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| Ohio teacher awarded $171,000 after firing over artificial insemination Monday, Jun 03, 2013 07:34 PM PDT By Bob Driehaus CINCINNATI, Ohio (Reuters) - A Catholic school teacher fired by the Cincinnati Archdiocese after becoming pregnant by artificial insemination was awarded $171,000 in damages on Monday by a federal court jury that ruled her dismissal violated U.S. anti-discrimination laws. The U.S. District Court jury in Cincinnati awarded Christa Dias $71,000 in lost wages and emotional distress damages and ordered the archdiocese to pay her $100,000 in punitive damages. ... Full Story | Top |
| Premier Li says solar trade dispute touches China's major interests: report Monday, Jun 03, 2013 07:33 PM PDT  SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's premier told a top European Union official that the trade dispute over Chinese solar panel exports touches China's "major economic interests" and could influence broader Chinese-EU relations if not properly resolved. In a phone call with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso late on Monday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that China is closely following the dispute, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ecuador says to talk with Britain on Assange on June 17 Monday, Jun 03, 2013 07:25 PM PDT  QUITO/LONDON (Reuters) - Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said on Monday he would meet Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague this month to discuss a possible solution to the year-long diplomatic standoff over WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange. Assange, 41, took refuge in Ecuador's tiny embassy in London last June to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over sex assault and rape allegations. He denies the allegations. ... Full Story | Top |
| State Dept offers rewards for West Africa militant leaders Monday, Jun 03, 2013 06:21 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department offered rewards on Monday of $3 million to $7 million for information leading to the location of "leaders of terrorist organizations" in West Africa, the first time it has used the rewards program in the region. The action targets leaders of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, or MUJWA, and the groups known as the Signed-in-Blood Battalion and Boko Haram. ... Full Story | Top |
| Congressman Issa reprising familiar role in IRS probe Monday, Jun 03, 2013 06:18 PM PDT By Kim Dixon and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - What began as a bipartisan congressional probe into Internal Revenue Service practices is quickly turning into a verbal brawl with U.S. Representative Darrell Issa, no stranger to controversy, under attack from Democrats and even some of his fellow Republicans. Issa, the California congressman who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on Sunday said in a CNN interview that the IRS's scrutiny of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status was "directly being ordered from Washington. ... Full Story | Top |
| Regulators propose scrutiny of AIG, Prudential, GE Capital Monday, Jun 03, 2013 05:55 PM PDT  By Emily Stephenson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators on Monday proposed designating American International Group Inc, Prudential Financial Inc and GE Capital for heightened regulatory oversight, in a long-anticipated move aimed at cracking down on risks to markets. A group of regulators known as the Financial Stability Oversight Council said it had voted to propose dubbing certain non-bank financial companies "systemically important," or so big their failure could destabilize financial markets. Regulators did not name the companies involved. ... Full Story | Top |
| Republican defense bill would fund Guantanamo, bar transfers Monday, Jun 03, 2013 05:51 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A leading Republican congressman proposed legislation on Monday that critics say would force U.S. President Barack Obama to keep the Guantanamo Bay military prison open and fund renovations, despite his renewed bid to shut it down. Representative Howard McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, also included language in a 2014 defense authorization bill that would again prohibit transfers of inmates to the United States or countries like Yemen without certain guarantees to Congress. The bill would also authorize $247. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama administration disputes charge attorney general lied Monday, Jun 03, 2013 05:22 PM PDT  By Steve Holland and David Ingram WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Monday pushed back against Republican accusations that Attorney General Eric Holder lied during a congressional appearance last month about his involvement in leak investigations that involved reporters. Republican lawmakers have called Holder's credibility into question by alleging that he failed to tell the truth in testimony to the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee about the Justice Department's secret seizures of journalist records. