REUTERS AMERICA NEWS PLAN FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 25

08/25/2016 14:32

REUTERS AMERICA AFTERNOON NEWS PLAN FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 25

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

Top stories as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

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BREAKING

Obama administration expects to close Guantanamo prison -White House

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama is still committed to closing the U.S. prison for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and his administration expects to complete the task, White House said on Thursday. (USA-GUANTANAMO/WHITEHOUSE (URGENT), moved at 12:07 p.m., 63 words)

TOP STORIES

Trump, Clinton spar over minority voters

PALO ALTO - U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump clashed on Thursday over who would make a better president for the country's minorities, with each accusing the other of posing a threat to the interests of blacks and Latinos. (USA-ELECTION/ (WRAPUP 1, PIX, TV, GRAPHIC), moved at 12:16 p.m., by Amanda Becker and Steve Holland, 432 words)

Italy quake death toll hits 250 as rescuers search demolished towns

AMATRICE - The death toll from a devastating earthquake in central Italy climbed to at least 250 on Thursday and could rise further with rescue teams working for a second day to try to find survivors under the rubble of flattened towns. (ITALY-QUAKE/ (UPDATE 5, PIX, TV, GRAPHIC), moved at 11:54 a.m., by Steve Scherer and Gabriele Pileri, 645 words)

Russia backs 48-hour Aleppo truce, UN wants other sides to commit

GENEVA - Russia has agreed to a 48-hour humanitarian ceasefire in the divided Syrian city of Aleppo to allow aid deliveries, but security guarantees are awaited from other parties on the ground, U.N. officials said on Thursday. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA (UPDATE 2, TV), moved at 12:52 p.m., by Stephanie Nebehay, 437 words)

Gun, bomb attack on American University in Kabul kills 13

KABUL - Thirteen people, including students and a professor, were killed in an attack on the American University in Kabul that had students leaping from the windows in panic, the Afghan government said on Thursday. (AFGHANISTAN-UNIVERSITY/ATTACK (UPDATE 6, PIX, TV), moved at 12:45 p.m., by Mirwais Harooni and Hamid Shalizi, 617 words)

Russia to work with U.S. on response to Syria gas attacks report

UNITED NATIONS - Russia said on Thursday it is prepared to work with the United States at the United Nations on how to respond to a report that blamed Syrian government forces for two chlorine gas attacks and Islamic State militants for using sulfur mustard gas. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-CHEMICALWEAPONS, moved at 1:37 p.m., by Michelle Nichols, 386 words)

Mylan offers discounts on EpiPen amid wave of criticism

Mylan NV said on Thursday it would reduce the out-of-pocket costs of its emergency EpiPen allergy injection for some patients amid a wave of criticism from lawmakers and the public over the product's rapidly escalating price. (MYLAN NL-PRICING/ (UPDATE 5), moved, by Toni Clarke and Ransdell Pierson, 700 words)

CAMPAIGN

Clinton launches Asian outreach in three closely fought states

NEW YORK - Democrat Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is focusing an effort to win over Asian American voters on three states where it believes the small but rapidly growing group could make the difference in her race against Republican Donald Trump. (USA-ELECTION/CLINTON-ASIANS (PIX, GRAPHIC), moved at 1:20 p.m., by Luciana Lopez, 589 words)

WASHINGTON

Iranian vessels' intentions in approaching U.S. warship unclear -White House

WASHINGTON - The intention of four Iranian vessels that approached a U.S. warship in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz this week were not clear, but such actions can escalate tensions, the White House said on Thursday. (USA-IRAN/MILITARY-WHITEHOUSE (URGENT), moved at 12:59 p.m., 92 words)

Lawsuit opens new front in Obama immigration legal fight

WASHINGTON - Immigration advocates on Thursday mounted a long-shot effort to revive part of U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to shield millions of immigrants from deportation by filing a lawsuit challenging the national scope of a court order that blocked it. (USA-COURT/IMMIGRATION, moved at 12:59 p.m., by Lawrence Hurley, 296 words)

