U.S. judge blocks transgender, abortion-related Obamacare protections

(Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas on Saturday issued a court order barring enforcement of an Obama administration policy seeking to extend anti-discrimination protections under the Affordable Care Act to transgender health and abortion-related services.

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Suspect in fatal shooting of Pennsylvania trooper killed by police

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - Pennsylvania police on Saturday morning shot to death a suspect wanted for the murder of a rookie trooper who was serving him a protection order, law enforcement authorities said.

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Divers to search Lake Erie where plane carrying six vanished in Ohio

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Divers were set to plunge into Lake Erie on Saturday to look for the remains of six people who are presumed to have died when their small plane crashed into the frigid lake shortly after taking off from a Cleveland airport, officials said.

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New York opens subway line dreamed up in 1920s

NEW YORK (Reuters) - While more than a million people ring in the new year with their eyes on a glittering ball high above Times Square, a select group of construction workers and city officials will toast 2017 underground on the inaugural ride of a subway line a century in the making.

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Two killed, two wounded at rap concert in Connecticut: media

(Reuters) - Two people were shot and killed and two others were wounded on Friday after a rap concert in southern Connecticut, local media reported.

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About 20 people stuck on airborne ride at California theme park

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - About 20 people have been trapped for several hours about 125 feet (38 m) in the air in an enclosed cabin of a ride at Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in Southern California on Friday, with rescue officials trying to find a way to get the people down.

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Judge blocks law limiting incoming North Carolina governor's power

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - A North Carolina judge on Friday temporarily blocked a state law hours after incoming Democratic Governor Roy Cooper sued to void Republican-backed legislation lessening his control over state and county elections boards, local media reported.

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Threat of New Year attack in U.S. low but 'undeniable': agencies

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. defense and security agencies said they believed the threat of militant attacks inside the United States was low during this New Year's holiday, yet some chance of an attack was "undeniable," according to security assessments reviewed on Friday.

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Small plane with six aboard missing after departing Ohio airport

(Reuters) - U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard crews were searching Lake Erie on Friday for a twin-engine airplane with six people aboard that went missing moments after departing from an Ohio airport, officials said.

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Exclusive: CDC considers lowering threshold level for lead exposure

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering lowering its threshold for elevated childhood blood lead levels by 30 percent, a shift that could help health practitioners identify more children afflicted by the heavy metal.

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U.S. law enforcement line-of-duty deaths hit five-year high in 2016

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Law enforcement fatalities hit a five-year high in 2016 with 135 officers killed in the line of duty, including eight killed in ambush attacks in Dallas and Louisiana in July that raised nationwide concerns, a study released on Thursday said.

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Arizona sheriff Arpaio asks appeals court to void contempt finding

(Reuters) - Joe Arpaio, the Arizona lawman who drew national prominence for his hard-line stance against illegal immigration but lost his bid for a seventh term in office, has asked a federal appeals court to throw out a civil contempt finding.

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Upstate New York school board seeks ouster of member over Obama slurs

(Editor's note: Third and fourth paragraphs contain racially derogatory comments that may be offensive to readers)

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Judge orders psychiatric exam for South Carolina church shooter

(Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday ordered a psychiatric examination for Dylann Roof, days before he is to represent himself as jurors hear evidence about whether he should be executed for the June 2015 massacre at a Charleston, South Carolina, church.

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Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam committed suicide: coroner

(Reuters) - The death of Rashaan Salaam, a winner of college football's Heisman Trophy whose body was found in a city park this month in Boulder, Colorado, was ruled a suicide by a county coroner on Thursday.

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Winter storm with heavy snows, fierce winds targets New England

(Reuters) - A winter storm is expected to dump heavy snows and produce fierce winds in New England on Thursday evening and into Friday morning, the National Weather Service said.

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South Carolina church shooter seeks to keep mental health evidence from jury

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Dylann Roof, the man convicted in a church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, asked a judge on Wednesday to keep details about his mental health sealed for the sentencing phase of his federal death penalty trial next week.

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Military helicopter crashes off Texas coast: media reports

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A military helicopter with two people thought to be aboard crashed into waters near Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, local media reported.

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Massachusetts delays retail sales of marijuana by six months

(Reuters) - Massachusetts lawmakers on Wednesday pushed through a surprise six-month delay in the retail sale of marijuana for recreational use, saying they needed more time to tinker with a legalization measure that voters approved last month.

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Former Pennsylvania professor sued by child pornography victims

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - Eight women who appeared as children in illegal pornography have sued a former Pennsylvania college professor, saying they are owed damages because he owned and traded images of them being sexually abused.

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Montana lawmakers denounce plans for neo-Nazi rally

(Reuters) - Top Montana Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Tuesday warned neo-Nazis they would find "no safe haven" for a rally that could include guns planned for next month in a mountain town where white nationalists have threatened Jewish residents.

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U.S. Coast Guard ends search for cruise ship passenger off New Jersey

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard has called off a search for a woman who went missing from the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship off the coast of New Jersey over the Christmas holiday weekend, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

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Shallow quake of magnitude 5.8 hits Nevada - USGS

LONDON (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 struck 29 km (18 miles) west south west of Hawthorne, Nevada, in the United States on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey said.

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Wisconsin mall evacuated due to threats, a day after mall fight spree

(Reuters) - A mall near Appleton, Wisconsin, was evacuated on Tuesday as a precaution due to "an unsubstantiated threat," a county official said, adding the incident does not appear to be linked to fights that broke out at several U.S. malls a day earlier.

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U.S. appeals court revives Clinton email suit

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a new legal development on the controversy over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails, an appeals court on Tuesday reversed a lower court ruling and said two U.S. government agencies should have done more to recover the emails.

