Obama: 9/11 victims never to be forgotten

Obama: 9/11 victims never to be forgotten
U.S. casino mogul awarded $20 million in punitive damages in slander suit
Peregrine Financial CEO Wasendorf to plead guilty
Study: 401(k) fee disclosure leaves small firms puzzled
World Trade Center museum deal may lead to land sale: sources
Five more suspects indicted in Georgia militia case
Florida tomato growers want U.S. trade decision before election
Alaska fisherman survives 26 hours floating in fish crate
Florida university slammed for defense in hazing death case
U.S. spies press for renewal of broad electronic surveillance law
Alabama professor pleads guilty to gunning down 3 co-workers
U.S. casino mogul awarded $20 million in punitive damages in slander suit
State public pension funding levels dipped in 2011: report
Ohio Amish hate-crimes trial could go to jury on Wednesday
Whistleblower in UBS tax case gets record $104 million
Storm Isaac tars Louisiana beaches with oil from BP spill
Seattle officials express support for NBA arena plan
Florida probes online school company over teachers
Work resumes at U.S. Boeing plant after threat investigation
U.S. marshals capture fugitive convicted in Texas gang rape
U.S. court says woman can't be charged for inducing abortion
Appeals court raises damages award in music piracy case
Congress leaders differ on 'fiscal cliff' prospects
Employer healthcare premiums outpace inflation, wages
Jury could decide sticky issues of September 11 airlines lawsuit
About 500 Boeing workers evacuated from plant outside Philadelphia
Death in Vegas sends shockwaves Down Under
U.S. House leader says support lacking for Russia trade bill
Chrysler's new Viper starts at just under $100,000
U.S. asks Supreme Court to consider two more gay marriage cases
U.S. casino mogul awarded $20 million in punitive damages in slander suit
World Trade Center museum deal may lead to land sale: sources
Peregrine Financial CEO Wasendorf to plead guilty
Five more suspects indicted in Georgia militia case
Alaska fisherman survives 26 hours floating in fish crate
U.S. spies press for renewal of broad electronic surveillance law
Florida university slammed for defense in hazing death case
Florida tomato growers want U.S. trade decision before election
State public pension funding levels dipped in 2011: report

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:37 PM PDT

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The victims of September 11 will be remembered "no matter how many years pass," President Barack Obama said on Tuesday during one of three main ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary of the attacks in which nearly 3,000 people were killed by airliners hijacked by Islamist militants. Two of the passenger jets brought down the Twin Towers of New York City's World Trade Center, another hit the Pentagon outside Washington and a fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania when passengers aboard that flight fought back against the hijackers. ...

U.S. casino mogul awarded $20 million in punitive damages in slander suit

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:32 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Casino owner Steve Wynn won $20 million in punitive damages for defamation on Tuesday, doubling his total judgment in a lawsuit accusing "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis of slandering him by falsely claiming that Wynn had threatened his life over a gambling debt. A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury deliberated for about two hours before returning its verdict in the second phase of a defamation trial that capped a years-long legal feud between the two men. The $40 million total sum awarded Wynn this week comes on top of a $7. ...

Peregrine Financial CEO Wasendorf to plead guilty

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 04:53 PM PDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Reuters) - Peregrine Financial chief executive Russell Wasendorf Sr., accused of stealing more than $200 million from his futures brokerage's customers and lying to regulators to cover his tracks, has agreed to plead guilty to mail fraud, making false statements to regulators and embezzling customer funds, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Wasendorf, 64, could be sentenced to up to 50 years in prison, according to a plea agreement made public at a hearing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He appeared at the hearing in an orange jumpsuit, his wrists and legs shackled. ...

Study: 401(k) fee disclosure leaves small firms puzzled

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:51 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A recent rule that requires companies that service 401(k) plans to disclose what they are charging employers for their services is leaving many small business owners with more questions than answers, according to a new study. As of July, 401(k) plan providers, which include financial advisers, fund companies and plan record keepers, had to provide employers with documentation of all the fees they charged. The goal of the fee disclosure, which was mandated by the U.S. Department of Labor, was to help employers better understand the fees they pay. ...

