High court delays action on same-sex marriage cases

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• High court delays action on same-sex marriage cases
• Magnitude 5.8 quake rattles Anchorage, Alaska
• Ex-baseball star Lenny Dykstra sentenced in bankruptcy fraud case
• U.S. military court removes judge in Fort Hood massacre case
• Four with Illinois ties nominated for U.S. Attorney in Chicago
• U.S. court voids drug rep's conviction, cites free speech
• Cough keeps former President George H.W. Bush in hospital
• Ex-Chicago mayor's nephew indicted for manslaughter
• Saying Sandy cost up to $50 billion, New York governor asks Congress for aid
• Save the date: Gay marriages in Maine to start December 29
• Co-author of "Three Cups of Tea" commits suicide in Oregon
• Two Mexican men charged in death of Coast Guard officer
• Cargo ships stack up as L.A. port strike in seventh day
• New Jersey Governor Christie seeks 100 percent FEMA reimbursement for Sandy
• Five U.S. states to try longer public school day, year in 2013
• Explosives in Louisiana prompt town evacuation, criminal probe
• Ford aims for Lincoln rebound with new ads, Super Bowl spot
• Nephew of former Chicago mayor Daley indicted for manslaughter
• Analysis: Fiscal struggle puts Detroit under credit cloud
• Schools shut as toxic levels rise after New Jersey train wreck
• Carbon monoxide leak at Atlanta school sickens nearly 50 people
• Cargo ships stack up as Los Angeles port strike in 7th day
• Fannie, Freddie place evictions on hold for the holidays
• New York's most famous shoeless man stashes new boots
• Bloody new photo of Trayvon Martin's killer released
• Boston church will sell rare 1640 book to fund building repairs
• Valero says there was no fire or explosion at Memphis refinery
• West Coast to get break from heavy rain, snow
• U.S. top court rejects appeal of Kentucky fen-phen lawyer
• Four shot dead in "nice" California suburb - police

High court delays action on same-sex marriage cases Posted: 03 Dec 2012 12:13 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday put off deciding whether to enter the legal fray over same-sex marriage - at least until Friday when it could agree to hear one of several pending appeals on the issue. The court's nine justices met in private last Friday to consider whether to review challenges to the U.S. Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to married same-sex couples, and to California's gay marriage ban, known as Proposition 8. In an "orders list" issued early on Monday, the court made no mention of any of the same-sex marriage cases. ...

Magnitude 5.8 quake rattles Anchorage, Alaska Posted: 03 Dec 2012 06:38 PM PST ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska on Monday, close to the city of Anchorage, rattling buildings and knocking bric-a-brac from shelves, but no serious damage or injuries were reported. The tremor, initially reported as a magnitude 5.7, struck at 4:42 p.m. (8:42 p.m. EST) 25 miles west of Anchorage, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake, relatively shallow at a depth of 33.1 miles, was widely felt in Anchorage, according to Guy Urban, a geophysicist for the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska. ...

Ex-baseball star Lenny Dykstra sentenced in bankruptcy fraud case Posted: 03 Dec 2012 06:22 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lenny Dykstra, the 1980s World Series hero who pleaded guilty earlier this year to bankruptcy fraud, was sentenced on Monday to six months in federal prison and ordered to perform 500 hours of community service. The 49-year-old former ballplayer - who is already serving time in state prison for grand theft auto, lewd conduct and assault with a deadly weapon - was also ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution. In the federal case, Dykstra pleaded guilty in July to bankruptcy fraud and other charges. ...

U.S. military court removes judge in Fort Hood massacre case Posted: 03 Dec 2012 05:36 PM PST SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - The top U.S. military appellate court on Monday ruled that the judge presiding over the case of an Army major charged with a 2009 massacre at Fort Hood, Texas is not impartial and ordered him removed. The court also set aside the order by the judge, Colonel Gregory Gross, that accused gunman Major Nidal Hasan be forcibly shaved. ...

Four with Illinois ties nominated for U.S. Attorney in Chicago Posted: 03 Dec 2012 06:51 PM PST CHICAGO (Reuters) - Four prosecutors with Illinois ties were recommended on Monday to President Barack Obama for U.S. attorney in Chicago succeeding Patrick Fitzgerald, who left this summer after a tenure that included sending two of the state's governors to federal prison. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois will be expected to carry on the fight against Chicago's political corruption after Fitzgerald was brought in from New York more than a decade ago to get tough on local politicians. Chicago's two U.S. ...

