Indiana governor to declare disaster for county hit by HIV outbreak
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Reuters) – Indiana Governor Mike Pence said on Wednesday he will declare a public health disaster in a small southern Indiana county that has seen a drastic increase in HIV cases tied to intravenous prescription drug abuse since Decemb…
Indianapolis mayor says religious freedom bill sends wrong signal
(Reuters) – The Republican mayor of Indianapolis and a mainstream Christian group based in the city decried on Wednesday a bill Indiana’s Republican governor plans to sign into law on Thursday that could allow companies to deny services to gays on reli…
Ohio House again passes ‘heartbeat’ anti-abortion bill
CLEVELAND (Reuters) – The Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday again passed a bill that would outlaw abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, or at about six weeks, but it is not expected to become law.
U.S. military challenged maritime claims of 19 countries in 2014
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military conducted freedom of navigation operations last year challenging maritime claims by 19 countries, from China to Argentina, asserting U.S. transit rights in defiance of efforts to impose restrictions, the Pentago…
Large crowd at Univ. of Mississippi protests dismissal of school leader
JACKSON, Miss. (Reuters) – A crowd of roughly 2,500 people gathered at the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford on Wednesday to protest the dismissal of the school’s chancellor, which critics say was unwarranted.
Bay Area woman reported kidnapped turns up safe in Southern California
HUNGTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (Reuters) – A San Francisco Bay Area woman reported kidnapped for ransom earlier this week inexplicably reappeared alone and unharmed on Wednesday in Southern California, where she was questioned by police and turned over to f…
U.S. autoworkers face threat as car makers drawn to Mexico
DETROIT (Reuters) – The United Auto Workers union on Wednesday said getting raises for workers at the Detroit automakers will be a top priority in contract talks this summer, but more jobs and production are shifting to U.S. plants without unions and M…
Ex-U.S. war prisoner Bergdahl charged with desertion, misbehavior
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Reuters) – U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, a former Taliban prisoner in Afghanistan, was formally charged on Wednesday with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of the mos…
Wisconsin state trooper, bank robbery suspect die in shootout
MILWAUKEE (Reuters) – A recently graduated Wisconsin State Patrol officer and a suspect in two bank robberies were killed in an exchange of gunfire outside a store in Fond du Lac, authorities said on Wednesday.
California attorney general seeks to halt anti-gay ballot initiative
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) – California Attorney General Kamala Harris said on Wednesday she is seeking judicial authority to refuse to allow the author of an “utterly reprehensible” anti-gay proposed ballot initiative to gather signatures to place i…
