REUTERS AMERICA NEWS PLAN FOR THURSDAY SEPT 1
REUTERS AMERICA MORNING NEWS PLAN FOR THURSDAY SEPT 1
LATEST AND PLANNED U.S. NEWS COVERAGE (ALL TIMES ET)
Top stories as of 9:45 a.m. on Thursday.
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BREAKING
Explosion at SpaceX launch site at Cape Canaveral
CAPE CANAVERAL - An explosion rocked the launch site for Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Thursday and black smoke could be seen rising into the air from the facility, multiple U.S. media reports said. It was not clear if anyone was hurt by the blast, and a spokesman for SpaceX did not immediately return a call for comment. (SPACE-SPACEX/, moving shortly, 78 words)
U.S. layoffs stay low but labor costs spike in second quarter
WASHINGTON - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose less than expected last week, pointing to sustained labor market strength that could push the Federal Reserve closer to raising interest rates. Other data on Thursday showed planned layoffs by U.S.-based employers decreased 29 percent in August and labor costs in the second quarter rose far more than previously reported. (USA-ECONOMY/ (WRAPUP 1, GRAPHICS), moved at 9:16 a.m., 524 words)
Gabon opposition leader says two killed, riots engulf capital
LIBREVILLE - Gabon opposition leader Jean Ping said on Thursday that two people were killed and others were wounded as a second day of violent protests against the re-election of President Ali Bongo engulfed the capital, Libreville. (GABON-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 2, PIX, TV), moved at 8:48 a.m., 660 words, will be led)
TOP STORIES
Mexico president blasts Trump's policies as "huge threat" after meeting
MEXICO CITY - Mexico's president rebuked Donald Trump as a threat to his country just hours after painting a positive picture of talks the two held on Wednesday to try to defuse tensions over the U.S. presidential hopeful's anti-Mexican campaign rhetoric. (USA-ELECTION/MEXICO (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV), moved at 1:08 a.m., by Dave Graham, 630 words)
Trump outlines hard-line position on illegal immigration in speech
PHOENIX - Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday that anyone who is in the United States illegally would be subject to deportation if he is elected, stressing his hard-line position after flirting with a softer approach. Trump again vowed Mexico will pay for construction of a "great border wall" between the two countries only hours after Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto told Trump in a face-to-face meeting in Mexico City that Mexico would not pay for it. (USA-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 11, PIX, TV, GRAPHIC), moved at 11 a.m., by Emily Stephenson, 433 words)
Hurricane warning issued for parts of Florida; Madeline weakens off Hawaii
TAMPA BAY - Forecasters and public officials urged Floridians to prepare for potentially catastrophic flooding and damaging winds as Tropical Storm Hermine was expected to become a hurricane by the time it reached Florida's northern Gulf Coast on Thursday. (STORM-ATLANTIC/ (UPDATE 2, PIX, TV, GRAPHICS), moved at 9:04 a.m., 511 words, will be led through the day)
U.S., others agreed "secret" exemptions for Iran after nuclear deal
WASHINGTON - The United States and its negotiating partners agreed "in secret" to allow Iran to evade some restrictions in last year's landmark nuclear agreement in order to meet the deadline for it to start getting relief from economic sanctions. (IRAN-NUCLEAR/EXEMPTIONS (EXCLUSIVE), moved at 12:53 a.m., by Jonathan Landay, 825 words)
U.S. white nationalists use Twitter with 'relative impunity' - report
WASHINGTON - White nationalists and self-identified Nazi sympathizers located mostly in the United States use Twitter with "relative impunity" and often have far more followers than militant Islamists, according to the study by George Washington University's Program on Extremism released on Thursday, (CYBER-WHITENATIONALISTS/TWITTER, moved at midnight, by Dustin Volz, 463 words)
After lifetime with the poor, Mother Teresa speeds to sainthood
