Rain still falling in California after major storm breaks records
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A major Pacific storm that broke records across Southern California and delivered a small measure of relief to the drought-stricken state brought more rain on Wednesday but the danger of major mudslides in wildfire-scarred areas…
Obama’s pick to head Pentagon not always on same page as president
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Ashton Carter, a veteran Washington insider President Barack Obama is expected to name as his new defense secretary, built a reputation as a behind-the-scenes team player during many years in senior Pentagon posts.
Obama sketches 2015 agenda of taxes, trade; meets McConnell
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Wednesday laid out a business-friendly legislative agenda for next year that hinges on whether he and the new Republican Congress can set aside long-simmering disputes and find common ground.
NY policeman not indicted in chokehold death; U.S. Justice sets probe
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York City grand jury decision not to charge a white police officer who killed an unarmed black man with a chokehold sparked outrage and protests on Wednesday, and the U.S. Justice Department said it would investigate the inci…
Ruling would permit Florida same-sex marriages in early January
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Reuters) – Same-sex marriages could begin in Florida in early January after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined on Wednesday to further stay a lower court ruling that overturned the state’s ban on gay weddings.
Critical report raises safety concerns for major California bridge
(Reuters) – A little over a year after a section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge reopened far behind schedule and over budget, new concerns are being raised about the integrity of steel rods securing the world’s largest self-anchored suspension span.
Texas school board member apologizes for Klan image in Facebook post
TEXARKANA, Texas (Reuters) – A member of an East Texas school board has apologized and intends to resign after posting on his Facebook page a picture of a person in Ku Klux Klan attire along with the caption “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.”
Firefighters lose bid to sue bankrupt San Bernardino in state court
RIVERSIDE, Calif (Reuters) – Firefighters in bankrupt San Bernardino cannot sue the city in a California state court over lost wages and benefits, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge overseeing the case ruled on Wednesday.
American possibly exposed to Ebola being transferred to Atlanta hospital
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A U.S. healthcare worker who had been in West Africa and may have been exposed to the Ebola virus is being transferred to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, a hospital spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
U.S. appeals court voids Florida welfare drug testing law
(Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Wednesday said a Florida law requiring applicants for welfare benefits to undergo mandatory drug testing is unconstitutional, a decision that could affect efforts to enforce similar laws in other states.
