Crime and lawsuits cloud new ‘American Sniper’ movie
DALLAS (Reuters) – The real-life story behind Hollywood’s “American Sniper,” rolled out this holiday season, has been a dark tale of lawsuits and a pending murder trial for the man accused of gunning down the movie’s hero.
Former South Carolina Governor Edwards dies at 87
(Reuters) – James Edwards, the first Republican elected governor of South Carolina since post-Civil War Reconstruction who also served in President Ronald Reagan’s Cabinet, died on Friday at age 87, his family said.
Inmate uses ventilation duct to escape California jail
(Reuters) – Police were on the lookout on Friday for an inmate who escaped a central California jail on Christmas Day by squeezing through a ventilation duct and jumping off the roof of the building, officials said.
Grandmother, three grandchildren killed in Ohio house fire
(Reuters) – An Ohio grandmother and three of her grandchildren, who were spending the Christmas holiday with her, died in a fire that engulfed the woman’s house on Friday, officials said.
Long-delayed U.S. high-speed rail plans may ride on Texas express
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – With high-speed rail in the United States long on plans and short on construction, a Texas company is aiming to fast-track service between Dallas and Houston.
Anti-police Oakland protesters break windows, trash Christmas tree
(Reuters) – Demonstrators in Oakland, California, broke store windows and vandalized a public Christmas tree during a march protesting police shootings, media reports said.
U.S. man dies at Mexico border after being subdued with stun gun
(Reuters) – An American man died at a U.S. border crossing with Mexico after he allegedly assaulted officers and was subdued with a stun gun, the Customs and Border Protection agency said.
U.S. police struggle to uncover threats on social media
SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – U.S. law enforcement agencies are a long way from being able to effectively track threats of the kind a gunman posted on Instagram before his execution-style murder of two New York City policemen last weekend.
On Christmas visit with troops, Obama lauds end of Afghanistan mission
KANOEHE BAY, Hawaii (Reuters) – One week before the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan draws to a close, President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, thanked American troops on Thursday during a Christmas Day visit to Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kano…
Oregon woman freed from East Timor prison four months after arrest
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A veterinarian from Oregon who was arrested while traveling in East Timor in September was released from jail on Thursday after nearly two months of detention, the U.S. State Department said.
