| Coast Guard to scuttle Japanese tsunami ship Posted:  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The Coast Guard opened fire on Thursday on a derelict Japanese fishing vessel washed out to sea by last year's devastating tsunami in a bid to sink it and eliminate a threat to navigation, a spokesman for the agency said. The Coast Guard, which hopes to send the ship to the ocean floor, fired on the vessel with a 25mm machine gun, said Petty Officer First Class David Mosley, a spokesman for the Coast Guard. At last report the vessel was on fire and listing in the sea, as the cutter crew took a break to evaluate progress of the operation, Mosley said. ...
|
| NBC probe centers on staffer in shooting story error Posted:  (Reuters) - An internal NBC News probe has determined a "seasoned" producer was to blame for a misleading clip of a 911 call that the network broadcast during its coverage of the Trayvon Martin shooting, according to two sources at the network. NBC News brass interviewed more than half a dozen staffers during its investigation of the misleadingly edited 911 call placed by George Zimmerman just before he shot the unarmed Florida teenager, said the sources, one of whom is an executive at the network. The clip aired on the network's flagship "Today" morning show last week. ...
|
| Anti-Kony group releases follow-up to viral video Posted:  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The makers of the viral "Kony 2012" video that drew world attention to a violent rebel campaign by fugitive Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony released a new film on Thursday, pushing back against criticism that their work oversimplified a long-running conflict. The video, shot in the same energetic and idealistic style as the viral hit, encourages viewers to see themselves as global citizens in a close-knit world that needs to see Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army brought to justice. ...
|
| Three plead guilty in botched "Fast and Furious" gun-running sting Posted: PHOENIX (Reuters) - Three men pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of trafficking high-powered rifles and other guns to Mexico from Arizona under the botched "Fast and Furious" federal sting operation tied to the murder of a U.S. federal agent. Jaime Avila Jr., Joshua David Moore and Kenneth James Thompson were among a ring of 20 defendants charged with buying and running high-powered firearms including Kalashnikov-type assault rifles, 5.7mm pistols and Barrett sniper rifles to the Mexican cartels. ... |
| Russian arms dealer sentenced to 25 years in prison Posted:  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer caught in an undercover sting by U.S. agents posing as Colombian guerrillas seeking weapons, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday by a U.S. judge in New York. Bout, who was the subject of a book titled "Merchant of Death," asserted his innocence during the sentencing, telling the judge through a Russian interpreter, "I never intended to kill anyone. I never intended to sell arms to anyone. God knows this truth." He then pointed at federal agents sitting in the front row. "These people know this truth," Bout said. ...
|
| Judge says fixes allow Ohio to resume executions Posted: CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A federal judge who had blocked two previous executions has cleared the way for Ohio to put to death a condemned murderer, declaring the state had adequately fixed its procedures since one botched execution and problems carrying out two others. U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost on Wednesday rejected a motion for a temporary restraining order for Mark Wiles, who is scheduled to be put to death April 18 for the murder of 15-year-old Mark Klima during a 1985 burglary. ... |
| Keith Olbermann sues Current TV over ouster Posted:  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fired TV commentator Keith Olbermann on Thursday filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Current TV, calling its management amateurs and claiming he is owed as much as $70 million. Olbermann, who was fired a week ago after about a year on the small progressive public affairs channel, said he was "enticed to leave" his old job at cable channel MSNBC and join Current with the promise of editorial control and professional support. But Olbermann described Current TV founders Joel Hyatt and former U.S. ...
|
| Congress mail threat suspect pleads not guilty to more charges Posted:  PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - A registered nurse from the Portland area pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional charges stemming from more than 100 threatening letters he is suspected of sending to members of Congress and the media in February. Christopher Carlson, 39, has been jailed without bond since his arrest at his home in Vancouver, Washington, on March 9 in the mass mailing of envelopes postmarked from Portland, Oregon, that contained a white powder later determined to be harmless. ...
