U.S. Jewish coalition rejects lobbying group
NEW YORK (Reuters) – An umbrella organization of major U.S. Jewish groups voted this week to reject a membership bid by the liberal group J Street, prompting a frustrated response on Thursday from the lobby that describes itself as pro-Israel and pro-p…
New York reaches ‘landmark’ agreement with teachers
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York City struck a tentative $4 billion nine-year agreement with its teachers that could pave the way for settling a years-old dispute with the city’s workforce by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
California prisoner seeks to vacate terrorism conviction
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Attorneys for a California man serving time in federal prison on a terrorism charge are seeking to vacate his conviction, saying an al Qaeda training camp he was accused of attending had been dismantled by the time he purporte…
NBA panel agrees to act swiftly on attempted ouster of Clippers owner
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A National Basketball Association Board of Governors panel of 10 team owners or their proxies unanimously agreed on Thursday to proceed “as expeditiously as possible” with the league’s attempt to oust Donald Sterling as owner of th…
BP cleaning up oil spill on Alaska’s North Slope
JUNEAU (Reuters) – Work crews for BP Plc were clearing contaminated snow on Thursday on Alaska’s North Slope after a Prudhoe Bay well line ruptured, spraying a 34-acre area with crude oil and natural gas.
Texas vet suspected of keeping sick dogs alive for blood
(Reuters) – A Texas veterinarian has been charged with cruelty to animals after several dogs that had been brought to his clinic to be euthanized were kept alive in squalid conditions for use in blood transfusions, Fort Worth police said on Thursday.
Seattle mayor plans to raise minimum wage to $15 over three to seven years
SEATTLE (Reuters) – Mayor Ed Murray announced a plan on Thursday to raise the minimum wage in Seattle to $15 per hour over three to seven years, making it the first major U.S. city to commit to such a high base level of pay.
Two inmates killed in Florida jail explosion
(Reuters) – A powerful explosion, possibly from a gas leak, demolished part of a northwest Florida jail, killing two inmates and injuring some 150 others, officials said on Thursday.
Oklahoma prison report says collapsed vein behind botched execution
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – The botched Oklahoma execution of Clayton Lockett was largely due to a collapsed vein during the lethal injection, and the needle was inserted in the groin area instead of the arm after prison officials used a stun gun to rest…
Ex-Black Panther pleads guilty to kidnapping in 1984 hijacking
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (Reuters) – A former Black Panther, who returned voluntarily to the United States nearly 30 years after he hijacked a plane to Cuba, pleaded guilty to kidnapping on Thursday to avoid a more serious charge of air piracy and a mi…
