Veterans health probe confirms cover-up of care delays
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Calls for U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign grew louder on Wednesday as the agency’s inspector general confirmed “systemic” and widespread VA scheduling abuses to cover up long wait times for veterans’ healt…
Co-founders of AriZona iced tea brand fight over value in court
MINEOLA New York (Reuters) – A lawyer for an estranged co-owner of AriZona iced tea seeking to sell his stake in the company behind the popular brand urged a judge to value the beverage maker at $4 billion, an amount that the other co-owner disputed as…
Dominican Republic citizens charged by U.S. in extortion scheme
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Nearly two dozen Dominican Republican citizens were charged in an extortion scheme targeting U.S. residents who they believed had unlawfully purchased prescription medication via call centers in that Caribbean nation, U.S. official…
There’s a fun buzz around National Spelling Bee
OXON HILL Md. (Reuters) – Pressure-busting one-liners were on full display as the tension-packed Scripps National Spelling Bee got under way on Wednesday.
Texas city in hot water for knocking down homes, again
DALLAS (Reuters) – Fort Worth has been hit with its third lawsuit in a year from residents who claim the Texas city knocked down their homes by mistake.
Ex-NFL star Hernandez pleads not guilty to 2012 double murder
BOSTON (Reuters) – National Football League star Aaron Hernandez flew into a rage over a spilled drink and gunned down two strangers who he believed were “testing” him, prosecutors said on Wednesday as Hernandez pleaded not guilty to murder in the case…
BP asks U.S. Supreme Court justice to block Gulf spill payments
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – BP Plc on Wednesday asked Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to allow the company to avoid making payments to businesses demanding compensation for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill while litigation continues.
Florida fast-rail line unveils plan for landmark Miami station
MIAMI (Reuters) – Local officials and railway executives unveiled plans on Wednesday for a sprawling 3 million-square-foot Miami train station complex including an 80-story skyscraper, to anchor the state’s first privately owned intercity railway and help redevelop the downtown area.
California killings renew call for police mental health training
SACRAMENTO Calif. (Reuters) – California lawmakers urged swift action on Wednesday to better train law enforcement officials to recognize and deal with mental illness after last week’s bloody rampage in an idyllic college town near Santa Barbara.
Chicago Mayor Emanuel proposes restrictions on city gun shops
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Declaring gun control “essential” to public safety, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday proposed a gun shop ordinance that would videotape gun purchases and limit sales to one per month per buyer.
