California lawmakers seek to end ‘personal belief’ vaccine exemptions
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Responding to an outbreak of measles that has infected more than 100 people, two California lawmakers said on Wednesday they would introduce legislation to end the right of parents in the state to exempt their children from scho…
Train carrying ethanol derails, catches fire in Iowa: report
(Reuters) – An 11-car train carrying ethanol derailed on Wednesday north of Dubuque, Iowa and three railcars were on fire and another three had fallen into the Mississippi River, the Dubuque Telegraph Herald reported.
Montana police chief apologizes for labeling pacifist Rainbow Family ‘extremist’
(Reuters) – A Montana police chief has apologized for labeling a group that espouses nonviolence but is known for woodsy gatherings where showers are rare as “extremist” when seeking federal grant money for a new command vehicle.
Oklahoma Capitol briefly closed after suspicious letters found
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – The Oklahoma Capitol was briefly closed on Wednesday after four suspicious letters arrived at the building, police and lawmakers said.
Son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy gets prison for probation violations
(Reuters) – An adult son of the Nevada rancher who was at the center of an armed standoff with federal agents last year in a dispute over cattle grazing rights has been sentenced to two to eight years in prison for probation violations, a court spokesw…
Three children rescued from padlocked, filthy Washington state home
SEATTLE (Reuters) – Three children, including an infant, have been rescued from a crumbling home north of Seattle where they were left without food and surrounded by animal feces, with their parents arrested on suspicion of mistreating them, authoritie…
U.S. health agency says 2015 Obamacare demand ramping up
(Reuters) – Nearly 7.5 million people have signed up for 2015 Obamacare health plans through HealthCare.gov with demand increasing as the Feb. 15 enrollment deadline approaches, a senior U.S. health official said on Wednesday.
Pittsburgh medical professor sentenced to life in wife’s poisoning
PITTSBURGH (Reuters) – A University of Pittsburgh neurological surgery professor was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday after his first-degree murder conviction in the poisoning death of his wife, who was also a doctor.
Fans cheer Patriots atop Boston snow piles at Super Bowl parade
BOSTON (Reuters) – Thousands of warmly dressed New England Patriots fans, some perched atop huge snow piles, cheered their team along Boston’s frigid streets on Wednesday to celebrate Sunday’s Super Bowl victory with a downtown parade after two massive…
Michigan to recognize 300 same-sex marriages performed last year
(Reuters) – Michigan will recognize about 300 same-sex marriages performed last year in the short window after a federal judge struck down the state’s ban on gay marriage and a U.S. appeals court put the decision on hold, Governor Rick Snyder said on W…