|
| Accused LulzSec hacker pleads guilty in Sony breach Posted:  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Accused LulzSec hacker Cody Kretsinger pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court in California to taking part in an extensive computer breach of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Kretsinger, a 24-year-old who used the moniker "Recursion," pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy and unauthorized impairment of a protected computer in a deal with prosecutors. LulzSec, an offshoot of the international hacking group Anonymous, has taken credit for hacking attacks on government and private sector websites. ...
|
| JetBlue still upbeat, but not darling it once was Posted:  WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - JetBlue's emergency response team barely had time to locate the Incident Operations Center at their new headquarters in Long Island City, Queens when they were summoned there to handle an emergency on March 27, a day after they moved in. JetBlue pilot Clayton Osbon was behaving erratically on Flight 191 from New York to Las Vegas, running through the cabin screaming about religion and terrorists. Passengers tackled him in the galley. The plane had to be diverted to Amarillo, Texas, where a co-pilot guided it to a safe landing. ...
|
| Shooter of unarmed Florida teen gets second lawyer Posted:  ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - The 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in Florida has acquired extra legal help, hiring a veteran criminal defense lawyer and media pundit. George Zimmerman's new lawyer, Hal Uhrig, is a former Gainesville police officer who has worked as a legal consultant for several Florida police departments, according to his online biography. ...
|
| U.S. Congress mail threat suspect pleads not guilty to more charges Posted:  PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - A registered nurse from the Portland area pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional charges stemming from more than 100 threatening letters he is suspected of sending to members of Congress and the media in February. Christopher Carlson, 39, has been jailed without bond since his arrest at his home in Vancouver, Washington, on March 9 in the mass mailing of envelopes postmarked from Portland, Oregon, that contained a white powder later determined to be harmless. ...
|
| Man pleads guilty in botched 'Fast and Furious' US gun-running sting Posted: PHOENIX (Reuters) - A man pleaded guilty on Thursday to two felony counts of purchasing and running high-powered rifles to Mexico from Arizona under the botched "Fast and Furious" federal sting operation tied to the murder of a U.S. federal agent. Jaime Avila Jr. was among a ring of 20 defendants charged with buying high-powered firearms including Kalashnikov type assault rifles and Barrett sniper rifles to run to the Mexican cartels. The purchases were made in the Phoenix area from 2009 to 2010 when a bungled U.S. ... |
| Federal judge approves $25 billion mortgage pact Posted:  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge approved a $25 billion mortgage settlement with five top U.S. banks over allegations of foreclosure abuses and misconduct in servicing home loans, according to court documents. U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer signed the previously announced series of settlements on Wednesday but the approval was not made public until Thursday. The civil allegations were brought by 49 states and the federal government. The banks did not admit to the accusations. ...
|
| Coast Guard to scuttle Japanese tsunami ship Posted:  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The Coast Guard opened fire on Thursday on a derelict Japanese fishing vessel washed out to sea by last year's devastating tsunami in a bid to sink it and eliminate a threat to navigation, a spokesman for the agency said. The Coast Guard, which hopes to send the ship to the ocean floor, fired on the vessel with a 25 millimeter machine gun, said Petty Officer First Class David Mosley, a spokesman for the Coast Guard. Plans to sink the fuel-laden ship had earlier been put briefly on hold because a fishing vessel was nearby. ...
|
| Accuser in Philadelphia Church scandal is questioned in court Posted:  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A former U.S. Marine testifying in a sex abuse case rocking the Philadelphia Roman Catholic Archdiocese stood by his testimony under cross-examination on Thursday that he had been molested by a priest in the case. The witness, now 30, said Rev. James Brennan molested him at the priest's apartment in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1996 when he was 14. In Thursday's testimony, he called Brennan "a sick man." Brennan, 50, is charged with attempted rape. Also on trial is Monsignor William Lynn, former secretary of the clergy, charged with child endangerment and conspiracy. ...
