Two U.S. swimmers land in Miami after Olympic Committee apology

Oregon wildlife refuge standoff participant sentenced to prison: report
(Reuters) – The first of 26 people on trial for their roles in a weeks-long takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge in January has been sentenced to 2-1/2 years in federal prison, the Oregonian newspaper reported.

Texas death sentence for accessory challenged by defense lawyer
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – Texas is planning to execute a man next week for a murder he did not commit.

Ex-Boston mob boss ‘Whitey’ Bulger appeals to U.S. Supreme Court
(Reuters) – Former Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review his 2013 conviction for committing or ordering the murders of 11 people while he ruled the city’s underworld in the 1970s and 80s.

Muslim family sues New York school, alleging forced ‘terrorist’ confession
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A 12-year-old Muslim student with learning disabilities was forced by New York school officials to sign a false confession stating he was a “terrorist,” his family claimed in a $50 million federal lawsuit.

Appeals court ruling maintains Michigan straight-party vote option
(Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday rejected Michigan’s bid to reinstate its ban on straight-party voting, a ruling that means voters in the state will be able to use one mark to select all candidates from one party in the Nov. 8 general election.

Larry Flynt does not deserve Lucky Lady: lawsuit
(Reuters) – A new lawsuit seeks to force Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt to rename his new Lucky Lady casino near Los Angeles because it infringes trademarks belonging to Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.

Hundreds rescued from ferry fire near San Juan, Puerto Rico
(Reuters) – The U.S. Coast Guard rescued hundreds of people aboard a passenger ferry that caught fire off Puerto Rico on Wednesday, officials said.

U.S. charges Gabonese man for bribe scheme involving hedge fund
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A Gabonese man who consulted for a joint venture involving a U.S. hedge fund was arrested on Tuesday on charges that he participated in a scheme to bribe officials in Africa to obtain mining rights.

Southern California wildfire rages unchecked after evacuations
(Reuters) – Hundreds of firefighters were battling a rapidly-spreading wildfire raging unchecked in drought-stricken Southern California on Wednesday after flames forced more than 80,000 residents to flee.

University of California, Berkeley, chancellor says he will resign
BERKELEY, Calif. (Reuters) – The chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley said on Tuesday he is resigning, telling faculty and students it was time for someone else to tackle the financial shortfall that has beset the highly-ranked research university.

Southern California orders 82,000 people to evacuate over wildfire
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Authorities in southern California ordered the evacuation of 82,000 people on Tuesday, after a wildfire broke out in a mountain pass and rapidly engulfed 9,000 acres (3,642 hectares), an official said.

Bill affirming voting rights for some felons passes California Senate
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) – Felons incarcerated in California’s county jails had their right to vote in state elections affirmed under a bill approved on Tuesday by the state Senate as part of a series of criminal justice reforms in the most-populous U.S. state.

Bar rises for Milwaukee police review after latest shooting
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Milwaukee, shaken by two nights of violence after a shooting by police, is one of a few U.S. cities to have volunteered for federal government review of its police force and may now be held to higher standards for how it responds.

U.S. senators quiz airlines on IT systems after Delta disruption
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two U.S. senators on Tuesday sent letters to 13 major airlines expressing concerns that their information technology systems are vulnerable to outages that can strand thousands of passengers similar to recent flight cancellations.

Columbia University faces $100 million lawsuit over retirement plan
(Reuters) – Columbia University was accused on Tuesday of mismanaging its retirement plan in a federal civil lawsuit that alleges $100 million in damages.

U.S. news pundit John McLaughlin dies at 89
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. television news executive and commentator John McLaughlin, a former Jesuit priest who hosted the public affairs broadcast “The McLaughlin Group” for 34 years, died on Tuesday, the show said.

Supreme Court stance on North Carolina law to send signal on voting limits
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court’s handling of North Carolina’s long-shot bid to reinstate its contentious voter identification law will set the tone for the court’s treatment of similar cases that could reach the justices before the Nov. 8 elections.

Friend to name ex-NFL star Hernandez as gunman in double murder: prosecutor
(Reuters) – A former friend of convicted murderer and ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez will identify him as the man who fatally shot two Cape Verdean nationals after a dispute at a Boston nightclub in July 2012, Massachusetts prosecutors said on Tuesday.

