Tech executives press Obama to reform surveillance practices
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Technology company executives pressed President Barack Obama on Tuesday to rein in the U.S. government’s electronic spying after a court dealt a blow to the administration’s surveillance practices.
Minnesota archbishop accused of ‘inappropriate touching’ of boy
MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) – The Roman Catholic archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Tuesday said in a statement Archbishop John Nienstedt was stepping aside while authorities investigate an allegation that he inappropriately touched a boy’s buttocks …
Accused September 11 attacker expelled from Guantanamo courtroom
FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) – An accused conspirator in the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington was expelled from a courtroom at the Guantanamo Bay war crimes tribunal on Tuesday for being disruptive.
Five endangered Chinese turtles born in U.S. zoo
(Reuters) – The birth of five Chinese big-headed turtles in a New York City zoo marks the first time the endangered creatures have been born in the United States, zoo officials said.
Iowa mom arrested for post threatening shooting at son’s school
(Reuters) – An Iowa mother is facing criminal charges for a message posted on Facebook that threatened a school shooting in retaliation for bullying against her 15-year-old son.
Washington city council ups minimum wage to $11.50 per hour in 2016
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Washington’s city council on Tuesday approved raising the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour, one of the highest rates among U.S. cities and part of the wealthy region’s push to hike base pay.
Florida man tries to trade alligator for beer, gets cited
MIAMI (Reuters) – A Florida man walked into a convenience store with a live alligator and tried to trade it for a 12-pack of beer, according to wildlife authorities who cited him with illegally capturing the animal.
Mega Millions prize could set U.S. lottery record
(Reuters) – A last-minute ticket buying frenzy a week before Christmas inflated Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot to $636 million, threatening to become the biggest U.S. lottery prize in history, a game official said.
Nearly half of Americans like ‘Happy Holidays’ as greeting: poll
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Nearly half of Americans say stores and businesses should greet customers with “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” instead of “Merry Christmas” out of respect for people of different faiths, according to a poll released on Tues…
As bond insurers drop objections, Detroit bankruptcy progresses
DETROIT (Reuters) – Detroit’s path through bankruptcy began to take shape on Tuesday, with a second bond insurance firm ready to drop its objections to a controversial city financing plan, joining another bond insurer, bondholders and a committee of re…
