Columbiana

U.S. judge asked to expand order blocking Iraqis' deportation

The advocacy group filed an amended complaint seeking to keep Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting Iraqis from anywhere in the United States while a federal judge weighs the case of the Iraqis in Michigan. U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith on Thursday ordered a stay in the Michigan Iraqis' deportation for at least two weeks while he decides whether he has jurisdiction.

Texas mother charged in deaths of toddlers left in hot car

Cynthia Randolph, 24, was being held on Saturday on $200,000 bail for the deaths of her 16-month-old son and 2-year-old daughter last month, Danie Huffman, a spokeswoman for the Parker County Sheriff's Office, said in an email. Randolph had originally told investigators that she had been folding laundry and watching television in her rural home west of Fort Worth while the boy, Cavanaugh Ramirez, and his sister Juliet Ramirez played in a back porch, according to a criminal complaint. After noticing the children were missing, Randolph told officers she found them unresponsive in a locked car and broke a window to rescue them.

Trump reaches out to lawmakers on healthcare as another says 'no'

By Jeff Mason and Yasmeen Abutaleb WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump made calls to fellow Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Friday to mobilize support for their party's healthcare overhaul while acknowledging the legislation is on a "very, very narrow path" to passage. Five Republican senators have announced they will not support the bill, which is designed to repeal and replace Obamacare, in its current form. White House officials said on Friday that Trump has been in touch with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and made calls on Thursday and Friday to other lawmakers.

Former Vanderbilt football player found guilty of rape

A Tennessee jury on Friday found a former Vanderbilt University football player guilty of raping an unconscious female student in a teammate's dormitory room in 2013. The Nashville jury found Brandon Banks, 23, guilty of aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery after deliberating for about 15 hours over two days. Banks faces at least 15 years in prison, Assistant District Attorney Roger Moore told media.

Gunman in California UPS shooting targeted co-workers for slayings

Investigators have yet to examine the contents of computers, cell phones and a journal seized from the gunman's home in their search for clues to the June 14 attack, San Francisco Police Commander Greg McEachern said at a news conference. McEachern also revealed the murder weapon was a MasterPiece Arms "assault-type pistol" that he said was "commonly known as a MAC-10," equipped with an extended 30-round magazine.

North Korea says U.S. student's death a 'mystery to us as well'

By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Friday the death of U.S. university student Otto Warmbier soon after his return home was a mystery and dismissed accusations that Warmbier had died because of torture and beating during his captivity as "groundless". North Korea's foreign ministry spokesman said Warmbier was "a victim of the policy of strategic patience" of former U.S. President Barack Obama whose government never requested his release, according to comments carried by the official KCNA agency. "The fact that Warmbier died suddenly in less than a week just after his return to the U.S. ... is a mystery to us as well," KCNA quoted the spokesman as saying.

Trump reaches out to lawmakers on healthcare as another says 'no'

By Jeff Mason and Yasmeen Abutaleb WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump made calls to fellow Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Friday to mobilize support for their party's healthcare overhaul while acknowledging the legislation is on a "very, very narrow path" to passage. Five Republican senators have announced they will not support the bill, which is designed to repeal and replace Obamacare, in its current form. White House officials said on Friday that Trump has been in touch with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and made calls on Thursday and Friday to other lawmakers.

At women-only salon in Brooklyn, Muslim-Americans prepare for Eid

Nevien Shehadeh, 19, was one of many Muslim women who chose Le'Jemalik Salon and Boutique in New York's borough of Brooklyn on Friday to prepare for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The beauty salon, designed by owner Huda Quhshi to cater mostly to Muslim women, opened in January in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn.

U.S. government narrows focus of counter-extremism program

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday announced changes to a $10 million government grant program, narrowing its focus around efforts to combat Islamist extremism. In an update to awards announced in January by former President Barack Obama's administration, the department released a new list of grant recipients and amounts, shifting money to law enforcement offices and away from groups that combat U.S.-based extremism. Reuters reported in February that President Donald Trump's administration wanted to revamp the program to focus solely on Islamist extremism.

