company, claiming that she was fired after becoming pregnant and being told earlier by a supervisor that "pregnancy is not part of the uniform."

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Atlantic City, New Jersey, paid its schools, but state disputes details

(Reuters) - Atlantic City, New Jersey's cash-strapped gambling hub, says it made part of its April payment to its school district due on Friday, but the state says it did not.

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Wisconsin judge declines to reduce bail for Slenderman case teens

WAUKESHA, Wis. (Reuters) - A Wisconsin judge on Friday declined to reduce bail for two teenage girls awaiting trial on charges of trying to kill their classmate by stabbing her repeatedly to please a fictional character named Slenderman.

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U.S. Army approves first 22 female officers for ground combat: USA Today

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army on Friday said 22 women will be commissioned as infantry and armor officers in its first step under historic new rules that let women serve in combat jobs, USA Today reported.

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Ex-New York legislator Silver had affairs with two women: court papers

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sheldon Silver, one of New York state's most powerful politicians before his December conviction in a bribery case, had two extramarital affairs while in office, with a lobbyist and with a woman whom he helped get a state job, according to documents unsealed on Friday.

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Opening arguments to begin in trial of Ohio man charged with killing three women

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Opening arguments are slated to begin on Friday in the trial of an Ohio man who may face a death sentence after being charged with killing three women and wrapping their bodies in garbage bags.

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SeaWorld picks two theme park veterans for its board

(Reuters) - Theme park operator SeaWorld Entertainment Inc said on Friday it had added a theme park veteran to its board and nominated another as it seeks to reverse sliding attendance.

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Thousands march for $15 hourly wages across United States

(Reuters) - Thousands of low-wage workers marched in New York, Los Angeles and other U.S. cities on Thursday calling for minimum pay of $15 an hour in a cause that has scored major legislative victories in California and New York state in recent weeks.

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Four soldiers injured in Humvee crash in New Jersey

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Four soldiers were injured, two of them critically, when their military vehicle overturned on a New Jersey highway on Thursday, state police said.

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N.Y. officer loses bid for new trial in shooting of unarmed black man

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former New York City police officer on Thursday lost a bid to set aside his manslaughter conviction for killing an unarmed black man in a darkened public housing stairwell.

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Lawsuit can proceed versus maker of gun used in Connecticut school shooting

(Reuters) - A lawsuit can proceed against the maker of the gun used in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 20 children and 6 adults dead, a Connecticut judge ruled on Thursday.

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Massachusetts governor shrugs off LGBT group's booing as ‘part of my job’

BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Thursday chalked up an incident in which he was booed off a stage for his tepid stance on a transgender rights bill as "part of my job."

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Minnesota man pleads guilty to trying to join Islamic State

(Reuters) - A Somali-American man from Minnesota pleaded guilty on Thursday to trying to join the Islamic State and fight for the militant group in Syria, prosecutors said.

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Houston deputy constable shot six times in ambush attack

(Reuters) - A Houston deputy constable shot six times early on Thursday in an ambush after a traffic stop suffered wounds to his chest and abdomen, a law enforcement official said.

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New York City pension fund expected to drop hedge fund investments

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A pension fund for New York City employees is expected on Thursday to vote to unwind its hedge fund investments, according to a source familiar with the discussions, a sign of growing dissatisfaction with the asset class among public pension funds.

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FBI arrests Ramapo, New York, town supervisor after municipal bond probe

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The FBI said on Thursday that it had arrested the town supervisor of Ramapo, New York, which has been at the center of an investigation regarding potential securities violations involving municipal bonds.

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ACLU asks federal court to block Kansas voter ID law

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday will seek to block a Kansas state law that requires people to prove American citizenship if they want to register to vote while applying for a driver's license.

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Pennsylvania Catholics face hearing in child sex abuse case

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - Pennsylvania prosecutors will lay out their case on Thursday against three former leaders of a Roman Catholic order accused of endangering hundreds of boys by putting them in contact with a priest they knew to be a sexual predator.

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Atlanta Braves' outfielder Olivera charged in hotel assault

(Reuters) - Atlanta Braves outfielder Hector Olivera has been charged with assault following a dispute with a woman at a Virginia hotel, police said on Wednesday, and has been suspended from play while the incident is investigated.

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One dead, 11 hurt in hydrogen sulfide release in Austin, Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - One person died and at least 11 were injured in a release of poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas at an apartment building near the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday, fire officials said.

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Obama names cyber experts from business, academia to new panel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chief executive of MasterCard Inc, the former head of the National Security Agency and officials from Microsoft and Uber will join a commission to strengthen U.S. cyber defenses, the White House said on Wednesday.

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Michigan extends state of emergency for Flint over water crisis

(Reuters) - Michigan lawmakers on Wednesday extended the state of emergency in Flint for four months, enabling the city to tap more state funds and coordinate a response with other authorities to the crisis over lead contamination in the city's drinking water.

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Critics slam South Carolina on proposed transgender bathroom bill

(Reuters) - A South Carolina measure that would require transgender people to use public bathrooms matching their sex at birth was criticized by civil rights and local government leaders as insensitive and unwarranted at a state Senate hearing on Wednesday.

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Ringo Starr cancels North Carolina show in protest of LGBT law

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - Musician Ringo Starr said on Wednesday he was canceling a performance planned for June in Cary, North Carolina, in protest of a state law decried as discriminatory against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

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Germanwings crash victim families sue U.S. Lufthansa unit

(Reuters) - Families of those killed on a Germanwings flight last year have sued a training unit of the airline's parent, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, in U.S. district court in Arizona for wrongful death, their law firm said on Wednesday.