U.S. government offers states help to fight voter fraud
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The government is offering to help states protect the Nov. 8 U.S. election from hacking or other tampering, in the face of allegations by Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump that the system is open to fraud.

Canada officials may charge U.S. hunter who speared bear to death
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – Alberta may file charges against a U.S. hunter who posted a video of himself killing a black bear with a spear, wildlife officials said on Tuesday, as the Canadian province moved to ban spear hunting.

Eight dead in ‘unprecedented’ Louisiana floods: governor
(Reuters) – Eight people have died and 40,000 homes have been affected in the “historic flooding event” that has deluged Louisiana in recent days, Governor John Bel Edwards said at a press conference on Tuesday.

U.S. prison recordings of attorney-client meetings spur legal fight
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Reuters) – Federal agents investigating a massive drug smuggling ring inside a U.S. prison in Kansas in April subpoenaed Corrections Corp of America, a private company that manages the facility, seeking all prison video footage for nearly two years.

Navajo Nation sues EPA over metal sludge from Colorado mine spill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Navajo Nation sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday, one year after 3 million gallons of toxic wastewater spilled into three states from an abandoned Colorado gold mine.

FBI to give Congress report on lack of charges over Clinton’s email use: CNN
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The FBI on Tuesday will deliver a report to U.S. lawmakers explaining why the law enforcement agency did not recommend charges over Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email server, CNN reported, citing U.S. officials briefed on the matter.

U.S. prosecutors dealt setback in medical marijuana cases
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice cannot spend money to prosecute federal marijuana cases if the defendants comply with state guidelines that permit the drug’s sale for medical purposes, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.

Exclusive: U.S. seeks Latin American help amid rise in Asian, African migrants
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Washington is seeking closer coordination with several Latin American countries to tackle a jump in migrants from Asia, Africa and the Middle East who it believes are trying to reach the United States from the south on an arduous route by plane, boat and through jungle on foot.

Office of convicted Pennsylvania AG to outline future plans
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Reuters) – The office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane will hold a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, the day after she was convicted of perjury and other charges, to discuss the agency’s future.

Calls for calm, curfew bring quieter night after Milwaukee riots
MILWAUKEE (Reuters) – Milwaukee’s curfew on teenagers and community leaders’ calls for restraint brought relative calm to the city overnight after two nights of riots sparked by the fatal shooting of a black man by a black police officer.

Man arrested for arson related to destructive California fire
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. (Reuters) – A man was arrested on Monday on suspicion of arson, officials said, over a wildfire in Northern California that has destroyed more than 175 homes and businesses and forced hundreds of residents to flee.

Colorado to vote on assisted suicide in November
DENVER (Reuters) – Colorado voters will decide in November whether to legalize physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients under a ballot question approved on Monday, a proposal opposed by some religious and disability-rights organizations.

Trial of ‘Hollywood Arsonist’ begins in Los Angeles
(Reuters) – Lawyers made opening speeches on Monday in the Los Angeles trial of a German national dubbed the “Hollywood Arsonist” and charged with setting more than 40 fires across the city more than three years ago.

Aetna cuts Obamacare exchange plans to only four states for 2017
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Aetna Inc on Monday said that due to financial losses on Obamacare plans, it only will sell individual insurance on exchanges in four states next year.

Man wanted in killing of Georgia police officer captured in Florida
ATLANTA (Reuters) – The suspect sought in the killing of a Georgia police officer was found hiding in the trunk of a car in Florida early on Monday after a 28-hour manhunt, police said.

North Carolina asks U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate voter ID law
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – North Carolina on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow a state law requiring voters to show identification to remain in effect for the Nov. 8 U.S. election despite an appeals court decision that the measure discriminates against minority voters.

Case dismissed against three Ohio men who spent 18 years in prison
(Reuters) – An Ohio judge on Monday dismissed murder charges against three men who faced retrial in a 1995 killing after serving 18 years in prison, winning an appeal and being released in 2015.

After decades of segregation, anger boils over in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE (Reuters) – For Randy Jones, a community activist in the Milwaukee district of Sherman Park, the rioting that took place in his neighborhood over the weekend was inevitable.