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Last-minute spending surge lifts U.S. holiday shopping season

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A jump in consumer spending in the final stretch of December significantly offset a slow start to the U.S. holiday shopping season, and is likely to help many retailers beat sales forecasts, industry research groups said on Tuesday.

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Trump Tower lobby briefly evacuated over suspicious package

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Police briefly evacuated the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City, home to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, on Tuesday after a suspicious package was discovered, authorities said.

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Holiday weekend provides no respite from Chicago's violence

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago's holiday weekend was marred by bouts of gunfire and a dozen killings, continuing a yearlong surge in violence in the third largest U.S. city that has pushed the number of murders to a nearly two-decade high.

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West Virginia official who called Michelle Obama 'ape in heels' fired

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The director of a West Virginia nonprofit agency who called first lady Michelle Obama "an ape in heels" in a Facebook post has been fired and the institution put under outside management, state officials said on Tuesday.

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U.S. accuses Chinese citizens of hacking law firms, insider trading

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three Chinese citizens have been charged with trading on confidential corporate information that was obtained by hacking into the networks and servers of U.S. law firms, federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.

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Fights, disturbances shut down malls across U.S.

(Reuters) - Fights, disturbances and false reports of gunfire caused chaotic scenes and shut down several malls across the United States on Monday during the typically busy post-Christmas shopping day.

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Pennsylvania professor under fire for 'white genocide' tweet

(Reuters) - A Drexel University professor, whose tweet that he wanted a "white genocide" for Christmas sparked a fire storm of criticism from the school and social media users, said on Monday his comment was satirical.

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Blizzard baring down on North, South Dakota

(Reuters) - North and South Dakota entered a second day of blizzard conditions on Monday as a strong winter storm closed roads across the region.

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Santa Claus on track to deliver gifts despite storm: U.S. military

DENVER (Reuters) - A powerful Christmas Eve snowstorm descending on much of North America will not slow Santa Claus as he delivers presents to good girls and boys, U.S. military officials who track his annual flight said on Saturday.

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Pennsylvania parents accused of starving, abusing three children

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania couple tried to starve their three children to death because the father no longer wanted them, state police said in charges filed this week.

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FBI warns of possible Islamic State-inspired attacks in U.S.: CNN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. federal authorities cautioned local law enforcement on Friday to be aware that supporters of Islamic State have been calling for their sympathizers to attack holiday gatherings in the United States, including churches, CNN reported.

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Singaporean blogger detained by U.S. immigration officials

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A Singaporean blogger who has stirred controversy in his home country is being detained by U.S. immigration officials, the Department of Homeland Security said on Friday.

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Trump, taking a break from White House prep, tees off with Tiger Woods

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday took a break from preparing to take office to engage in a pastime beloved by presidents since Dwight Eisenhower: playing 18 holes of golf.

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Massachusetts Muslim cemetery to go ahead after year-long fight

BOSTON (Reuters) - A proposed Muslim cemetery in rural central Massachusetts will go forward after the town that fought the idea for most of the year and the Islamic society that proposed the plan reached a deal, the two sides said on Friday.

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CIA chief warns against in-kind retaliation for Russian hacking: NPR

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan has warned the U.S. government against a tit-for-tat response to Russian hacking during the presidential election.

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Suspect arrested road-rage shooting of toddler in Arkansas

(Reuters) - Police have arrested a 33-year-old Arkansas man suspected of fatally shooting a three-year-old boy on Saturday in what is believed to have been an act of road rage, officials said on Friday.

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Winter weather to make holiday travel treacherous in northern U.S.

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Heavy snow, freezing rain and wind gusts will make holiday travel treacherous in swaths of the northern United States.

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U.S. government cancels 9/11-era registry for foreigners

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government is canceling an inactive registry program for visitors from countries where extremist groups are operating, a plan similar to a Muslim registry considered by President-elect Donald Trump.

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Uber takes self-driving cars to Arizona after California demands permit

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc on Thursday removed its self-driving test cars from California and put them on trucks bound for Arizona, shuttering the autonomous vehicle project in its home state after a week-long battle with regulators.

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Bathroom law battles loom in more states after North Carolina controversy

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The storm over legislation seen as targeting transgender people is set to intensify in 2017 with several U.S. states proposing measures similar to a bathroom restriction statute in North Carolina that has prompted protests, lawsuits and economic boycotts.

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Racist rant at Kentucky mall prompts ban, apology from mayor

(Reuters) - A racist, expletive-filled rant caught on camera at a Louisville, Kentucky, mall has led to a permanent ban for a shopper and prompted an apology from the city's mayor.

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Passenger removed from flight after confrontation with Ivanka Trump: reports

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A passenger was removed from a JetBlue Airways Corp plane at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Thursday after verbally accosting Ivanka Trump, the website TMZ reported.

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Uber removes self-driving cars from San Francisco roads

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] has removed its self-driving cars from San Francisco streets, halting the autonomous program one week after its launch as the company faced a regulatory crackdown.

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California Supreme Court denies Manson follower's petition

(Reuters) - The California Supreme Court denied a request on Wednesday to hold a hearing in the parole case of Leslie Van Houten who, as a follower of cult leader Charles Manson, took part in one of the most notorious mass murders of the 20th century.

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Trump win ignites hope for stalled Alaska copper, gold mine

VANCOUVER (Reuters) - A small Canadian miner is confident Donald Trump's U.S. presidential win will let it proceed with an application for a copper and gold mine in Alaska that has been stalled almost three years by environmental regulators aiming to protect the world's biggest sockeye salmon fishery.

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Texas moves to cut Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas plans to block about $3 million in Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood operations in the state, a legal document obtained on Wednesday showed, a move the reproductive healthcare group said could affect nearly 11,000 low-income people.