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kerry says time running out to revive Mideast peace Monday, Jun 03, 2013 05:20 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israel and the Palestinians on Monday to revive stalled peace talks, warning that the alternative was a "negative spiral of responses." "We're running out of time. If we do not succeed now, we may not get another chance," Kerry said in a speech to the American Jewish Committee in which he urged American Jews to support peace efforts to revive stalled peace talks. "The status quo is simply not sustainable. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate largely rebuffs Obama plan for food-aid reform Monday, Jun 03, 2013 05:07 PM PDT By Charles Abbott WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate voted on Monday to make only a minor change in the main U.S. global food aid program, rebuffing President Barack Obama's call for the biggest reform of the hunger relief program since the Cold War. Senators agreed in a voice vote to allocate only $60 million a year for the purchase of food aid under the Food for Peace program in or near the country for which it is destined. This was an increase of only $20 million in a program that spends roughly $1.4 billion a year to purchase and ship American-grown food thousands of miles to hunger spots. ... Full Story | Top |
| Representative McCarthy diagnosed with lung cancer Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:57 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Representative Carolyn McCarthy, a gun control advocate elected to Congress after her husband was killed in a mass shooting, said on Monday she has lung cancer. "I look forward to a successful treatment and returning to continue the mission that I've started as a member of Congress," the 69-year-old New York Democrat said in a statement. McCarthy was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1996, three years after her husband was killed in a shooting spree on a Long Island, New York, commuter train. ... Full Story | Top |
| Regulators propose new oversight of AIG, Prudential Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:55 PM PDT  By Emily Stephenson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators on Monday proposed designating non-bank financial companies including American International Group and Prudential Financial for heightened regulatory oversight. A group of regulators known as the Financial Stability Oversight Council said it had voted to propose dubbing certain companies "systemically important," or so big their failure could destabilize financial markets, in a long-anticipated and controversial move aimed at cracking down on risks. Regulators did not name the companies involved. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bank of America $8.5 billion mortgage settlement case opens Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:54 PM PDT  By Karen Freifeld NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp's proposed $8.5 billion settlement with investors in mortgage securities that went bad during the financial crisis offers billions more than they are likely to get if they go to trial, a lawyer for the trustee who helped negotiate the deal argued Monday. Matthew Ingber, a lawyer for Bank of New York Mellon, the trustee overseeing the securities, made the case for the deal as a long-awaiting proceeding for approval of the settlement got underway in state court in New York. ... Full Story | Top |
| Huntington Ingalls, General Dynamics win U.S. Navy orders Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:48 PM PDT  By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc beat out General Dynamics Corp for a larger share of a $6.1 billion U.S. Navy order for nine new DDG 51 destroyers, scoring a $3.33 billion deal for five ships that carries a 14 percent profit. The Defense Department and the Navy announced the 10-year contract with Huntington Ingalls, and a separate $2.84 billion deal with General Dynamics for four new warships, after the close of business on Monday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Column: Reviving a European democracy Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:48 PM PDT By John Lloyd (Reuters) - The rich are always with us, and we'll have more of them soon. A report last week from Boston Consulting Group shows that the global millionaire population is some 13.8 million. That is twice the size of Switzerland, which is, incidentally, where many of them have parked much of their wealth. More will accrue, and more individuals will pass the million-dollar mark. Global private wealth will, says Boston Consulting, grow by almost 5.0 percent per year over the next five years, reaching $171.2 trillion. This is what we, who like precision in such matters, call "a lot. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House issues veto threat over House spending levels Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:41 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Setting up a new fiscal showdown with Congress, the White House issued a veto threat on Monday for any spending bill that attempts to implement "draconian" budget cuts prescribed by Republicans in the House of Representatives. The White House budget office said it recommended President Barack Obama veto two appropriations bills set for House consideration this week "unless they are passed in the context of an overall budget framework that supports our recovery and enables sufficient investments in education, infrastructure, innovation and national security. ... Full Story | Top |