U.S. fines big Nebraska bank over credit card, ID theft marketing

First National Bank of Omaha will pay $35.25 million of fines and refunds to settle charges by two U.S. regulators that it duped hundreds of thousands of customers into buying credit card and identity theft services they did not want, understand or receive. It also apologized to customers. (USA-FIRST NATL NEBRS/, moved at 1:40 p.m., by Jonathan Stempel, 309 words)

U.S. Labor Dept issues new rules on state retirement savings programs

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration on Thursday issued rules aimed at helping states that set up retirement savings programs for workers by clarifying that the plans are not preempted by federal law. (USA-WHITEHOUSE/RETIREMENT (UPDATE 1), moved at 1:24 p.m., by Ayesha Rascoe, 248 words)

OTHER U.S. NEWS

Orlando hospitals won't charge nightclub shooting victims for care

Two Florida hospitals will not seek payment of medical bills from the dozens of people treated for injuries suffered in the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in June, officials at the health facilities said. (USA-FLORIDA/SHOOTING (PIX), moved at 11:35 a.m., by Colleen Jenkins, 293 words)

Georgia man gets 40-year sentence for boiling water attack on gays

A Georgia truck driver was sentenced to 40 years in prison for pouring boiling water over a gay couple, a district attorney's spokesman said on Thursday. (USA-GEORGIA/CRIME, moved at 10:21 a.m., 171 words)

Competency hearing sought for ex-Los Angeles County sheriff

LOS ANGELES - Federal prosecutors in the obstruction of justice case against former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca have asked a judge to order a mental competency hearing for the ex-lawman, who says he has Alzheimer's disease. (CALIFORNIA-SHERIFF/, moved at 1:20 p.m., by Alex Dobuzinskis, 411 words)

Power outage briefly halts flights to Miami, nearby airports - FAA

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration briefly halted flights at Miami International and nearby airports around noon EDT (1600 GMT) on Thursday following a power outage at Miami's Terminal Radar Approach Control, a spokeswoman said. (USA-FLORIDA/AIRLINES (UPDATE 2), moved at 1:33 p.m., 203 words)

Jetpack pilot rockets out of Colorado Lake in stunt

LAKE SAN CRISTOBAL - Jetpack pilot Eric Scott shot out of the water and navigated his jet pack above a remote Colorado lake before landing safely, all the while strapped to an 800-horsepower rocket. (USA-JETPACK/ (PIX, TV), moved at 11:54 a.m., 142 words)

MIDDLE EAST

Turkey sends more tanks to Syria, demands Kurdish fighters retreat

KARKAMIS - Turkey sent more tanks into northern Syria on Thursday and demanded Kurdish militia fighters retreat within a week as it seeks to secure the border region and drive back Islamic State with its first major incursion into its neighbor. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-TURKEY (UPDATE 3, TV, PIX, GRAPHICS), moved at 12:15 p.m., by Humeyra Pamuk and Umit Bektas, 1199 words)

Kerry calls for unity government in Yemen to end war

JEDDAH - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday he had agreed in talks with Gulf Arab states and the United Nations in Saudi Arabia on a plan to restart peace talks Yemen with a goal of forming a unity government. (USA-KERRY/SAUDI (UPDATE 2, TV), moved at 12:56 p.m., by Lesley Wroughton, 672 words)

Iraqi defense minister sacked as Mosul battle looms

BAGHDAD - Iraq's parliament impeaches Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi over corruption allegations, removing him from office as army gears up for assault on Islamic State's de facto capital, Mosul. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ-POLITICS (UPDATE 2, PIX), moved, by Saif Hameed, 423 words)