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North Carolina legislature renews battle over LGBT bathroom law

RALEIGH, N.C. (Reuters) - Prominent Republican opposition clouded the start of a special session of the North Carolina legislature on Wednesday to reconsider the state's controversial law restricting bathroom access for transgender people.

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Robert Durst of 'The Jinx' to appear in L.A. court on murder charge

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Wealthy real estate scion Robert Durst, whose ties to several slayings were chronicled in HBO's documentary "The Jinx," was due back in court on Wednesday for a hearing on documents seized in the investigation of a murder case pending against him in Los Angeles.

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U.S. executions hit 25-year low as capital punishment wanes-study

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The number of U.S. executions fell to a quarter-century low in 2016 as new death sentences plummeted, indicating capital punishment is on the decline, a study released on Wednesday showed.

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Black Los Angeles deputy chief chosen to head San Francisco police

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A black deputy police chief from Los Angeles was selected on Tuesday to head up the San Francisco Police Department, months after the city's last police chief was pushed out amid protests over police killings of African-Americans.

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Orlando nightclub victims' families sue Twitter, Google, Facebook

(Reuters) - The families of three men killed at Orlando's Pulse gay nightclub have sued Twitter Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook Inc in federal court, accusing the companies of providing "material support" to the self-radicalized gunman.

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Stakes high as North Carolina considers repealing 'bathroom law'

(Reuters) - For months, a drum beat of economic losses for North Carolina has underscored fallout from a state law limiting bathroom access for transgender people that critics denounced as discriminatory.

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Accused bomber Rahimi pleads not guilty to New Jersey charges

ELIZABETH, N.J. (Reuters) - An Afghan-born U.S. citizen accused of planting bombs in New York and New Jersey pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to New Jersey state charges, including attempted murder of police officers wounded in a shootout upon his arrest.

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New Jersey 'Bridgegate' defendants ask for new trial

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two former aides to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie have asked a federal judge to toss out their convictions in the "Bridgegate" lane closure scandal, arguing that the jury was wrongly instructed and that prosecutors had too little evidence.

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North Carolina considers transgender bathroom law repeal this week

(Reuters) - A North Carolina law limiting bathroom access for transgender people could be repealed this week after months of protests and economic boycotts over legislation decried as discriminatory.

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Former Flint officials criminally charged in water crisis

FLINT, Mich. (Reuters) - Michigan prosecutors on Tuesday charged four former government officials with criminal conspiracy to violate safety rules in connection with the Flint water crisis, which exposed residents to dangerous levels of lead, the state's attorney general said.

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Rite Aid to sell 865 stores to Fred's

(Reuters) - Rite Aid Corp, which is being acquired by Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, said it would sell 865 stores to Fred's Inc for $950 million in cash.

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Retailers to drop on-call scheduling amid state probes

(Reuters) - Six U.S. retailers will no longer require hourly employees to check whether they are still needed for work and risk having their scheduled shifts canceled with little notice, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will announce on Tuesday.

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Panel rules California judge in Stanford swimmer case not biased

(Reuters) - The California judge who drew worldwide condemnation for a six-month sentence of a star Stanford athlete convicted of sexual assault was not biased and acted in accordance with a probation report in the case, the state's judicial oversight commission said Monday.

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New York's 2nd Avenue subway to open Jan. 1, fulfilling decades-long dream

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three new subway stations along Manhattan's Second Avenue will finally open on New Year's Day, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday, 10 years after construction started and decades after the seemingly interminable project was first proposed.

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U.S. electors expected to officially confirm Trump victory

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Electoral College is expected on Monday to officially select Republican Donald Trump as the next president in a vote that is usually routine but takes place this year amid allegations of Russian hacking to try to influence the election.

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U.S. school an antidote to transgender discrimination complaints

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Inside a sunny classroom at a church decorated with rainbow flags, two transgender teenagers exploded into giggles during a dance break from math at Pride School Atlanta.

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New Yorker to be sentenced for 'death ray' plot against Muslims

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A white supremacist convicted on charges that he planned to use a "death ray" to kill Muslims and President Barack Obama is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday in federal court in Albany, New York.

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California marchers protest against Trump as Democrats vow policy fight

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - About 2,000 people protesting against the rhetoric and proposals of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump marched peacefully through downtown Los Angeles on Sunday in advance of Monday's planned Electoral College vote to formally choose him as leader.

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Coast Guard plucks four sailors from icy waters off Annapolis after boats overturn

(Reuters) - Four people were rescued from frigid waters off Annapolis, Maryland, on Sunday after more than a dozen sailboats capsized during a race held in rough, windy weather, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

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Only the hardiest remain at Dakota protest camp

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - Two weeks after a victory in their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, most protesters have cleared out of the main protest camp in North Dakota - but about 1,000 are still there, and plan to remain through the winter.

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Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor dies at age 99: media reports

(Reuters) - Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, who parlayed beauty, diamond-studded glamor and nine marriages into a long celebrity career, died on Sunday, Variety and other media outlets reported, She was 99.

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Texas city lifts tap water ban after chemical spill fear

(Reuters) - Tap water in Corpus Christi is safe to drink, the mayor of the Texas city said on Sunday, lifting a four-day ban after a chemical spill that forced most of the Texas city's residents to rely on bottled water while tests were underway.

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Under threat in Washington, first lady's food legacy may live on elsewhere

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Michelle Obama will be ceding the title of first lady to Melania Trump next month, but she may hold for some time the other distinction she earned during her time in the White House: America's best known advocate for healthy food.

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Suspect sought after toddler shot dead in Arkansas road rage

(Reuters) - Arkansas police on Sunday were searching for a man suspected of shooting at a grandmother's car and killing her three-year-old grandson in an apparent road rage attack.