World Trade Center museum deal may lead to land sale: sources

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:09 PM PDT

(Reuters) - A long-delayed sale of land that is part of the World Trade Center redevelopment could become a reality under a new accord between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, four sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The property, called Site 5, could fetch $135 million to $200 million, two of the sources said. Site 5 is owned by the Lower Manhattan Development Corp, a city-state agency created to rebuild that part of the city after the September 11, 2001 attacks. ...

Five more suspects indicted in Georgia militia case

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 04:44 PM PDT

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A grand jury in Georgia has indicted five more suspects for their alleged links to an anti-government militia group that prosecutors accuse of plotting to overthrow the U.S. government. Christopher Jenderseck, Adam Brady Dearman, Timothy Martin Joiner, Randall Blake Dearman and Anthony Garner were all indicted on Monday in Liberty County, Georgia, on gang charges in connection with a group called FEAR, or Forever Enduring Always Ready, said Isabel Pauley, an assistant district attorney. ...

Florida tomato growers want U.S. trade decision before election

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:23 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Florida tomato growers want the Obama administration to approve their request to terminate a 16-year-old tomato trade pact with Mexico before the November 6 presidential election, a lawyer for the group said on Tuesday. Florida growers complain the current agreement is outdated and fails to protect them against Mexican tomatoes sold in the United States well below the cost of production. ...

Alaska fisherman survives 26 hours floating in fish crate

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 04:09 PM PDT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - An Alaska fisherman survived for a day floating on frigid ocean waters in a plastic fish crate after his boat sank and said he kept up his spirits by singing. Ryan Harris, 19, told the local newspaper in Sitka, Alaska, that he sang songs like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" to keep himself awake through the night as the fishing crate bobbed on the waves. Harris told the Sitka Sentinel that he gave himself a "pep talk," saying for hours on end: "I'm Ryan Hunter Harris and I'm not going to die here. ...

Florida university slammed for defense in hazing death case

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:41 PM PDT

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - The family of a Florida A&M University drum major killed in a brutal hazing ritual is "appalled" by the university's claim that the student was responsible for his own death, their lawyer said on Tuesday. "We are appalled at the audacity of this institution to blame this murder on the victim," said Christopher Chestnut, lawyer for the parents of drum major Robert Champion Jr. He spoke in reaction to the motion lawyers for Florida A&M filed in Orange County Circuit Court on Monday, when they called for dismissal of the Champion family's wrongful death lawsuit. ...

U.S. spies press for renewal of broad electronic surveillance law

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:48 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence officials made a public plea on Tuesday, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks, for quick congressional action to extend a sweeping but controversial U.S. electronic surveillance law. Robert Litt, chief lawyer for the Office of Director of National Intelligence, told reporters that winning congressional approval to extend the electronic spying law was the U.S. intelligence community's "top priority." If the law, which expires at the end of 2012, is not extended, Litt said, U.S. ...

Alabama professor pleads guilty to gunning down 3 co-workers

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:14 PM PDT

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - A former biology professor at the University of Alabama at Huntsville avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty on Tuesday to murder and attempted murder charges for fatally shooting three co-workers on campus in 2010, court officials said. Amy Bishop, 47, last year had pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. She was accused of shooting dead three colleagues and wounding three others during a biology department staff meeting in February 2010. ...

U.S. casino mogul awarded $20 million in punitive damages in slander suit

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 04:41 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Casino owner Steve Wynn was awarded $20 million in punitive damages on Tuesday in his defamation suit against "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis, adding to $20 million he won in compensatory damages a day earlier. The 70-year-old Las Vegas mogul had accused Francis, 39, of slander for claiming that Wynn wanted him killed and buried in the desert over a gambling debt. A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury deliberated just four hours before returning its verdict in the second phase of the trial. Wynn won a $7. ...

State public pension funding levels dipped in 2011: report

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:07 PM PDT

(Reuters) - Only a third of U.S. state-level pension plans examined in a recent survey were funded at levels considered adequate, a report showed on Tuesday. A survey by Loop Capital Markets found only 58 of 149 state-level public pension plans it reviewed were funded at 80 percent or more, a level that is considered healthy. The median funded ratio for U.S. states' pension plans dropped to 73 percent in fiscal 2011 from 76 percent the previous year, Loop said. The U.S. municipal bond market has been trying to understand the severity of the nation's public pension problem. ...

