U.S. Capitol faces massive overhaul – and not via the ballot
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Americans longing for a makeover in Washington will get their wish partially granted as the dome of the U.S. Capitol – but not the lawmakers who work inside – undergoes a $60 million restoration.
New York Mayor-elect’s reputation for lateness parodied on Twitter
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had “ElBloombito,” a Twitter account that parodied his flawed manner of speaking Spanish. Now Bill de Blasio, Bloomberg’s soon-to-be-successor, has “HowlatewasBdB” to document the mayor-elect’s…
New Mexico Supreme Court rules to allow same-sex marriage
SANTA FE, New Mexico (Reuters) – The New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Thursday to allow same-sex marriage statewide, ending a patchwork arrangement in which some counties permitted gay nuptials while others prohibited them.
Lockheed halts Boy Scouts donations over gay rights
DALLAS (Reuters) – Lockheed Martin Corp, the top U.S. defense contractor, has halted donations to the Boy Scouts of America because of the group’s policies on religion and to exclude some gays from its ranks, it said on Thursday.
U.S. court revives 9/11 victims’ case against Saudi Arabia
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Thursday revived claims by families of victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks who alleged that Saudi Arabia provided material support to al Qaeda.
Free ride for NYC in union talks a ‘long shot’: report
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York City will post a budget surplus this year and next but may have to use a large part of it to settle pay disputes with unions, the city’s Independent Budget Office said in a report on Thursday.
Massachusetts boosts scrutiny of CEO pay at charities
BOSTON (Reuters) – Massachusetts said it will require annual reporting of CEO compensation at the state’s public charities after a review found hospitals, health care plans, and universities giving their executives “high” and rapidly increasing pay.
Miami sues big banks over discriminatory mortgage lending
MIAMI (Reuters) – Miami has sued Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citibank in U.S. federal court in Florida, for discriminatory mortgage lending practices against minority residents that resulted in a rash of foreclosures, the city said on Thursday.
Wisconsin makes it harder to challenge race-based school mascots
MILWAUKEE (Reuters) – Republican Governor Scott Walker on Thursday signed into law a measure making it tougher for those who object to race-based mascots and sports team names to force a change at their school district.
California winner of half Mega Millions jackpot still unknown
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The owner of the second winning ticket in the Mega Millions lottery remained a mystery on Thursday, one day after a Georgia woman came forward to collect her share of the estimated total jackpot of $648 million.
