Reuters US Domestic News Summary

08/17/2016 8:56

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. news pundit John McLaughlin dies at 89

U.S. television news executive and commentator John McLaughlin, a former Jesuit priest who hosted the public affairs broadcast "The McLaughlin Group" for 34 years, died on Tuesday, the show said. "The McLaughlin Group" announced the death on Facebook but gave no details about the cause or where McLaughlin died.

New York man in court charged with murdering Muslim cleric, assistant

A New York City man appeared in court on Tuesday and denied charges he shot and killed a Muslim cleric and his assistant on a street in the borough of Queens over the weekend. Oscar Morel, 35, faces up to life in prison without parole if he is convicted of killing Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, in a brazen daylight attack on Saturday that horrified the neighborhood's Bangladeshi community.

Exclusive: U.S. seeks Latin American help amid rise in Asian, African migrants

Washington is seeking closer coordination with several Latin American countries to tackle a jump in migrants from Asia, Africa and the Middle East who it believes are trying to reach the United States from the south on an arduous route by plane, boat and through jungle on foot. U.S. agents deployed to an immigration facility on Mexico's southern border have vetted the more than 640 migrants from countries outside the Americas who have been detained at the center since October 2015, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents reviewed by Reuters.

Bill affirming voting rights for some felons passes California Senate

Felons incarcerated in California's county jails had their right to vote in state elections affirmed under a bill approved on Tuesday by the state Senate as part of a series of criminal justice reforms in the most-populous U.S. state. The measure, authored by Democrat Shirley N. Weber, which now goes to Governor Jerry Brown, aims to clear up confusion over the right to vote for felons who were transferred from state prisons to county jails under a reform program known as realignment.

U.S. charges Gabonese man for bribe scheme involving hedge fund

A Gabonese man who consulted for a joint venture involving a U.S. hedge fund was arrested on Tuesday on charges that he participated in a scheme to bribe officials in Africa to obtain mining rights. Samuel Mebiame, who authorities say worked as a "fixer" for the joint venture and one of its mining companies, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn for conspiring to violate the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Friend to name ex-NFL star Hernandez as gunman in double murder: prosecutor

A former friend of convicted murderer and ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez will identify him as the man who fatally shot two Cape Verdean nationals after a dispute at a Boston nightclub in July 2012, Massachusetts prosecutors said on Tuesday. Alexander Bradley will also identify the former New England Patriots tight end as the man who shot him in the face in February 2013 after Bradley referred to the killing of Odin Lloyd, of which Hernandez was later convicted, according to court papers filed by Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley's office.

University of California, Berkeley, chancellor says he will resign

The chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley said on Tuesday he is resigning, telling faculty and students it was time for someone else to tackle the financial shortfall that has beset the highly-ranked research university. In his letter posted on the university's website, Chancellor Nicholas Dirks also cited the "institutional challenges" that the Northern California campus faces.

Bar rises for Milwaukee police review after latest shooting

Milwaukee, shaken by two nights of violence after a shooting by police, is one of a few U.S. cities to have volunteered for federal government review of its police force and may now be held to higher standards for how it responds. Beginning in December, the review included a public "listening session" that, according to Milwaukee media, drew 700 people to a library auditorium to air their frustrations to U.S. Department of Justice officials.

U.S. Supreme Court stance on North Carolina law to send signal on voting limits

The U.S. Supreme Court's handling of North Carolina's long-shot bid to reinstate its contentious voter identification law will set the tone for the court's treatment of similar cases that could reach the justices before the Nov. 8 elections. Voter identification laws were adopted by several states in recent years, generally driven by Republicans who said the laws were meant to prevent election fraud. Democrats have argued that the laws were meant to keep minorities, who tend to vote for Democrats, away from the polls. Civil rights groups have challenged the laws in court.

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.

08/17/2016 8:56