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With water cannons and Southern belles, Trump ends 'thank you' tour

MOBILE, Ala. (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump wrapped up his post-election "thank you" tour on Saturday with celebratory geysers from water cannons, greetings from hoop-skirted Southern belles and some gloating over the TV newscasters who had expected him to lose.

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Charleston gunman will not use mental health to avoid death penalty

(Reuters) - Convicted murderer Dylann Roof will not ask jurors to take his mental health into consideration next month during the death penalty phase of his trial for killing nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina.

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Dozens of vehicles crash on icy Baltimore road, killing two

(Reuters) - A fuel tanker skidded off a Baltimore highway and exploded on Saturday morning, sending sheets of fire in the path of the approaching traffic and triggering a deadly 55-vehicle pileup on the ice-coated roadway, Maryland officials said.

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Heimlich, doctor who devised maneuver to save choking victims, dies: media

(Reuters) - Henry Heimlich, the American doctor who devised a maneuver used to save countless chocking victims since the 1970's, has died at the age of 96, media reported on Saturday, citing a statement from his family.

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U.S. to disclose estimate of number of Americans under surveillance

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. intelligence community will soon disclose an estimate of the number of Americans whose electronic communications have been caught in the crosshairs of online surveillance programs intended for foreigners, U.S. lawmakers said in a letter seen by Reuters on Friday.

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South Carolina church gunman's two death penalty trials a rarity

(Reuters) - White supremacist Dylann Roof's conviction on federal hate crimes in the Charleston church massacre sets him up to be the first person to face back-to-back federal and state death sentences since the United States reinstated the death penalty at the national level in 1988.

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Michigan loses court case to stop home water deliveries due to lead

(Reuters) - Michigan must deliver bottled water or provide in-home filtration to all qualified residents in the city of Flint, where lead contamination sparked a public health crisis, a U.S. appellate panel ruled on Friday upholding a lower-court order.

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New York's anti-Trump sticky notes head for museum preservation

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A historical group on Friday began preserving thousands of sticky notes placed on the walls of a busy New York subway station over the past month to lament the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president.

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Accused 'fake news' gunman faces federal hearing in Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 28-year-old North Carolina man charged in a shooting in a Washington pizzeria that fake news reports claimed was a front for a child sex ring is due to appear in federal court on Friday.

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FBI kept tabs on Muhammad Ali in 1966 during Nation of Islam probe

(Reuters) - The FBI kept tabs on the late boxer Muhammad Ali in 1966, including his divorce and his speech at a Miami mosque, in its investigation of the religious group Nation of Islam, according to documents released by the agency.

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American charged in bank hacking turned down Russian asylum: lawyer

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Russian government offered asylum to a Maryland-born man facing U.S. charges he was part of a computer hacking scheme targeting financial firms including JPMorgan Chase & Co, but he turned down the offer, his lawyer said on Thursday.

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North Carolina Republicans try to strip powers from Democratic governor-elect

RALEIGH, N.C. (Reuters) - North Carolina's Republican-dominated legislature is moving to strip powers from the state's governor three weeks before Democrat Roy Cooper is set to succeed a member of their party in the executive mansion.

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Colorado school district votes to allow employees to carry guns

(Reuters) - A tiny school district in central Colorado has voted to allow teachers or other employees at its two schools to carry concealed handguns on the job if they volunteer to serve double duty as security officers in case of an emergency.

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Massachusetts tiptoes into pot legalization; OK to smoke, not to sell

BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts on Thursday became the first state in the densely populated U.S. Northeast to legalize marijuana for recreational use, a step that advocates say could help spread the drug's acceptance across the United States.

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Washington state coroner's inquest finds police shooting justified

(Reuters) - A jury found on Wednesday that Washington state police officers acted lawfully when they shot dead a Mexican farm worker after he threw rocks at them, city officials said.

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U.S. to give 30-year wind farm permits; thousands of eagle deaths seen

(Reuters) - Wind farms will be granted 30-year U.S. government permits that could allow for thousands of accidental eagle deaths due to collisions with company turbines, towers and electrical wires, U.S. wildlife managers said on Wednesday.

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Obama administration shores up protections for Planned Parenthood

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Obama administration has issued a final rule designed to block states from withholding federal Title X money for Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics, which have been under threat of defunding because they provide abortions among other services.

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U.S. looks for potential issues linked to falsified French nuclear documents

(Reuters) - U.S. nuclear regulators are investigating whether the suspected falsification of documents at French nuclear power company Areva SA, which supplies components for reactors globally, poses any problems at U.S. nuclear plants.

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Manhattan apartment sales prices top $2 million for first time: survey

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The average sales price of an apartment in Manhattan is expected to top $2 million this year for the first time, but prices are seen leveling off in 2017 after nearly doubling over the past decade.

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Louisiana judge throws out executive order to protect LGBT rights

(Reuters) - A Louisiana judge on Wednesday threw out an order from the state's Democratic governor aimed at protecting the rights of gay and transgender people, ruling that the governor had overstepped his authority.

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Witness tells of gunman sparing her at South Carolina church massacre

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - A 72-year-old woman testified on Wednesday that she cowered under a table as Dylann Roof killed nine fellow worshippers at a historic black church in South Carolina and that he told her she was being spared so she could share the story of the massacre.

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Cold persists in U.S. Midwest as Pacific Northwest braces for snow

(Reuters) - Arctic air blowing through Chicago and other parts of the U.S. Midwest was expected to keep the region under a deep freeze on Wednesday, as residents of Oregon were blanketed with snow from a separate weather system, forecasters said.

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California police answering gunman report shoot unarmed man dead

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California police officer responding to a report of a man with a gun shot to death an unarmed 73-year-old man who approached the officer without taking his hands out of his pockets, police said on Tuesday.

