REUTERS AMERICA NEWS PLAN FOR THURSDAY SEPT 8

09/08/2016 9:45

REUTERS AMERICA MORNING NEWS PLAN FOR THURSDAY SEPT 8

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

Top stories as of 9:45 a.m. on Thursday.

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BREAKING

"What is Aleppo?" asks U.S. Libertarian Party candidate

WASHINGTON - Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party candidate in the 2016 U.S. presidential race, was questioned about a major flashpoint of the Syrian civil war on Thursday and asked, "What is Aleppo?" The gaffe came during an MSNBC interview about the Syrian crisis and the ongoing battle in that country's biggest city, Aleppo, which has been divided for years into government and rebel sectors. (USA-ELECTION/JOHNSON (PIX), moved at 8:45 a.m., 230 words)

U.S. jobless claims fall as labor market remains strong

WASHINGTON - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to sustained labor market strength even as the pace of job growth is slowing. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits decreased 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 259,000 for the week ended Sept.3, the lowest level since mid-July, the Labor Department said on Thursday. It was the 79th straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 thresholds associated with robust labor market conditions, the longest stretch since 1970. (USA-ECONOMY/UNEMPLOYMENT (WRAPUP 1, GRAPHIC), moved at 8:57 a.m., 490 words)

EPA sued over clean water rules to curb ocean acidification

WASHINGTON - Environmentalists sued the Obama administration on Thursday seeking new federal water-quality standards designed to protect marine life against the corrosive effects of carbon emissions absorbed into the ocean from the burning of fossil fuels. (ENVIRONMENT-OCEANS, moved at 9 a.m., 434 words)

TOP STORIES

Trump in TV event with Clinton, says Putin better leader than Obama

NEW YORK - Donald Trump declares that Russia's Vladimir Putin had been a better leader than President Barack Obama as the Republican presidential nominee uses a televised forum on Wednesday night to argue he is best equipped to reassert America's global leadership. (USA-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 6, PIX, TV), moved at 10:47 p.m., by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason, 863 words)

Obama says Trump unfit for presidency, has "outright wacky" ideas

VIENTIANE - President Barack Obama hit back at Donald Trump on Thursday for criticizing his foreign policy record, saying the Republican nominee was unfit to follow him into the Oval Office and the public should press him on his "outright wacky ideas." "I don't think the guy's qualified to be president of the United States, and every time he speaks, that opinion is confirmed," Obama told a news conference. (LAOS-OBAMA/TRUMP (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV), moved at 8:06 a.m., 286 words)

Clinton defends email handling at national security forum

NEW YORK - Hillary Clinton defended her handling of classified information from a private email server 0on Wednesday night at a televised "commander-in-chief" forum, an issue that has dogged her and raised questions about whether she can be trusted to serve as president. (USA-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 5, PIX, TV), moved at 8:46 p.m., 410 words) See also: Republican ex-defense secretary William Cohen backs Hillary Clinton (USA-ELECTION/CLINTON-COHEN, moved, 108 words)

Clinton to hold press briefing on Thursday morning

WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton will hold a news conference on Thursday morning before departing from White Plains, New York, to campaign in North Carolina, a campaign spokesman said. No specific time for the conference was provided. Clinton, criticized in the past for not being more accessible to media, has already spoken to reporters twice on her campaign plane this week as the campaign heads into the final months before the Nov. 8 presidential election. (USA-ELECTION/CLINTON-PRESS (PIX), moved at 9 a.m., 75 words)

As Obama caps years of Asia 'pivot,' regional tensions smolder

VIENTIANE - Barack Obama defended his efforts to 'rebalance' U.S. foreign policy towards Asia on Thursday even as he wound up the final visit of his presidency to the region with the South China Sea dispute still smoldering. Obama's trip to Asia began and ended on awkward notes. (ASEAN-SUMMIT/ (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV, GRAPHIC), moved at 8:40 a.m., 870 words) See also: Obama says he doesn't take Duterte's comments personally (LAOS-OBAMA/DUTERTE (PIX), moved at 6:11 a.m., 75 words)

Duterte tells regional leaders and U.S. not to lecture Philippines on human rights

VIENTIANE - Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday defended his country's human rights record at a regional summit in Laos, urging East Asian leaders and the United States to help Manila eradicate the scourge of illicit drugs. (LAOS-OBAMA/DUTERTE (PIX, TV), moved at 9 a.m., 286 words)