Ohio Amish hate-crimes trial could go to jury on Wednesday

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:57 PM PDT

Cleveland (Reuters) - The trial of an Ohio Amish sect leader and 15 followers facing federal hate crimes charges for beard-cutting attacks on other Amish people could go to the jury on Wednesday after defense attorneys closed their case without calling a single witness. Samuel Mullet Sr. and 15 members of the breakaway sect in the eastern Ohio community of Bergholtz are accused of planning or carrying out attacks on nine Amish men and women last fall. The 16 defendants face up to life in prison if convicted on all the charges. ...

Whistleblower in UBS tax case gets record $104 million

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:27 PM PDT

(Reuters) - The whistleblower in a breakthrough tax fraud case against Swiss bank UBS AG has won a record-setting $104 million reward from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, a handsome payout that could entice more informants to come forward. Bradley Birkenfeld, who once confessed to smuggling diamonds in a toothpaste tube, was not present at the news conference on Tuesday where his award was announced by his lawyers. ...

Storm Isaac tars Louisiana beaches with oil from BP spill

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:28 PM PDT

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Two years after the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, mats of oily tar from BP Plc.'s ill-fated Macondo well have turned up on Louisiana's shore after Hurricane Isaac stirred up submerged oil deposits, BP officials said on Tuesday. BP said the oil that washed ashore after Hurricane Isaac made landfall in Louisiana on August 28 was not unexpected, after Tropical Storm Bonnie in July 2010 buried oil under tons of sand. Isaac's winds and tidal surge peeled back layers of sand and exposed tar balls and tar mats that were buried under up to five feet of sand, BP ...

Seattle officials express support for NBA arena plan

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:55 PM PDT

(Reuters) - The city of Seattle took a key step on Tuesday toward the goal of bringing the NBA back to town as three City Council members gave their support for an arena financing deal with hedge fund manager and aspiring NBA franchise owner Chris Hansen. Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess said he expected the deal to have enough support to win approval when he and the other two council members present the proposal to the full nine-member council as early as Monday. The council had earlier expressed skepticism about the arena plan. ...

Florida probes online school company over teachers

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:02 PM PDT

MIAMI (Reuters) - The largest operator of online schools in the United States is being investigated by the Florida Department of Education over allegations the company may employ teachers who are not properly certified, a state official said on Tuesday. K12, a company founded by former U.S. Education Secretary William Bennett, is one of a dozen for-profit companies operating full-time, online public elementary and high schools across the country. ...

Work resumes at U.S. Boeing plant after threat investigation

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:01 PM PDT

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A Boeing Co. facility near Philadelphia returned to normal operation on Tuesday after hundreds of workers were evacuated because of a threat against the company, authorities said. Boeing spokesman Damien Mills said police found "nothing untoward" at the plant, which is located in Ridley Township, south of Philadelphia. He said the investigation was continuing. ...

U.S. marshals capture fugitive convicted in Texas gang rape

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:28 AM PDT

HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. marshals in Houston captured a fugitive on Tuesday who was convicted of taking part in the gang rape of an 11-year-old Texas girl and who disappeared during a break in his trial, officials said. Eric McGowen, 20, was convicted in absentia and sentenced to 99 years in prison after he failed to return to the courtroom on August 29. He was found and arrested Tuesday morning at an apartment complex in north Houston, according to Deputy Alfredo Perez of the U.S. Marshals Service. "He was arrested without incident," Perez said. "He did not have a weapon. ...

U.S. court says woman can't be charged for inducing abortion

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:52 AM PDT

(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday blocked the prosecution of an Idaho woman who aborted her pregnancy by taking pills instead of traveling to a clinic or hospital as required by state law. Jennie Linn McCormack, an unmarried mother of three, was charged by Bannock County prosecutors last year after she ingested medication to induce an abortion. The drugs were approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and prescribed over the Internet, according to the opinion from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. ...

Appeals court raises damages award in music piracy case

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:23 PM PDT

(Reuters) - The music industry won the latest round on Tuesday in its long-running legal battle against a woman accused of illegally downloading and sharing two dozen songs on the Kazaa peer-to-peer network. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul, Minnesota, reinstated a $222,000 jury verdict against Jammie Thomas-Rasset, rejecting her arguments that the damages award was excessive and violated her due process rights under the U.S. Constitution. ...