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Almost 400,000 disabled Americans eligible for student loan forgiveness

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government announced plans on Tuesday to forgive $7.7 billion in student loans for about 387,000 permanently disabled borrowers.

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Pentagon to successors: keep focus on cyber, space, nukes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election, top Pentagon leaders will urge their successors to focus on four top priorities - cyber, space, nuclear deterrent and electronic warfare, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said.

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Chicago police arrest two Black Lives Matter protesters

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Police arrested two people during a Black Lives Matter protest over the shooting death on Monday night of a black teenager by officers in Chicago, police officials and activists said on Wednesday.

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UAW election by set of Volkswagen Tennessee workers upheld by NLRB

(Reuters) - The U.S. National Labor Relations Board voted 2-1 to uphold a December election by a small group of workers at Volkswagen AG's Tennessee plant to join the United Auto Workers, the NLRB announced on Wednesday.

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Task force tells Chicago police to acknowledge racism: report

(Reuters) - Chicago's police department must acknowledge its racist past and change its handling of excessive force allegations to pave the way for wider reform, a task force set up by mayor Rahm Emanuel has urged, the Chicago Tribune reported on Tuesday.

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Sean Parker sets up $250 million cancer immunotherapy collaboration

(Reuters) - A $250 million grant from Silicon Valley billionaire Sean Parker, announced on Wednesday, aims to speed development of more effective cancer treatments by fostering collaboration among leading researchers in the field.

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Loaded handgun found inside car of slain NFL star Will Smith

(Reuters) - Slain retired NFL player Will Smith had a fully loaded handgun in his car when he was shot dead over the weekend in New Orleans by a motorist who had rammed his vehicle into the former football player's car, police said on Tuesday.

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Taxpayers pick up bulk of rehab bill for 'affluenza' Texan: newspaper

FORT WORTH, Texas (Reuters) - Texas taxpayers picked up most of the $200,000 bill for the so-called affluenza teen's court-ordered rehabilitation in a probation deal that kept him out of prison for killing four while driving drunk, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.

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U.S. reviewing Sinai peacekeeper mission, may automate jobs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Tuesday it has formally notified Egypt and Israel that it is reviewing whether to automate aspects of multinational peacekeeping operations in the insurgency-wracked Sinai, potentially allowing a reduction in American troop deployments.

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Texas panel recommends overhaul of jail where black woman died

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A civilian committee that examined a Texas county jail where a black woman committed suicide in her cell last year recommended sweeping changes for the system, including better mental health screenings, a report released on Tuesday said.

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Chicago police officer fatally shoots teenager during foot chase

(Reuters) - A Chicago police officer fatally wounded a teenage boy during a foot chase after he was stopped in a vehicle believed to have been involved in an earlier shooting, local media and police said on Tuesday.

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Automakers urge insurance companies to remind U.S. drivers of recalls

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Major carmakers want U.S. auto insurance companies to help persuade millions of American car owners to get recalled vehicles fixed.

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Palestinian Authority, PLO appeal U.S. terror support verdict

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization on Tuesday urged a U.S. appeals court to toss a more than $655 million award won by a group of American families who accused them of supporting terrorist attacks in Israel.

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Tennessee bill denying service based on counselor religion goes to governor

(Reuters) - A Tennessee bill allowing counselors to cite religious beliefs for refusing service to patients is headed to the governor, one of a raft of state measures that critics say discriminates against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender individuals.

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New York teen pleads guilty to non-terrorism charge in Islamic State case

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York City teenager accused last year of helping a college student plan an Islamic State-inspired plot to set off a pressure cooker bomb in the city has pleaded guilty to a non-terrorism charge of conspiring to impede federal officers.

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Homer, Virgil hauled to New York prison for Ivy League class

BEDFORD HILLS, N.Y. (Reuters) - The debate over Roman poet Ovid's use of the word "fugitive" in Metamorphoses was getting heated, but in the end the students - two murderers, a kidnapper and six other convicted felons - agreed to disagree.

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Deutsche Bank freezes plans for North Carolina jobs on transgender law

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank is freezing plans to create 250 new jobs at its Cary, North Carolina, location after the state passed a controversial law targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens.

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Georgia to execute man for 1996 murder of female neighbor

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A Georgia man whose next-door neighbor pleaded for her life before he killed her during a 1996 burglary is due to be executed by lethal injection on Tuesday.

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Cosby's wife seeks to avoid further questions in defamation suit

BOSTON (Reuters) - Lawyers for Bill Cosby's wife and business manager Camille Cosby will ask a judge on Tuesday to spare her from answering further questions related to a lawsuit by seven women who claim the comedian sexually assaulted them.


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Homer, Virgil hauled to New York prison for Ivy League class

BEDFORD HILLS, N.Y. (Reuters) - The debate over Roman poet Ovid's use of the word "fugitive" in Metamorphoses was getting heated, but in the end the students - two murderers, a kidnapper and six other convicted felons - agreed to disagree.











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A year after Freddie Gray, Baltimore makes slow progress

BALTIMORE (Reuters) - A year after the death of a black man in Baltimore police custody and the ensuing riots, the city is making slow headway in tackling the economic and social issues that residents, civic and business leaders say gave rise to the unrest.