WASHINGTON

U.S., Ukraine agree to enhance Ukrainian forces, boost cooperation

LONDON - The United States and Ukraine on Thursday agreed to cooperate on defense technology and improve Ukraine's forces, the Pentagon said, naming former Centcom Commander and retired U.S. General John Abizaid as a senior defense advisor to Ukraine. (USA-UKRAINE/DEFENSE, moved at 8:42 a.m., 95 words)

U.S., Turkey see key role for local Syrian forces in Raqqa offensive

LONDON - Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his Turkish counterpart Fikri Isik on Thursday discussed the importance of local forces being at the center of any effort to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State, the Pentagon said on Thursday. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-TURKEY-USA (PIX), moved at 8:18 a.m., 118 words)

U.S. lawmakers seek compromise on Zika virus funding

WASHINGTON - U.S. lawmakers seek to break a logjam over $1.1 billion in funding to combat the Zika virus with the Senate possibly considering legislation as soon as next week even as one congressman toted a jar full of mosquitoes to the House floor to condemn congressional inaction. (HEALTH-ZIKA/CONGRESS, moved at 6 p.m., 450 words)

CIA, FBI leaders to speak Wednesday at security forums

WASHINGTON - CIA director John Brennan and FBI director James Comey speak at the Intelligence and National Security Summit starting at 1 p.m. (USA-SECURITY/ (PIX, TV), expect by 3 p.m., 300 words)

OTHER U.S. NEWS

Accused ex-mobster, 83, to face charges on 1993 Boston killing

BOSTON - An 83-year-old man accused of being an ex-mobster and his alleged henchman are due in Boston federal court on Thursday, where they are charged with the 1993 murder of an associate whose body was dug up in Rhode Island earlier this year. (MASSACHUSETTS-CRIME/MOBSTER, moved at 9:47 a.m., 337 words)

Colorado couple accused of abusing emaciated, blind, autistic son

DENVER - A Colorado couple has been jailed on suspicion of abusing their 17-year-old, blind and autistic son, who was hospitalized weighing just 88 pounds (40 kg) and whose condition a doctor likened to that of a concentration camp survivor, court records showed on Wednesday. (COLORADO-ABUSE/, moved at 9:03 p.m., by Keith Coffman, 407 words)

Rabbi arrested in New York divorce scheme involving kidnapping, murder

-- A rabbi and another Orthodox Jewish man were arrested in New York in connection with a plot to kidnap and murder a man whose wife wanted to divorce him, federal officials said on Wednesday. (NEW YORK-RABBI/, moved at 8:45 p.m., moved, 286 words)

Oakland moves to fire four officers, suspend seven over sex scandal

SAN FRANCISCO - The mayor of Oakland, California, said on Wednesday she had moved to fire four police officers and suspend seven more in connection with a sex scandal that has roiled the department in recent months. (CALIFORNIA-POLICE/ (UPDATE 1), moved at 9:30 p.m., 350 words)

Soccer team plays U.S. national anthem early to prevent player protest

-- The Washington Spirit women's soccer team on Wednesday played the U.S. national anthem while players were still in their locker rooms, preventing visiting star Megan Rapinoe from continuing her protest for social equality. (SPORT-RAPINOE/, moved at 4 a.m., 322 words)

Expanded U.S. habitat protection ordered for rare Lynx

SALMON - A federal judge ordered U.S. wildlife managers on Wednesday to enlarge habitat protections in Idaho, Montana and Colorado for the Canada lynx, a rare wild cat that roams the Rockies and mountain forests of several other states. (USA-LYNX/HABITAT (PIX), moved at 10:21 p.m., by Laura Zuckerman, 437 words)

MIDDLE EAST

Taliban forces sweep into capital of Afghan poppy-growing province

KABUL - Taliban forces are fighting within the capital of Afghanistan's central province of Uruzgan, one of the top poppy-cultivating provinces in the country, threatening government offices as the leadership flee to the airport, officials say. (AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN/ (UPDATE 2), moved, 480 words)

Syria says peace plan remarks show Britain's Johnson out of touch with reality

BEIRUT - Syria's Foreign Ministry says that statements by Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson demonstrate London's part in "aggression" against Syria and show he did not understand the situation there. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-BRITAIN (UPDATE 1), moved, 175 words) See also: MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-CHEMICALWEAPONS (TV), moved, 400 words