U.S. court voids drug rep's conviction, cites free speech Posted: 03 Dec 2012 06:34 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - A divided federal appeals court on Monday threw out the conviction of a sales representative for promoting off-label use of a prescription drug, a ruling that could make it harder for the government to police how drugs are marketed and sold. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York found that the sales representative's free speech rights under the First Amendment had been violated. ...

Cough keeps former President George H.W. Bush in hospital Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:25 AM PST (Reuters) - Former President George H.W. Bush is in stable condition in the Texas hospital where he has been undergoing treatment for complications related to bronchitis and no release date has been set, officials said on Monday. "He has a nagging cough and his doctors are in no hurry to send him home," said George Kovacik, a spokesman for The Methodist Hospital, Houston. Family spokesman Jim McGrath told Reuters that Bush, 88, had a "really good day" on Sunday watching the Houston Texans National Football League team clinch a playoff birth by beating the Tennessee Titans, 24-10. ...

Ex-Chicago mayor's nephew indicted for manslaughter Posted: 03 Dec 2012 04:20 PM PST CHICAGO (Reuters) - Eight years after he allegedly threw a punch that led to the death of a suburban Chicago man, Richard J. "R.J." Vanecko, nephew of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and grandson of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley, was indicted on Monday on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. A grand jury found that Vanecko "recklessly performed acts which were likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another," according to the indictment. ...

Saying Sandy cost up to $50 billion, New York governor asks Congress for aid Posted: 03 Dec 2012 04:30 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo lobbied Congress on Monday for billions of dollars to help rebuild from Superstorm Sandy, saying the U.S. House leader wanted a reconstruction bill passed by year's end. Cuomo, a Democrat, put the damage from the late October storm at $40 billion to $50 billion for New York alone, with the total likely to rise. "We need help. These are big numbers, even for New York," he told a news conference while flanked by members of the state's congressional delegation. ...

Save the date: Gay marriages in Maine to start December 29 Posted: 03 Dec 2012 01:48 PM PST (Reuters) - Same-sex couples can start marrying on December 29 in Maine, a state that made history on Election Day, joining Maryland and Washington to legalize gay weddings for the first time ever by popular vote. The law goes into effect following a required 30-day waiting period after Governor Paul LePage on November 29 certified the results from the November 6 election, a spokeswoman for the governor's office, Adrienne Bennett, said on Monday. ...

Co-author of "Three Cups of Tea" commits suicide in Oregon Posted: 03 Dec 2012 01:56 PM PST PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - Journalist David Oliver Relin, co-author of the controversial best-selling book "Three Cups of Tea," took his own life last month in the Columbia River town of Corbett, Oregon, east of Portland, authorities disclosed on Monday. The cause of Relin's death on November 15 was listed as suicide by blunt force head injury, said Tom Chappelle, Multnomah County deputy medical examiner, but he declined to give further details. Relin, who lived in Portland, was 49. ...

Two Mexican men charged in death of Coast Guard officer Posted: 03 Dec 2012 05:25 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two Mexican nationals were charged on Monday in the death of a U.S. Coast Guard petty officer who was thrown from his search vessel when it was rammed by a suspected drug-smuggling boat off the California coast. Jose Meija-Leyva and Manuel Beltran-Higuera were each charged in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles with killing an officer of the United States, U.S. Attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said. Meija-Leyva and Beltran-Higuera were both ordered held without bond during a brief court appearance on Monday afternoon, Mrozek said. ...

Cargo ships stack up as L.A. port strike in seventh day Posted: 03 Dec 2012 03:41 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Freighters with no place to unload cargo lined up at anchorages off Los Angeles and Long Beach for a seventh day on Monday as shippers and striking clerks resumed talks to end a labor dispute that has idled most of America's biggest container port complex. With mounting economic losses estimated at several billion dollars, the strike marks the largest cargo traffic disruption at the twin Southern California harbor facilities since a 10-day lockout of longshoremen at several West Coast ports in 2002. ...