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Seattle police arrest man after body parts of missing woman discovered

(Reuters) - A 37-year-old man has been taken into custody on suspicion of killing a mother of three and leaving some of her body parts in a Seattle home's recycling container, police and local media said on Monday.


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Ex-South Carolina officer gets probation over black man's slaying: media

(Reuters) - A white former South Carolina police officer indicted on a felony charge over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black motorist was sentenced on Monday to three years probation over the February 2014 incident, local media reported.











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Colorado clinic shooter hoped fetuses would thank him for stopping abortions

DENVER (Reuters) - The man accused of fatally shooting three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic last year said he hoped that when he died fetuses in heaven would thank him for stopping more abortions, court documents showed on Monday.


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Three dead, including nine-year-old, after boat swamps off Florida

(Reuters) - The bodies of three people, including a 9-year-old, were found on the southeast Florida coast on Monday after their boat was swamped in rough waters during a Sunday fishing trip, authorities said.











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More than 400 protesters arrested at U.S. Capitol: police

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 400 protesters were arrested on Monday for unlawfully demonstrating at the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Capitol Police said.


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Jury selection starts in trial over Georgia child's car death

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lawyers in the trial of a Georgia man charged with murder after leaving his toddler son in a car for seven hours during a hot day in June 2014 began their search Monday for jurors who have not formed opinions about his actions.











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New York City to pursue sweeping homelessness reforms: mayor

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City will implement a raft of reforms to combat its high level of homelessness, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday, following a three-month review of the problem.


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California to increase payments for new parents taking family leave

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California will increase the amount of money new parents can receive through the state's paid family leave program under a bill signed on Monday by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown.


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Illinois ex-congressman arrested; missed deadline to return: lawyer

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former Illinois Congressman Mel Reynolds was arrested in Atlanta on Monday after he had failed to return to the United States by the end of March as a judge had ordered, a U.S. Marshals spokeswoman and Reynolds' lawyer said.











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San Antonio fires school police officer seen slamming girl in video

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The San Antonio school district on Monday fired a school police officer seen on a viral video body slamming a 12-year-old girl, saying his use of force was unwarranted.











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'Dog Whisperer' Millan cleared in U.S. probe over cruelty

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An animal cruelty investigation into celebrity dog trainer Cesar Millan, known as the "Dog Whisperer," has ended and no charges will be filed, a spokeswoman with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said on Monday.











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Virginia governor says won't sign electric-chair bill for executions

RICHMOND, Va. (Reuters) - Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said on Monday he would not sign a bill passed by the legislature that would order executions by electric chair when lethal-injection drugs are not available.


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Singer Bryan Adams cancels Mississippi show to protest same-sex law

(Reuters) - Canadian singer Bryan Adams has canceled a show in Mississippi this week to protest a new state law that lets people with religious objections deny services to same-sex couples, the rocker said in a statement.


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Amid clinic closures, young doctors seek abortion training

(Reuters) - Even as scores of U.S. abortion clinics have shut down, the number of doctors trained to provide the procedure has surged – but only in some parts of the country.


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U.S. Navy officer charged with spying, possibly for China, Taiwan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy officer with access to sensitive U.S. intelligence faces espionage charges over accusations he passed state secrets, possibly to China and Taiwan, a U.S. official told Reuters on Sunday.











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In Iowa corn fields, Chinese national's seed theft exposes vulnerability

ARLINGTON, Iowa (Reuters) - Tim Burrack, a northern Iowa farmer in his 44th growing season, has taken to keeping a wary eye out for unfamiliar vehicles around his 300 acres of genetically modified corn seeds.


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Human error caused train derailment, BNSF says: LaCrosse Tribune

(Reuters) - Human error caused the November train derailment that sent more than 20,000 gallons (75,710 liters) of ethanol into the Mississippi River in Wisconsin, according to an article in the LaCrosse Tribune, citing a report filed by BNSF Railway.


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Retired NFL star Will Smith shot dead in New Orleans

(Reuters) - Will Smith, a prominent member of the New Orleans Saints team that won the NFL's Super Bowl in 2010, was killed by a gunman who shot the retired football player after ramming into his car near the city's famed French Quarter, police said on Sunday.











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Human foot and other remains found in Seattle recycling bin

(Reuters) - A Seattle homeowner found three adult body parts, including a foot, in a recycling bin over the weekend, police and local media said on Sunday.


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U.S. airman in shooting at Texas air base was a former FBI agent

(Reuters) - A U.S. airman who apparently shot and killed his commanding officer at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and then turned the gun on himself was a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, the FBI said on Sunday.


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Prank caller tricks Burger King workers into smashing windows

(Reuters) - Several employees of a Burger King fast-food outlet in Minnesota were persuaded by a prank caller posing as a fire official to smash the restaurant's windows, convinced that rising gas pressure was threatening to cause an explosion, police said Saturday.











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Florida ex-sheriff's deputy acquitted in excessive force case

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - A Florida jury acquitted a former sheriff's deputy on Friday of a civil rights charge stemming from a 2014 arrest in which five officers were accused of beating a black man during an arrest, local media reported.


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Former Vanderbilt football player convicted of raping unconscious woman

NASHVILLE (Reuters) - A former Vanderbilt University football player was found guilty on Friday of raping an unconscious female student in a dorm room three years ago.











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Violent escapee from Washington state hospital recaptured, police say

SEATTLE (Reuters) - A man accused of murder who escaped from a Seattle-area psychiatric hospital this week was recaptured in eastern Washington late on Friday following an extensive manhunt, state police said.