VATICAN CITY - Affectionately called the "saint of the gutters" during her lifetime, Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be made an official saint of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, just 19 years after her death. (POPE-MOTHERTERESA/ (PIX, TV), moved, 655 words) See also: POPE-MOTHERTERESA/ (FACTBOX), moved, 460 words
Apple CEO expects to repatriate billions of dollars to U.S. next year
DUBLIN) - Apple expects to repatriate billions of dollars of global profits to the United States next year, Chief Executive Tim Cook said in a radio interview on Thursday, but did not specify exactly how much would be returned. (EU-APPLE/TAX-REPATRIATION, moved at 4 a.m., 170 words)
CAMPAIGN
Maine's embattled Republican governor says will not resign amid racism flap
-- Maine Governor Paul LePage said on Wednesday he would not resign and was seeking spiritual advice after unleashing an obscenity-laden voicemail message on a political rival, as state lawmakers mulled whether to vote to censure the Republican. (MAINE-LEPAGE/ (UPDATE 4, PIX), moved at 8:42 p.m.,, by Scott Malone, 497 words)
Clinton touts 'American exceptionalism' in appeal to Republicans
CINCINNATI - Hillary Clinton, speaking to a U.S. veterans group on Wednesday, made an open appeal to Republican and independent voters concerned about rival Donald Trump's national security credentials and his fitness for office. (USA-ELECTION/CLINTON (UPDATE 3), moved, 464 words)
"Everything but Hillary Clinton," France's Le Pen says, backing Trump
(USA-ELECTION/LEPEN, moved, 272 words)
WASHINGTON
Obama visits Midway Atoll, a symbol for his climate, Asia legacy
HONOLULU - President Barack Obama is set to visit Midway Atoll, the remote coral reef that serves as a reminder of both modern global climate challenges and the dominance the United States has held in the Pacific since its World War Two victory there. (USA-OBAMA/MIDWAY (PIX), moved at 7 a.m., by Roberta Rampton, 600 words) See also: Obama highlights climate progress at home before journey overseas (USA-OBAMA/CLIMATECHANGE (UPDATE 3, PIX, TV), moved at 2 a.m., 368 words)
U.N. hopeful of Aleppo truce, says U.S.-Russia talks continue
GENEVA - Talks between senior Russian and American officials aiming for a broad ceasefire in Syria are likely to last into the weekend, as the conflict intensifies further, the United Nations Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-UN (TV), moved at 8:12 a.m., 143 words)
IMF urges G20 leaders to boost demand, make case for trade
WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund called on Thursday for G20 leaders to take much stronger action to boost demand, revive flagging trade, make long-delayed structural reforms to their economies and share growth more broadly. (G20-CHINA/IMF, moved at 9 a.m., 353 words)
Australia must choose between United States and China - U.S. Army official
SYDNEY - A senior U.S. Army officer said on Thursday Australia must choose between a stronger U.S. alliance or closer ties with China and urged Canberra to take a tougher stance against Chinese claims in the South China Sea. (SOUTHCHINASEA-AUSTRALIA/USA (UPDATE 1), moved at 1:47 a.m., 300 words)
U.S. skeptical about German call for new arms pact with Russia
BERLIN - The United States said on Thursday it was skeptical about Germany's call for a new arms control deal with Russia to avoid an escalation of tensions in Europe, given Moscow's violation of a series of other agreements. (UKRAINE-CRISIS/RUSSIA-USA (INTERVIEW), moved at 9 a.m., 447 words)
FEATURES
Stanford sex assault case spurs get-tough rape proposals
SACRAMENTO - Former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner will be released on Friday after serving three months for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman near a fraternity party, a sentence that has ignited fierce debate over the way California defines and punishes rape. (CALIFORNIA-RAPE/LAWS (FEATURE, PIX), moved at 6 a.m., by Sharon Bernstein, 659 words)
California's zero-emission vehicle program is stuck in neutral
SAN FRANCISCO - Toyota's zero-emission vehicle sales in California this year amount to a drop of hydrogen in an ocean of gasoline. The world's largest automaker has so far sold about 270 hydrogen fuel cell cars in the state, where it delivered nearly 400,000 gas-powered vehicles last year, according to an Edmunds.com analysis of IHS Markit data. Toyota does not currently sell an electric vehicle. (CALIFORNIA-ELECTRICCARS/ (INSIGHT, PIX, GRAPHIC), moved, by Rory Carroll and Alexandria Sage, 1,470 words)
