Kennedy kin Skakel can seek bail pending new trial: judge
MILFORD, Connecticut (Reuters) – Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel, who has spent the past 11 years in prison for the 1975 murder of a teenage neighbor in Greenwich, Connecticut, is a step closer to being released on bail while awaiting a new trial.
Colorado an energy battleground as towns ban fracking
DENVER (Reuters) – Three Colorado cities have rejected oil and gas production work that relies on so-called fracking, unofficial election returns showed on Wednesday in a setback for an industry that won other battles this year in Democratic stronghold…
U.S. justices struggle with New York town prayer dispute
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared deeply conflicted over what kind of public prayers should be acceptable at a town meeting as the justices confronted the delicate constitutional issue of church-and-state separation.
Despite blow-out victory, big obstacles for New York mayor-elect
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio named his transition team and met with outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Wednesday, a day after he won America’s biggest city back for Democrats with a 49-point victory over his Republican…
California’s top court grills ‘Fabulist’ Glass in his bid to practice law
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Stephen Glass, one of the most infamous fabricators in modern American journalism, faced a hostile California Supreme Court on Wednesday in his quest to demonstrate that he is a changed man with the moral fiber needed for admi…
U.S. poverty rate remains high even counting government aid
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of poor people in the United States held steady at nearly 50 million last year, but government programs appear to have lessened the impact, especially on children and the elderly, federal data released on Wednesday sho…
New Hampshire court rejects appeal from state’s only death row inmate
BOSTON (Reuters) – New Hampshire’s top court on Wednesday upheld a capital conviction for cop-killer Michael Addison, but said his death sentence was still under review.
Texas attorney general asks court to reinstate abortion measure
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court judge to immediately reinstate a restriction on abortion that a lower court judge had ruled unconstitutional, according to a court filing.
New Silk Road drug bazaar opens a month after FBI bust
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A new anonymous Internet marketplace for illegal drugs debuted on Wednesday, with the same name and appearance as the Silk Road website shut down by U.S. law enforcement authorities a month ago.
Texas voters reject proposal to revive famed Astrodome stadium
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – An effort to save the once-majestic Astrodome stadium in Houston failed on Tuesday night when voters rejected a $217 million bond proposal to turn it into a convention center and complex.