Ex-Pentagon chief Laird dies, advocated ‘Vietnamization’ policy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Melvin Laird, who as defense secretary under President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973 helped extricate U.S. forces from the morass of the Vietnam War in a policy he dubbed “Vietnamization,” has died at age 94.
Minnesota officer charged with manslaughter in death of black motorist Philando Castile
(Reuters) – A Minnesota police officer was charged with second-degree manslaughter on Wednesday for the fatal shooting of a black motorist that sparked outrage when the moments that followed were broadcast on social media.
Surgeon General calls for action to fight drug, alcohol abuse
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Surgeon General issued a call to action on Thursday to end what he said was a public health crisis of drug and alcohol addiction that is both underappreciated and undertreated.
Centuries-old Ten Commandments tablet goes under hammer for $850,000
DALLAS (Reuters) – A 1,500-year-old stone tablet with the earliest known chiseled inscription of the Ten Commandments was sold at a U.S. auction on Wednesday for $850,000.
Gas explosion in Illinois town kills one person, injures eight
(Reuters) – A large gas explosion killed one person and injured eight others in Canton, central Illinois on Wednesday, officials said on social media, as rescue workers searched for more casualties as night fell on the small town.
Engineer in New Jersey train wreck later diagnosed with sleep disorder
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A lawyer for the engineer of a New Jersey commuter train that crashed in Hoboken in late September, killing one person and injuring more than 100 others, said his client has since been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, which can…
Schumer, McConnell elected top leaders in Senate
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic U.S. senators elected Chuck Schumer of New York as minority leader on Wednesday, and he tapped former presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders to help Democrats woo blue-collar workers, many of whom voted for Pres…
CalSTRS calculates total fees in likely first for public pension
(Reuters) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System announced on Wednesday that it had calculated the total costs and fees paid to manage its entire investment portfolio, likely the first public pension fund to do so.
Judge set to toss charges against Backpage.com CEO, cites shield law
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A California judge on Wednesday said he was likely to dismiss criminal pimping charges against the chief executive and controlling shareholders of Backpage.com, ruling that a federal immunity shield for tech companies protecte…
Wisconsin judge denies motion to keep ‘Making a Murderer’ nephew in prison
(Reuters) – A federal judge in Wisconsin on Wednesday denied a motion aimed at stopping the release of Brendan Dassey, who was imprisoned for life for helping his uncle kill a freelance photographer in 2005 in a case spotlighted in the Netflix document…
