Wisconsin Assembly debate begins on right-to-work bill
MADISON, Wis. (Reuters) – Wisconsin lawmakers on Thursday began a final debate on a measure supported by Republican Governor Scott Walker that would prohibit private-sector workers from being required to join a union or pay dues when working under unio…
Houston Ship Channel halts after tanker-container ship collision
HOUSTON (Reuters) – The Houston Ship Channel was closed Thursday afternoon after a tanker carrying lube oil and a container ship collided in the waterway, the Houston Pilots said.
Pentagon to focus more on hack-proofing weapons
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Cyber attacks on U.S. weapons programs and manufacturers are a “pervasive” problem that requires greater attention, the top U.S. arms buyer said Thursday, saying that he would add cybersecurity to the Pentagon’s guidelines for bu…
Portland woman sues restaurant over treatment during solo Valentine’s dinner
PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) – A Portland woman is suing a local restaurant owner and business manager for $100,000, saying she was booted out of the establishment on Valentine’s Day because of her race and for dining alone, the woman said on Thursday. 
Authorities seek to charge Georgia police chief who shot wife in bed
ATLANTA (Reuters) – A Georgia prosecutor will seek a misdemeanor charge against a suburban Atlanta police chief who accidentally shot his wife in bed on New Year’s Day, leaving her partially paralyzed.
Snowstorm cancels flights, strands motorists in eastern U.S
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A treacherous winter storm reaching from Texas to New England closed schools, canceled more than 4,000 flights and stranded hundreds of drivers overnight in Kentucky, where as much as 23 inches (58 cm) of snow fell.
Jodi Arias escapes death penalty after Arizona jury deadlocks
PHOENIX (Reuters) – An Arizona jury failed to reach a verdict on Thursday in the sentencing retrial of Jodi Arias after a lone juror refused to back the death penalty, a development that spared the former waitress from execution for murdering her forme…
FBI to open field office in North Dakota’s oil capital
WILLISTON, N.D. (Reuters) – The FBI said on Thursday it will open a field office in Williston, North Dakota, capital of the state’s oil patch and an area grappling with a rise in drug use and sex trafficking.
Exxon settles New Jersey environmental lawsuit for $225 million
(Reuters) – ExxonMobil has agreed to pay New Jersey $225 million to settle a long-standing lawsuit over environmental damage from its refinery operations and service stations, state officials said on Thursday.
All-women’s college Wellesley to accept transgender women
BOSTON (Reuters) – Massachusetts’ Wellesley College has revised its admissions policy to formally allow applications from transgender women, making it the latest all-women’s colleges to do so.
