After six years of pain, Californians now say they are better off: poll
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – For the first time in over six years, since the start of the recession, more Californians are saying they are better off financially than those who say they are worse off, according to a Field Poll to be released Thursday.
U.S. healthcare profit outlook brightens on Obamacare, drug prices
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. healthcare companies are winning higher profit forecasts, bucking a wider trend on Wall Street, as pricey new biotech drugs hit the market and insurance enrollment rises under the Affordable Care Act.
Shoplifting suspect killed after firing gun in Los Angeles mall -police
(Reuters) – Los Angeles police said they had killed a shoplifting suspect in a residential neighborhood late on Wednesday evening after he opened fire in a nearby mall at a security guard who had confronted him.
Boston dance concert attendees hospitalized with minor symptoms
(Reuters) – Three dozen teenagers at an electronic dance concert at Boston’s TD Garden were taken to local hospitals on Wednesday, the Boston Herald reported, citing a city official.
Bond insurer Syncora is stubborn city rival in Detroit’s bankruptcy
(Reuters) – Bond insurer Syncora Guarantee Inc has emerged as Detroit’s chief nemesis in the city’s historic bankruptcy case and is fighting as if its financial life depends on a decent recovery on its $400 million exposure to the city.
Minorities seen driving U.S. household growth: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Minorities will account for more than one-third of U.S. households by 2025 and make up nearly half of first-time homebuyers, according to a study released on Thursday.
Arizona education official cries in apology over Web comments
(Reuters) – Arizona’s top education official broke down in tears on Wednesday as he apologized for his anonymous comments on Internet blogs that included comparing a birth control activist to Adolf Hitler and calling for an end to Spanish-language medi…
U.S. appeals court backs gay marriage in conservative Utah
DENVER (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court ruled on Wednesday that conservative Utah may not ban gay couples from marrying, a decision that capped a day of victories for same-sex nuptials and nudges the issue closer to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Oregon pot advocates to submit signatures for November vote
PORTLAND Ore. (Reuters) – Advocates of legal recreational marijuana in Oregon plan to submit a ballot petition with more than 145,000 signatures on Thursday to force a vote in November on legalizing pot.
Fresno, Calif., fires may be work of arsonists, investigators say
(Reuters) – Fire investigators in the central California city of Fresno on Wednesday were scrutinizing evidence from two brushfires that erupted downtown this week to see if they are related to a string of blazes believed set by serial arsonists.
