REUTERS AMERICA NEWS PLAN FOR THURSDAY SEPT 1

09/01/2016 14:12

REUTERS AMERICA AFTERNOON NEWS PLAN FOR THURSDAY SEPT 1

LATEST AND PLANNED U.S. NEWS COVERAGE (ALL TIMES ET)

Top stories as of 2:15 p.m. on Thursday.

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TOP STORIES

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket explodes during test firing in Florida

CAPE CANAVERAL - An explosion destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket belonging to Elon Musk's SpaceX during routine test firing at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Thursday, shaking buildings miles away and sending a thick plume of black smoke pouring into the air. (SPACE X-BLAST/ (UPDATE 4, PIX, TV, GRAPHICS), moved at 1:45 p.m., by Irene Klotz, 610 words)

Florida braces for first hurricane in a decade

TAMPA - Florida prepared for what could be the first hurricane to strike the state in more than a decade as Tropical Storm Hermine picked up strength on Thursday, blasting its way toward the state's northern Gulf Coast. (STORM-ATLANTIC/ (UPDATE 4, PIX, TV, GRAPHICS), moved at 1:19 p.m., by Letitia Stein, 494 words)

Some high-profile Hispanic Trump backers pull support after immigration speech

CINCINNATI - Some high-profile Hispanic backers of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pulled their support after he stood by his hardline immigration stance and said anyone in the United States illegally would be subject to deportation if he were president. (USA-ELECTION/, moved at 11:46 a.m., by Emily Stephenson, 394 words) See also: Mexico calls Trump wall plan "outrageous" after visit (USA-ELECTION/ (PIX, TV, GRAPHIC), moved at 11:32 a.m., by Emily Stephenson, 369 words)

WASHINGTON

U.S. set to approve sales of Boeing fighters to Qatar, Kuwait, sources say

DOHA/BERLIN - The United States is poised to sell $7 billion worth of Boeing Co fighter jets to Qatar and Kuwait after years of delays, and it may start notifying U.S. lawmakers as early as next week, four U.S.- and Gulf-based sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. (QATAR-USA/JETS (EXCLUSIVE), moved at 12:13 p.m., by Tom Finn and Andrea Shalal, 498 words)

Obama to visit Midway Atoll, a symbol for his climate, Asia legacy

HONOLULU - President Barack Obama is set to visit Midway Atoll, the remote coral reef that serves as a reminder of both modern global climate challenges and the dominance the United States has held in the Pacific since its World War Two victory there. (USA-OBAMA/MIDWAY (UPDATE 1, PIX, GRAPHIC), moved at 1:27 p.m., by Roberta Rampton, 678 words)

U.S. blacklists dozens over Ukraine conflict

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW - The United States added dozens of people and companies, including separatists and Russian firms operating in Crimea, on Thursday to its sanctions blacklist over their actions in Ukraine, the region annexed by Russia in 2014. (UKRAINE-CRISIS/RUSSIA-USA-SANCTIONS (UPDATE 1), moved at 12:45 p.m., 205 words)

Washington's Georgetown U. to make amends for slavery history

WASHINGTON - Georgetown University will take steps to atone for its historical links to slavery, including granting admissions preference for descendants of slaves whose sale benefited the U.S. school, officials said on Thursday. (DISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA-GEORGETOWN/SLAVES, moved at 10:09 a.m., 187 words)

Romanian hacker 'Guccifer' sentenced to 52 months in U.S. prison

WASHINGTON - A Romanian hacker nicknamed "Guccifer" who helped expose the existence of a private email domain Hillary Clinton used when she was U.S. secretary of state was sentenced on Thursday to 52 months in prison by a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. (USA-CYBER/GUCCIFER (UPDATE 2, TV), moved at 12:38 p.m., by Dustin Volz, 303 words)

OTHER U.S. NEWS

Maine lawmakers to meet on embattled governor's future

BOSTON - Maine legislative leaders are set to meet on Thursday to discuss whether to push for the resignation of Governor Paul LePage, a week after he left an obscenity-laden voicemail for a lawmaker who had criticized him for making racially charged comments. (MAINE-LEPAGE/, moved at 11:45 a.m., 298 words)

White nationalists use Twitter with 'relative impunity' - report

WASHINGTON - White nationalists and self-identified Nazi sympathizers located mostly in the United States use Twitter with "relative impunity" and often have far more followers than militant Islamists, a study being released on Thursday found. (CYBER-WHITENATIONALISTS/TWITTER (UPDATE 1), moved at 12:47 p.m., by Dustin Volz, 498 words)

Eyes to be on NFL's Kaepernick in San Diego amid anthem protest

SAN DIEGO - All eyes will be on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick at a Thursday night football game to see if he will sit again during the U.S. national anthem in protest of racial injustice in the United States. (NFL-KAEPERNICK/ (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV), moved at 1:17 p.m., by Marty Graham, 481 words)