|
| Coke withdraws from group that backs Stand Your Ground law Posted:  ORLANDO, Fla./NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co is dropping its membership in a conservative national advocacy group that supports "Stand Your Ground" laws such as the one being used as a defense in the Florida killing of an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin. The move by the world's biggest soft drink maker comes as corporate America faces increased scrutiny from consumers and shareholder activists over lobbying and political spending. PepsiCo Inc ended its relationship with the group - the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) - in January. ...
|
| Former Tyco CEO Kozlowski denied parole Posted:  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dennis Kozlowski, the former Tyco International CEO whose $6,000 shower curtain made him a symbol of corporate greed, was denied parole this week, New York's Department of Corrections said on Thursday. Kozlowski, 65, is serving a sentence of 8-1/3 to 25 years for looting Tyco International of more than $100 million. He has been behind bars for more than six years. The state's Parole Board said after a hearing on Tuesday that Kozlowski's release would "deprecate the seriousness" of his crimes and "undermine respect for the law. ...
|
| Coast Guard opens fire on Japanese tsunami ship Posted:  (Reuters) - The Coast Guard has opened fire on a derelict Japanese vessel that was washed out to sea by last year's devastating tsunami and was drifting toward Alaska, a spokesman for the agency said on Thursday. The Coast Guard, which hopes to sink the ship, fired on the vessel with a 25 millimeter machine gun, said Petty Officer First Class David Mosley, a spokesman for the Coast Guard. (Reporting By Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)
|
| Oakland shooting suspect changed name from "Su" Posted:  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The suspect in a California shooting rampage that killed seven people and wounded three had changed his name because he thought "Su" sounded like a girl's name, according to a court document. The suspect, One Goh, 43, was born Su Nam Ko in South Korea but changed it in February 2002 when he lived in Falls Church, Virginia, the Fairfax County Circuit Court filing showed. "I do not like my current name because it sounds like (a) girl's name," Goh wrote in the filing. A copy was obtained by Reuters. ...
|
| Anti-Kony group releases follow-up to viral video Posted:  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The group Invisible Children released a new video on Thursday as a follow-up to the viral "Kony 2012" film aimed at focusing global awareness on atrocities attributed to Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army. "We want people to dig deeper into this conflict and actively engage in the solutions," Ben Keesey, CEO of Invisible Children, said in a statement announcing the new 20-minute video: "Kony 2012: Part II - Beyond Famous." He said the newest video is "a call to turn global awareness into informed action. ...
|
| Warden's wife who helped killer escape is freed Posted: OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - The odd case of Bobbi Parker, a prison official's wife convicted of helping a killer escape and then spending more than decade posing as his wife, took another twist on Thursday with her release from prison. Parker, 49, was allowed out early for good behavior after serving half of her one-year sentence, Oklahoma prison spokesman Jerry Massie said. A jury found her guilty last year of helping convicted murderer Randolph Franklin Dial escape in 1994 from the prison where Parker's husband served as assistant warden. ... |
| Coast Guard postpones sinking of Japanese ship from tsunami Posted:  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The Coast Guard had plans to sink a derelict Japanese vessel drifting toward Alaska that was washed out to sea by last year's devastating tsunami, but has postponed the operation for now, a spokesman said on Thursday. Plans to use explosives to send the fuel-laden ship to the ocean floor were on hold because there is a fishing vessel nearby, U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow said. The Coast Guard is waiting for that vessel to clear out of the area. ...
