Scuba divers, bomb-sniffing dogs safeguard route at NYC Marathon
NEW YORK (Reuters) – In addition to cheering supporters, runners in this Sunday’s New York City Marathon will also be monitored by bomb-sniffing dogs, police scuba divers and surveillance helicopters to prevent an attack similar to the one at the Bosto…
Obamacare woes frustrating Democrats’ 2014 prospects
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chaotic launch of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law has Democrats in Congress increasingly anxious about its potential impact on them in the 2014 elections and scrambling to protect themselves if the program’s problems …
Man awaiting execution for Tennessee fast-food murders dies in hospital
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) – Death row inmate Paul Dennis Reid, who killed seven young people in a series of attacks at Tennessee fast-food restaurants in 1997, died on Friday in a Nashville hospital, a prison official said.
Some U.S. states, Pentagon clash over ID cards for same-sex spouses
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Several Republican-led U.S. states on Friday rejected Pentagon demands that their state militias issue identity cards to same-sex spouses and accused the Obama administration of using the military as a pawn in its bid to force so…
California coaches, teacher suspended for donning blackface at costume party
(Reuters) – Two California high school football coaches and a teacher were suspended this week for wearing Halloween costumes that featured blackface, prompting criticism from parents and a leading civil rights organization after pictures of the event …
University of Connecticut is sued over handling of sexual assaults
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Four female students filed a lawsuit against the University of Connecticut on Friday over the school’s handling of sexual assault complaints, a week after filing a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.
Hallmark Cards regrets taking word ‘gay’ off ornament
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – Hallmark Cards has apologized for changing a word in a well-known Christmas carol from “gay” to “fun” on a holiday ornament.
U.S. judge tosses lawsuit seeking to block horse slaughter
(Reuters) – A U.S. federal judge on Friday tossed out a lawsuit seeking to block inspections of horses destined for slaughter, potentially clearing the way for the resumption of equine killing for human consumption.
TSA agent killed, six wounded in Los Angeles airport shooting
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A lone gunman stormed into a crowded terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport and opened fire with an assault weapon on Friday, killing a security agent and wounding six other people before he was shot and captured, aut…
Texas women turned away at abortion clinics after court ruling
AUSTIN/DALLAS, Texas (Reuters) – Women seeking to terminate their pregnancies were turned away at clinics across Texas on Friday, providers said, after strict new regulations for physicians who perform abortions prompted a dozen facilities to stop offe…
