Juan Felipe Herrera first Hispanic named U.S. poet laureate
(Reuters) – Juan Felipe Herrera, the son of migrant farm workers and the author of 28 books of poetry, novels for young adults and collections for children, was named the U.S. poet laureate on Wednesday, the first Hispanic appointed to the position.
Amtrak engineer in May 12 derailment was not on phone: NTSB
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Amtrak engineer Brandon Bostian was not talking or texting on his cellphone when his speeding passenger train derailed in Philadelphia on May 12, killing eight people and injuring more than 200 others, federal crash investigators…
Judge OKs $53.8 million settlements in World Trade Center cleanup
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A federal judge has approved $53.8 million in settlements for 82 unionized cleanup workers who claimed they were made ill by exposure to toxic dust near the World Trade Center site, court papers showed.
Convicted killer in New York prison break on third escape attempt
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A daring weekend escape from a New York state maximum-security penitentiary marked at least the third time convicted murderer Richard Matt had moved to bust out from behind bars.
Amtrak to test rail safety system in U.S. Northeast but problems persist
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Amtrak said on Wednesday that it has won government approval to test a new rail safety system between New York and Washington that federal inspectors say would have prevented the deadly May 12 derailment in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia man shot by police was running for gun, officer says
(Reuters) – Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter on Tuesday released documents on December’s fatal police shooting of a black man that clash with accounts by law enforcement officials saying the man had been reaching for a gun when he was shot.
L.A. police commission says officer violated policy in shooting
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Los Angeles police commissioners on Tuesday issued a mixed ruling in the shooting of an unarmed black man by two patrolmen, largely approving of one officer’s actions while finding that the other had violated department policy.
Disappearing Bakken oil discount adds to output slowdown signs
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil traders scrambling to secure crude in the U.S. Midwest have pushed North Dakota’s Bakken to a near premium for the first time in two years, a rally stoked by record refinery runs and an unprecedented slump in Canadian imports.
U.S. investigators determine Amtrak engineer cellphone use: sources
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – After weeks of sorting through complex and contradictory phone service data, U.S. investigators have determined whether an Amtrak engineer was using his cellphone last month when his train derailed along a curve in Philadelphia, …
Texas policeman resigns after video shows him toppling teen
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – A Dallas-area policeman seen in a viral video tossing a bathing suit-clad teenage girl to the ground has resigned from the McKinney Police force, the city’s police chief said on Tuesday, calling the officer’s actions indefensi…