OTHER U.S. NEWS
All eyes on Kaepernick in San Diego amid his anthem protest
SAN DIEGO - All eyes will be on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick during the performance of the U.S. national anthem at a Thursday night football game to see if he continues to sit in protest of racial injustice in the United States. (NFL-KAEPERNICK/ (PIX, TV), moved at 6 a.m., by Marty Graham, 383 words, will be led from evening game)
Georgia grand jury charges white ex-policeman with murdering black man
ATLANTA - A white former Atlanta police officer was indicted for murder and other charges by a grand jury on Wednesday in the shooting death of an unarmed black man in June, the former officer's attorney said. (USA-POLICE/ATLANTA (UPDATE 1), moved at 10:24 p.m., by David Beasley, 262 words)
Two American climbers missing in northern Pakistan
KARACHI - Two American mountain climbers have gone missing in northern Pakistan while attempting to scale a peak and bad weather was preventing a rescue, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said on Thursday. (PAKISTAN-MOUNTAIN/USA (UPDATE 1), moved at 4 a.m., 252 words)
Ex-Air China worker charged by U.S. for smuggling for Chinese military
NEW YORK - An ex-Air China employee was indicted on Wednesday for smuggling packages onto flights from New York to China on behalf of Chinese military personnel stationed at the country's U.N. mission, U.S. prosecutors said. (USA-CHINA/CRIME (UPDATE 3, PIX), moved at 11:47 p.m., 408 words)
SPECIAL REPORT
In a Lebanese village, civil war scars fade slowly
BRIH, Lebanon - It took more than three decades and an unexpected death to bring the village of Brih back together. Nestled among fruit trees and olive groves in a rugged valley, Brih was populated for generations by both Christians and Druze - adherents to a small but influential offshoot of Islam that emerged in the 11th century. (LEBANON-BRIH/ (SPECIAL REPORT, PIX, GRAPHIC, TV), moved, by Tom Perry, 2,115 words)
MIDDLE EAST
Jets bomb Syrian rebels as they wage big attack in Hama province
BEIRUT - Heavy air strikes target areas of Hama province captured by Syrian insurgents from government forces in recent days, as Damascus counter-attacked in an area of strategic importance to President Bashar al-Assad. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-HAMA (UPDATE 2), moved at 7:20 a.m., 327 words) See also: After Turkish offensive, Syrian town starts erasing legacy of Islamic State (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-TURKEY-JARABLUS (TV, PIX), moved at 1 a.m., 750 words)
Kurdish politicians in Turkey to protest at militant's isolation
ANKARA - A group of Kurdish politicians and activists in Turkey said on Thursday they would start a hunger strike next week to demand the right to visit the jailed the Kurdish PKK militant leader, who has been isolated since a peace process collapsed last year. (TURKEY-SECURITY/KURDS, moved at 8:22 a.m., 316 words)
Clashes at Kabul rally to rebury Afghanistan's bandit king
KABUL - Clashes broke out at a rally in Kabul on Thursday to celebrate a Tajik bandit whose brief reign as king of Afghanistan almost a century ago now risks fueling tensions that could threaten government stability. (AFGHANISTAN-PROTESTS/, moved at 8:17 a.m., 376 words)
Pakistan says it foiled Islamic State expansion into country
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - Pakistan's military on Thursday said it had crushed Islamic State's attempt to expand there, dismissing as propaganda claims by the Middle East-based Islamist militants that they carried out a major bombing last month. (PAKISTAN-MILITANTS/ISLAMIC STATE (PIX, TV), moving shortly, 692 words)
WORLD
French kids return to school under police guard after summer attacks
PARIS - More than 12 million French children went back to school under heightened security on Thursday after a summer vacation marked by further deadly attacks in a country that is one of the prime targets of Islamic State militants. (EUROPE-ATTACKS/FRANCE-EDUCATION (TV, PIX), moved at 9:07 a.m., 386 words)
