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• Church group members recall accused man confessed to 1979 New York murder
• U.S. measles outbreak prompts vaccine crackdown in New Mexico schools
• Atlanta police respond to fight between singer Bobby Brown's relatives
• Jordan airstrike possibly killed female U.S. hostage
• Jordan airstrike possibly killed female U.S. hostage
• Police investigating alleged sex assault at University of Virginia
• Former Venezuelan judge faces sentencing in Miami in drug money case
• Queen marks 63 years on British throne
• Stellar jobs and wages report
• Troubled overhaul of NYC's 911 system $700 million over budget: WSJ
• Celebrated Los Angeles school food executive removed from job
• U.S. states probe massive data breach at health insurer Anthem
• Lawmakers expect resistance to granting Obama war powers
• Obama's national security strategy: Version 2.0
• Missouri boy, 6, nabbed by family to teach him fear of strangers: police
• Washington state mulls ban on capture of killer whales for entertainment
• Minnesota man bound for Turkey accused of lying to federal agents
• Lawmakers want tougher vaccine exemptions amid U.S. measles outbreak
• New York train was not speeding before crash with car
• Adviser to Rep. Aaron Schock resigns over alleged racist Facebook posts
• Lawyers urge judge to lift grand jury secrecy in New York chokehold case
• IRS rehired hundreds of former workers with behavior problems: audit

Church group members recall accused man confessed to 1979 New York murder Posted: 06 Feb 2015 01:39 PM PST By Natasja Sheriff NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former deli worker accused of kidnapping and murdering a 6-year-old boy three decades ago tearfully described how he strangled the child and disposed of the body in a confession to a church group, witnesses testified on Friday. Pedro Hernandez, 54, is charged with kidnapping and murdering Etan Patz, who vanished on May 25, 1979 while walking to a school bus stop in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood. Testifying in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, Paito Concepcion, 79, said Hernandez confessed in a prayer circle at the end of a day-long summer religious retreat in 1979.

U.S. measles outbreak prompts vaccine crackdown in New Mexico schools Posted: 06 Feb 2015 01:24 PM PST One of New Mexico's largest public school districts, reacting to a measles outbreak in California that has infected about 100 people, is redoubling its enforcement of student vaccination rules this month, the school board president said on Friday. The Santa Fe district notified parents this week that any students who lack up-to-date vaccinations or valid state waivers for medical or religious grounds will be barred from class starting on Feb. 17, board president Steven Carrillo said. The board's action comes as New Mexico has documented a steady rise in the number of vaccine exemptions obtained by school-aged children during the past two years, up 17 percent from 2012 to 2014 to a total of 3,335 waivers. Kenny Vigil, a spokesman for the New Mexico Department of Health, said the total still represents less than 1 percent of school-aged children statewide, though the department has voiced concern over the trend.

Atlanta police respond to fight between singer Bobby Brown's relatives Posted: 06 Feb 2015 11:11 AM PST By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) - Two relatives of singer Bobby Brown, whose daughter with Whitney Houston is said to be fighting for her life in Atlanta after being found unresponsive in a bathtub, got into a fight early Friday at a downtown hotel in the city, police said. Officers were called to the W Hotel at about 1 a.m. after one of Brown's family members, Tina Brown, hit another relative, Shayne Brown, in the head with a bottle, Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones said. Shayne Brown suffered cuts and drove himself to the hospital, and Tina Brown left the scene before the police arrived, according to Jones.

Jordan airstrike possibly killed female U.S. hostage Posted: 06 Feb 2015 10:21 AM PST A statement purportedly from the Islamic State made the startling claim.

Jordan airstrike possibly killed female U.S. hostage Posted: 06 Feb 2015 09:48 AM PST A purported statement by the Islamic State made the startling claim.

Police investigating alleged sex assault at University of Virginia Posted: 06 Feb 2015 09:30 AM PST (Reuters) - University of Virginia police said on Thursday they are investigating a reported sexual assault in a dormitory at the school, an allegation that comes in the aftermath of a discredited magazine story about a fraternity rape. The reported incident occurred on Jan. 30 and was reported to campus police on Thursday, university police chief Michael Gibson said in a statement. The 21,000-student school in Charlottesville, Virginia's flagship public university, was the subject of a now-discredited Rolling Stone magazine article in November about an alleged gang rape at a fraternity.