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Jilted woman from FBI list arrested in Mexico

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican officials on Friday said they detained a woman on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list who is suspected of hiring assassins in the United States to kill her romantic rival.


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Prosecutors say ex-House Speaker Hastert sexually abused boys

(Reuters) - Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, convicted last year of a financial crime in a hush-money case, had agreed to pay $3.5 million to buy the silence of an individual who he sexually abused when the victim was a teenager, federal prosecutors said on Friday.











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Man pleads guilty in fatal 2015 Phoenix-area shooting rampage

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A reputed white supremacist with a long criminal record pleaded guilty on Friday to killing one person and wounding five others in a Phoenix-area shooting rampage last year that began in a motel and ended hours later with his capture at a vacant condominium.











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California wildfire 'selfie' arsonist get 20 years, $60 million fine

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A man who took a video of himself surrounded by flames that erupted into one of the worst California wildfires of 2014 was fined $60 million and sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to arson on Friday, officials said.


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Defamation lawsuits involving U.S. lawyer Dershowitz end in settlement

(Reuters) - Prominent U.S. lawyer Alan Dershowitz and two victims' rights attorneys on Friday withdrew claims from a Florida court that they defamed each other during a legal fight about a woman who said she was trafficked for sex as an underage girl.


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California to expand paid family leave for new parents

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California will increase the amount of money new parents can receive through the state's paid family leave program under a bill to be signed on Monday by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, his office said Friday.











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Wisconsin judge strikes down state's right-to-work law

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - A Wisconsin judge on Friday struck down the state's right-to-work law, saying the measure is unconstitutional by banning unions from charging fees to non-union workers for certain services, court papers showed.


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Colorado lawmaker aims to outlaw pot-laced gummy bears

(Reuters) - A Colorado lawmaker is trying to outlaw marijuana-laced gummy candies that resemble children's treats, the latest effort by a U.S. state to address the complexities and unintended consequences of pot legalization.


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Ex-U.S. Navy SEAL who says he killed bin Laden arrested for DUI

(Reuters) - An ex-U.S. Navy SEAL who has said he fired the shot that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence early on Friday in Montana, a police official said.


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Springsteen cancels North Carolina concert over bathroom bill

(Reuters) - Rock star Bruce Springsteen on Friday canceled a concert scheduled for this weekend in North Carolina to protest a new state law restricting bathroom use by transgender individuals, as country music stars decried similar legislation proposed in Tennessee.











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U.S. should offer mortgage relief for homeowners: New York Attorney General

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York's attorney general urged the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) on Friday to quickly adopt a plan to reduce principal mortgages for U.S. homeowners at risk of foreclosure.


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New Jersey man faces jail for refusing to take down Trump flag

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump appears to have a passionate supporter in Joseph Hornick, a New Jersey man who faces a $2,000 fine or 90 days in jail for flying a flag emblazoned with the billionaire candidate's name over his home.











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NFL receiver Marshall cleared in civil trial of punching woman

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall was found not liable on Friday following a trial in a lawsuit brought by a California woman who alleged he punched her in the face outside a Manhattan nightclub in 2012.


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Maine court clears way for ballot initiative to legalize marijuana

(Reuters) - An effort to allow Maine residents to vote to legalize recreational marijuana use advanced on Friday when a judge overruled a state official's decision invalidating some of the signatures needed to get the initiative on the ballot.











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Two killed in apparent murder-suicide at Texas air base

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - Two people were killed in an apparent murder-suicide at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio on Friday that triggered a 90-minute lockdown at the facility, military officials and the Bexar County Sheriff's Office said.











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New York man charged for Ponzi scheme in NYPD corruption probe: source

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former Manhattan restaurant owner has been arrested on charges that he ran a $12 million Ponzi scheme, prosecutors said on Friday, in a case that a source said was linked to an ongoing corruption probe involving the New York Police Department.


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New York man threatened to kill Obama, presidential hopefuls: prosecutor

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York man was arrested on Friday on allegations he had threatened to kill President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and some of the candidates from both parties vying for the White House in November's election, U.S. authorities said.


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Syrian government releases U.S. citizen: State Department

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Friday welcomed the release of an American citizen held by Syrian authorities and said it was working to get more information on another who went missing there in 2012.


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Arrest made in connection with slaying of University of Texas student

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the killing of a University of Texas first-year dance student whose body was found on campus earlier this week, a local television station and Austin police said on Friday.


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Hyundai recalls 173,000 Sonata cars in U.S.: filing

(Reuters) - Hyundai Motor Co will recall 173,000 model year 2011 Sonata cars in the U.S. market for a potentially defective power steering system, U.S. safety officials said in a filing on Friday.


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Three years after Boston bombing, film shows distress of attacker's friends

BOSTON (Reuters) - For days after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Americans were glued to the news, eager to know who had planted the homemade devices that ripped through the crowd at the finish line, killing three people.











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FBI director says unlocking method won't work on newer iPhones

(Reuters) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation's secret method for unlocking the iPhone 5c used by one of the San Bernardino shooters will not work on newer models, FBI Director James Comey said.











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Oklahoma budget crisis opens door to criminal justice reform

(Reuters) - Dwindling oil revenues in Oklahoma are spurring a nowadays rare collaboration by state politicians of all stripes on reforming a bulging prison system that critics say is in danger of breaking down.


