In Illinois homecoming, Obama calls for improved tone in U.S. politics
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Reuters) – President Barack Obama paid a nostalgic visit on Wednesday to the place that launched his political career and made a renewed call for better relations between Republicans and Democrats to create a more positive tone in U….
Oklahoma man charged with decapitating his grandmother
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – An Oklahoma man has been arrested on first-degree murder charges on suspicion of shooting his grandmother and her husband, and then cutting off their heads at their home, which is also used as a daycare center, police said on …
Michigan governor seeks $300 million for Flint water, Detroit schools
(Reuters) – Michigan Governor Rick Snyder asked state lawmakers on Wednesday to provide more than $300 million in his current and fiscal 2017 budget proposals to deal with the lead-tainted water crisis in Flint and to keep the Detroit Public Schools (D…
Dallas, worried about city’s reputation, bans erotica convention
DALLAS (Reuters) – The city of Dallas voted on Wednesday to ban an erotica expo featuring porn stars, sex toy sales and a whipping dungeon from a city-owned convention center, with event opponents saying it could taint the city’s image.
Louisiana attorneys appeal judge’s ruling on abortion restrictions
(Reuters) – The state of Louisiana on Wednesday asked a federal appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision to block a 2014 law that imposed tough restrictions on Louisiana abortion providers and threatened to close four of the state’s five clinics.
Decision on charges in Minneapolis police killing could come next month
(Reuters) – The county prosecutor for Minneapolis said on Wednesday he hoped to decide by the end of March whether charges will be filed in last year’s fatal police shooting of a black man, now that a state authority has completed its investigation.
Ohio House passes bill to deny funds to Planned Parenthood
CLEVELAND (Reuters) – Ohio state legislators on Wednesday passed a bill blocking state and federal funds for groups that perform or promote abortions, effectively cutting $1.3 million annually used by Planned Parenthood clinics for HIV testing, pre-nat…
New York City budget boss to state: We’re not a ‘piggy bank’
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York City’s fiscal watchdog said the city faces much bigger budget deficits in coming years than the mayor has forecast and warned state lawmakers about treating the city like a “piggy bank.”
Nebraska man pleads guilty, gets two life sentences in murders
(Reuters) – A Nebraska man pleaded guilty and received two consecutive life sentences on Wednesday for the murders of his mother and 4-year-old half-brother.
Second investigator in probe of slain Texas deputy fired for misconduct
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – An investigator in the fatal ambush shooting of a Houston-area deputy has been fired for inappropriate behavior, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said on Wednesday, making him the second person in the probe to be terminated….