| Prudential says US council proposed designating it for oversight Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:32 PM PDT (Reuters) - Prudential Financial said on Monday it had received notice that U.S. regulators proposed declaring the firm is "systemically important," a designation that would bring stricter oversight. Prudential said in a statement that it was considering whether to contest the proposed designation by requesting a hearing before the Financial Stability Oversight Council. A final designation by the council, which is composed of the heads of financial regulatory agencies, would bring the firm under regulatory oversight by the Federal Reserve. (Reporting by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Gary Hill) Full Story | Top |
| Obama to nominate three to influential appeals court: White House Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:27 PM PDT  By Lawrence Hurley and Mark Felsenthal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday will announce three nominees to a key federal appeals court in Washington, the White House said, a move likely to spark confirmation battles in the U.S. Senate. Obama was due to make the announcement at 10:15 a.m. (1415 GMT) at the White House. Patricia Ann Millett, Cornelia Pillard, and Robert Wilkins would fill three vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Millett is a Washington lawyer who regularly argues before the U.S. Supreme Court. ... Full Story | Top |
| Petraeus scandal figure sues FBI, Pentagon over alleged leaks Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:25 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Tampa woman whose name surfaced in the scandal involving former CIA Director David Petraeus' extramarital affair has sued the FBI, Defense Department and unidentified government officials alleging they defamed her and violated her rights. In a 65-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington on Monday, Tampa socialite Jill Kelley and her husband, Scott, said government officials wilfully leaked damaging false information about the pair to the media. News outlets suggested that Kelley and General John Allen, one-time commander of U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hatchet hero of California attack pleads not guilty to N.J. murder Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:07 PM PDT By David Jones NEWARK (Reuters) - A homeless man who briefly gained Internet fame when he thwarted an attack on a woman in California by rushing to her assistance wielding a hatchet pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that he killed a 73-year-old man in New Jersey, according to a source familiar with the proceedings. The man, 24-year-old Caleb McGillvary, was arrested in May after police charged him with killing attorney Joseph Galfy, who was found bludgeoned to death in his house in Clark. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mississippi man linked to ricin letters indicted by grand jury Monday, Jun 03, 2013 04:01 PM PDT TUPELO, Mississippi (Reuters) - A Mississippi martial arts instructor was named in a five-count indictment charging him with mailing ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and two other public officials, authorities said on Monday. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi said James Everett Dutschke, 41, who was arrested on April 27, faced a maximum penalty of life in prison for threatening the president and others by mail and "possessing a biological agent, toxin and delivery system for use as a weapon. ... Full Story | Top |
| Judge rules Fort Hood suspect can represent himself Monday, Jun 03, 2013 03:55 PM PDT By Don Bolding FORT HOOD, Texas (Reuters) - A U.S. military judge ruled that accused Fort Hood gunman Major Nidal Hasan could act as his own defense lawyer, declaring on Monday he was physically and mentally fit to represent himself in a court-martial on 13 charges of first-degree murder. Hasan, who could face the death penalty if found guilty, stands accused of shooting rampage at Fort Hood in November 2009 that also wounded more than 30 people, mostly U.S. military personnel. Civilian police officers shot Hasan four times, paralyzing him from the chest down. ... Full Story | Top |
| New IRS chief tells Congress he will clean up tax agency Monday, Jun 03, 2013 03:49 PM PDT  By Kim Dixon and John Whitesides WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new chief of the Internal Revenue Service told Congress on Monday the tax-collecting agency would fully investigate and repair the problems that led to the inappropriate targeting of conservative groups for extra scrutiny. Acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel, appearing before Congress for the first time since moving into the top job two weeks ago, promised to restore the agency's tattered image with a public accounting of the practices that have led to multiple investigations and a political firestorm. ... Full Story | Top |
| Death toll from Oklahoma tornadoes, storms rises to 18 Monday, Jun 03, 2013 03:48 PM PDT  (Reuters) - The death toll from Friday's tornadoes and storms in Oklahoma has risen to 18 people, including six children and 12 adults, the Oklahoma chief medical examiner said on Monday. Officials added five victims on Monday to the confirmed list of dead from the tornadoes and from storms that caused severe flooding: three adults and two unidentified children, the medical examiner's office said. (Reporting by David Bailey; Editing by Cynthia Johnston) Full Story | Top |
