Reuters US Domestic News Summary

07/28/2016 19:52

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Reagan's would-be assassin now Virginia suburb's infamous new resident

Joe Mann has lived in the exclusive Kingsmill gated community in Williamsburg, Virginia, for more than 30 years and he's not shy about voicing his opinion when it comes to his newest neighbor: would-be presidential assassin John Hinckley. "I think it's foolhardy; I think it's not justifiable," Mann, 75, a retired executive, said on Wednesday, hours after a federal judge ruled that Hinckley could be released from a psychiatric hospital to live with his 90-year-old mother at Kingsmill.

California wildfire wreaks havoc near Big Sur coast

Firefighters scrambled on Thursday to suppress a deadly wildfire near California's famed Big Sur coast that has burned three dozen dwellings, driven hundreds of residents from their homes and forced the closure of several popular parks at the height of summer travel season. The so-called Soberanes Fire erupted last Friday just south of the upscale oceanside town of Carmel-by-the-Sea and has raged through more than 27,000 acres (11,000 hectares) of drought-parched chaparral, tall grass and timber into the Los Padres National Forest.

U.S. leaders seek unity at vigil for slain Louisiana officers

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Loretta Lynch called for unity to honor three slain Louisiana police officers, speaking at a memorial service on Thursday in Baton Rouge where they were gunned down this month by a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Several hundred people and dozens of law enforcement officers attended the vigil, where Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards also implored the community to seek peace and healing after the July 17 attack that also wounded three other officers.

Charges dropped in 2001 death of Washington intern Chandra Levy

A judge on Thursday dismissed charges against a man convicted of murdering Washington intern Chandra Levy in 2001, in a sensational case that riveted the U.S. capital and contributed to the downfall of a congressman. Ingmar Guandique, 34, had been serving a 60-year sentence after being found guilty in 2010 of murdering Levy. Guandique was facing a retrial in October.

Car crashes into Los Angeles house, kills one, injures 11 - police

A woman driving at a high rate of speed crashed a sedan into a house in Los Angeles, killing one person and injuring 11 others who were gathered inside for a prayer meeting, police said on Thursday. The unidentified female driver of the 1999 Buick Regal ran away from the house on Wednesday and investigators were looking for her, Los Angeles police spokesman Officer Tony Im said. Police could not immediately estimate how fast she was driving, only that it was at a high rate of speed, he added

SEC freezes assets of Utah-based Ponzi scheme operator

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on Thursday it had frozen the assets of the operator of a Utah-based Ponzi scheme that raised more than $207 million from investors worldwide, mainly in the United States, India and Russia. In a complaint filed in federal court in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, the SEC alleged that Traffic Monsoon LLC and Charles Scoville, its only member, falsely represented the company as a successful advertising firm, but raised more than 99 percent of its funds from new investors.

Michigan prosecutor to bring new criminal charges in Flint water scandal

The Michigan Attorney General's Office said on Thursday it will bring a second round of criminal charges related to the investigation into dangerous lead levels in the city of Flint's drinking water. Attorney General Bill Schuette's office said in a brief media advisory the charges would be announced on Friday morning. Office spokeswoman Andrea Bitely said she could provide no further information on the upcoming announcement, including specific charges and the identities of those being charged.

FDA takes steps to protect blood supply in Florida amid Zika probe

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ordered blood banks in Florida's two most densely populated counties to stop collecting blood as health officials determine whether Zika has begun transmission in the continental United States. Florida has been investigating four possible cases of local transmission in Miami-Dade County and Broward County. It is the first U.S. state to report cases that may not be related to travel to other countries with active outbreaks.

New York pharmacy owner, husband plead guilty to large opioid pill scheme

The owner of two New York City pharmacies and her husband pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges arising out of their roles in what authorities have called one of the largest opioid painkiller diversion schemes ever uncovered in the city. Lilian Jakacki, the pharmacies' owner, and Marcin Jakacki, her husband, entered their pleas in Manhattan federal court, nine months after authorities arrested them amid efforts to combat the nation's heroin and opioid drug epidemic.

Dispatch from inside the conventions

Delegates at both the Republican and the Democratic conventions sported outrageous outfits - but the views from their respective gatherings were a study in contrast. Republican National Convention delegates in Cleveland last week embraced a freewheeling, policy-light lineup, reveling in messages of salvation from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's inner circle, while expressing their fears that America has become less safe.

07/28/2016 19:52