Former Venezuelan judge faces sentencing in Miami in drug money case Posted: 06 Feb 2015 08:58 AM PST By Zachary Fagenson MIAMI (Reuters) - A former Venezuelan judge faces sentencing in Miami federal court on Friday for money laundering, extortion and conspiring to obstruct justice after U.S. prosecutors accused him of taking bribes from a South American drug cartel boss, according to court records. Benny Palmeri-Bacchi pleaded guilty in November to the three charges, each carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, as part of a deal with prosecutors. Palmeri-Bacchi was arrested last summer after flying into Miami for a family vacation at Disney World. He was charged along with Rodolfo McTurk, the former director of Interpol in Venezuela, who was never taken into U.S. custody.

Queen marks 63 years on British throne Posted: 06 Feb 2015 08:10 AM PST Queen Elizabeth II on Friday celebrated 63 years on the British throne as she neared the record set by Queen Victoria for the longest-reigning monarch. There will be a 41-gun salute by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in London's Green Park, and a 62-gun salute by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London. Elizabeth became queen aged 25 when her father, King George VI -- subject of Oscar-winning film "The King's Speech" -- died from a coronary thrombosis on February 6, 1952.

Stellar jobs and wages report Posted: 06 Feb 2015 05:59 AM PST U.S. employers hired at a stellar pace last month, wages rose by the most in six years, and Americans responded by streaming into the job market to find work. The Labor Department said Friday that the ...

Troubled overhaul of NYC's 911 system $700 million over budget: WSJ Posted: 06 Feb 2015 03:30 AM PST (Reuters) - An overhaul of New York City's 911 system has cost at least $700 million more than expected and suffered years of delays caused by mismanagement, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The modernization project was launched in 2004 under former mayor Michael Bloomberg to address failings in the emergency system experienced during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and a 2003 blackout in the U.S. Northeast, the Journal said. Current Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered a review of the project by the New York City Department of Investigation and DOI Commissioner Mark Peters said in a preliminary report in August that the program had "suffered from significant mismanagement which at times was nothing short of governmental malpractice." Citing the DOI's final report, due to be released on Friday, the Wall Street Journal said senior program managers had exaggerated their progress to the Bloomberg administration and officials had failed to properly oversee contractors.

Celebrated Los Angeles school food executive removed from job Posted: 06 Feb 2015 02:07 AM PST (Reuters) - A Los Angeles school food executive, who took salt and fat out of school meals and was praised by U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, has been removed from his job, officials said in a brief statement on Thursday. David Binkle, Los Angeles Unified School District food services director, had been "temporarily reassigned" pending an investigation into a "confidential personnel matter", the district statement said.

U.S. states probe massive data breach at health insurer Anthem Posted: 06 Feb 2015 01:52 AM PST By Karen Freifeld NEW YORK (Reuters) - Several U.S. states are investigating a massive cyberattack on No. 2 U.S. health insurer Anthem Inc that a person familiar with the matter said is being examined for possible ties to China. Attorneys general of Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Arkansas and North Carolina are looking into the breach, according to representatives of their offices and internal documents. California's Department of Insurance said it will review Anthem's response to the data attack. Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen asked Anthem Chief Executive Joseph Swedish to provide by March 4 detailed information about the cyberattack, the company's security practices and privacy policies, according to a letter obtained by Reuters on Thursday.

Lawmakers expect resistance to granting Obama war powers Posted: 06 Feb 2015 12:44 AM PST Some opposition is expected despite outrage over video of brutal IS executions.

Obama's national security strategy: Version 2.0 Posted: 05 Feb 2015 11:54 PM PST The White House will release an outline of foreign policy priorities for the rest of his term.

Missouri boy, 6, nabbed by family to teach him fear of strangers: police Posted: 05 Feb 2015 08:07 PM PST (Reuters) - Three Missouri women were arrested on Thursday and charged with kidnapping after they allegedly arranged for a man to kidnap their six-year-old relative because he was "too nice" and he needed a shock lesson in the dangers of the world. The man involved, 23-year-old Nathan Firoved of Troy, a rural town outside St Louis, has also been arrested and charged with felony kidnapping and other crimes, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. According to the Sheriff's department, the boy's aunt, 38-year-old Denise Kroutil, mother, Elizabeth Hupp, 25, and grandmother, Rose Brewer, 58, wanted to teach the boy a life lesson and asked Firoved to help them.