| Woman in red becomes leitmotif for Istanbul's female protesters Monday, Jun 03, 2013 03:46 PM PDT By Alexandra Hudson ISTANBUL (Reuters) - In her red cotton summer dress, necklace and white bag slung over her shoulder she might have been floating across the lawn at a garden party; but before her crouches a masked policeman firing teargas spray that sends her long hair billowing upwards. Endlessly shared on social media and replicated as a cartoon on posters and stickers, the image of the woman in red has become the leitmotif for female protesters during days of violent anti-government demonstrations in Istanbul. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. targets Iran with currency, auto-sector sanctions Monday, Jun 03, 2013 03:42 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday ratcheted up its efforts to isolate Iran for its suspected nuclear weapons program, targeting Tehran with currency and auto-sector sanctions. President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on foreign financial institutions that conduct or facilitate significant transactions in the Iranian rial, meant to further weaken a currency that has already lost two-thirds of its dollar value since late 2011 as a result of Western sanctions. A senior administration official said the low level of the rial was a key vulnerability for the Iranian government. ... Full Story | Top |
| China lends Costa Rica $400 million on Xi visit Monday, Jun 03, 2013 03:41 PM PDT  By Isabella Cota SAN JOSE (Reuters) - China lent Central American ally Costa Rica nearly $400 million on Monday during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to a region where Beijing has traditionally vied with rival Taiwan for influence. Costa Rica recently backed China in its dispute with Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province, in votes at the United Nations. Members of the Costa Rican opposition said the deals announced on Monday raised questions about what China expected in return. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. House approves bill on prescription drug tracking Monday, Jun 03, 2013 03:31 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday setting out how the federal government should track prescription drugs moving through the distribution chain. The Republican-controlled House passed the measure easily, by voice vote. Some Democrats have opposed the bill for not going far enough to ensure safety. The legislation, often known as "track and trace," was aimed at enhancing supply chain security for patients, including protection against counterfeit or stolen drugs. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain's Queen Elizabeth to mark six-decade reign Monday, Jun 03, 2013 03:11 PM PDT By Costas Pitas LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will go back to the scene of her coronation on Tuesday to mark a reign that has weathered six decades of social transformation and the end of her country's global empire. Millions of Britons gathered round brand new black-and-white television sets to watch her get crowned in Westminster Abbey in June 1953. Sixty years on, the cameras will be back to film her joining around 2,000 guests, including British Prime Minister David Cameron, for the official anniversary celebrations in the historic church. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senator Lautenberg's death costs Obama's Democrats a liberal vote Monday, Jun 03, 2013 03:03 PM PDT  By Thomas Ferraro and Edith Honan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's Democrats lost a liberal voice and vote with the death of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey on Monday, but it was unlikely to shift the balance of power in the Senate on any major issues including immigration reform. That is primarily because with 45 seats in the 100-member Senate, Republicans already had more than enough clout to block much of Obama's second-term agenda. ... Full Story | Top |
| Turkish protesters accuse media of ignoring unrest Monday, Jun 03, 2013 03:00 PM PDT By Parisa Hafezi ANKARA (Reuters) - The orange broadcasting van lay on its side in the glare of an arc light on Istanbul's Taksim Square while protesters clambered over it. On its bonnet was scrawled "government crony media for sale" and on a side panel "Where were you yesterday?" The anger of many demonstrators involved in four days of clashes with police across Turkey has turned increasingly on media they see as cowed by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. ... Full Story | Top |
