Drought forces California farmers to idle cropland
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Drought-stricken California farmers facing drastic cutbacks in irrigation water are expected to idle some 500,000 acres of cropland this year in a record production loss that could cause billions of dollars in economic damage, i…
Four U.S. congressmen urge North Korea to free missionary Bae
(Reuters) – The last surviving members of the U.S. Congress to have served in the Korean War have sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un asking him to release imprisoned American missionary Kenneth Bae.
CVS becomes first big U.S. drugstore chain to drop tobacco
(Reuters) – CVS Caremark Corp said on Wednesday that it would stop selling tobacco products at its 7,600 stores by October, becoming the first national drugstore chain in the United States to take cigarettes off the shelves.
Texas to execute woman convicted of killing man for insurance money
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – Texas is set to execute a woman convicted of leading a plot to kidnap, torture and then beat to death a mentally disabled man to collect insurance money.
18-foot Burmese python found in Florida Everglades
MIAMI (Reuters) – Engineers in the Everglades stumbled upon a near-record-breaking Burmese python measuring more than 18 feet long during a routine inspection of levees on Tuesday, a water management district spokesman said.
U.S. services growth quickens in January: Markit
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Growth in the U.S. services sector quickened to a four-month high in January and hiring remained robust, an industry report showed on Wednesday.
New York mayor to skip St. Patrick’s parade over gay group exclusion
(Reuters) – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will not march in the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, an annual spectacle that draws about 1 million people to Fifth Avenue, because event organizers do not allow gay-rights groups to participate.
Gunwoman wounds employee at Washington state health office
(Reuters) – A 46-year-old woman opened fire in a medical building on a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs campus in southern Washington state on Tuesday, wounding an employee, officials said.
Detroit’s bankruptcy tab at $13.7 million and growing
(Reuters) – Detroit’s price tag for lawyers, consultants and other professionals hit $13.7 million in the first 75 days of its historic bankruptcy, according to a report filed late Tuesday by a court-appointed fee examiner.
U.S. to launch ‘climate hubs’ to help farmers face climate change
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s administration will announce on Wednesday the formation of seven “climate hubs” to help farmers and rural communities adapt to extreme weather conditions and other effects of climate change, a White House…