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Mercedes diesel owners file new lawsuit in United States

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Owners of Mercedes diesel cars filed a new class-action lawsuit in the United States saying the vehicles likely contained a "defeat device" used to cheat emissions testing, an accusation that Daimler , which owns the carmaker, denied.











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Four Los Angeles social workers charged after beating death of boy, 8

(Reuters) - Four Los Angeles County social workers have been charged with child abuse for failing to protect an 8-year-old boy who was found beaten to death in his home, the district attorney's office said on Thursday.


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Armed robbery suspect shot by trooper during Walmart robbery: police

(Reuters) - A Pennsylvania state trooper shot and wounded a robbery suspect armed with a shotgun who was trying to steal prescription medicine from a Walmart store crowded with shoppers, state police said on Thursday.











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Tennessee officer fatally shoots woman yielding an ax

(Reuters) - Tennessee law enforcement officials released video on Thursday of a white policeman fatally shooting a black woman who threatened him with a medieval-style ax as sheriff's deputies and public housing officials were serving her an eviction notice.


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Texas teen's death spurs renewed call to fix recalled cars

(Reuters) - The brother of a Texas teenager killed by shrapnel from an exploding Takata Corp air bag said on Thursday that his family never received a recall notice about the defective vehicle safety device.











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Philip Morris wins Missouri 'lights' class action trial

(Reuters) - A jury in St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday rejected a request for about $1.8 billion in damages against Philip Morris USA in a class-action lawsuit that claimed the company misled smokers about the health risks of "light" cigarettes.


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UC Berkeley assistant basketball coach resigns after sex harassment claims

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - An assistant men's basketball coach at the University of California at Berkeley resigned on Thursday, weeks after the school moved to dismiss him over accusations of sexual harassment against a news reporter, a school official said.











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N.Y. financier's ex-employee agrees to reduced $5.6 million award

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Swedish woman has agreed to accept a more than two-thirds reduction to an $18 million jury award in a lawsuit against a New York financier she accused of sexual harassment and defamation, her lawyer said on Thursday.


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Rights groups decry bodyslamming of Texas schoolgirl caught on video

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - A widely seen cell phone video of a school police officer in San Antonio bodyslamming a 12-year-old girl was decried by two rights groups on Thursday who called for schools to rein in violence by officers against students.


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Fire at Exxon refinery sends plume of smoke over Houston

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A fire erupted at Exxon Mobil Corp's Baytown, Texas refinery on Thursday afternoon, sending a large plume of black smoke into the air that was visible for miles across Houston.











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Guard at New York City Rikers Island jail charged with beating inmate

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A correction officer at New York's troubled Rikers Island jail complex has been charged with beating an inmate, authorities said on Thursday.


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Former U.S. sailor cleared of murder, rape after 33 years in prison

RICHMOND, Va. (Reuters) - Virginia's top court on Thursday ordered the release of a former U.S. sailor who has spent 33 years in prison, because new DNA evidence showed he did not murder a Newport News man and rape the man's wife in 1982.











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South Carolina bill aims to restrict transgender access to bathrooms

(Reuters) - South Carolina lawmakers have introduced a measure that would block transgender people from using public bathrooms that do not match their birth sex, despite increasing calls for a repeal of a similar provision enacted last month in North Carolina.


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Planned Parenthood sues Indiana for abortion law

(Reuters) - Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the state of Indiana, saying a new state law restricting abortion was unconstitutional.











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Payday lending pioneer indicted in U.S. on racketeering charges

(Reuters) - A Pennsylvania businessman considered a pioneer in the payday loan industry was indicted on Thursday for engaging in a racketeering scheme, as part of a wider U.S. crackdown on abusive lending practices.











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University of Texas says body found on campus was first-year dance student

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The victim of a suspected homicide found in a creek on the main campus of the University of Texas was identified on Thursday by university officials as Haruka Weiser, a first-year theater and dance student from Oregon.


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Florida police welcome return of anti-drug sign stolen 30 years ago

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - An anonymous person returned an anti-drug sign to authorities in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, after stealing it nearly 30 years ago and included a plea for forgiveness and money to reinstall the sign.


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U.S. senators reach deal to bolster airport security

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans and Democrats in the Senate reached a deal on Thursday to boost travel security at airports in the aftermath of the Brussels attacks, according to a source familiar with the matter.











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New York City sued by students and parents over school violence

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly a dozen students and their parents have filed a class-action lawsuit against New York City claiming public schools are so dangerous that it has deprived them of their constitutional right to an education.


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Obama returns to law school to argue for his Supreme Court pick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama returns on Thursday to the University of Chicago Law School where he once taught to make the case for his U.S. Supreme Court nominee, centrist appellate judge Merrick Garland.


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Lawsuit seeks lower bail for poor detainees in U.S. deportation cases

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. immigration officials should make bail more affordable for poor migrants detained ahead of deportation proceedings and who are not considered likely to abscond, a civil rights group said in a lawsuit filed on Wednesday.


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EU may require visas from Americans and Canadians: EU source

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union executive is considering whether to make U.S. and Canadian citizens apply for visas before traveling to the bloc in a move that could raise tensions as Brussels negotiates a free trade pact with Washington.











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Google expanding self-driving vehicle testing to Phoenix, Arizona

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc is expanding its testing of self-driving cars to the Phoenix, Arizona metro area, the company said on Thursday, making it the fourth U.S. city to serve as a proving ground for the autonomous vehicles.











