Union rejects sixth refinery offer from Shell; talks next week
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Union leaders rejected a sixth contract offer Royal Dutch Shell Plc made to U.S. refinery workers, and a pause in negotiations was called Thursday on the fifth day of a strike, though talks are set to resume next week.
Chicago sees fiscal doomsday if court suspends pension changes
CHICAGO (Reuters) – A temporary suspension of cost-saving changes to two of Chicago public pensions funds risks credit rating downgrades that could cost millions of dollars, the city’s chief financial officer said on Thursday.
Ex-New York assemblyman convicted of federal bribery charges
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Former Democratic New York state Senator Malcolm Smith was found guilty on federal bribery charges on Thursday, authorities said, the latest conviction in a string of public corruption prosecutions that have roiled the state capita…
Washington state mulls ban on capture of killer whales for entertainment
(Reuters) – Washington state senators held a hearing on Thursday to consider banning the increasingly controversial capture or holding of killer whales for entertainment.
Lawmakers want tougher vaccine exemptions amid measles outbreak
SEATTLE/PORTLAND, Ore (Reuters) – Several U.S. states are considering laws to make it harder for parents to legally opt out of vaccinating their children, as health officials fight a measles outbreak that has sickened some 120 people in more than a doz…
Navy plans more intensive review of H-53 helicopters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Navy on Thursday said it was launching a more intensive effort to ensure that any wiring or fuel line problems with its CH-53E and MH-53E heavy-lift helicopters are corrected as quickly and effectively as possible.
Minnesota man bound for Turkey accused of lying to federal agents
MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) – A Minnesota man pulled off an airplane bound for Turkey last year has been charged with repeatedly lying to federal agents investigating the recruitment of young U.S. residents to join Islamist militant groups, prosecutors said …
New York train was not speeding before crash with car
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (Reuters) – The New York commuter train that plowed into a car stopped on a crossing this week was traveling just below the speed limit and no problem was found with the signals or traffic barriers at the site of the deadly crash, a fed…
Washington state teen gets 20 years for murder of WWII veteran
SEATTLE (Reuters) – A Washington state teenager was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday for the murder of an 88-year-old World War Two veteran who was beaten to death during a robbery outside a Spokane fraternal lodge.
New York State, ex-assemblyman settle harassment lawsuit
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York State has agreed to pay $545,000 to settle lawsuits brought by two women who said their boss, former Assemblyman Vito Lopez, sexually harassed them and that then-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver created a culture in which s…