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Roof scouted South Carolina church before deadly attack: FBI agent

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Dylann Roof visited Charleston, South Carolina, at least six times in the months before he shot and killed nine people in a historic black church there in June 2015, an FBI agent told jurors at Roof's federal death penalty trial on Tuesday.

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New accusations against former Fox News head Ailes in lawsuit

(Reuters) - New sexual harassment accusations against former Fox News network chief Roger Ailes were revealed in a lawsuit filed against 21st Century Fox on Monday.

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Ohio governor vetoes 'heartbeat' abortion ban, signs 20-week legislation

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Republican Governor John Kasich signed a 20-week abortion ban into law on Tuesday but vetoed stricter legislation that would have forbidden the procedure once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks after conception.

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Oklahoma court strikes down abortion restriction as unconstitutional

(Reuters) - The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a state law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital near their clinic, saying the measure "places an undue burden on a women's access to abortion."

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U.S. judge to review FBI's Clinton emails search warrant

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday directed federal prosecutors to show him the search warrant application used to enable the FBI to access emails related to Hillary Clinton's private server that were discovered shortly before the Nov. 8 presidential election.

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Tech employees vow not to help Trump surveil Muslims, deport immigrants

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 100 employees of technology companies including Alphabet Inc's Google, Twitter Inc and Salesforce pledged on Tuesday to not help U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's administration build a data registry to track people based on their religion or assist in mass deportations.

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Captain of doomed ship El Faro: 'We're gettin' conflicting reports'

(Reuters) - The captain of a U.S.-flagged cargo ship that sank near the Bahamas last year, killing all 33 onboard, told a crew member that there was confusion about the location of the storm that doomed the vessel, a transcript released on Tuesday shows.

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ATF believes overloaded electrical lines caused Oakland warehouse fire: report

(Reuters) - Agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were expected to announce on Tuesday that overloaded electrical lines caused the fire at an Oakland warehouse that killed 36 people earlier this month, the East Bay Times newspaper reported.

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Arctic air chills parts of U.S. Great Plains on path to other regions

(Reuters) - A biting cold blast of Arctic air gripped the northern Great Plains early on Tuesday, bringing dangerous wind chills and the threat of frostbite, weather officials said.

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Cosby in court as prosecutors aim to call 13 accusers as witnesses

(Reuters) - Bill Cosby returns to a Pennsylvania courtroom on Tuesday, where his lawyers are expected to renew their battle with prosecutors over whether more than a dozen female accusers can testify at his criminal sexual trial next year.

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Drinking, drug use largely down among U.S. teens in 2016

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The use of alcohol, marijuana, prescription medications and illicit substances declined among U.S. teens again in 2016, continuing a long-term trend, according to a study released on Tuesday by the National Institutes of Health.

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Texas flight to Germany diverted to NYC after bomb threat

(Reuters) - A Lufthansa flight headed to Germany from Texas was diverted to a New York City airport on Monday night after a bomb threat was called in to the airline's headquarters, officials said.

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Snow, cold to sweep across U.S. Northeast ahead of arctic blast

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A snowstorm that pummeled the Midwest and left at least two dead will sweep across the U.S. Northeast on Monday, creating tough travel conditions ahead of the season's first arctic blast, forecasters said.

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U.S. judge rejects Jill Stein bid for Pennsylvania recount

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge in Pennsylvania on Monday rejected Green Party candidate Jill Stein's request for a recount of the state's ballots in last month's presidential election and an examination of voting machines for evidence of hacking.

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U.S. congressman from Pennsylvania gets 10 years' prison for fraud

(Reuters) - Former U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah, who served in Congress for more than 20 years, was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in federal prison for orchestrating a series of frauds to enrich himself and boost his political career, U.S. prosecutors said.

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McConnell will not give timeline for Obamacare replacement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday the Senate will move to repeal President Barack Obama's healthcare law shortly after Jan. 1, but declined to give a timeline for a plan to replace it.

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U.S. justices reject Ohio killer's bid to block second execution try

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal by an Ohio man convicted in a 1984 rape and murder who has argued he should not be executed because the state already unsuccessfully tried to put him to death seven years ago.

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Supreme Court declines to hear biologic drug patent fight

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case over whether companies that make copycat versions of biologic drugs must wait six months after winning federal approval before bringing them to the market.

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U.S. top court rejects AIG ex-CEO Hank Greenberg's appeal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected former American International Group CEO Maurice "Hank" Greenberg's bid to escape civil fraud charges in New York accusing him of orchestrating sham transactions at the insurer, even as his trial continues.

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No security threat at U.S. Capitol Visitor Center: police

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Police in Washington on Monday said there was no security threat at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center building, and that related announcements were linked to a police exercise.

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Exclusive: New York City train tunnel project could tie up traffic for three years

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Traffic jams could afflict New York City’s heavily traveled West Side Highway for three years as a multibillion-dollar train tunnel is built under the Hudson River, draft proposals obtained by Reuters show, feeding concern about an area already disrupted by massive real estate development.

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Man convicted of manslaughter in death of ex-NFL star

(Reuters) - A jury on Sunday night found a Louisiana man guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of retired NFL player Will Smith, following an April vehicle collision in New Orleans.

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Fire at Michigan ski lodge injures a dozen people

(Reuters) - A blaze in the middle of the night at a northern Michigan ski lodge on Sunday injured 12 people, the Boyne Highlands Resort said, calling it a "significant structure fire."

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Ho, ho, ho! SantaCon is coming to town

NEW YORK (Reuters) - From Boston to Austin and Chicago to Los Angeles, revelers across the United States will be donning red and white suits this weekend to mark the worldwide SantaCon holiday pub crawl.

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About 40 cars in pile-up on snowy highway near Detroit

(Reuters) - A pile-up involving about 40 cars in snowy conditions forced the temporary closure of part of Interstate 75 northwest of Detroit on Saturday and several motorists were injured, a spokesman for state police said.