New Jersey Governor Christie seeks 100 percent FEMA reimbursement for Sandy Posted: 03 Dec 2012 03:42 PM PST (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is asking the federal government to reimburse the state for 100 percent of emergency costs for at least 90 days after Superstorm Sandy swept ashore on October 29. In a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency dated November 30 and released on Monday, Christie said the economic damage from the storm could be nearly $40 billion. FEMA generally reimburses states for 75 percent of emergency clean-up and repair costs from natural disasters. The agency can cover more, but state officials must ask for the relief. ...

Five U.S. states to try longer public school day, year in 2013 Posted: 03 Dec 2012 01:20 PM PST CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - More than 19,000 public school students in five states will have a longer school day and a longer academic year starting next fall as part of a project to improve U.S. education, officials said on Monday. Each of the schools - located in Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, New York and Tennessee - will add 300 hours to the school year starting in 2013, officials said. ...

Explosives in Louisiana prompt town evacuation, criminal probe Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:58 AM PST (Reuters) - A Louisiana company is being investigated after the discovery of about 6 million pounds of improperly stored explosive material raised safety concerns and prompted the evacuation of a nearby town, police said on Monday. A Louisiana State Police trooper found the large amount of M6 propellant, a smokeless material used for large ammunitions, during an inspection of Explo Systems Inc last week, said Captain Doug Cain. ...

Ford aims for Lincoln rebound with new ads, Super Bowl spot Posted: 03 Dec 2012 01:39 PM PST DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co wants to place its lagging Lincoln nameplate back on consumers' shopping lists with an ambitious marketing campaign that draws on its heritage and includes the upscale brand's first-ever Super Bowl spot. The campaign blitz got under way on Monday and features a 60-second TV commercial that opens with an image of an actor playing Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. president after whom the brand is named. Ford has also renamed the brand the Lincoln Motor Co, which was its original name when Ford purchased it in 1922. The moves are part of the second-largest U.S. ...

Nephew of former Chicago mayor Daley indicted for manslaughter Posted: 03 Dec 2012 12:30 PM PST CHICAGO (Reuters) - Richard J. Vanecko, nephew of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and grandson of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley, was indicted on Monday on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the 2004 death of a suburban Chicago man, a county judge said. Cook County Circuit Judge Michael P. Toomin, who appointed former U.S. Attorney Dan K. Webb as a special prosecutor to lead a new investigation into the death of 21-year-old David Koschman, confirmed that a state criminal indictment had been filed Monday with the court. ...

Analysis: Fiscal struggle puts Detroit under credit cloud Posted: 03 Dec 2012 12:57 PM PST (Reuters) - Detroit's fiscal clock is ticking down again as the city faces running out of money by the end of the year unless a political squabble between the mayor and city council can be resolved. Without a resolution, the state of Michigan will not release cash to keep the city running. Mayor Dave Bing, who contends that bankruptcy or bond defaults are not on the horizon, is prepared to put city workers on unpaid leave to keep the struggling local government operating. ...

Schools shut as toxic levels rise after New Jersey train wreck Posted: 03 Dec 2012 10:22 AM PST PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Schools in Paulsboro, New Jersey, were ordered closed on Monday after authorities detected rising levels of toxic chemicals streaming from a freight train wrecked in a derailment last week. Investigators, meanwhile, said Conrail workers had checked a bridge just one day before it collapsed on Friday, derailing seven of the 82 freight-train cars crossing the Mantua Creek, which feeds into the Delaware River near Philadelphia. ...

Carbon monoxide leak at Atlanta school sickens nearly 50 people Posted: 03 Dec 2012 10:28 AM PST ATLANTA (Reuters) - Nearly 50 students and teachers were hospitalized in Atlanta on Monday after becoming ill due to a carbon monoxide leak at an elementary school, officials said. The 43 students and six teachers from Finch Elementary School were all "conscious and alert" when they were taken to the hospitals, Atlanta Fire Department spokeswoman Marian McDaniel said. Officials determined a faulty furnace at the 3-year-old school to be the source of the leak, McDaniel said. Carbon monoxide levels inside the school were "the highest we've ever seen," she said. ...