Venezuela opposition aims to flood Caracas in anti-Maduro protest
CARACAS - White-clad opposition supporters from all corners of Venezuela are descending on Caracas for rallies intended to press for a recall referendum this year against unpopular socialist President Nicolas Maduro. (VENEZUELA-POLITICS/ (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV), moved at 8:05 a.m., 405 words, will be led through the day)
Philippine minister says senator investigating drug killings is linked to drugs
MANILA - The Philippine government made another attack on Thursday on a senator who is leading an inquiry into a spate of killings unleashed by President Rodrigo Duterte's "war on drugs," saying evidence she was linked to drugs was "overflowing." (PHILIPPINES-DUTERTE/DRUGS, moved at 8:34 a.m., 280 words)
Brazil impeachment opens diplomatic rift in Latin America
BRASILIA - The dismissal of Brazil's president upset relations with leftist Latin American governments on Wednesday as Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia recalled their ambassadors to protest what they called a "coup" and Brasilia responded in kind. (BRAZIL-IMPEACHMENT/DIPLOMACY (UPDATE 2), moved at 12:15 a.m., 345 words)
Canada PM presses China on rights, signs millions in deals
(CANADA-CHINA/TRADE (UPDATE 2), moved at 9 a.m., 437 words)
Down but not out, Germany's Merkel weighs another run
(GERMANY-MERKEL/ (PIX), moved, 990 words)
Independence push heats up Hong Kong classrooms at start of new school year
(HONGKONG-INDEPENDENCE/EDUCATION (PIX), moved 615 words)
HEALTH AND SCIENCE
China steps up arrivals checks from Singapore amid Zika outbreak
SINGAPORE/BEIJING - China intensified its checks on people and goods arriving from Singapore on Thursday, as an outbreak of the Zika virus in the small city-state was confirmed to have spread to at least one person in neighboring Malaysia. Singapore is the only Asian country so far with an active transmission of the mosquito-borne Zika virus tied to birth defects in pregnant women. (HEALTH-ZIKA/SOUTHEASTASIA (WRAPUP 2, PIX, TV, GRAPHICS), moved at 8 a.m., 690 words)
Study finds strong link between Zika and Guillain-Barre
CHICAGO - A comparison of rates of Guillain-Barre syndrome before and after Zika arrived in seven countries has found a strong association between the virus and the illness, researchers from the Pan American Health Organization said on Wednesday. (HEALTH-ZIKA/GUILLAINBARRE, moved, 442 words)
WHO says "Not out of the woods yet" in yellow fever outbreak in Angola, Congo
(HEALTH-YELLOWFEVER/WHO (UPDATE 1, TV), moved, 420 words)
Online tools help people improve their health but need more study
(HEALTH-TECHNOLOGY/BEHAVIOR-MODIFICATION, moved, 620 words)
Many factors influence parent decisions about throat surgery
(HEALTH-DECISIONS/CHILDREN-SURGERY, moved, 500 words)
ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE
Pokemon Go hunters snare real thief in New Zealand
WELLINGTON - Some New Zealand fans of the smart phone game Pokemon Go caught more than they bargained for when they grabbed a thief who broke into a car and held him until police arrived. (NINTENDO-POKEMON/NEWZEALAND-THIEF, moved at 4 a.m., 230 words)
Actor Tom Sizemore charged with domestic abuse
LOS ANGELES - Actor Tom Sizemore, who co-starred in the films "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down" before he was convicted in 2003 of assaulting ex-girlfriend Heidi Fleiss, has been charged with domestic abuse stemming from an arrest in July. (PEOPLE-SIZEMORE/ (PIX, TV), moved, 390 words)
Gender and emotion examined in artificial intelligence tale 'Morgan'
LOS ANGELES - The struggle to replicate human emotion in artificial intelligence is often explored in movies but what happens when an artificial being is too emotional? "Morgan," out in theaters on Friday, is set in a near future reality where a group of scientists from a corporate AI company breed a synthetic baby. (FILM-MORGAN/ (PIX, TV), moved, 380 words)
Australia's two biggest cities cancel Mao Zedong memorial concerts, citing safety concerns
