| Despite Obama promises, Ferguson protesters say more change needed Posted: 02 Dec 2014 12:21 PM PST  By Carey Gillam (Reuters) - A pledge by President Barack Obama to address race-related problems between police and minorities falls far short of what is needed, and nationwide demonstrations tied to the police shooting of Missouri teenager Michael Brown will continue to grow, several protest leaders said on Tuesday. "We're going to continue to take to the streets, we're going to continue to disrupt the daily order ... ...
|
| House may vote to undo Obama immigration order Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:32 AM PST  The Republican-led House may try to undo President Obama's immigration actions.
|
| Some Ferguson residents accuse police of aggressive arrest tactics Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:14 AM PST  By Emily Flitter FERGUSON, MO. (Reuters) - Some Ferguson-area residents arrested during racially charged protests in the Missouri town last week told Reuters they were unlawfully arrested by police and were just trying to get home when they were picked up and taken to jail. Reuters was not able to independently verify the allegations from the six individuals interviewed. Their accusations come amid an investigation by U.S. ...
|
| NATO backs U.S.-led training force for Afghanistan Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:58 AM PST  A new training mission for Afghanistan will begin next year.
|
| U.S. says ex-Sentinel CEO deserves 20 years in prison for $666 million fraud Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:09 AM PST By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Eric Bloom, a former Chicago-area money manager convicted of fraud, is an "unrepentant con man" who should spend at least 20 years in prison and repay $665.9 million to his victims, federal prosecutors said. The sentencing recommendation for Bloom, the former chief executive officer of Northbrook, Illinois-based Sentinel Management Group Inc, was disclosed late Monday. A week earlier, Bloom's lawyers had said a maximum three-year prison term plus "significant" community service was appropriate. ... |
| U.S. couple stuck in Qatar in child death case can soon leave: ambassador Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:37 AM PST  (Reuters) - A U.S. couple will be allowed to leave Qatar on Wednesday after their convictions in the death of their African-born adopted daughter were thrown out, the U.S. ambassador to Qatar said on Tuesday on Twitter. The Qatar government is lifting a travel ban to allow Matthew and Grace Huang to leave the Gulf Arab state, U.S. Ambassador Dana Shell Smith said on Twitter. A Qatari appeals court overturned the couple's convictions on Sunday over the death of their 8-year-old daughter after finding a lower court made errors in the case. ...
|
| Carter seen as Obama's pick for U.S. defense secretary: sources Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:19 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Pentagon official Ashton Carter emerged on Tuesday as the expected nominee to replace Chuck Hagel as U.S. defense secretary, sources familiar with the situation said. One source said Carter, a former deputy secretary at the Department of Defense, was "almost certain" to get the nomination to replace Chuck Hagel, who resigned under pressure last week. Other sources said his nomination was likely. The White House had no comment. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Steve Holland; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
|
| Blatter: FIFA not responsible for workers in Qatar Posted: 02 Dec 2014 08:47 AM PST  COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The welfare of migrant workers involved in building facilities for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is the responsibility of the companies who hired them, not FIFA, Sepp Blatter said Tuesday.
|
| Congressional aide resigns after slamming Obama daughters Posted: 02 Dec 2014 08:15 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An aide to a Republican congressman has resigned after her online criticism of President Barack Obama's teenage daughters drew a critical spotlight to herself. Elizabeth Lauten, who was communications director for U.S. Representative Stephen Fincher, had apologized for her "hurtful words" in her Facebook post about the Obama girls, Malia, 16, and Sasha, 13. A staffer in Fincher's office confirmed on Tuesday that Lauten no longer worked there. ...
|
| Ashton Carter: Obama's next Defense Secretary? Posted: 02 Dec 2014 07:44 AM PST  Carter's name is reportedly at the top of the president's short list to run the Pentagon.
|
| House Speaker Boehner seeks to fund U.S. government through September 30: aide Posted: 02 Dec 2014 07:12 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner will seek to fund most of the U.S. government through Sept. 30, 2015, a senior Republican aide said on Tuesday. During a closed meeting of House Republicans, Boehner proposed short-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security to reconsider President Barack Obama's immigration move early next year, the House aide said. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Susan Heavey)
|
| Obama expected to nominate Ashton Carter to lead Pentagon: CNN Posted: 02 Dec 2014 06:39 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to nominate former Pentagon official Ashton Carter as U.S. defense secretary, CNN reported on Tuesday. Carter, who has previously served as deputy secretary at the Department of Defense, had been considered a leading candidate for the job to replace Chuck Hagel, who is resigning. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
|
| Russia may face even more sanctions Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:48 AM PST  By Lesley Wroughton BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will talk to European allies this week about imposing further sanctions on Russia if pro-Moscow separatists in Ukraine do not halt violence, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday. The United States and the 28-nation European Union have both imposed sanctions on Russia's financial, defense and energy sectors over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine. "There are continuing conversations with the EU about continuing to expand sanctions," said a senior U.S. ...
