Shell’s Washington rail project faces lengthy delay
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell’s proposed crude-by-rail project in Washington state has been put on hold pending environmental review, just days after a pair of oil train derailments caused huge fires in Canada and West Virginia.
British spies in U.S. terror trial must be faceless in sketches: judge
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Five British MI-5 officers expected to testify anonymously in wigs and makeup in the U.S. trial of an accused al Qaeda operative may be portrayed in courtroom sketches with only “blank faces” and “generic hair,” a federal judge sai…
California lawmakers seek to increase penalties for possessing date-rape drugs
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) – Illegal possession of so-called date-rape drugs would become a potential felony under a bill in California to reverse what supporters say is an unintended consequence of a voter-approved law reducing penalties for non-vio…
Dole owner Murdock rambles in testimony about company buyout
WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) – Dole Food Co owner David Murdock began a trial on Monday defending his 2013 buyout of the world’s largest fruit and vegetable producer with often unfocused testimony about his unusual memory, passion for nutrition and d…
Oregon police probing leaks of embattled ex-governor’s emails
PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) – Oregon State Police are investigating the leak of personal emails of embattled former Governor John Kitzhaber, and two employees for the agency that was archiving the emails have been placed on administrative leave, state officials said on Monday. 
Ice storm hits parts of Texas, canceling flights, crippling traffic
DALLAS (Reuters) – An ice storm battered parts of Texas on Monday, knocking out power to thousands of homes, causing hundreds of traffic accidents and prompting more than 1,500 flight cancellations.
U.S. lawmaker seeks congressional hearing on ‘superbug’ outbreak
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A U.S. lawmaker on Monday called on the Congress to investigate the medical scopes blamed for an outbreak of a bacterial “superbug” at a University of California, Los Angeles hospital that has infected seven patients.
Housekeepers testify they found guns at ex-NFL star Hernandez’s home
FALL RIVER, Mass. (Reuters) – Housekeepers for former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez testified on Monday that they found several guns around his home in the weeks before the alleged murder of a man Hernandez is charged with killing.
Thief snatches cookie sale cash box from 10-year-old California Girl Scout
(Reuters) – A thief briefly struggled with a 10-year-old Girl Scout outside a California supermarket and snatched her troop’s cookie sale cash box, but officers tracked down the suspect and then bought up the rest of the cookies, authorities said on Mo…
U.S. names first-ever LGBT human rights envoy
NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The United States Department of State on Monday named its first-ever special envoy to advocate globally for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
