Reuters US Domestic News Summary

08/18/2016 8:59

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

FBI documents viewed in secure areas of the U.S. Capitol

FBI documents about the agency's investigation into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state were being reviewed on Wednesday in secure rooms of the U.S. Capitol. Lawmakers and select staff from some congressional committees could page through the material, parts of which are redacted, in large binders labeled "secret" that the Federal Bureau of Investigation turned over to Congress on Tuesday.

Texas death sentence for accessory challenged by defense lawyer

Texas is planning to execute a man next week for a murder he did not commit. If the sentence were to be carried out, it would mark the first time in the United States that an accessory with so little culpability to a murder was put to death, his lawyer said.

Portion of major highway reopens as California wildfire rages

A portion of a major highway connecting Los Angeles and Las Vegas has been reopened, as a wildfire that forced the evacuation of some 80,000 Southern California residents continued to rage virtually unchecked. The so-called Blue Cut Fire erupted on Tuesday in the mountainous Cajon Pass northeast of Los Angeles and, by late Wednesday night, had exploded to cover 25,626 acres (10,370 hectares), fire officials said.

New York state man charged with plotting school attack

A New York state teen who allegedly plotted an attack on a school and put bomb-making materials on a list of items was arrested by sheriff's deputies on Wednesday, authorities said. The suspect, Kyle Gorden, 19, of Fairport, a Rochester suburb, had told people that "he was going to attack a school at a future date," the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

Ex-Boston mob boss 'Whitey' Bulger appeals to U.S. Supreme Court

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. Bulger's attorneys deployed a novel strategy at his racketeering trial, admitting on the first day that their client, now 86, had been an "organized criminal" and focusing most of their energy on denying he had ever served as a law enforcement informant, or "rat" in mob parlance.

Eight people dead in 'historic' Louisiana floods: governor

Eight people have died and 40,000 homes have been affected to varying degree in the "historic flooding event" that has deluged Louisiana in recent days, Governor John Bel Edwards said at a press conference on Tuesday. "It's unprecedented," he told reporters in Baton Rouge. "We understand that there are a lot of people who are suffering."

Utah heir location firm, co-owner indicted on U.S. antitrust charges

A Utah company which locates heirs to estates was indicted on Wednesday over allegations that it conspired with a second heir-location firm to divide up the market, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Kemp & Associates Inc and co-owner Daniel Mannix were charged with one felony count for dividing up customers for their business, which is to find heirs of people who died but did not have a will, the department said. The companies earn a contingency fee for this service.

Oregon wildlife refuge standoff participant sentenced to prison: report

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. Corey Lequieu was sentenced on Tuesday in federal court in Oregon for conspiracy in connection with the armed takeover of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, the newspaper reported.

Donations pour in for Baltimore 'Mom of Year' after house fire

A Maryland woman who won widespread praise for publicly scolding her teenage son during last year's riots in Baltimore was made homeless by a house fire, but a flood of donations had poured in to help her by Wednesday. Video of Toya Graham's reprimand of her 16-year-old son Michael for joining the riots went viral online after it was captured by a local news station.

Teen shot by Chicago police suffered gunshot wound to his back

A teenager who was shot and killed by Chicago police officers last month suffered a single gunshot wound to his back, according to an autopsy by the Cook County medical examiner's office made public on Wednesday. Toxicology reports also found 18-year-old Paul O'Neal did not have drugs in his system. His death has been ruled a homicide, the autopsy report said.

08/18/2016 8:59