Reuters US Domestic News Summary
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
Americans of both major parties say infrastructure has worsened; want more spending: poll
Nearly half of registered U.S. voters think American infrastructure has deteriorated in the last five years, a national poll released on Tuesday found, with Republicans taking the dimmer view. While the poll showed that a bipartisan majority believes more infrastructure funding would positively affect the economy, those surveyed held different views on the nation's recent infrastructure changes.
California wildfire forces closure of scenic Highway 1
An epic wildfire that has killed one person and blackened about 60,000 acres along the California coast, forced authorities on Monday to shut down a portion of scenic Highway 1 near Carmel-by-the-Sea. The closure of the highway, which runs along much of the Pacific coastline and is famed for its dramatic ocean views, was prompted by an increase in fire and wind activity in the Big Sur area, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
Florida is investigating apparent new case of locally transmitted Zika
Florida health officials are investigating a new case of the Zika virus in Palm Beach County that appears to be a local transmission, Governor Rick Scott said in a statement on Monday. The person recently traveled to Miami-Dade County, though Scott's statement did not specify exactly where.
Colorado anti-fracking initiatives hit signature target
Environmental groups in Colorado on Monday said they collected enough signatures to add proposed anti-fracking initiatives to a state ballot in November, as long as their petitions make it through a validation review by the Secretary of State's office. One of the initiatives would strengthen the state's "setback" rules, requiring new oil and gas development facilities to be located at least 2,500 feet from occupied structures and areas of interest, such as parks. The second would transfer regulatory control of new oil and gas development to local governments.
Black Kentucky judge suspended after racially tinged remarks
A black Kentucky judge was suspended without pay for 90 days after admitting on Monday that he should not have made racially charged comments, including complaining on Facebook that a prosecutor had deliberately sought all-white juries. Judge Olu Stevens was accused by a state commission of eight counts of violating Kentucky's judicial code of conduct after he criticized Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Wine on social media and in a speech, among other statements.
Harassment case against Roger Ailes will remain in New Jersey court
Former Fox News Channel Chairman Roger Ailes on Monday dropped a bid to move a sexual harassment lawsuit by a former anchor from New Jersey to a federal court in New York. In the lawsuit filed last month in federal court in New Jersey, Gretchen Carlson accused Ailes of repeatedly propositioning her for sex and said he terminated her contract in June after she refused his advances. Ailes, who resigned in the wake of the lawsuit, has denied the allegations.
Kansas park closed as police probe boy's death on water slide
A water park in Kansas was closed on Monday as police investigated the death of a state lawmaker's 10-year-old son on the world's tallest water slide, which sends riders plunging down 17 stories at up to 50 miles an hour (80 km per hour). Police in Kansas City, Kansas, were helping Schlitterbahn park in their probe into the death on Sunday of Caleb Thomas Schwab on the Verrückt water slide, which is more than 168 feet (51.4 meters) tall and whose name means "insane" in German.
NAACP leaders arrested during voting rights protest in Virginia
NAACP President Cornell William Brooks and Stephen Green, the body's youth director, were arrested on Monday in a congressman's district office in Virginia over a six-hour sit-in protest on voting rights, the NAACP said. The men were cited for the protest at the office of U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte in Roanoke, Virginia to demand restoration of parts of the Voting Rights Act, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said in a statement.
Delta Air Lines to cancel nearly 250 flights on Tuesday
Delta Air Lines Inc said it was canceling nearly 250 flights on Tuesday as it looks to restore operations after a power outage hit its computer systems on Monday, causing the cancellation of about 1,000 flights. "We were able to bring our systems back on line and resume flights within a few hours yesterday but we are still operating in recovery mode," Delta said in a statement on Tuesday.
Colorado skydivers parachute safely from burning plane
Thirteen skydivers in Colorado parachuted to safety from just 2,000 feet (609 meters) above the ground after jumping from a burning airplane over the weekend, authorities and the skydiving company said on Monday. The pilot of a twin-engine Beechcraft B90, operated by Out of the Blue Skydiving, declared an emergency shortly after taking off on Sunday from the Colorado Springs East Airport, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
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