| Top U.S. lawmaker looks to rein in military contractors' pay Monday, Jun 03, 2013 02:53 PM PDT By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A powerful U.S. lawmaker on Monday included a provision seeking to rein in the amount corporate executives can make from military contracts in the fiscal 2014 defense spending bill that Congress is expected to finalize in the coming weeks. Republican U.S. Representative Howard McKeon of California, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, included the plan in his version of the fiscal 2014 defense authorization act. The full committee will review the act on Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| China's latest manned space mission to launch this month Monday, Jun 03, 2013 02:49 PM PDT  BEIJING (Reuters) - China will launch its next manned rocket in the middle of this month, carrying three astronauts to an experimental space module, state media said on Monday, the latest stage of an ambitious plan to build a space station. The Shenzhou 10 space ship and its rocket had already been moved to the launch area at a remote site in the Gobi desert, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Once in orbit, the Shenzhou 10 will link up with the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module, which was moved into the correct orbiting position last month. ... Full Story | Top |
| Defiant Erdogan denounces riots in Turkish cities Monday, Jun 03, 2013 02:48 PM PDT  By Birsen Altayli and Ayla Jean Yackley ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Anti-government protesters responsible for Turkey's worst riots in years are "arm-in-arm with terrorism", Prime Minister Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said, in a defiant response to three days of unrest in dozens of cities across the country. Hundreds of police and protesters have been injured since Friday, when a demonstration to halt construction in a park in an Istanbul square grew into mass protests against a heavy-handed police crackdown and what opponents call Erdogan's authoritarian policies. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rajaratnam's brother in plea talks over insider charges Monday, Jun 03, 2013 02:36 PM PDT  By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Rengan Rajaratnam, the younger brother of imprisoned hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam, is negotiating with prosecutors on a possible resolution to his criminal insider trading case, including a possible plea, a court filing shows. U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan agreed to delay a scheduled conference to July 30 from June 4, which federal prosecutors in a May 30 letter said would "permit the defendant and the government to continue discussions that may lead to the resolution of this case before trial. ... Full Story | Top |
| Michigan poised to take over another cash-strapped city Monday, Jun 03, 2013 02:33 PM PDT (Reuters) - Michigan Governor Rick Snyder on Monday declared a financial emergency for the city of Hamtramck, an action that could make it the ninth city to be put under some form of oversight by Michigan. Snyder accepted a May 23 report from a five-member review team that concluded that a local government financial emergency exists in Hamtramck because of debt problems. Those include delayed monthly public pension payments to manage cash flow, a $3. ... Full Story | Top |
| In e-books trial, U.S. says Apple conspired with publishers Monday, Jun 03, 2013 02:25 PM PDT  By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc conspired with publishers to raise the price of e-books in a scheme costing consumers "hundreds of millions of dollars," a U.S. government lawyer said on Monday. A three-week trial got under way before a federal judge in New York in a case pitting the Justice Department against the popular iPad and iPhone maker that could shine a light on the secretive Silicon Valley giant's business practices. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. says WikiLeaks soldier driven by 'arrogance' Monday, Jun 03, 2013 02:25 PM PDT By Ian Simpson FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) - Military prosecutors said arrogance drove the U.S. soldier who went on trial on Monday accused of the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history through the WikiLeaks anti-secrecy website three years ago. But at the opening of the court-martial of Private First Class Bradley Manning, 25, his defense lawyer portrayed him as a naive young soldier who had leaked the documents, combat videos and other data because he wanted to reveal the human cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. ... Full Story | Top |
| Latvia to get green light for euro zone membership on Wednesday Monday, Jun 03, 2013 02:20 PM PDT By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission will give Latvia on Wednesday the go-ahead to become the 18th member of the euro zone from the start of next year, European Union officials said on Monday. The EU executive will publish a report on whether the small Baltic state meets all the criteria for membership of the single currency, which include low inflation and long-term interest rates, a stable exchange rate and low public debt and deficit. ... Full Story | Top |
| Somalia cases of killing, maiming, abuse of children halved: U.N. Monday, Jun 03, 2013 02:13 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The number of children killed, maimed, abused and recruited to fight in Somalia dropped by more than half in the first quarter of 2013 due to less fighting between Islamist al-Shabaab militants and government forces, the United Nations said on Monday. In a report to the U.N. Security Council on Somalia, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said there had been 552 verified "grave violations" against children between January and March, down from 1,288 cases during the same period in 2012. ... Full Story | Top |
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