Reuters US Domestic News Summary
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
Muslim family sues New York school, alleging forced 'terrorist' confession
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. Nashwan Uppal, a seventh grader at a middle school in East Islip, New York, was harassed by bullies who called him a terrorist and demanded to know what he planned to "blow up next," according to the lawsuit.
Appeals court ruling maintains Michigan straight-party vote option
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. A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled unanimously to uphold an injunction issued by a federal judge in July that temporarily suspended Michigan's law that abolished straight-ticket voting.
Lawmakers review FBI documents on Clinton
FBI documents about the agency's investigation into Democratic presidential candidate 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. There, in large binders labeled "secret," lawmakers and select staff from some congressional committees could page through the material, parts of which are redacted, 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.
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.
Ex-Rentboy.com CEO near plea deal in prostitution case
The former chief executive of male escort website Rentboy.com is finalizing a plea agreement after his indictment for promoting prostitution, his lawyers said on Wednesday, in a case that has outraged gay and civil rights activists. In a letter filed in federal court in Brooklyn, lawyers for Jeffrey Hurant, 51, said they were finishing up details of the agreement, and asked that a plea hearing be scheduled for the week of Aug. 29.
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.
Southern California wildfire rages unchecked after evacuations
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. The Bluecut Fire, which erupted on Tuesday morning and has grown to cover some 18,000 acres (7,300 hectares) of heavy brush in an area called the Cajon Pass, was zero percent contained as of Tuesday night, fire officials said.
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