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Boy found with small octopus in throat, police arrest mother's boyfriend: report

(Reuters) - A Kansas toddler had a small octopus of the kind used for sushi lodged in his throat, prompting police to arrest on suspicion of child abuse the 36-year-old man who was with the boy at the time, local media reported on Wednesday.


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Texas school officer put on leave after slamming girl to ground: media

(Reuters) - A school police officer in San Antonio, Texas, has been placed on leave after a video posted online showed him slamming a 12-year-old girl to the ground at a middle school, media reported on Wednesday.


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Woman's body found in suitcase on San Diego sidewalk

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The body of a woman stuffed into a suitcase was discovered on a sidewalk in downtown San Diego on Wednesday, sparking an investigation by homicide detectives, police said.











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Judge dismisses Kesha's bid for release from recording contract

(Reuters) - A New York judge on Wednesday threw out pop star Kesha's legal bid to scrap her recording contract with Sony Music and her producer, Dr. Luke, whom the singer has accused of rape and other forms of abuse.











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Hunter who killed Colorado boy he mistook for elk gets prison time

DENVER (Reuters) - A hunter who admitted fatally shooting a 14-year-old Colorado boy after mistaking him for an elk was sentenced on Wednesday to five years in prison, prosecutors said.











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UC Berkeley reveals more staff members involved in sexual misconduct

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The University of California Berkeley released new records that revealed 12 staff members violated the school's sexual misconduct policy over the past five years, bringing the number of employees involved in such cases over that time period to 19.


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Tennessee bill would allow counselors to deny service based on religion

(Reuters) - The Tennessee House passed a bill on Wednesday allowing mental health counselors to refuse service to patients on religious grounds, the latest in a list of U.S. state measures that gay rights activists have criticized as discriminating against the LGBT community.


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U.S. executives urge repeal of Mississippi law opposed by gays

JACKSON, Miss. (Reuters) - Executives of several major U.S. corporations urged Mississippi on Wednesday to repeal a new state law that allows businesses to deny wedding services to same-sex couples on religious grounds.











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Texas prosecutors call 'Bernie' movie mortician a conniving killer

(Reuters) - A former mortician convicted of killing a wealthy Texas widow and hiding her body in a freezer was described by prosecutors as a greedy con artist in opening statements of a re-sentencing trial on Wednesday, a crime that inspired the 2011 movie "Bernie."


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University of Missouri head must support students: student leader

COLUMBIA, Mo. (Reuters) - The University of Missouri student whose allegations of racial abuse on campus partly led to the school president's resignation last year told a public forum on Wednesday that the university's next leader must support its students better.











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Jilted woman charged with Dallas contract killing joins FBI list

DALLAS (Reuters) - A scorned woman suspected of being behind a murder-for-hire scheme in Dallas that left a romantic rival dead was named to the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list on Wednesday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.


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California officials seize computers, footage from anti-abortion activist

(Reuters) - California Department of Justice agents have raided the home of David Daleiden, the anti-abortion activist who targeted women's healthcare group Planned Parenthood with a series of undercover videos, his attorney said on Wednesday.


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No prison terms for Gulf spill as final defendant gets probation

(Reuters) - A former BP Plc rig supervisor who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill was sentenced to 10 months of probation on Wednesday, concluding a federal criminal case in which no one received prison time over the disaster.











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United drops plan to acquire Delta's Newark landing slots

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - United Continental Holdings Inc has dropped its plan to acquire 24 take-off and landing slots at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport from Delta Air Lines Inc, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday.











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Honda says new Takata airbag death reported in Texas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co said on Wednesday that a driver in Texas was killed on March 31 after a Takata airbag ruptured, the tenth U.S. death linked to a defect that has led to the recall of tens of millions of vehicles worldwide.


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Former U.S. coal CEO gets prison time for blast that killed 29

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Reuters) - Former Massey Energy Chief Executive Don Blankenship was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $250,000 on Wednesday for his role in a 2010 West Virginia coal mine explosion that killed 29 workers.











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Ex-L.A. County undersheriff convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The former second-in-command of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was convicted on conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges on Wednesday, federal prosecutors said.


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White House redirects money to fight Zika, urges Congress to act

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Wednesday it will redirect $589 million in funds to prepare for and respond to the Zika virus before the mosquito that carries it begins to emerge in the continental United States.











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Fantasy sports are illegal gambling in Tennessee: attorney general

(Reuters) - Fantasy sports contests constitute illegal gambling under Tennessee law, the state attorney general said this week in an opinion about the multibillion-dollar online industry whose legality has been challenged in states nationwide.


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Ferguson voters reject property tax to fund Justice Department deal

(Reuters) - Voters in Ferguson, Missouri, rejected a property tax increase that would have helped fund changes to its police department required by the U.S. Justice Department after the city erupted in violence following the shooting of a black teenager in 2014.


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U.S. business lobbyist asks if tax rule change merits lawsuit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The head of the largest U.S. business lobbying group on Wednesday floated the idea of suing the Obama administration over new tax regulations designed to keep corporations from moving their headquarters offshore to gain tax benefits.











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Texas to execute man who killed boy and drank his blood

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A south Texas man who bludgeoned and slashed to death a 12-year-old boy, mutilated the corpse and said he drank the blood of his victim is set to be executed on Wednesday at the state's death chamber in Huntsville.