Turkey jails businessmen and academics, orders officers detained

ISTANBUL - Turkey detained dozens of businessmen and academics pending trial on Thursday and issued arrest warrants for around 50 military officers suspected of links to the U.S.-based cleric blamed for the failed July 15 coup, Turkish media said. (TURKEY-SECURITY/ARRESTS (UPDATE 1), moving shortly, 496 words)

Turkey suspends 11,500 teachers over alleged links to Kurdish militants

ANKARA - Turkey has suspended 11,500 teachers over alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party, a Turkish official said on Thursday, confirming an earlier report from broadcaster CNN Turk that cited the education ministry. (TURKEY-EDUCATION/SUSPENSION, moved at 8:43 a.m., 77 words)

West Bank court rules against holding local Palestinian elections

(PALESTINIANS-ELECTION (UPDATE 1, PIX), moved at 8:44 a.m., 500 words)

WORLD

Australian airlines ban use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones after battery fires

SYDNEY - Three Australian airlines have banned passengers from using or charging Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 smart phones during flights due to concerns over the phone's fire-prone batteries. (AIRLINES-SAMSUNG/ (PIX), moved, 283 words)

Second couple arrested after car with gas cylinders found in Paris

PARIS - French police investigating the discovery of a car packed with gas cylinders near Notre Dame cathedral in Paris have arrested a second couple and also establish that the vehicle contained three jerry cans of diesel fuel, a judicial source says. (EUROPE-ATTACKS/FRANCE-CAR (UPDATE 1), moved, 380 words)

Two car bombs explode in Tripoli, no casualties

TRIPOLI - Two car bombs are detonated near Tripoli's foreign ministry and a naval base used by Libya's U.N.-backed government, though no casualties are reported, local media say. (LIBYA-SECURITY/ (UPDATE 2), moved at 8:23 a.m., 268 words)

Court says EU-Canada deal to share air travel data infringes privacy

BRUSSELS - An agreement between the European Union and Canada to share airline passenger data that the two sides say is key to fighting terrorism cannot enter into force as currently drafted, an adviser to the top EU court says. (EU-DATAPROTECTION/CANADA (UPDATE 1), moved, 370 words)

Armenian Prime Minister tenders resignation

YEREVAN - Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan has tendered his resignation, he told a government meeting, amid an economic slowdown and outbreaks of violence. (ARMENIA-PRIMEMINISTER/RESIGNATION (UPDATE 1), moved, 400 words)

HEALTH AND SCIENCE

In older age, sex may be good for women, less so for men

-- Among people in their mid-50s or older who report having frequent, enjoyable sex, women are likely to have better than average heart health while men are more likely to have heart attacks and other problems, a U.S. study suggests. (HEALTH-SEXUALITY/ELDER-HEART, moved, 630 words)

Scientists find deadly scrub typhus bacteria in South America

LONDON - Scrub typhus, a deadly disease common in southeast Asia and spread by microscopic biting mites known as chiggers, has now taken hold in a part of South America and may have become endemic there. (HEALTH-TYPHUS/, moved, 360 words)

More evidence of a link between C-sections and childhood obesity

(HEALTH-CESAREANS/CHILD-OBESITY, moved, 615 words)

Irregular heartbeat may be tied to more than just stroke risk

(HEALTH-AFIB/HEART-KIDNEYS, moved, 600 words)

ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE

Tim Tebow signed by New York Mets

NEW YORK - Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets in a minor league baseball deal, the team announced on Thursday. Tebow, 29, who played in the NFL for three years before moving on to become a television broadcaster, recently showcased his baseball skills for scouts and media in a bid to launch a second sports career. (BASEBALL-TEBOW/ (UPDATE 1), moving shortly, 188 words)

Arrest made in $3 million jewelry theft from rapper Drake's tour bus

PHOENIX - An Arizona stagehand was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of stealing about $3 million in jewelry from a bus used by Grammy-winning rapper Drake on his latest concert tour, Phoenix police said. (PEOPLE-DRAKE/ (UPDATE 1), moved at 10:33 p.m. by David Schwartz, 284 words)

Meg Ryan uses "fierce" maternal instincts in her directorial debut

NEW YORK - Hollywood actress Meg Ryan goes behind the camera for her directorial debut "Ithaca," a World War II drama for which she said she used her maternal instincts in telling the story. (FILM-ITHACA/MEG RYAN (TV, PIX), moved at 8:40 a.m., 237 words)

Tom Hanks explores the drama and trauma of being a hero in 'Sully'

