Oregon same-sex couples fight gay marriage ban with state on their side
EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) – Lawyers for four same-sex couples challenging Oregon’s prohibition on gay marriage appeared before a federal judge on Wednesday to argue their case, even as the state declined to defend the ban.
Student leaders propose rewrite of fight song ‘Utah Man’
SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) – Student leaders at the University of Utah, the flagship public campus in the conservative state, are pressing to change the school’s century-old fight song “Utah Man,” saying it needs to be more inclusive of women and minorit…
Oklahoma high court clears way for two inmates’ executions
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – The Oklahoma Supreme Court lifted a stay of execution on Wednesday for two murderers, put in place due to concerns over secrecy surrounding lethal injection drugs, clearing the way for them to be put to death next week.
U.S. Army plans to remove about 2,000 officers due to budget cuts
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) – The U.S. Army is looking to cut about 2,000 positions for captains and majors by the end of the year as part of its overall plans to reduce its active duty numbers due to budget cuts, the Army’s chief of staff said on Wed…
Explosion shuts large natural gas processing plant in Wyoming
(Reuters) – An explosion on Wednesday shut a natural gas-processing plant in Wyoming that can churn out about 2 percent of the daily U.S. gas supply, and a nearby town was evacuated though no injuries were reported.
White supremacist pleads guilty in Pacific Northwest killing spree
(Reuters) – A white supremacist convicted of killing two people and accused of killing two more during a violent road trip across the Pacific Northwest pleaded guilty on Wednesday in federal court in Oregon to two counts of carjacking resulting in deat…
Probe of Gacy serial killings resolves unrelated 1978 Illinois murder
(Reuters) – Illinois investigators trying to put names to the last unidentified victims of executed serial killer John Wayne Gacy have solved the unrelated 1978 disappearance of another man, officials said on Wednesday.
Explosion rocks natural gas plant in Wyoming, no injuries reported
(Reuters) – An explosion rocked a natural gas-processing plant in southwestern Wyoming on Wednesday, causing no injuries but prompting the evacuation of the facility and a nearby town, a company spokeswoman said.
Florida executes man convicted in 1990 murder of two relatives
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) – A man convicted of killing his cousin and the man’s wife to prevent his cousin from testifying against him in a burglary case was executed in Florida on Wednesday, a state prison official said.
Tennessee man breaks into civil rights museum, then falls asleep
(Reuters) – A Tennessee man looking for a place to sleep found a bed at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where the Rev. Martin Luther King was shot and killed in 1968.