|
| Obama vows to address 'simmering distrust' between police, minorities Posted: 02 Dec 2014 04:59 AM PST  By Steve Holland and Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama made a forceful pledge on Monday to use his last two years in office to address the "simmering distrust" between police and minority communities as he requested $263 million for the federal response to the civil rights upheaval triggered in Ferguson, Missouri. Obama said he would set up a task force to study how to improve community policing with an eye toward building trust between law enforcement and communities of color. ...
|
| U.S. lobbies Qatar over couple in child death case Posted: 02 Dec 2014 03:52 AM PST  By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. officials have been in contact with Qatar's government to ask them to allow a Los Angeles couple to return home after an appeals court threw out convictions linked to the death of their African-born adopted daughter, a State Department spokeswoman said on Monday. A Qatari appeals court overturned the convictions of Matthew and Grace Huang on Sunday over the death of their 8-year-old daughter, Gloria, after finding that a lower court had made errors in the case. But the U.S. ...
|
| Meet the woman spearheading the federal probe of Ferguson Posted: 02 Dec 2014 03:35 AM PST  Vanita Gupta is set to play a major role in how the ongoing investigation proceeds.
|
| Obama to urge Congress to loosen purse strings for Ebola fight Posted: 02 Dec 2014 02:29 AM PST  By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday will press Congress to approve $6.18 billion in emergency funding to help fight the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and prepare U.S. hospitals to handle future cases. Most of the request is aimed at the immediate response to the disease at home and abroad. But the package also includes $1.5 billion in contingency funds - money that could become a target if lawmakers decide to trim the bill. "That is the part of the package that is most at risk," said Sam Worthington, president of InterAction, an alliance of U.S. ...
|
| Officials: Wife of IS leader detained in Lebanon Posted: 02 Dec 2014 02:12 AM PST  A wife and son of the group's leader were detained as they crossed from Syria, officials say.
|
| Hong Kong protest founders to 'surrender,' urge students to retreat Posted: 02 Dec 2014 01:25 AM PST  The three original founders of Hong Kong's pro-democracy Occupy movement tearfully announced on Tuesday they would "surrender" by turning themselves in to police and urged protesters still on the streets to retreat. The announcement came after hundreds of pro-democracy protesters clashed with police late Sunday, leaving dozens injured in one of the worst nights of violence since rallies began over two months ago. "As we prepare to surrender, we three urge the students to retreat –- to put down deep roots in the community and transform the movement," said Occupy Central leader Benny Tai. To surrender is not to fail, it is a silent denunciation of a heartless government," Tai said.
|
| Cosby resigns from Temple University trustees board Posted: 02 Dec 2014 12:19 AM PST  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bill Cosby, the popular face of Temple University in advertisements, fundraising campaigns and commencement speeches, has resigned from the board of trustees following renewed accusations that he drugged and sexually assaulted more than a dozen women over many years.
|
| Kenya: Suspected Islamist rebels kill 36 workers Posted: 01 Dec 2014 11:28 PM PST  NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — At least 36 quarry workers were killed early Tuesday in northern Kenya by suspected Islamic extremists from Somalia, say Kenyan police.
|
| Rams, police at odds over apology for Ferguson protest Posted: 01 Dec 2014 11:11 PM PST  Police say the Rams apologized for a "hands up" gesture by players, but the team denies it.
|
| Chicago set to raise minimum wage to $13 Posted: 01 Dec 2014 07:23 PM PST  Chicago is set to become the latest U.S. city to raise its minimum wage, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel fast-tracks a politically popular plan to reach $13 per hour amid his bid for a second term and criticism ...
|
| FBI warns of 'destructive' malware in wake of Sony attack Posted: 01 Dec 2014 06:35 PM PST  The Federal Bureau of Investigation warns that hackers have used malicious software to launch a destructive cyberattack in the U.S.
|
| Holder to announce plan to target racial profiling Posted: 01 Dec 2014 06:18 PM PST  ATLANTA (AP) — Speaking at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta — the church where The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was to announce on Monday new Justice Department plans aimed at ending racial profiling and ensuring fair and effective policing.
|
