San Bernardino creditors cry foul at city’s plan to hire PR firm
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A move by bankrupt San Bernardino to spend up to $200,000 on a public relations firm has angered some of the cash-strapped California city’s creditors, who face deep cuts under an imminent exit plan.
Accused aide to Osama bin Laden opposed calls for violence, jury told
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A lawyer for a Saudi man accused by U.S. prosecutors of acting as Osama bin Laden’s lieutenant argued at the close of his trial on Thursday that he was a peaceful dissident who found the al Qaeda leader’s violent ideology abhorrent.
Exxon refinery where blast occurred recently cited: California
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Exxon Mobil Corp’s Torrance, California, refinery, hit by an explosion and fire on Wednesday, was cited in November for eight serious violations following state inspections last year, according to documents released on Thursday.
Gas vapor eyed as factor in West Virginia oil train fireball
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Federal investigators will examine whether pressurized gas played a role in the massive blast that followed the derailment of a train carrying crude oil through West Virginia this week, the U.S. Transportation Department said on …
Los Angeles teachers say deadlocked in labor talks, strike possible
(Reuters) – Teachers in the massive Los Angeles public school system said they were deadlocked in negotiations with district administrators, a move that will trigger the intervention of mediators and could ultimately lead to a strike.
South Carolina lawmakers advance plan to take over historically black college
CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) – South Carolina lawmakers have moved closer to ordering the state to take control of its only public historically black university, which has been dogged for years by troubled finances and dwindling enrollment.
Record-breaking cold in U.S. Midwest heads to frigid East Coast
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Bone-chilling cold in the U.S. Midwest shattered records in Chicago on Thursday, closing schools and starting its trudge eastward to an already frozen Boston and New York.
Three Texas police officers shot while trying to serve warrant
(Reuters) – Three police officers were shot in the coastal Texas city of Corpus Christi on Thursday as they were attempting to serve a warrant at a home as part of a drug investigation, police said.
Hazmat team responds to Los Angeles courthouse over suspicious letters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A hazardous materials team was sent to a Los Angeles courthouse on Thursday over suspicious letters mailed to court personnel, but no evacuation was ordered and business continued without interruption, officials said.
Minnesota man charged with conspiring to support Islamic State
MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) – A Minnesota man pulled off an airplane bound for Turkey last year has been indicted on charges of conspiring to support Islamic State and lying to federal agents investigating recruitment by militant groups, prosecutors said on …
