Tropical Storm Karen takes aim at U.S. Gulf Coast
MIAMI (Reuters) – The first cyclone to threaten the U.S. coast this year formed over the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday and was forecast to sweep through offshore oil installations before hitting the mainland between Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle, th…
Michael Jackson verdict hinged on wording of key question to jury
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – After testimony from nearly five dozen witnesses during a five-month trial, the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of the late pop star Michael Jackson hinged on the jury’s interpretation of one question on the verdict f…
Fatal crash renews debate over future of historic California airport
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The fatal crash-landing of a small business jet at Santa Monica airport has reignited a debate over safety at the historic Los Angeles-area aviation hub, which local politicians and homeowners have fought for years to scale back…
Driver shot dead in dramatic car chase at U.S. Capitol
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A dramatic car chase through the streets of Washington from near the White House to the U.S. Capitol ended in gunfire on Thursday when law enforcement officers shot and killed the driver as lawmakers and aides huddled in a lockdo…
U.S. shutdown seen dragging on as debt ceiling fight nears
(Reuters) – The shutdown of the U.S. government appeared likely to drag on for another week and possibly longer as lawmakers consumed day three of the shutdown with a stalling game and there was no end in sight until the next crisis hits Washington aro…
Calif. city official, symbol of greed, pleads no contest
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The former city manager of the California city of Bell, who became an emblem of local government corruption when it was revealed in 2010 that he was earning a salary of nearly $800,000, abruptly pleaded no contest on Thursday to…
New murder trial for N.Y. man who claimed he assisted suicide
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York man convicted of murder after saying he simply helped a man commit suicide with a knife will get a new trial, a state appeals court ruled on Thursday.
Wendy Davis, known for pro-choice filibuster, runs for Texas governor
HALTOM CITY, Texas (Reuters) – Wendy Davis, the Texas state senator who staged a filibuster against sweeping abortion restrictions, announced on Thursday that she would run for governor of the state.
U.S. judge blocks New York credit card surcharge law
NEW YORK (Reuters) – In a decision with possible broad implications for U.S. consumers and retailers, a federal judge has blocked enforcement of a New York state law that bans merchants from imposing surcharges on customers who pay by credit card rathe…
U.S. labor machinery frozen by government shutdown
(Reuters) – The federal government shutdown has begun to paralyze the legal machinery that governs many of the relationships between U.S. employers and workers.