LOS ANGELES - When a US Airways pilot landed a damaged plane in the Hudson River in the middle of winter, saving all 155 people on board, he was immediately hailed a hero - but even heroes can be crumbling on the inside. (FILM-SULLY/ (CORRECTED, PIX, TV), moved, 416 words)

Johnny Depp Circles Film About Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Murders

(VARIETY/ (ENTERTAINMENT-FILM/NEWS), moved, 207 words)

Venice Film Review: 'Planetarium'

(VARIETY/ (ENTERTAINMENT-FILM/REVIEWS), moved, 872 words)

ODD

Some like it hot: scientists drill off Japan for sizzling life

OSLO - Scientists will start drilling off Japan this month to seek the hottest place where life can survive in a hellish uncharted realm deep below the seabed. The drilling under the Nankai Trough in the Pacific Ocean will be part of a project by 900 experts to map carbon underground, hoping for clues to everything from the origin of life on Earth to the formation of oil and gas. (ENVIRONMENT-TEMPERATURES/, moved at 8:30 a.m., 395 words)

CONSUMER TECH

Super Mario's iPhone surprise fuels hopes for Nintendo

TOKYO - Nintendo Co's surprise announcement that its popular game franchise Super Mario Bros will debut on Apple Inc's new iPhone propels its shares sharply higher on hopes the firm has at last embraced mobile gaming. (APPLE-IPHONE/NINTENDO (UPDATE 4, PIX, GRAPHIC, moved, 640 words) See also: Apple unveils iPhone 7 but some still waiting for iPhone 8 (APPLE-IPHONE/ (UPDATE 7, TV, PIX, GRAPHICS), moved, 666 words)

Apple hones marketing for Watch with focus on fitness

SAN FRANCISCO - Two years after unveiling the Apple Watch with apps and styles that tried to appeal to every need and every customer, Apple has honed its marketing strategy, debuting a second generation product aimed squarely at the health and athletic audience. (APPLE-WATCH/, moved at 10:16 p.m., 478 words)

BREXIT

EU official says Britain should start EU divorce talks soon

LONDON - Britain should start talks to leave the European Union as soon as possible, European Council President Donald Tusk says, adding weight to calls for Prime Minister Theresa May to get on with the formal divorce procedure. (BRITAIN-EU/ (PIX), moved, 345 words)

BUSINESS AND MARKETS

ECB studying potential changes to asset-buying program

FRANKFURT - The European Central Bank is studying how it might potentially change its asset-buying program, ECB President Mario Draghi said on Thursday. Earlier, the bank held interest rates on hold and made no changes to its 80 billion euro a month asset-buying program. (ECB-POLICY/QE, moved at 8:45 a.m., 196 words)

Navistar quarterly revenue falls, unit gets DoD subpoena

-- Truck and engine maker Navistar International Corp reported a fall in revenue for the sixth straight quarter due to lower truck sales and said one of its units had received a subpoena from the United States defense department. (NAVISTAR INTL-SUBPOENA/ (UPDATE 1), moved at 8:35 a.m., 220 words)

HP Enterprise in $8.8 billion deal with Micro Focus for software assets

-- Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co will spin off and merge its non-core software assets with Britain's Micro Focus International Plc in a deal worth $8.8 billion, the companies say. (HPENTERPRISE-SOFTWARE/MICROFOCUS (UPDATE 5, PIX), moved at 8:08 p.m., by Liana B. Baker, 915 words)

Formula One faces big shake-up after Liberty deal

LONDON - Formula One faces its biggest shake-up in decades with the announcement that U.S. cable TV mogul John Malone's Liberty Media has agreed to take control of the cash-generating glamour sport. (FORMULA ONE-M&A/LIBERTY MEDIA (UPDATE 1), moved at 4 a.m., 685 words)

Pulte Group names Ryan Marshall chief executive

-- U.S. homebuilder Pulte Group said it appointed Ryan Marshall its chief executive to succeed Richard Dugas, who would retire in May next year. (PULTEGROUP-MOVES/CEO, moved at 9:07 a.m., 135 words)

U.S. tech firms in Brussels calling add lobby strength as EU gets tough

BRUSSELS - U.S. tech giants Google and Facebook are among multinationals spending more in Brussels as the European Commission eyes new business regulation after last week handing Apple a 13-billion-euro tax demand. (EU-APPLE/LOBBYING, moved at 2 a.m., 760 words)

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09/08/2016 9:45