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Florida pledges better health care for poor children to settle lawsuit

(Reuters) - Florida officials will boost access to health and dental care for poor children in settlement of an 11-year-old class-action lawsuit, the groups behind the legal action said on Tuesday.











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Deposition ordered for woman in debunked Rolling Stone rape article

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge has ordered a central figure in a debunked Rolling Stone magazine article about an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia to answer questions in a defamation lawsuit, court papers showed.


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Lack of ballots mars municipal elections in St. Louis County, Missouri

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - A shortage of ballot papers during municipal elections in St. Louis County, Missouri, on Tuesday prompted a judge to extend voting hours at affected polling stations, officials said.


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Two men charged with killing, beheading protected bighorn sheep in Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - Two men accused of hunting a pair of protected bighorn sheep on private land and beheading them alongside an interstate highway in northern Oregon have been arrested on suspicion of poaching, police say.











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California sea lion pup rescued from restaurant returned to wild

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A young California sea lion found malnourished and injured inside a waterfront San Diego restaurant was returned to the wild on Tuesday, after eight weeks of rehabilitative care at SeaWorld's animal rescue center.


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Mississippi enacts law that allows denying services to gays

(Reuters) - Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant on Tuesday signed a far-reaching law allowing people with religious objections to deny wedding services to same-sex couples and protecting other actions considered discriminatory by gay rights activists.


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Calls to veto Tennessee bill making the Bible 'official state book'

NASHVILLE (Reuters) - Tennessee lawmakers have voted to make the Bible the state's official book and Governor Bill Haslam is under pressure from civil libertarian and nontheistic groups to stop the measure from becoming law.











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Body found on University of Texas campus, homicide suspected

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The body of a woman in her 20s was found in a creek on the main University of Texas campus in Austin on Tuesday and the case is being investigated as a possible homicide, authorities said.











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U.S. officials accuse 1,000 people in phony student visa scheme

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. authorities set up a phony university with a website and an office to nab more than 1,000 people they accused of conspiring to fraudulently obtain student and work visas, New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said on Tuesday.











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South Carolina church massacre trial delayed as death penalty mulled

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - A judge on Tuesday granted U.S. prosecutors' request for trial delay as it considers whether to seek the death penalty for a white man accused of killing nine parishioners last summer at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in what prosecutors say was a hate crime.











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Three Kentucky men indicted in $600 million federal fraud case

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Reuters) - A Kentucky lawyer, a former administrative law judge and a psychologist were indicted for conspiring to commit more than $600 million in disability fraud by submitting phony medical papers, according to court documents unsealed on Tuesday.


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Four men charged in gang rape of nine-year-old Utah girl

(Reuters) - Four men have been charged with raping a 9-year-old girl in a Utah home on Easter Sunday as her mother smoked methamphetamine in the garage, prosecutors said on Tuesday.











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Amtrak crash shows U.S. anti rail-collision system may have gaps

(Reuters) - Sunday's fatal Pennsylvania Amtrak accident may have exposed possible blind spots in a nationwide collision prevention system that is meant to stop crashes on U.S. railroads.


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District of Columbia lawmakers ban public pot smoking

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Smoking marijuana in public or in clubs was banned permanently on Tuesday by the District of Columbia's city council, reversing course for a second time.











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Worker killed, three injured after highway beam falls in Chicago suburb

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A construction worker was killed and three others suffered minor injuries when a 45-ton steel beam fell along a highway in a suburb northwest of Chicago early on Tuesday, a fire official said.











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Ex Representative Grimm's restaurant partner to plead guilty: lawyer

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A onetime business partner of former U.S. Representative Michael Grimm is preparing to plead guilty to a tax charge in a case related to the prosecution that led to the congressman's imprisonment, his lawyer said on Tuesday.


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Justice Department's No. 3 attorney stepping down

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The acting associate attorney general at the U.S. Justice Department, Stuart Delery, will be leaving his job on April 14, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Tuesday.











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Detroit's county touts first budget surplus in 8 years

(Reuters) - Wayne County, home to Detroit, Michigan, ended fiscal 2015 with a general fund budget surplus for the first time in eight years, the county executive announced on Tuesday.











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PayPal pulls North Carolina plan after transgender bathroom law

CHICAGO (Reuters) - PayPal Holdings Inc said on Tuesday it canceled plans to open a global operations center in Charlotte, North Carolina after the state passed a controversial law targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens.











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U.S. court upholds prosecutors' role in deferred prosecution deals

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday upheld the ability of federal prosecutors to broker deals allowing corporate defendants to avoid criminal convictions in a case involving a Dutch company accused of illegally shipping aircraft parts to Iran and other countries.


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Justice Department to announce effort aimed at foreign corruption

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department's fraud unit is launching a new program aimed at targeting foreign corruption, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.


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Cosby allowed to delay providing evidence in Massachusetts defamation case

(Reuters) - Comedian Bill Cosby won the right on Monday to delay providing evidence in a lawsuit in Massachusetts, in which he is accused of defaming women with public assertions that they fabricated sexual misconduct allegations against him.


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Former U.S. tax judge charged with cheating on her tax returns

(Reuters) - A retired U.S. tax judge and her husband have been charged in Minnesota with cheating the government of $400,000 in taxes in a scheme that treated personal spending such as jewelry, pilates classes and overseas vacations as business expenses, prosecutors said on Monday.











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Judge orders U.S. to address climate threat to wolverines

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday rejected a decision by U.S. wildlife managers to deny wolverines Endangered Species Act protection, ruling the government erred in discounting the threat posed by climate change to the weasel-like predator of the Northern Rockies.


