Florida police find marijuana plants growing in empty swimming pool
MIAMI (Reuters) – Police who found five pounds of pot during a routine traffic stop searched the motorists’ house and followed the scent to an empty backyard swimming pool where 82 marijuana plants were growing beneath a thick slab of concrete, officia…
Montana Catholic diocese files for bankruptcy in abuse settlement
(Reuters) – A Montana Roman Catholic diocese filed for bankruptcy on Friday as part of a proposed $17.5 million settlement with hundreds of adults alleging childhood sexual abuse by its priests, nuns and lay workers, a church spokesman said.
Detroit sues retirement funds to void pension debt
(Reuters) – Detroit on Friday sued its two retirement systems in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, seeking to invalidate $1.45 billion of debt sold in 2005 and 2006 to fund public worker pensions, according to a court filing.
Pension, bondholder cuts at core of Detroit plan
DETROIT (Reuters) – Detroit has circulated a financial plan that requires significant concessions from its pension funds and bondholders and declares that an interest-rate obligation that helped drive the city into bankruptcy is a disputed claim that i…
Ohio sheriff indicted for theft, money laundering
CLEVELAND (Reuters) – An Ohio county sheriff was indicted on Friday on corruption charges, including stealing copper wire that was sold for scrap and using public money to pay for his personal meals and clothes, state prosecutors said.
Businessman testifies ex-New Orleans mayor took bribes for favors
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – A Louisiana businessman and a former city hall insider told a federal court on Friday they repeatedly bribed then-New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin to win contracts from the city as it recovered from Hurricane Katrina.
Haiti earthquake refugees trade golf course camp for humble homes
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – The tents are gone and clean up crews are grooming the grounds of the Petionville country club golf course, which served as a camp for 60,000 people made homeless by Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake.
Nephew of Chicago’s Daley pleads guilty to causing 2004 death
CHICAGO (Reuters) – A nephew of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on Friday for causing the 2004 death of a suburban Chicago man during a drunken fight, according to the prosecutor.
Judge convicts Missouri man who said he planned theater shooting
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – A man who had told police he planned mass shootings at a southwest Missouri movie theater or a Wal-Mart store in late 2012 was convicted on Friday on two weapons-related charges, prosecutors said.
Amanda Knox conviction in Italy could spur lengthy extradition fight
(Reuters) – Italy’s conviction of Amanda Knox for the murder of her British roommate when the two were exchange students together could spur a drawn-out fight over extradition in the United States, where supporters contend she is the victim of a faulty…