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Cadillac disavows casting call for 'neo-Nazi' character in brand ad

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co's Cadillac brand on Saturday disavowed a casting notice that called for an "alt-right (neo nazi)" role in a Cadillac commercial amid a storm of outrage on social media.

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First gorilla born in captivity, age 59, returns to Ohio zoo after surgery

(Reuters) - The first gorilla born in captivity has returned to her enclosure at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio after recovering from successful surgery last week to remove a malignant tumor, the zoo said.

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'I had to do it,' accused gunman says of South Carolina church attack

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Jurors in the federal hate crimes trial of Dylann Roof watched a video on Friday of the avowed white supremacist confessing to killing nine parishioners at a historic black church in South Carolina and saying he felt he "had to do it."

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U.S. slated to sell $375 million of emergency reserve oil this winter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government is slated to sell $375 million worth of crude oil from the country's emergency reserve this winter after Congress passed a temporary spending bill on Friday that contained a measure authorizing the sale.

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Deadly New York crane collapse in Feb was operator error: report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A crane collapse in February that killed one person, injured three pedestrians and flattened parked cars along a busy street in New York City was the result of operator error, a city report concluded on Friday.

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N.Y. City to pay $600,000 in police brutality case

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City has agreed to pay more than $600,000 to settle claims from a man who said he was brutally beaten by police officers nearly five years ago.

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Wisconsin judge orders presidential vote recount to continue: local media

(Reuters) - A recount of presidential votes will continue in Wisconsin, one of three states where the Green Party is pursuing recounts of the Nov. 8 election, local news media reported on Friday.

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Activist Chicago priest reflects on city's 'shameful' violent year

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A longtime activist Chicago priest who has marched in protests, attended vigils and delivered sermons decrying violence in the city's most deadly year in nearly two decades, fears the surge in murders could continue into 2017.

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Ohio lawmakers approve college campus concealed-carry bill

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Lawmakers in Ohio approved a bill on Friday that opens the way for licensed gun owners to carry concealed weapons on college campuses, less than two weeks after a man injured 11 in a stabbing attack at Ohio State University.

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John Glenn, first American to orbit Earth, dies at 95

(Reuters) - John Glenn, who became one of the 20th century's greatest explorers as the first American to orbit Earth and later as the world's oldest astronaut, and also had a long career as a U.S. senator, died in Ohio on Thursday at age 95.

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Trump says U.S.-China relationship must improve

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States needed to improve its relationship with China, which he criticized for its economic policies and failure to rein in North Korea.

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Oakland city workers visited warehouse, did not flag fire hazard

(Reuters) - In the two years leading up to the fire at an Oakland, California warehouse that killed 36 people at a dance party late last week, city officials had entered the building on numerous occasions and had multiple opportunities to see that residents were illegally living there in hazardous conditions.

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Second Georgia officer dies after shooting near university

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The second officer shot while responding to a domestic dispute near a university in Georgia died of his injuries on Thursday, school officials said, after the suspect killed himself inside a home where he was barricaded earlier in the day.

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For U.S. veterans, pipeline protest promises to galvanize activism

CANNON BALL/FORT YATES, N.D. (Reuters) - U.S. veterans, thousands of whom last week helped stop a contested oil pipeline running through North Dakota, could become important partners of activists on the environment, the economy, race and other issues that divide Americans.

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Polar vortex redux? U.S. forecasters say it could hit next week

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Forecasters are sending chills down some spines with a prediction that much of the northern half of the United States could see frigid weather next week similar to life-threatening lows the polar vortex brought to parts of the country in 2014.

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Exclusive: ACT Inc raises test prices abroad to fund cheating fight

LONDON/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The maker of the ACT college-entrance exam, which has been struggling to contain an international cheating epidemic, is raising its fees for overseas test-takers by $10 to pay for enhanced security.

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Greens to rally in Michigan as recounts head to court in three states

DETROIT (Reuters) - Protesters planned to rally on Thursday in Lansing, Michigan, outside the state's highest court, the latest judicial body to weigh the fate of Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein's demands for recounts in three states.

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No mistrial for Dylann Roof after church shooting survivor calls him 'evil'

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday denied a mistrial for accused white South Carolina gunman Dylann Roof, who a day earlier was described as "evil" in testimony by a survivor of the deadly June 2015 attack on a historic black church.

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NFL player's New Jersey home vandalized with racist taunts: police

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An National Football League player's northern New Jersey home was vandalized with a swastika and other racist taunts scrawled on the inside walls during a break-in this week, according to police and photos that the player posted online.

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Trump fills homeland security, environment, China ambassador jobs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday picked a fossil fuel industry defender as his top environmental official, another retired general as homeland security chief and Iowa's governor as U.S. ambassador to China in choices at odds with some of his recent pronouncements.

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Alabama set to execute former Eagle Scout for 1994 murder

(Reuters) - Alabama is scheduled to execute a former Eagle Scout on Thursday for a 1994 convenience store killing, and his lawyers have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking a reprieve amid constitutional questions about the state's death sentencing process.

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U.S. transgender people harassed in public restrooms: landmark survey

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Almost 60 percent of transgender Americans have avoided using public restrooms for fear of confrontation, saying they have been harassed and assaulted, according to the largest survey taken of transgender people in the United States.

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Trump says union head who accused him of lying has 'done a terrible job'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donald Trump clashed on Wednesday with a union official who accused the president-elect of lying about the number of jobs saved in a deal to keep air conditioner maker Carrier from moving some jobs from Indiana to Mexico.

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U.S. judge reverses order requiring vote recount in Michigan

(Reuters) - A federal judge in Michigan on Wednesday revoked his order requiring a recount of the state's presidential vote sought by Jill Stein, siding with a state appeals court that found the Green Party candidate had no grounds to mount the challenge.