Pentagon weighs possible delay in new transgender recruits

The Pentagon said on Friday it was reviewing recommendations from the U.S. military chiefs that included calls for more time to implement plans to allow new transgender recruits to join the U.S. armed forces. Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said no decision on the matter had been made yet. The Pentagon ended its ban on openly transgender people serving in the U.S. military in 2016 under the Obama administration.

Illinois governor signs bill targeting repeat gun offenders

Repeat gun offenders in Illinois will face longer prison sentences under a bill Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law on Friday that aims to curb gun violence in Chicago, which has long struggled with street shootings and violent crime. Rauner, a Republican, signed the bill in Springfield alongside Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who has championed the legislation.

Iraqi forces battle toward heart of Mosul's Old City

MOSUL/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces battled their way along two streets that meet in the heart of Mosul's Old City on Friday, and said they aimed to open routes for civilians to flee Islamic State's last stand there. U.S.-trained urban warfare units are leading the fight in the maze of narrow alleyways of the Old City, the last district in the hands of the Sunni Islamist insurgents. Military analysts say government troops' advance will gather pace after Islamic State fighters blew up the 850-year-old al-Nuri mosque and its famous leaning minaret on Wednesday.

Convicted felon Jack Abramoff registers to return to lobbying

Jack Abramoff, a high-profile American lobbyist who served four years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to bribing U.S. government officials, has officially returned to lobbying, according to documents he filed with the Justice Department. Abramoff's filing, saying that in December he worked to set up a meeting between Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso and then-President-elect Donald Trump, was the first to show that he has resumed work as a lobbyist.

Trump administration sides with Texas on sanctuary city law court fight

The Trump administration filed court papers on Friday to support a Texas state law that would punish so-called "sanctuary cities" and is seeking to argue in court hearings next week in favor of the legislation it says will help keep America safe. On Monday, a Texas border town and some of the state's biggest cities will ask a U.S. federal judge to halt the state law known as Senate Bill 4, arguing it is unconstitutional, violates human rights and illegally diverts police resources from fighting local crime to enforcing U.S. immigration law.

Second mistrial declared in killing of black man by ex-Cincinnati cop

For the second time, a mistrial was declared in the murder trial of a white former University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop. Officer Ray Tensing shot once, hitting 43-year-old Samuel DuBose in the head after stopping him for a missing front license plate on his car in July 2015, a body camera worn by Tensing showed. A mistrial was declared last November after jurors could not agree on a verdict.

Rep. Scalise, wounded in Virginia shooting, is out of ICU

Steve Scalise, the Louisiana lawmaker shot last week at a U.S. congressional baseball team practice, is no longer in the intensive care unit of the hospital where he is being treated and remains in fair condition, the hospital said on Friday. Scalise was shot in the hip on June 14 when a lone gunman opened fire on Republican lawmakers practicing for an annual charity game against the Democrats. "Congressman Steve Scalise’s continued good progress allowed him to be transferred out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Thursday," said MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

Supreme Court limits rights of property owners

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday narrowed the rights of property owners in disputes with governments and laid out a formula for determining when landowners are owed compensation in a case involving a vacant lot in Wisconsin on the picturesque St. Croix River. The court decided that government officials can combine separate parcels of private land in determining whether public officials have effectively taken private property through zoning laws and must pay compensation.

What does Italy's Berlusconi like about Trump? His wife

Four-time former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who portrays himself as a charming ladies' man, said on Friday that what he likes most about U.S. President Donald Trump is his wife, Melania. Berlusconi, 80, has returned to the political spotlight this week as he campaigns for his Forza Italia party ahead of municipal election run-offs on Sunday, which he hopes will revive his political fortunes. Appearing on a mid-day talk show on private broadcaster La7, Berlusconi was asked whether he was flattered to be compared to Trump, who also started out as a real estate mogul and became a controversial political leader.