Zawahri urges Iraq Sunnis to wage guerrilla war as IS loses more land

BAGHDAD - Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri on Thursday called on Iraq's Sunnis to prepare for a "long guerrilla" war as Islamic State militants lost more land near their de facto capital Mosul. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/ZAWAHRI (UPDATE 1), moved at 11:53 a.m., by Maher Chmaytelli, 379 words)

WORLD

Brazil's Senate begins Rousseff's impeachment trial

BRASILIA - Brazil's Senate started the trial of suspended President Dilma Rousseff on Thursday after a lengthy impeachment process that has paralyzed the politics of Latin America`s largest nation and is expected to culminate in her removal from office next week. (BRAZIL-IMPEACHMENT/ (UPDATE 2, PIX, TV), moved at 12:13 p.m., by Anthony Boadle, 789 words)

French PM defends burkini ban but some in cabinet wary

PARIS - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls defended a ban on burkinis in more than a dozen coastal towns on Thursday, saying France was locked in a "battle of cultures" and that the full-body swimsuit symbolized the enslavement of women. (RELIGION-BURQA/FRANCE (UPDATE 1, TV, PIX), by Richard Lough, 833 words) See also:(RELIGION-BURQA/DECISION, moved at 12:04 p.m., 193 words)

Ancient Greece's restored Tower of Winds keeps its secrets

ATHENS - Tower of Winds, still standing on slope on Athens's ancient Acropolis hill despite attempts by Lord Elgin to move it to Britain, is restored and re-opened to public for first time in nearly 200 years. (GREECE-ARCHAEOLOGY/TOWEROFWINDS (TV, PIX), moved, by Karolina Tagaris and Phoebe Fronista, 601 words)

Peace much cheaper than war, Colombia tells critics of FARC deal

HAVANA - Colombia's government peace negotiators hit back on Thursday at critics of a deal to end half a century of war with leftist FARC guerrillas, saying the cost of bringing the rebel fighters into society was much lower than spending on the conflict. (COLOMBIA-REBELS/ (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV), moving shortly, by Marc Frank, 543 words)

Poverty will hobble Colombia's anti-drugs push after peace deal

TACUEYO - Jose Toconas picks at branches hanging in rows from the roof of his marijuana drying house and smells their spiky flower buds. (COLOMBIA-REBELS/CRIME (FEATURE), moved at 10:06 a.m., by Helen Murphy and Luis Jaime Acosta, 1085 words)

Ethiopian marathon medalist stays put in Rio, vows to fight for land rights

LONDON - Ethiopian silver medalist Feyisa Lilesa, who did not return home after staging a protest against his government at the Rio Olympics, said on Thursday he feared for his life if he went back and vowed to keep up his fight for land rights. (ETHIOPIA-OLYMPICS/LANDRIGHTS (INTERVIEW), moved at 1:21 p.m., by Sally Hayden, 612 words)

HEALTH AND SCIENCE

How much should we tell kids about their own health?

When it comes to deciding whether and how to talk to children about their own health, there's no one-size-fits-all formula, some doctors argue. (HEALTH-PEDIATRICS/PROGNOSIS-DISCLOSURE, moved at 9:51 a.m., by Lisa Rapaport, 612 words)

U.S. pharmacies sell cigarettes for less than other stores

Cigarettes are often cheaper at the very place that people shop for health supplies and fill medicine prescriptions, according to a new study in California. (HEALTH-PHARMACIES/CIGARETTE-PRICING, moved at 1:35 p.m., by Kathryn Doyle, 596 words). See also: HEALTH-INCENTIVES/SMOKING-CESSATION, moved at 1:34 p.m., by Lisa Rapaport, 669 words

ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE

EU to help make online films, TV shows more available across borders

BRUSSELS - The European Commission wants to make it easier for broadcasters like the BBC and Germany's ZDF to make shows available online across the 28-nation EU under a planned copyright reform that is expected to meet fierce opposition from the media industry. (EU-COPYRIGHT/, moved at 12:46 p.m., by Julia Fioretti, 447 words)

