Snowden says he can’t return to U.S., urges whistleblower protection
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden on Thursday said he cannot come back from Russia because “there’s no chance to have a fair trial” and urged the United States to strengthen its protections for whistleblowers.
Texas jury weighs sentence for ex Cowboys player Brent
DALLAS (Reuters) – A Texas jury heard sentencing testimony on Thursday for former Dallas Cowboys player Josh Brent, who was convicted a day earlier of intoxication manslaughter and faces up to 20 years in jail for a car crash that killed teammate Jerry…
Smith & Wesson to phase away some future pistol models in California
SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) – Gunmaker Smith & Wesson will decline to sell new versions of some of its semi-automatic pistols in California rather than comply with new safety requirements that kick in when the weapons are substantially upgraded or modified, the company said on Thursday.
Dinesh D’Souza indicted for violating U.S. election law
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Dinesh D’Souza, a conservative commentator and best-selling author, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for arranging excessive campaign contributions to a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Reputed N.Y. mobster nabbed in 1978 ‘Goodfellas’ airport heist
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Five people said to be part of a New York crime family were arrested on Thursday, including a 78-year-old man accused of participating in a notorious 1978 airport heist that inspired the movie “Goodfellas.”
U.S. privacy board says NSA phone program illegal, should end
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. National Security Agency’s bulk collection of phone records provides only minimal benefits to countering terrorism, is illegal and should end, a federal privacy watchdog said in a report released on Thursday.
As Super Bowl nears, new traffic jam threat looms over New Jersey
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Wealthy football fans headed to next month’s Super Bowl might find themselves scrambling to find parking for their private jets, with slots at a small airport near the stadium in New Jersey rapidly filling up, transportation offici…
Playtex recalls over 1 million pacifier clips, cites choking hazard
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Baby products manufacturer Playtex, a unit of Energizer Holdings is recalling more than one million pacifier holder clips after it received reports that they develop cracks, consumer safety officials said on Thursday.
Police investigate threats to Colorado’s Columbine High School
DENVER (Reuters) – Columbine High School in Colorado, scene of a 1999 shooting rampage in which a teacher and 12 students were killed, was placed on “lockout” for several hours on Thursday as police investigated threats, a school district spokeswoman s…
Arizona man convicted of murder in nine Buddhist temple deaths
PHOENIX (Reuters) – An Arizona man was convicted on Thursday of the execution-style killings of nine people, including six monks, at a Buddhist temple near Phoenix in 1991, in what remains the deadliest mass murder in the state’s history.