SYDNEY - Sydney and Melbourne cancel concerts commemorating the death of former Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, with one citing safety concerns after Chinese Australians complained the content was insensitive. (AUSTRALIA-CHINA/MAO ZEDONG (UPDATE 1), moved at 3 a.m., 425 words)
Formula E drivers to race video gamers in Vegas event
MONZA, Italy - Ten video gamers will take on Formula E racing drivers in a virtual 'ePrix' in Las Vegas in January with $1 million in prize money to be won, organizers of the electric series announced on Thursday. (MOTOR-ELECTRIC/VIRTUAL, moved at 7 p.m., 377 words)
Swiss open corruption investigation over German 2006 World Cup bid
(SOCCER-FIFA/GERMANY-INVESTIGATION, moved at 8:37 a.m., 320 words)
Nate Parker's 'Birth of a Nation' to Hold Press Conference at Toronto Film Festival
(VARIETY/ (ENTERTAINMENT), moved, 227 words)
Venice Film Review: 'La La Land'
(VARIETY/ (ENTERTAINMENT-FILM/REVIEWS), moved, 1,644 words)
Venice Film Review: 'The Light Between Oceans'
(VARIETY/ (ENTERTAINMENT-FILM/REVIEWS), moved, 1,091 words)
CONSUMER TECH
Apple CEO says EU tax ruling 'total political crap'
DUBLIN - The European Union's imposition of a $14.5 billion back tax bill on Apple is "total political crap," Apple CEO Tim Cook says in a newspaper interview, and anti-U.S. bias may have played a role. (EU-APPLE/COOK (UPDATE 3), moved at 7:42 a.m., 900 words) See also: EU says Apple tax ruling not political and based on Apple data (EU-APPLE/, moved at 6:44 a.m., 163 words)
Samsung mobile recovery suffers blow as Galaxy Notes 'catch fire'
SEOUL - The recovery in Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's mobile business suffers a blow as reports of exploding batteries force the firm to delay shipments of Galaxy Note 7 smart phones, and knock $7 billion off its market value. (SAMSUNG ELEC-SMARTPHONES/ (UPDATE 5, PIX, TV), moved, 605 words)
ANALYSIS
After Apple, EU may focus on companies closer to home
BRUSSELS - Multinational companies can expect the European Commission to press on with a crack down on sweetheart tax deals after handing Apple a breathtaking demand for $14.5 billion, officials and experts said on Wednesday. (EU-APPLE/TAXAVOIDANCE-COMPANIES, moved at 1 a.m., 660 words)
Fearing lawsuits, U.S. banks set sky-high limits for director pay
NEW YORK - Over the past two years, a growing number of U.S. banks have capped their directors' earnings, but the ceilings are so high that they primarily serve to fend off potential shareholder litigation rather than control the pace of pay increases. (USA-BANKS/COMPENSATION, moved at 7 a.m., by Olivia Oran, 800 words)
BUSINESS AND MARKETS
August U.S. auto sales seen falling about 3 percent
DETROIT - Reports on August U.S. auto sales on Thursday are seen declining around 3 percent from a year ago, as it appears that this year's sales will likely not top the record set in 2015. (USA-AUTOS/ (PIX, GRAPHIC), moved at 9 a.m., 284 words, will be led through the day)
Campbell Soup's quarterly profit misses analysts' estimates
-- Campbell, the world's largest soup maker, reports a smaller-than-expected quarterly profit and says it is disappointed with the performance of its Campbell Fresh business, which sells fresh and organic foods. (CAMPBELL SOUP-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 1), moved, 300 words)
Wal-Mart plans early layaways to catch 'Star Wars' boost
CHICAGO - For the second year in a row, Wal-Mart Stores Inc will begin its holiday layaway program two weeks early, hoping for a head start to the year-end shopping season and a repeat of last year's strong toy sales driven by "Star Wars" products. (WALMART-HOLIDAYSHOPPING/, moved, by Nandita Bose, 320 words)
U.S. gasoline consumption and exports hit record highs
-- U.S. motorists used a record volume of gasoline in June as good weather and cheap fuel encouraged a strong start to the summer driving season. (USA-GASOLINE/KEMP (COLUMN), moved at 9:22 a.m., by John Kemp, 980 words)
Australia sues Volkswagen over alleged emissions fraud
SYDNEY - The Australian consumer watchdog says it has sued the Australian arm of world No. 2 carmaker Volkswagen AG for intentionally selling more than 57,000 vehicles with software which lied about levels of toxic emissions. (VOLKSWAGEN-EMISSIONS/AUSTRALIA (UPDATE 2, PIX), moved, 295 words)
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