Deep snow in California mountains offers hope in drought
PHILLIPS, Calif. (Reuters) – A cold, wet start to California’s winter has dumped nearly five feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains, state water experts said Wednesday, fueling hope that 2016 will bring enough precipitation to help offset four yea…
Woman accused of plowing car into Las Vegas crowd had used marijuana: prosecutor
(Reuters) – An Oregon woman accused of plowing her car into a crowd on a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk, killing one person and injuring dozens, had marijuana in her system following the incident, county officials said on Wednesday.
Mother of ‘affluenza’ teenager deported to Los Angeles: Mexico official
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The mother of wanted Texan teenager Ethan Couch who fled with her son to Mexico, has been deported from the country on a flight to Los Angeles, a Mexican immigration official said on Wednesday.
Bill Cosby charged with felony sexual assault in Pennsylvania
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (Reuters) – Bill Cosby was charged on Wednesday with sexually assaulting a woman after plying her with drugs and alcohol in 2004, marking the only criminal case against the once-beloved performer whose father-figure persona has been tai…
Widespread flooding hits U.S. Midwest, rivers still rising
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Rain-swollen rivers in the U.S. Midwest forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents, threatened crops and livestock and left scores of buildings underwater on Wednesday after days of extreme weather in which 24 people died.
Attack owl returns in Oregon, targeting government workers
PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) – An owl that achieved notoriety last winter for attacking joggers in an Oregon park has returned and is now turning its talons on government workers, state officials said on Wednesday.
San Bernardino shooter’s visa file raised no red flags: U.S. government sources
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – State Department visa officers conducted all required security checks on Tashfeen Malik, one of two shooters in the San Bernardino massacre early this month, but found no “derogatory” information before granting her a visa to ent…
Chicago mayor plots changes to police policy after deadly shootings
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Chicago police will get new equipment and training to help them defuse tense situations and limit their use of lethal force, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said on Wednesday, following weeks of protests calling for him to resign over his handli…
Cleveland activists oppose re-election of prosecutor in Tamir Rice shooting
CLEVELAND (Reuters) – African-American leaders in Cleveland on Wednesday called for voters to reject the county prosecutor’s bid for re-election next year after he recommended that police officers face no charges in the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Ta…
Texas ‘affluenza’ teen and his mother block extradition from Mexico
FORT WORTH/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A Texas teenager, scorned for his “affluenza” defense in a deadly car crash, and his mother won a delay in extradition from Mexico on Wednesday where they fled as U.S. authorities investigated whether he had violated …
