Slowdown at U.S. port of Tacoma threatens Christmas tree shipments to Asia
SEATTLE (Reuters) – A slowdown at a busy Washington state port amid a labor dispute could mean that thousands of Christmas trees grown in the Pacific Northwest will not be shipped in time to meet holiday demand in Asia, industry officials said on Monda…
Missouri governor declares state of emergency ahead of ruling on Ferguson shooting
FERGUSON Mo. (Reuters) – Missouri’s governor declared a state of emergency on Monday and authorized the state’s National Guard to support police in case of violence after a grand jury decides whether to indict a white police officer who fatally shot an…
Defense says Guantanamo detainee is soldier, exempt from war crimes
FORT MEADE Md. (Reuters) – A U.S. military lawyer for a Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainee described as an al-Qaeda commander said on Monday he may be classified as a soldier under international war rules – and therefore exempt from prosecution – so charge…
Parents of slain American aid worker ask for prayers, privacy
INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) – The parents of an American aid worker beheaded by Islamic State militants after his abduction in Syria asked for prayers for other captives in Syria and Iraq in a brief public statement at their Indianapolis church on Monday.
Accused Mexican drug boss Beltran Leyva appears in U.S. court
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Accused Mexican drug lord Alfredo Beltran Leyva made an initial appearance in a U.S. court on Monday to face charges of shipping cocaine and methamphetamines to the United States, the Justice Department said.
State Department’s unclassified email systems hacked
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department on Monday said its unclassified email systems were the victim of a cyber attack in recent weeks, around the same time as White House systems were breached, but no classified data was compromised.
Harvard, UNC sued over use of race in admissions decisions
WINSTON-SALEM N.C. (Reuters) – A nonprofit legal defense group sued Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Monday, alleging the schools’ admission practices discriminate against Asian-American and white applicants.
GM ignition-switch claims deadline extended to January 31
(Reuters) – The deadline to file claims under General Motors Co’s faulty ignition-switch compensation program has been extended by one month to Jan. 31, said Kenneth Feinberg, the program’s administrator.
Futuristic island park in Hudson River proposed for Manhattan
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A futuristic park known as Pier55 will likely rise soon over the water off Manhattan’s Lower West Side, largely funded by a billionaire neighbor, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday.
F-35 completes first round of tests on U.S. Navy ship
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Navy version of Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-35 fighter jet met 100 percent of the threshold requirements set for a first round of sea-based testing aboard the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, Navy and Pentagon officials said on…