U.S. prosecutors seek 35 years in prison for meningitis outbreak exec

Prosecutors have asked a federal judge to sentence a Massachusetts pharmacy executive to at least 35 years in prison after he was convicted of racketeering and fraud charges for his role in a deadly 2012 U.S. meningitis outbreak. Barry Cadden, the co-founder of the now-defunct New England Compounding Center, was convicted of those charges by a jury in March but cleared of the harshest charge he faced, second-degree murder charges. A murder conviction would have meant a life sentence, and prosecutors in a court filing late on Thursday said Cadden, 50, said that punishment was still warranted.

Senate Republicans unveil Obamacare replacement bill, but fate uncertain

U.S. Senate Republicans on Thursday unveiled legislation that would replace Obamacare with a plan that scales back aid to the poor and kills a tax on the wealthy, but the bill's fate was quickly thrown into question as several senators voiced skepticism. Four conservative lawmakers said they could not support it in its current form, leaving Republicans short of the votes they need for passage. The 142-page proposal, worked out in secret by a group led Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, aims to deliver on a central campaign promise of President Donald Trump by rolling back former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, which has provided coverage to millions of Americans since it was passed in 2010.

Judge accepts sweeping reforms of Arizona death penalty protocols

The changes were part of a settlement reached in a 2014 lawsuit brought by seven death row inmates who argued Arizona's lethal injection practices were experimental, secretive and caused inmates prolonged suffering. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Neil Wake in Phoenix signed an order that in effect authorized a deal reached between the state and the lawyers for death row inmates, according to Dale Baich, a lawyer for the death row litigants.

Judge says San Francisco can subpoena Uber for driver information

By Heather Somerville SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A California state judge said on Thursday that San Francisco can demand from Uber records containing the ride-hailing company's driver contact information, the city attorney said. San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera last month sought a court order compelling Uber Technologies Inc to comply with the city's demands for information about the company's drivers. The city Treasurer and Tax Collector's Office wants the names, addresses and driver's license numbers of Uber's drivers.

Appeals court overturns conviction of 'Making a Murderer' inmate

A three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled 2-1 to uphold a federal judge's ruling last year that overturned Dassey's conviction for a 2005 murder. Magistrate Judge William Duffin had ruled in August that the conviction was based on a coerced confession that Dassey, now 27, gave as a 16-year-old with a learning disability. Duffin ordered Dassey freed in November, but his release was halted while Wisconsin authorities appealed the decision.

Son of New York pizzeria owner gets 20 years in drug case

The son of a New York pizzeria owner was sentenced on Thursday to 20 years in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy linked to organized crime. Angelo Gigliotti, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie in Brooklyn federal court, U.S. prosecutors said. Federal prosecutors accused the Gigliottis of using their family-run restaurant, Cucino Amodo Mio in the New York City borough of Queens and a produce importation company to provide cover for drug trafficking for 'Ndrangheta, a powerful criminal organization in Italy.

Suspect in Michigan airport stabbing attempted to buy gun before attack

The man charged with stabbing an airport police officer in Michigan unsuccessfully attempted to purchase a gun before the attack, which is being investigated as an act of terrorism, federal officials said on Thursday. The suspect, Amor Ftouhi, 49, of Quebec, Canada, has been charged in federal court with violence at an international airport for stabbing Jeff Neville, an officer at the Bishop International Airport in Flint, in the neck on Wednesday.

Servicing issues may hamper U.S. student-loan forgiveness for thousands

Nurses, teachers and other public-sector workers expecting their outstanding student loans to soon disappear under a U.S. debt-forgiveness program could be in for a surprise, with a government report on Thursday showing loan servicers may have mishandled the process for many borrowers. President Donald Trump has called for eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, where the loans of borrowers working for government, non-profits or the military are wiped out after 10 years of consistent payments.