Cargo ships stack up as Los Angeles port strike in 7th day Posted: 03 Dec 2012 12:52 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Freighters with no place to unload their cargo lined up at anchorages off Los Angeles and Long Beach for a seventh day on Monday as shippers and striking clerks resumed talks to end a labor dispute that has idled most of America's biggest container port complex. The two sides remained at loggerheads over the future of union representation for clerical jobs after individuals retire from those jobs, but the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 has so far resisted calls for outside mediation. ...

Fannie, Freddie place evictions on hold for the holidays Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:16 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said on Monday they would provide a break for borrowers facing foreclosure to ensure those having problems making monthly mortgage payments will remain in their homes during the holidays. Fannie Mae said its eviction moratorium would apply to single-family homes and two- to four-unit properties from December 19 through January 2, 2013. Freddie Mac said it would offer the suspension from December 17 through January 2, 2013. The aid allows families to avoid eviction during that time, but doesn't mean the foreclosure process will be put on hold. ...

New York's most famous shoeless man stashes new boots Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:46 AM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - The homeless man who received a new pair of boots from a police officer in New York's Times Square last month in what became a nationally celebrated act of kindness is once again walking the streets barefoot, having hidden the boots. Unidentified for days after a photo of him with the boots and New York City Police Officer Larry DePrimo attracted national media attention, Jeffrey Hillman, 54, was spotted without shoes on Sunday evening on Manhattan's Upper West Side, according to the New York Times. "Those shoes are hidden. They are worth a lot of money. ...

Bloody new photo of Trayvon Martin's killer released Posted: 03 Dec 2012 12:08 PM PST ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - A color photograph of George Zimmerman with a bloody, swollen nose taken on the night he shot and killed unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin last February was posted on the Internet on Monday by Zimmerman's legal defense team. As the photo began to be circulated widely by the news media, lawyers on both sides disagreed about its significance to the second-degree murder case against Zimmerman. "It's not a game changer," Zimmerman lawyer Mark O'Mara told Reuters. ...

Boston church will sell rare 1640 book to fund building repairs Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:11 AM PST CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - An historic Boston church has decided to sell a copy of the first book published in the American colonies, hoping to get as much as $20 million to make building repairs and sustain its ministry. By an overwhelming vote on Sunday, members of the Old South Church agreed to sell one of two copies of the psalm book owned by the struggling church and printed in Cambridge in 1640, Senior Minister Nancy Taylor said on Monday. ...

Valero says there was no fire or explosion at Memphis refinery Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:58 AM PST HOUSTON (Reuters) - Valero Energy Corp said on Monday that the rupture of a small window on a unit at its 180,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery in Memphis, Tennessee, injured two workers, but the incident did not involve an explosion or fire as some local media reports had indicated. Valero spokesman Bill Day said the sight glass failed on an alkylation unit, injuring one Valero employee and a contractor. Refinery operations were not affected, Day said. Memphis Fire Department spokesman Lt. Wayne Cook corroborated that there was no fire or explosion. ...

West Coast to get break from heavy rain, snow Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:22 AM PST (Reuters) - Northern California will get a break on Monday from severe weather that dumped more than 2 feet of snow in mountains before another storm arrives by Tuesday, the National Weather Service forecast. A cold front that had brought heavy rain and snow and high winds that gusted to 150 mph at Mammoth Mountain in California had moved overnight into the central Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, the weather service said. Winter storm warnings and advisories are in place for higher parts of the northern Rockies. ...

U.S. top court rejects appeal of Kentucky fen-phen lawyer Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:43 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Monday to hear an appeal by a Kentucky lawyer accused of cheating clients out of millions of dollars paid in a settlement over the diet drug combination fen-phen. The high court, without explanation, rejected William Gallion's bid to overturn his conviction for fraud related to his representation of 440 clients who had opted out of a nationwide class action claiming injuries from the anti-obesity drug fen-phen. ...

Four shot dead in "nice" California suburb - police Posted: 03 Dec 2012 02:22 AM PST (Reuters) - The bodies of four gunshot victims were found outside a single-family home being used as a boarding house in a normally peaceful suburb of Los Angeles early on Sunday morning, police said. No arrests had been made. A person in a residential area of Northridge discovered the adult victims, two male and two female, on the west side of the multiple-resident home and called police around 4:30 a.m., said Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Terri Brinkmeyer. "We are in the very early stages of the investigation. ...

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