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Florida woman charged with threatening Sandy Hook parent

(Reuters) - A Florida woman accused of making death threats to the parent of a child killed at Sandy Hook Elementary school because she believes the 2012 shooting rampage was a hoax has been indicted on federal charges, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

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Two juveniles charged with arson in Tennessee wildfires that killed 14

(Reuters) - Two juveniles were charged with arson on Wednesday in connection with the eastern Tennessee wildfires that broke out last month in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in which 14 people died, officials said.

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U.S. Republicans quibble over effective date of Obamacare repeal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican senators are leaning towards a plan to delay the effective date of an Obamacare repeal for three years, a senior Republican said on Wednesday.

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Police respond to reports of shots fired at Nevada school

(Reuters) - Police and school officials in Reno, Nevada, said officers were responding to a high school on Wednesday after receiving reports of shots being fired.

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Trump inauguration protest groups demand access to Washington sites

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A public interest group urged U.S. officials on Wednesday to free up Washington landmarks for thousands of people planning protests around the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

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NY real estate brokers sell tough security at Trump Tower as amenity

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two New York real estate brokers marketing a condominium in Trump Tower have used the heavy presence of U.S. Secret Service agents who protect President-elect Donald Trump as a new selling point for the luxury apartment and office building.

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Search almost concluded at Oakland warehouse in fire that killed 36

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - Authorities expect to conclude their search on Wednesday of an Oakland warehouse gutted by a fast-moving fire that killed 36 people during a dance party, an official said.

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Bus driver was speeding in deadly Baltimore crash: government report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A school bus involved in a crash that killed six people in Baltimore last month was traveling at nearly twice the speed limit, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said on Thursday.

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Jury to be seated in accused South Carolina church shooter's federal trial

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - A jury is expected to be seated on Wednesday in the federal death penalty case against avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof, who is accused of gunning down nine black parishioners at a historic South Carolina church last year.

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Ohio lawmakers pass 'heartbeat' abortion legislation

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Ohio lawmakers approved a bill that bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks after conception, clearing the way for one of the most stringent abortion restrictions in the United States if it becomes law.

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Authorities identify all but one of 36 Oakland fire victims

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - Authorities in Oakland, California, said on Tuesday they had identified all but one of the 36 victims whose bodies were pulled from the debris of a fire that ripped through a dance party at a warehouse at the weekend.

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White nationalist leader's speech sparks protests at Texas university

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (Reuters) - Texas A&M University students and activists protested against a speech on Tuesday by white nationalist Richard Spencer, who was filmed at a conference last month saying "Hail Trump", drawing Nazi-like salutes from some spectators.

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Trump lays out non-interventionist U.S. military policy

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump laid out a U.S. military policy on Tuesday that would avoid interventions in foreign conflicts and instead focus heavily on defeating the Islamic State militancy.

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Repealing Obamacare to be first on Senate agenda in 2017

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Repealing Obamacare will be the first order of business in the U.S. Senate in January, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said on Tuesday.

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With Dakota Access in limbo, more Bakken crude to move on trains

HOUSTON (Reuters) - As oil prices recover and U.S. shale production picks up, energy companies that had planned to ship crude on the Dakota Access Pipeline will turn to rail, a transport method that poses its own risks to the environment and local communities.

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Los Angeles heightens security after threat to metro system

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Heavy security at subway stations in Los Angeles greeted commuters on Tuesday as federal and local authorities investigated a specific but uncorroborated threat to detonate a bomb at the Metro Red Line's Universal City station.

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Georgia to execute man for 1990 murder of father-in-law

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Georgia is scheduled to execute on Tuesday a man convicted of fatally shooting his father-in-law and kidnapping his estranged wife and her sister in 1990 who is set to become the ninth person put to death in the state this year.

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Threat against Los Angeles rail line called in from a foreign country

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Federal and Los Angeles officials said on Monday a "specific" threat had been called in from a foreign country against the city's Red Line commuter rail system, prompting them to alert the public.

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California bill would require reporting of 'superbug' infections, deaths

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A California state senator introduced a bill on Monday that would mandate reporting of antibiotic-resistant infections and deaths and require doctors to record the infections on death certificates when they are a cause of death.

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Judge declares mistrial in ex-South Carolina policeman's murder trial

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - A South Carolina judge declared a mistrial on Monday after jurors weighing a murder charge against a white former South Carolina police officer who shot and killed a black motorist last year said they were deadlocked.

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New York City seeks up to $35 million for Trump-related security costs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City is asking the U.S. government for up to $35 million to cover security costs related to President-elect Donald Trump, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday.

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U.S. reshaping budget to account for Russian military threat

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (Reuters) - Russia's increasing military activities around the world have unsettled top U.S. military officials, who say they are reshaping their budget plans to better address what they now consider to be the most pressing threat to U.S. security.

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California fire death toll rises to 33 in grim search through warehouse

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - A fire that devastated an Oakland, California, loft building during a weekend dance party has taken at least 33 lives and the toll will likely rise, authorities said on Sunday, as criminal investigators joined recovery teams at the charred ruin.

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Accused Charleston gunman asks judge to reinstate defense team

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - The avowed white supremacist accused of killing nine black people at an historic South Carolina church told a federal judge on Sunday that he no longer wished to represent himself during the "guilt" phase of his murder trial in Charleston.

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Morton County sheriff defends tactics against pipeline protesters

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - The sheriff of the North Dakota county where thousands of people are protesting a controversial pipeline project defended police tactics after they used water hoses and rubber bullets in a late November confrontation.

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Sense of duty draws U.S. veterans to Dakota pipeline protest

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - In the back reaches of the Dakota Access Pipeline protest camp, U.S. military veterans, armed with saws, hammers and other tools, are quietly building barracks, an infirmary and a mess hall.