Congress leaders differ on 'fiscal cliff' prospects

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:17 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Republican in the U.S. Congress said on Tuesday he had no confidence a divided Washington could avoid a "fiscal cliff" that threatens to push the nation into a recession, but the top Democrat voiced optimism there would be a deal. "I'm not confident at all," House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said, accusing President Barack Obama of failing to provide needed leadership. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid fired back by expressing disappointment in Boehner's comments. ...

Employer healthcare premiums outpace inflation, wages

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:36 AM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health insurance premiums have climbed faster than wages and inflation this year, and look poised to accelerate in 2013, adding to voter concerns about soaring healthcare costs ahead of November elections for the White House and Congress. A study released on Tuesday showed that premiums for employer-sponsored health plans, which cover about 149 million Americans, grew a modest 4 percent to $15,745 in 2012. It was a substantially slower rate of growth than in past years, including 2011, when premiums jumped 9 percent. ...

Jury could decide sticky issues of September 11 airlines lawsuit

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:16 AM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Most of the lawsuits arising from the hijacked plane attacks on the World Trade Center 11 years ago have been settled, but one demanding that United Airlines and American Airlines be held liable for loss of property and business could go to trial. Two recent rulings by a federal judge in New York denying the airlines' bid to dismiss the lawsuit over a narrow insurance dispute have opened the door to the entire case ending up in the hands of a jury. ...

About 500 Boeing workers evacuated from plant outside Philadelphia

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:11 AM PDT

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Some 500 employees of a sprawling Boeing Co. facility in a southern suburb of Philadelphia were evacuated Tuesday morning after a threat was telephoned to the plant, authorities said. Damien Mills, a company spokesman, declined to reveal the nature of the threat but said the company immediately notified local police and evacuated the workers - part of the 6,200 employees who make CH-47 Chinook helicopters and the V-22 Osprey aircraft at the facility. "Regular operations continue at most of the plant," he told Reuters. Police were investigating the threat. ...

Death in Vegas sends shockwaves Down Under

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:40 AM PDT

(Reuters) - The mysterious death of a young footballer outside a Las Vegas casino has cast a shadow over the Australian Football League finals series and prompted soul-searching among clubs about their responsibilities for players. The body of John McCarthy, a 22-year-old midfielder for Port Adelaide Power, was found on the driveway of the Flamingo hotel early on Sunday morning. ...

U.S. House leader says support lacking for Russia trade bill

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:41 AM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Eric Cantor said on Tuesday he does not see adequate support emerging to pass legislation upgrading American trade relations with Russia. "Unfortunately, we don't see the bipartisan coalition we need to pass it," Cantor told reporters. He added that House Republicans were continuing to work with Senate leaders to try to find support for the measure. Congress is under pressure to approve "permanent normal trade relations" with Russia to ensure that U.S. ...

Chrysler's new Viper starts at just under $100,000

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:25 AM PDT

DETROIT (Reuters) - The redesigned 2013 SRT Viper goes on sale in mid-November priced from just under $100,000, making it the most expensive car in Chrysler's U.S. lineup. The first Vipers off the assembly line in Detroit will be coupes. The original Viper, introduced in early 1992, was a two-passenger convertible. Asked if Chrysler has plans to add a Viper roadster to the new lineup, a company spokesman said, "Nothing yet." The standard Viper will start at $99,390, while the uplevel Viper GTS will be priced from $122,390. Both stickers include a $1,995 shipping charge. ...

U.S. asks Supreme Court to consider two more gay marriage cases

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:54 PM PDT

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to consider two additional legal challenges to a federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, after submitting similar cases for review in July. The two petitions filed by the department urge the high court to consider at least one gay marriage case in the near future to determine whether Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act violates legally married same-sex couples' rights by treating them differently than heterosexual couples. ...

U.S. casino mogul awarded $20 million in punitive damages in slander suit

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:32 PM PDT

World Trade Center museum deal may lead to land sale: sources

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:09 PM PDT

Peregrine Financial CEO Wasendorf to plead guilty

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 04:53 PM PDT

Five more suspects indicted in Georgia militia case

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 04:44 PM PDT

Alaska fisherman survives 26 hours floating in fish crate

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 04:09 PM PDT

U.S. spies press for renewal of broad electronic surveillance law

Posted: 11 Sep 2012 03:48 PM PDT