As trial ends, lawyers seek innocent verdict for Amanda Knox
FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) – Lawyers for U.S. student Amanda Knox urged a Florence court to find her and her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito innocent of the 2007 murder of Briton Meredith Kercher as judges retired to decide a verdict on Thur…
U.S. board faults refiners, regulators in deadly Tesoro blast
(Reuters) – The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said a fireball of hydrogen and naphtha engulfed seven workers at Tesoro Corp.’s Anacortes, Washington refinery in 2010 because the company failed to identify the damage hydrogen was causing to steel component…
Missouri executes killer after top court denies appeals
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – Missouri late on Wednesday executed a man convicted of killing a jewelry store owner during a robbery after the U.S. Supreme Court denied last-minute appeals that in part challenged the drug used in the execution.
Planned Parenthood in Alaska sues state official over abortion
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Planned Parenthood in Alaska sued the state health commissioner on Wednesday over new regulations that prevent state Medicaid from covering elective abortions.
Colorado defendant is first to challenge expanded U.S. surveillance effort
DENVER (Reuters) – A Colorado man accused of having links to an overseas militant group on Wednesday became the first defendant to challenge the constitutionality of a 2008 law authorizing expansion of warrantless surveillance by the U.S. government, l…
California governor enters election season with high marks: poll
SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) – California’s Democratic governor is heading into the 2014 election season with a high approval rating if he decides to run for another term, according to a poll released late Wednesday.
Pentagon, GSA map out acquisition cybersecurity; tester finds issues remain
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Defense Department and General Services Administration on Wednesday mapped out six broad reforms to improve the cybersecurity of more than $500 billion in goods and services acquired by the U.S. federal government each y…
Arizona couple living near polygamous sect sues for discrimination
SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) – An Arizona jury heard opening arguments on Wednesday that a married couple was denied municipal water services because they were not members of a polygamous church that dominates their community on the Utah-Arizona border.
U.S. Air Force, Boeing confident tanker program still on schedule
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Air Force and Boeing Co officials on Wednesday expressed confidence that a $52 billion air refueling program would deliver its first 18 planes by August 2017 as scheduled, despite a Pentagon report warning that testing of th…
Idaho calls off hired hunter to kill wolves in wilderness
SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – Idaho has called off a professional hunter hired to kill wolves in a federally protected wilderness area because he had succeeded in reducing the population enough to protect the elk prized by hunters.