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U.S. Navy aims to buy more Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets: source

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy plans to divest its older model Boeing Co F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets in coming years and hopes to buy dozens of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to deal with a shortfall of strike fighters aboard its carriers, a Navy official said.

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Bergdahl seeks pardon before Trump takes office

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who is charged with desertion for walking away from his combat post in Afghanistan in 2009, has asked President Barack Obama for a pardon, the White House said on Saturday.

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Yurts, cleats, coats: Dakota protesters dig in for brutal winter

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - In North Dakota, winter is most definitely coming.

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U.S. veterans to meet with tribe elders in pipeline protest

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - U.S. military veterans will meet with tribal leaders on Saturday as they continue to entrench themselves in a North Dakota camp where thousands of activists are protesting a multibillion-dollar pipeline project near a Native American reservation.

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At least nine dead in California warehouse fire

(Reuters) - At least nine people were dead and 13 others missing after a fire broke out during a party in a warehouse in Oakland, California, local media reported on Saturday, quoting city fire officials.

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Exclusive: U.S. standards council to investigate New Oriental after Reuters report

MIAMI (Reuters) - A U.S. standards-setting body said it would investigate New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc in the wake of a Reuters report that detailed allegations of academic fraud at the company.

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FBI captures a Top 10 Most Wanted fugitive in Los Angeles

(Reuters) - Federal authorities in Los Angeles took a man believed to be Marlon Jones, one of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted," into custody on Friday, the day after he was placed on the list for a fatal shooting at a birthday party in October, the agency said.

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Man stabbed to death on California university campus

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A man who may have been a faculty member at the University of Southern California was stabbed to death on the downtown Los Angeles campus on Friday, and a suspect was taken into custody, authorities said.

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Jury deadlocked in ex-South Carolina cop Michael Slager's trial for Walter Scott's death

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Jurors considering a murder charge against a white South Carolina former police officer who shot and killed a fleeing black motorist last year told a judge on Friday they were unable to reach a verdict.

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No special prosecutor for New Jersey 'Bridgegate' complaint against Christie

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New Jersey judge on Friday declined to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate a citizen's criminal complaint against Governor Chris Christie over the "Bridgegate" lane-closure scandal, saying private citizens do not have the legal standing to make such a request.

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Massachusetts college that took down American flag raises it again

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Massachusetts college that became a target of protests after removing the American flag from its main flagpole following Donald Trump's election victory raised the flag again on Friday, its president said.

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U.S. military veterans to join North Dakota pipeline protest camp

CANNON BALL/WEST FARGO, N.D. (Reuters) - More than 2,000 U.S. military veterans are expected to join a protest at a camp in North Dakota on Friday where thousands of activists, braving frigid conditions, are demonstrating against a pipeline project near a Native American reservation.

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San Bernardino marks one-year anniversary of shooting that killed 14

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Police and fire officials in Southern California who dealt with the carnage of a mass shooting by Islamic militants that left 14 people dead will mark the one-year anniversary on Friday of the attack that shook even the most hardened emergency responders.

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Porous Texas border fence foreshadows challenges for Trump's wall

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (Reuters) - The rust-colored border security fence starts in a dusty field on the Loop family farm in South Texas - about 15 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico and a mile north of the southern U.S. border.

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Death toll from human-caused Tennessee wildfire climbs to 10

(Reuters) - The death toll from a devastating blaze in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee rose to 10 on Thursday, marking the highest loss of civilian life from a single U.S. wildfire in 13 years.

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Colorado mother bought gun just before she, two small sons found dead

DENVER (Reuters) - A Colorado mother bought a handgun hours before she and her two young sons were found fatally shot inside the family's minivan, authorities said on Thursday, adding that her wounds appeared to be self-inflicted.

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Trump supports completion of Dakota Access Pipeline

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday said for the first time that he supports the completion of a pipeline project near a North Dakota Indian reservation, which has been the subject of months of protests by tribes and environmentalists.

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A year after San Bernardino attack, investigators still seek answers

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - One year after two Islamic militants shot dead 14 people in a massacre in Southern California, FBI investigators are still seeking to answer key questions such as the location of the married couple's computer hard drive and whether anyone helped them, an official said.

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Three killed as pickup truck crashes into Walmart store in Iowa

(Reuters) - Three people were killed and two injured on Thursday when a pickup truck crashed through the front of a Wal-Mart store in central Iowa, a state police spokesman said.

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Separation anxiety: Trump’s management style poses challenges in Oval Office

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It has proven one of Donald Trump's greatest strengths in building a worldwide luxury brand: An obsessive attention to detail, down to the curtains hanging in hotel rooms and the marble lining the lobby floor.

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Police in Florida arrest bank robbery suspect, free 11 hostages

(Reuters) - Police arrested a suspected bank robber and freed 11 people who were briefly taken hostage during an attempted heist at a bank in Jacksonville, Florida on Thursday, authorities said.

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Suspect in shooting of Washington state officer killed in standoff

(Reuters) - A man accused of fatally shooting a Washington state policeman before barricading himself inside a home with two children was killed on Thursday after a lengthy standoff with officers, police said.

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Texas mortgage companies, founder must pay $93 million in fraud case: jury

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal jury has ordered two Texas-based home mortgage entities and their chief executive to pay nearly $93 million for defrauding the U.S. government into insuring thousands of risky loans, authorities said on Wednesday.

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Death toll rises to seven in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains fires

(Reuters) - The death toll from wildfires blazing in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee rose to seven on Wednesday even as drenching rains helped firefighters suppress flames that have left whole neighborhoods in ruins.

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Rockefeller Christmas tree lights up New York

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands of people braved rainy weather to watch the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City on Wednesday night.

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