N.Y. man pleads not guilty to killings of imam, associate

NEW YORK - A New York man pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges he shot dead a Muslim cleric and his associate last month on the street after they left a mosque in Queens, prosecutors said. (NEW YORK-SHOOTING/ (PIX), moved at 1:31 p.m., 141 words)

China quelling evidence weakening its spy case against U.S. woman, husband says

AUSTIN - China has set a Sept. 19 trial date for a U.S. businesswoman it has held since March 2015 for suspected spying, and is suppressing evidence that weakens its case, the woman's husband in Texas said in a statement on Thursday. (CHINA-RIGHTS/USA, moved at 11:38 a.m., by Jon Herskovitz, 327 words)

U.S. astronauts perform tasks during space walk outside station

CAPE CANAVERAL - Two U.S. astronauts went for a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Thursday to pack up a spare cooling radiator and install a high-definition television camera outside the orbiting laboratory, a NASA TV broadcast showed. (SPACE-SPACEWALK/ (PIX, TV), moved at 12:56 p.m., by Irene Klotz, 394 words)

MIDDLE EAST

U.S. troops in Iraq increasingly active as Mosul battle nears

GREAT ZAB RIVER - Kurdish Peshmerga forces retook a swath of northern Iraq late last month from Islamic State and days later American forces appeared in the area, the latest sign of increasing U.S. military activity in the country. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ-USA, moved at 12:58 p.m., by Stephen Kalin, 641 words)

Syrian opposition says Aleppo battle hides "cleansing" of siege towns

GENEVA - Russian air cover and Iranian-backed militias are enabling Syria's government to keep fighting in Aleppo, distracting the world from the planned "cleansing" of besieged areas across Syria, an opposition negotiator told Reuters on Thursday. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-KODMANI (INTERVIEW), moved at 1:26 p.m., by Tom Miles, 374 words) See also: Daraya's fall piles pressure on besieged rebel bastions in Syria (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-TRUCE (INSIGHT), moved at 1:33 p.m., by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, 1185 words)

WORLD

U.N. hopes for Aleppo truce, U.S.-Russia talks seek wider ceasefire

GENEVA - Talks between senior U.S. and Russian officials on a broad ceasefire in Syria are likely to last into the weekend while fighting intensifies, U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-UN (UPDATE 2, TV), moved at 1:32 p.m., by Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay, 430 words)

Post-election riots rage in Gabon capital, several dead

LIBREVILLE - Gabon's capital of Libreville erupted into a second day of violent protests on Thursday sparked by a disputed election, with at least three dead and hundreds arrested after the challenger rejected results that gave President Ali Bongo a narrow victory. (GABON-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 3, PIX), moved at 11:26 a.m., by Gerauds Wilfried Obangome, 675 words)

Philippine president turns down meeting with U.N. chief after drug war dispute

MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has turned down a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations and the Philippine government said on Thursday, after threatening to quit the body last month over criticism of his war on drugs. (PHILIPPINES-DUTERTE/UN, moved at 12:30 p.m., 352 words)

China pressures Hong Kong to squash independence calls ahead of poll - sources

HONG KONG - China pressured the Hong Kong government to disqualify six candidates who advocated independence from a crucial citywide election as part of a campaign to bolster its interests and win seats for its allies, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. (HONGKONG-ELECTION/CHINA (TV, PIX, GRAPHIC), moved at 11:16 a.m., by James Pomfret and Venus Wu, 715 words)

HEALTH AND SCIENCE

Singapore Zika cases top 150; China steps up arrivals checks

SINGAPORE/BEIJING - China intensified its checks on people and goods arriving from Singapore on Thursday, as an outbreak of the Zika virus in the small city-state was confirmed to have spread to at least one person in neighboring Malaysia. (HEALTH-ZIKA/SOUTHEASTASIA (WRAPUP 3, PIX, TV, GRAPHICS), moved at 11:31 a.m., by Aradhana Aravindan and Ben Blanchard, 660 words) See also: Takeda joins effort to develop Zika vaccine with U.S. funding (HEALTH-ZIKA/TAKEDA PHARMA (URGENT), moved at 1:13 p.m., by Bill Berkrot, 366 words)

Banned from ads, tobacco companies use cigarette sticks for marketing

In many countries, tobacco companies face restrictions on advertising, including on cigarette packs. This leaves the cigarette itself as an important "branding" medium, researchers say. (HEALTH-TOBACCO/BRANDING, moved at 11:56 a.m., by Madeline Kennedy, 545 words)

ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE

Jackie Chan to get lifetime achievement Oscar

LOS ANGELES - Martial arts expert and actor Jackie Chan will receive a lifetime achievement Oscar, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday. (AWARDS-OSCARS/LIFETIME (TV, PIX), moved at 12:59 p.m., 171 words)