Pennsylvania attorney general’s obstruction trial goes to jury
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (Reuters) – A lawyer for Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane on Monday accused the two main prosecution witnesses in her week long obstruction and perjury trial of telling self-serving lies to protect themselves.

Texas judge tosses GM ignition-switch lawsuit
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A Texas judge has thrown out a lawsuit against General Motors from a woman who blamed a 2012 car crash on a faulty ignition switch that later prompted the company to recall 2.6 million vehicles.

Volkswagen, U.S. Justice Dept discuss settling criminal probe: sources
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Volkswagen AG and the U.S. Justice Department have held preliminary settlement talks about resolving a criminal probe into the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal, two sources briefed on the matter said.

Family rescues Idaho girl from jaws of mountain lion
SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – Idaho wildlife managers on Monday praised family members who charged a mountain lion and rescued a young girl from the jaws of the animal which was attempting to drag her off for the kill.

Illinois families fight transgender access to school locker room
CHICAGO (Reuters) – A lawyer for dozens of families from a suburban Chicago high school district argued in court on Monday that students’ privacy was being violated at a school that allowed a transgender girl access to the girls’ locker room under an agreement with the federal government.

Fire breaks out at Phillips 66 Westlake, Louisiana refinery: local media
(Reuters) – A fire broke out at about 12 p.m. CDT (1700 GMT) on Monday at Phillips 66’s 260,000 barrels per day refinery in Westlake, Louisiana, KPLC-TV reported on its website.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s heirs settle Nobel medal dispute: judge
(Reuters) – A legal fight between Martin Luther King Jr.’s heirs over who owns the slain civil rights leader’s 1964 Nobel Peace Prize medal has been settled, but the terms were not immediately known, a judge said in an Atlanta court on Monday.

U.S. lawsuit says United denied benefits to pilot on active duty
(Reuters) – United Airlines Inc was accused in a U.S. government lawsuit on Monday of wrongly denying employment benefits to a pilot who was called to active duty by the U.S. Air Force, where he was a reservist.

Flooding disaster that killed seven in Louisiana now menaces Texas
LIVINGSTON, La. (Reuters) – Overwhelmed rivers in much of southern Louisiana receded slowly from record levels on Monday while crews in boats searched for more people stranded in inundated homes after three days of torrential rains that killed seven people.

Hedge fund Kerrisdale’s Adrangi arrested for DUI: police
BOSTON (Reuters) – Hedge fund manager Sahm Adrangi, who has a large following on Wall Street after making a number of public bets against telecom companies, was arrested for impaired driving after crashing his car in the Hamptons during the weekend, police said on Monday.

Texas woman arrested in murder of two children found under home
(Reuters) – A 30-year-old Texas woman was in custody on murder charges after the bodies of her two young children were found hidden under a neighbor’s home, police said on Monday.

Wildfire rages into California town, burning homes, businesses
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A rampaging wildfire that descended on a small Northern California town over the weekend destroyed more than 100 homes and businesses, authorities said on Monday, as crews fought to save more dwellings from the flames.

In Dallas, police serve as ‘glorified social workers’ to solve city’s ills
DALLAS, August 15 (Reuters) – Antoinette Brown begged, in her final words, “somebody help me.” Then she was mauled to death by a pack of wild dogs.

No confirmation of shots, no injuries at JFK: authorities, media
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York police were investigating reports of gunshots fired inside a terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday evening but there was no confirmation shots were fired and no reports of injuries, local media and authorities said.

Washington Monument closes after elevator breaks down again
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Washington Monument closed on Sunday when the elevator in the marble obelisk failed for the second time this weekend, the latest in a string of problems for the system, a spokesman said.

Bangladesh officials to meet Fed, U.S. investigators over heist: sources
(Reuters) – A team from Bangladesh will meet officials of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice this week in New York in connection with the cyber theft of $81 million from the South Asian country’s central bank in February, sources said.

Three dead, thousands rescued from deadly Louisiana flood waters
BATON ROUGE, La. (Reuters) – Emergency crews have rescued more than 7,000 people stranded in Louisiana by historic flooding that has killed at least three people and submerged whole communities, Governor John Bel Edwards said on Sunday, as the U.S. Gulf Coast braced for more rain and rising waters.