French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel dies aged 86

PARIS - French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel died on Thursday at the age of 86, mourned by President Francois Hollande as an inventor of "an attitude, a way of life." (FASHION-RYKIEL, (UPDATE 1, PIX), moved, 455 words)

BUSINESS AND MARKETS

Wall St flat as financials offset consumer declines; Fed eyed

Wall Street was little changed on Thursday afternoon as a drop in consumer stocks was offset by gains in technology companies as well as financials after two more Federal Reserve officials said interest rates can be raised. (USA-STOCKS/ (UPDATE 4), moved at 12:56 p.m., by Yashaswini Swamynathan, 405 words)

Upbeat U.S. factory data suggests business spending stabilizing

WASHINGTON - New orders for U.S. manufactured capital goods rose for a second straight month in July as demand for machinery and a range of other products picked up, offering a tentative sign that a business spending downturn was starting to ease. (USA-ECONOMY/ (WRAPUP 2, PIX), moved at 11:42 a.m., by Lucia Mutikani, 826 words)

WhatsApp relaxes privacy stance, to share phone numbers with Facebook

Popular messaging service WhatsApp said it would start sharing users' phone numbers with parent Facebook Inc, marking a notable shift in its stance on privacy. (FACEBOOK-WHATSAPP/PRIVACY (UPDATE 1), moved at 9:59 a.m., by Narottam Medhora, 296 words)

Oil prices up nearly 1 pct on soft dollar, OPEC speculation

NEW YORK - Oil prices rose nearly 1 percent on Thursday on expectations the dollar would weaken after Friday's key speech by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, making greenback-denominated commodities more attractive to holders of other currencies. (GLOBAL-OIL/ (UPDATE 7, GRAPHIC), updating throughout the day, 378 words)

Dollar General takes the battle to Wal-Mart with price cuts

Discount retailer Dollar General Corp said it was cutting prices on its most popular items such as bread, eggs and milk, intensifying a price war with retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc to win back market share. (DOLLAR STORES-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 4), moved at 1:15 p.m., by Sruthi Ramakrishnan, 479 words)

Volkswagen to spend at least $1.2 bln to compensate U.S. dealers -sources

WASHINGTON - Volkswagen AG has agreed to spend more than $1.2 billion to compensate its 650 U.S. dealers for their losses from the German automaker's diesel emissions scandal, two sources briefed on the matter said on Thursday. (VOLKSWAGEN-EMISSIONS/ (UPDATE 4), moved,, by David Shepardson, 504 words)

Tesla wins U.S. antitrust approval to buy SolarCity

WASHINGTON - Tesla Motors Inc has won U.S. antitrust approval to buy solar panel installer SolarCity Corp, the Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday. (SOLARCITY-M&A/TESLA (UPDATE 2), moved at 1:32 p.m., by Diane Bartz, 142 words)

Illinois attorney general sues Insys over fentanyl drug marketing

Illinois' attorney general on Thursday sued Insys Therapeutics Inc, accusing it of deceptively marketing and selling an addictive fentanyl-based medication, intended to treat cancer pain, to doctors for off-label uses. (INSYS-LAWSUIT/ (UPDATE 1), moved at 1:13 p.m., by Nate Raymond, 296 words)

Fed should hike rates gradually, George says in Jackson Hole

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. - It is time for the Federal Reserve to raise U.S. interest rates gradually, given progress on employment and inflation, Kansas City Fed President Esther George said in television interviews, kicking off a high-profile conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with a cautiously hawkish view. (USA-FED/GEORGE (UPDATE 1), moved at 9 a.m., 266 words)

Lower precious-metal costs add sparkle to Tiffany's profit

Tiffany & Co reported an unexpected rise in second-quarter profit as it sold more jewelry in Britain and the upscale jeweler benefited from lower costs of gold and other precious metals. (TIFFANY-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 4), moved at 11:08 a.m., by Subrat Patnaik, 472 words)

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08/25/2016 14:32