|
| Judge refuses to drop charges against U.S. Catholic bishop Posted: (Reuters) - A Catholic bishop in Kansas City must stand trial on charges that he failed to report a priest found with pornographic pictures of young girls on his Church computer to police, a judge said on Thursday. Bishop Robert Finn, head of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, faces one misdemeanor charge that he failed to tell authorities that Church officials had found disturbing pictures of unclothed little girls that appeared to have been taken by a popular local priest, Father Patrick Ratigan. His trial is set to start September 24. ... |
| Coke withdraws from advocacy group that backs gun laws Posted:  ORLANDO, Fla./NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co is dropping its membership in a conservative national advocacy group that supports "Stand Your Ground" laws such as the one being used as a defense in the Florida killing of an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin. The move by the world's biggest soft drink maker comes as corporate America faces increased scrutiny from consumers and shareholder activists over lobbying and political spending. PepsiCo Inc ended its relationship with the group - the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) - in January. ...
|
| Judge recuses himself in case of Saudi accused of U.S. bomb plot Posted:  LUBBOCK, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas judge presiding over the case of a Saudi student accused of attempting to build and detonate bombs against targets including the Dallas home of former President George W. Bush has recused himself before the scheduled start of the trial. U.S. District Judge Sam Cummings issued the order Wednesday without explanation, and it was unclear on Thursday whether the trial would be reset. U.S. District Judge Donald Walter of Louisiana was appointed on Thursday to handle the case. The appointment was made by U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater of Texas. ...
|
| Soaring battery prices "devastating" U.S. lead producers Posted: NEW YORK (Reuters) - Secondary lead smelters are paying near record prices for junk batteries, their raw material feed, because drivers are not replacing their car batteries due to the unseasonably warmer winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The price rise has been driven by a scarcity of spent batteries, used to make 90 percent of the United States' lead output. Lead-acid batteries in cars and trucks are lasting longer due to the milder weather. ... |
| Congress inaction risks 2013 tax "disaster": IRS chief Posted:  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The commissioner of the U.S. tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service warned on Thursday of "a real disaster" for taxpayers next year should Congress miss a December 31 deadline to decide on billions in major tax provisions. Congress is expected to wait until after Election Day, November 6, to take up whether to extend the individual income tax cuts passed under former president George W. Bush that expire at the end of 2012. Most Democrats and President Barack Obama want to extend all but the top two tax brackets, allowing taxes to increase for high-income earners. ...
|
| Sandusky appears in court over Penn State sex abuse charges Posted:  BELLEFONTE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky appeared on Thursday in a Pennsylvania court where his attorneys and prosecutors discussed defense efforts to have the high-profile child sex abuse case dismissed. Sandusky, 68, a former Penn State defensive coordinator, faces 52 counts of child molestation over accusations he abused 10 boys over a 15-year period. He has denied the charges and is under house arrest. ...
|
| Joe Wayland to lead antitrust at Justice Department Posted: (Reuters) - Joe Wayland, a senior official in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division who led the agency's first successful court challenge to a merger in 10 years, will take over as acting assistant attorney general for the division, the department said on Thursday. Wayland, who led the team that sued H&R Block Inc over its acquisition of TaxAct last year, takes over from the previous acting head, Sharis Pozen. ... |
| Anti-Kony group releases follow-up to viral video Posted: LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The makers of the viral "Kony 2012" video that drew world attention to a violent rebel campaign by fugitive Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony released a new film on Thursday, pushing back against criticism that their work oversimplified a long-running conflict. The video, shot in the same energetic and idealistic style as the viral hit, encourages viewers to see themselves as global citizens in a close-knit world that needs to see Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army brought to justice. ... |
| NBC probe centers on staffer in shooting story error Posted: (Reuters) - An internal NBC News probe has determined a "seasoned" producer was to blame for a misleading clip of a 911 call that the network broadcast during its coverage of the Trayvon Martin shooting, according to two sources at the network. NBC News brass interviewed more than half a dozen staffers during its investigation of the misleadingly edited 911 call placed by George Zimmerman just before he shot the unarmed Florida teenager, said the sources, one of whom is an executive at the network. The clip aired on the network's flagship "Today" morning show last week. ... |