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California lawmakers delay 'tampon tax' exemption bill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - A California Assembly panel delayed action on Monday on a bill to end sales taxes on tampons and sanitary napkins, an exemption already enacted in five other states in a growing movement against what sponsors say is a tax that unjustly targets women.











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Narcotic fentanyl linked to at least 10 California overdose deaths

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - At least 42 drug overdoses in the past two weeks have been reported in northern California, 10 of them fatal, in what authorities on Monday called the biggest cluster of poisonings linked to the powerful synthetic narcotic fentanyl ever to hit the U.S. West Coast.











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U.S. court orders UBS to pay $4.7 million in Puerto Rico divorce flap

(Reuters) - A UBS AG unit must pay more than $4.7 million to a customer's former spouse who alleged that the firm improperly released accounts worth $12 million to her ex-husband despite a court order freezing those assets, a U.S. federal judge has ruled.


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Killer of New York's Kitty Genovese dies in prison

(Reuters) - The convicted murderer of Catherine "Kitty" Genovese, a 28-year-old New York City bartender whose 1964 slaying became a notorious symbol of urban indifference, has died in prison at age 81, corrections officials said on Monday.


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Bernard Madoff to be deposed by victims' lawyers: filing

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal bankruptcy judge has ruled that Bernard Madoff can be questioned by lawyers for some former customers who lost money when the imprisoned swindler's firm collapsed in December 2008, a Monday court filing shows.


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Two ex-LA airport baggage handlers arrested on drug trafficking charges

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two former baggage handlers who prosecutors say used their security credentials to help a nationwide drug ring smuggle "samples" of cocaine through Los Angeles International Airport were arrested on drug trafficking charges on Monday.


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Men arrested in rape of Utah girl while mother smoked meth: sheriff

(Reuters) - Four men have been arrested on charges of raping a 9-year-old girl in a Utah home on Easter Sunday as her mother smoked methamphetamine in the garage, authorities said on Monday.


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Despite race views, Princeton to keep President Wilson's name

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Princeton University will keep former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's name on campus buildings despite student complaints about his segregationist beliefs, the Ivy League school said on Monday, while also announcing new diversity efforts.











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U.S. judge approves BP civil settlement with U.S. government over 2010 spill

HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. Judge Carl Barbier granted final approval on Monday to BP Plc's civil settlement over its 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill after it reached a deal in July 2015 to pay up to $18.7 billion in penalties to the U.S. government and five states.


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Prosecutors in Freddie Gray case seek testimony from another officer

(Reuters) - Maryland prosecutors want to force a second police officer charged in the death of a black detainee to testify against another officer, a court filing made available on Monday said.


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U.S. extradites Singapore man for exporting Iraq bomb parts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Singapore man accused of illegally exporting U.S. parts found in explosives in Iraq, through Iran, has been extradited to the United States to face charges on Monday, the Justice Department said.


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Supreme Court rejects conservative challenge in voting rights case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the method all states use to draw their legislative districts, rejecting a conservative challenge that could have given more clout to white, rural voters.











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Jury selection starts in trial of Ohio man charged with killing three women

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The trial of a man charged with killing three woman and wrapping their bodies in garbage bags started on Monday with jury selection in a Cleveland courthouse and the defendant facing a possible death sentence if convicted.


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U.S. unveiling new comparison Internet service labels

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Monday unveiled new labels for broadband and mobile Internet service, aimed at helping the nation's web users make price and service comparisons.











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U.S. northeast gets late taste of winter with snowstorm

BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts, New Hampshire and upstate New York braced for up to 6 inches (15 cm) of snow on Monday as forecasters warned that winter weather would overtake the area even as spring entered its second week.











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Man accused of setting fire near Massachusetts power lines left note: FBI

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Massachusetts man is due in court on Monday, accused of placing flammable devices on power lines near the New Hampshire border and leaving a note calling federal officials corrupt and warning the utility that owns the wires it faced "an expensive war."


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California governor set to sign $15-an-hour minimum wage law

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California Governor Jerry Brown on Monday was expected to sign into a law a plan to raise the minimum wage from $10 to $15 an hour by the year 2023, making the nation's most-populous state the first to boost pay to that level for the working poor.











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Supreme Court declines to take up Wal-Mart class action appeal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected Wal-Mart Stores Inc's bid to throw out a more than $150 million class action judgment over the retailers’ treatment of workers in Pennsylvania.


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Tension endures a year after black man shot by South Carolina officer

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - The South Carolina city where a white police officer shot dead an unarmed black man one year ago still simmers with racial tension as black residents say they continue to be harassed and humiliated by law enforcement.


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California driver hit by bus after escaping dangling SUV on cliff: police

(Reuters) - A driver in the Los Angeles area escaped his SUV as it dangled off of a cliff only to be hit by a tour bus, police said on Sunday.











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Texas policeman fatally shoots suspect who shot and wounded him

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - An Austin police officer trying to subdue a suspect seen breaking into cars in an affluent downtown neighborhood of the Texas capital on Sunday was shot by the man and then returned fire, killing him, police said.


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Amtrak train derailment near Philadelphia kills two, injures 35

CHESTER, Pa. (Reuters) - An Amtrak train locomotive partly derailed when it hit a backhoe south of Philadelphia on Sunday, killing two people and injuring 35 in what passengers described as a jolt followed by a fireball.











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