Washington state mulls ban on capture of killer whales for entertainment Posted: 05 Feb 2015 06:17 PM PST Washington state senators held a hearing on Thursday to consider banning the increasingly controversial capture or holding of killer whales for entertainment. More than half of the approximately 455 orcas taken for captivity originated in Washington state but the practice has come under more scrutiny following the 2013 documentary, "Blackfish," which described the capture of orcas and how one killed a trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. Today, 57 orcas are in captivity in 14 marine parks in eight countries, including 25 in SeaWorld parks in Florida, California and Texas, according to a sponsor of the legislation, State Senator Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island.

Minnesota man bound for Turkey accused of lying to federal agents Posted: 05 Feb 2015 05:31 PM PST A Minnesota man pulled off an airplane bound for Turkey last year has been charged with repeatedly lying to federal agents investigating the recruitment of young U.S. residents to join Islamist militant groups, prosecutors said on Thursday. Hamza Ahmed, 19, and three other young Minnesota men took a bus to New York from Minneapolis where authorities stopped them from leaving on international flights on Nov. 9, FBI Special Agent Daniel Higgins said in court papers. The charge of making false statements against Ahmed, a Minneapolis resident, was unsealed on Thursday.

Lawmakers want tougher vaccine exemptions amid U.S. measles outbreak Posted: 05 Feb 2015 04:59 PM PST By Eric M. Johnson and Shelby Sebens SEATTLE/PORTLAND, Ore (Reuters) - Several U.S. states are considering laws to make it harder for parents to legally opt out of vaccinating their children, as health officials fight a measles outbreak that has sickened some 120 people in more than a dozen mostly West Coast states. Lawmakers in California, Oregon, and Washington state, which have all had recent measles cases, want to remove exemptions based on personal beliefs, while farther afield, Ohio recently extended a law that covers those entering childcare.

New York train was not speeding before crash with car Posted: 05 Feb 2015 04:42 PM PST By Sebastien Malo TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (Reuters) - The New York commuter train that plowed into a car stopped on a crossing this week was traveling just below the speed limit and no problem was found with the signals or traffic barriers at the site of the deadly crash, a federal investigator said on Thursday. The fiery crash that followed killed the SUV driver and five train passengers in the deadliest rail accident in the New York area in more than three decades. The driver of the vehicle behind the Mercedes told NTSB investigators on Thursday that traffic was "edging along" at the railway crossing in Valhalla, an affluent town north of New York City, Robert Sumwalt, an NTSB member, said at a news conference. The Mercedes came to a stop on the crossing, Sumwalt said.

Adviser to Rep. Aaron Schock resigns over alleged racist Facebook posts Posted: 05 Feb 2015 04:26 PM PST Benjamin Cole, a senior adviser for Rep. Aaron Schock, resigned after reports of racist posts on his Facebook page.

Lawyers urge judge to lift grand jury secrecy in New York chokehold case Posted: 05 Feb 2015 02:50 PM PST By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lawyers for civil liberty groups, the news media, public defenders and New York's elected public advocate urged a judge on Thursday to release the transcripts of secret grand jury proceedings into the killing of an unarmed black man last July by a white police officer who put him in a chokehold. The lawyers told state Supreme Court Judge William Garnett that making the transcripts public would shed light on why the grand jury declined to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner.

IRS rehired hundreds of former workers with behavior problems: audit Posted: 05 Feb 2015 02:18 PM PST By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Poor screening led the IRS to rehire hundreds of former employees with records of bad behavior including falsifying forms and unauthorized access to taxpayer information, an internal government watchdog found. Auditors found the Internal Revenue Service between 2010 and 2013 gave jobs to 323 former employees who had displayed unsavory conduct during prior stints at the agency, according to the U.S. Treasury's Inspector General for Tax Administration on Thursday. Among the 323, five of the rehired workers had "serious misconduct" issues, a category that includes threats and sexual harassment. "Based on the types of prior performance and conduct issues we identified, rehiring certain employees presents increased risk to the IRS and taxpayers," said J. Russell George, the inspector general for tax administration.

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