| Three plead guilty in botched "Fast and Furious" gun-running sting Posted: PHOENIX (Reuters) - Three men pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of trafficking high-powered rifles and other guns to Mexico from Arizona under the botched "Fast and Furious" federal sting operation tied to the murder of a U.S. federal agent. Jaime Avila Jr., Joshua David Moore and Kenneth James Thompson were among a ring of 20 defendants charged with buying and running high-powered firearms including Kalashnikov-type assault rifles, 5.7mm pistols and Barrett sniper rifles to the Mexican cartels. ... |
| Congress mail threat suspect pleads not guilty to more charges Posted: PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - A registered nurse from the Portland area pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional charges stemming from more than 100 threatening letters he is suspected of sending to members of Congress and the media in February. Christopher Carlson, 39, has been jailed without bond since his arrest at his home in Vancouver, Washington, on March 9 in the mass mailing of envelopes postmarked from Portland, Oregon, that contained a white powder later determined to be harmless. ... |
| Coast Guard to scuttle Japanese tsunami ship Posted: ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The Coast Guard opened fire on Thursday on a derelict Japanese fishing vessel washed out to sea by last year's devastating tsunami in a bid to sink it and eliminate a threat to navigation, a spokesman for the agency said. The Coast Guard, which hopes to send the ship to the ocean floor, fired on the vessel with a 25mm machine gun, said Petty Officer First Class David Mosley, a spokesman for the Coast Guard. At last report the vessel was on fire and listing in the sea, as the cutter crew took a break to evaluate progress of the operation, Mosley said. ... |
| Man pleads guilty in botched 'Fast and Furious' US gun-running sting Posted: PHOENIX (Reuters) - A man pleaded guilty on Thursday to two felony counts of purchasing and running high-powered rifles to Mexico from Arizona under the botched "Fast and Furious" federal sting operation tied to the murder of a U.S. federal agent. Jaime Avila Jr. was among a ring of 20 defendants charged with buying high-powered firearms including Kalashnikov type assault rifles and Barrett sniper rifles to run to the Mexican cartels. The purchases were made in the Phoenix area from 2009 to 2010 when a bungled U.S. ... |
| Keith Olbermann sues Current TV over ouster Posted: LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fired TV commentator Keith Olbermann on Thursday filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Current TV, calling its management amateurs and claiming he is owed as much as $70 million. Olbermann, who was fired a week ago after about a year on the small progressive public affairs channel, said he was "enticed to leave" his old job at cable channel MSNBC and join Current with the promise of editorial control and professional support. But Olbermann described Current TV founders Joel Hyatt and former U.S. ... |
| Russian arms dealer sentenced to 25 years in prison Posted: NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer caught in an undercover sting by U.S. agents posing as Colombian guerrillas seeking weapons, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday by a U.S. judge in New York. Bout, who was the subject of a book titled "Merchant of Death," asserted his innocence during the sentencing, telling the judge through a Russian interpreter, "I never intended to kill anyone. I never intended to sell arms to anyone. God knows this truth." He then pointed at federal agents sitting in the front row. "These people know this truth," Bout said. ... |
| U.S. Congress mail threat suspect pleads not guilty to more charges Posted: PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - A registered nurse from the Portland area pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional charges stemming from more than 100 threatening letters he is suspected of sending to members of Congress and the media in February. Christopher Carlson, 39, has been jailed without bond since his arrest at his home in Vancouver, Washington, on March 9 in the mass mailing of envelopes postmarked from Portland, Oregon, that contained a white powder later determined to be harmless. ... |
| Coke withdraws from group that backs Stand Your Ground law Posted: ORLANDO, Fla./NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co is dropping its membership in a conservative national advocacy group that supports "Stand Your Ground" laws such as the one being used as a defense in the Florida killing of an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin. The move by the world's biggest soft drink maker comes as corporate America faces increased scrutiny from consumers and shareholder activists over lobbying and political spending. PepsiCo Inc ended its relationship with the group - the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) - in January. ... |
No comments:
Post a Comment