Amy Adams leads in sci-fi thriller as Oscar buzz builds in Venice

VENICE - Five-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams may get closer to finally landing an Oscar as two of her movies are competing at the Venice film festival this year, including Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi thriller "Arrival." (FILMFESTIVAL-VENICE/ARRIVAL (TV, PIX), moved at 11:42 a.m., by Agnieszka Flak and Sarah Mills, 395 words)

First known TV interview with Nelson Mandela comes to light

JOHANNESBURG - The first known television interview with South Africa's late anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela has emerged, featuring a bearded activist defiantly vowing to fight racism in footage believed to have dated from 1956. (SAFRICA-MANDELA/ (TV), moved at 12:26 p.m., 299 words)

Portraying motherhood biggest challenge in new release for Oscar winner Vikander

VENICE - Portraying the joys and pains of motherhood in Derek Cianfrance's "The Light Between Oceans" that premieres at the Venice film festival on Thursday was one of the biggest challenges for 27-year-old Swedish Oscar-winning actress Alicia Vikander. (FILMFESTIVAL-VENICE/THELIGHTBETWEENOCEANS (PIX, TV), moved at 12:41 p.m., 329 words)

"Ring of fire" solar eclipse enthralls sky watchers on Reunion Island

A solar eclipse delighted astronomy fans on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean on Thursday, drawing sky watchers outside to watch the moon pass before the sun to make a so-called "ring of fire." (SOLAR-ECLIPSE/LAREUNION (TV, PIX), moved at 12:07 p.m., 115 words)

CONSUMER TECH

EU ruling on Apple's Irish tax is 'total political crap' - CEO

DUBLIN/BRUSSELS - Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook described an EU ruling that it must pay a huge tax bill to Ireland as "total political crap," but France joined Germany on Thursday in backing Brussels as transatlantic tensions grow. (EU-APPLE/COOK (UPDATE 4, GRAPHIC, PIX, TV), moved at 10:55 a.m., by Conor Humphries and Alastair Macdonald, 921 words)

BUSINESS AND MARKETS

IMF's Lagarde says likely to cut growth outlook as trade wanes

WASHINGTON - International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the institution will likely downgrade its 2016 global growth forecast again as economic prospects are dimmed by weak demand, flagging trade and investment and growing inequality. (G20-IMF/LAGARDE (UPDATE 1, INTERVIEW, PIX, TV), moved at 12:21 p.m., by David Lawder, 853 words) See also: IMF urges G20 leaders to boost demand, make case for trade (G20-CHINA/IMF, moved at 10 a.m., 353 words) and U.S. and China to lead push on climate change at G20 summit (G20-CLIMATECHANGE/CHINA-USA, moved at 11:34 a.m., by Laurie Goering, 984 words)

First jobs: Coming to America

NEW YORK - If there is one subject at the forefront of the 2016 U.S. election, it is immigration. (USA-FIRSTJOBS/IMMIGRANTS (PERSONAL FINANCE), moved at 1:16 p.m., by Chris Taylor, 670 words)

Wall Street lower as weak data dents optimism on economy

The S&P 500 and the Dow were slightly lower on Thursday after sluggish monthly factory activity data dented optimism about the U.S. economy, even as investors count down to a crucial jobs report on Friday. (USA-STOCKS/ (UPDATE 4), will update throughout the day, 479 words)

U.S. factory activity contracts in August; layoffs remain low

WASHINGTON - U.S. factory activity contracted in August for the first time in six months as new orders and production tumbled, but a low level of layoffs continued to point to a pickup in economic growth in the third quarter. (USA-ECONOMY/ (WRAPUP 3), moved at 12:42 p.m., by Lucia Mutikani, 734 words) See also: August U.S. auto sales down; carmakers say industry has peaked (USA-AUTOS/ (UPDATE 2), moved at 1:04 p.m., by Bernie Woodall, 657 words)

Campbell Soup results hit by weak carrot business

Campbell Soup Co reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly adjusted profit due to a product recall as well as higher costs and lower sales of carrots, issues the company expects will dent sales for the rest of the year. (CAMPBELL SOUP-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 3), moved at 10:55 a.m., by Sruthi Ramakrishnan, 406 words)

Wal-Mart to cut 7,000 U.S. store back-office jobs

Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Thursday it will cut about 7,000 back-office jobs, mostly in accounting and invoicing positions at its U.S. stores, continuing a program it announced in June of cutting such jobs on the West Coast. (WALMART-LAYOFFS/ (UPDATE 2), moved at 1:17 p.m., 261 words)

Fearing lawsuits, U.S. banks set sky-high limits for director pay

NEW YORK - Over the past two years, a growing number of U.S. banks have capped their directors' earnings, but the ceilings are so high that they primarily serve to fend off potential shareholder litigation rather than control the pace of pay increases. (USA-BANKS/COMPENSATION, moved at 7 a.m., by Olivia Oran, 800 words)

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09/01/2016 14:12