Detroit may use water department funds to pay pension debts, Orr says
DETROIT (Reuters) – Detroit is considering tapping into some of the $1.2 billion in water and sewer revenue earmarked for repairs and instead apply it to city pension or healthcare costs, the city’s emergency manager has said in a court proceeding.
Mother of Washington gunman apologizes, says ‘my heart is broken’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The mother of Washington Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis apologized to the victims on Wednesday and was unable to explain what drove her son to open fire on civilian workers inside a restricted military installation.
No more compensation due World Trade Center developer: judge
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York property developer Larry Silverstein is not entitled to funds that insurers of his World Trade Center properties won from airlines over the attacks of September 11, 2001, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.
Property losses from Colorado floods to run nearly $2 billion: Eqecat
DENVER (Reuters) – The disaster modeling firm Eqecat has estimated that total losses in residential property damage and living expenses from the recent floods in Colorado will run about $900 million, with commercial and government property losses expec…
New York awards commuter railcar contract worth up to $1.8 billion
(Reuters) – New York plans to spend up to $1.83 billion to build hundreds of electric commuter railcars at a plant in Yonkers that is expected to employ as many as 1,500 people, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday.
Activists condemn Oklahoma barriers to same-sex military couples’ benefits
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – A national military gay rights group said on Wednesday it will petition the U.S. Defense Department to pressure national guard units in Oklahoma and three other southern states to comply with a federal directive granting benef…
Hagel says ‘red flags’ missed before Navy Yard shooting
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday the suspected Washington Navy Yard gunman’s background presented some “red flags” easy to spot in hindsight and ordered a broad review of security worldwide, including clearances.
Skeletons found in cars pulled from Oklahoma lake
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – Oklahoma authorities said on Wednesday they were working to identify six human skeletons found in cars pulled from a lake in the western part of the state to determine if the skeletons are linked to decades-old missing persons…
Guantanamo computer problems worsening, defense lawyer tells judge
GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) – Months of efforts to fix a file-gobbling computer system used by defense lawyers in the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal have only turned up more problems, the chief defense counsel testified on Wednesday….
Virginia governor’s former chef reaches plea deal, avoids trial
RICHMOND, Virginia (Reuters) – The former chef at the Virginia governor’s mansion pleaded no contest on Wednesday to two misdemeanor embezzlement charges, averting a trial near Election Day that could have had repercussions on the race for governor.