Reuters US Domestic News Summary
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
Truck carrying Takata air bag materials explodes in Texas, killing one
A truck transporting Takata Corp air bag propellant material at the center of a global recall crashed and exploded in Texas last week, killing one woman and injuring four other people, the auto parts supplier said on Monday. Takata said the truck, operated by a subcontractor, was traveling from a Takata plant in Moses Lake, Washington, to a Takata warehouse in Eagle Pass, Texas, early on Aug. 22 when an accident occurred.
California lawmakers pass rape bill inspired by Stanford case
California lawmakers, responding to outrage over the six-month jail term given to a former Stanford University swimmer after his conviction for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, passed legislation on Monday closing a loophole that allowed the sentence. The bill now goes to Democratic Governor Jerry Brown for his approval. He has not indicated whether he will sign it into law.
FBI offers $50,00 reward for capture of escaped polygamous sect leader
The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a Utah-based polygamous faith leader who escaped from home confinement ahead of his trial over food stamp fraud. Lyle Jeffs, 56, fled confinement in Salt Lake City sometime over the weekend of June 18 - 19 and an arrest warrant was issued by a federal judge that Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
Social media adds to panic over 'gunfire' at L.A. airport: police
A security panic that crippled Los Angeles International Airport and sent hundreds of passengers fleeing from terminals was triggered by reports of gunfire that proved false but were amplified by word-of-mouth and social media, police said on Monday. The shooting scare on Sunday night, which marked the worst security disruption in nearly three years at the second-busiest U.S. airport, began with police receiving a call reporting gunshots fired at a United Airlines gate inside Terminal 8, police said.
FBI detects breaches against two state voter systems
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has found breaches in Illinois and Arizona's voter registration databases and is urging states to increase computer security ahead of the Nov. 8 presidential election, according to a U.S. official familiar with the probe. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Monday that investigators were also seeking evidence of whether other states may have been targeted.
U.S. traffic deaths rose 7.2 percent in 2015: Transportation Dept.
Last year 35,092 people died in traffic crashes in the United States, a 7.2 percent year-on-year increase that runs counter to a five-decade trend of declining fatalities, the U.S. Transportation Department said. U.S. officials said lower gasoline prices combined with job growth increased the number of miles driven last year by the highest rate in nearly 25 years. Distracted driving was cited in about a tenth of traffic fatalities in 2015, the U.S. DOT said.
California lawmakers send governor bill authorizing farmworker overtime
California would become the first U.S. state to require farmers to pay overtime to field workers and fruit pickers under a bill approved by the legislature on Monday and sent to Democratic Governor Jerry Brown for his approval. The bill, which passed on a mostly party-line vote, would phase in overtime pay for farmworkers from 2019 to 2022. Small farms that employ 25 or fewer workers would have an additional three years to phase in the pay.
John Lennon's killer denied parole for ninth time
The man who shot and killed John Lennon in New York City nearly 36 years ago has again failed to persuade a state parole board to release him from prison on parole, officials said on Monday. Mark David Chapman, 61, will remain behind bars at a maximum-security prison in Erie County near Buffalo, New York, after his request for parole was rejected for the ninth time since 2000.
Former Chicago official gets 10 years in red light camera bribe case
A former Chicago transportation official was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in prison for using his influence to expand contracts for the city's red light traffic camera program in a $2 million bribery scheme. John Bills, 55, was convicted in January on every charge he faced connected to the scheme, including mail fraud, wire fraud, filing false tax returns and bribery.
Washington state begins killing wolf pack for preying on livestock
Wildlife agents authorized to eradicate a group of 11 wolves for repeated attacks on cattle in Washington state have hunted down and killed six animals from the condemned pack and are searching for the rest, a state game official said on Monday. State biologists fatally shot two members of the so-called Profanity Peak wolf pack from a helicopter on Aug. 5 after confirming five fatal wolf attacks on livestock in that area. Further lethal-control efforts were later called off.
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