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Southwest challenged engine maker CFM over proposed FAA inspections

Southwest Airlines Co clashed with engine maker CFM over the timing of proposed inspections and with regulators over costs after a 2016 accident involving the airline that was caused by a fan blade separating, public documents showed. The documents, which are on a U.S. federal website and were viewed by Reuters, reveal the wrangling over previously proposed safety checks on CFM engines that are now the focus of investigations following a fatal engine explosion this week.

Judge finds Kansas' Kris Kobach in contempt of court

(Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday found Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach in contempt of court for disobeying her order not to enforce the state's disputed proof-of-citizenship voter registration law while the court weighed its legality. Kobach is the front-running Republican candidate for Kansas governor, despite ongoing legal battles over the voter registration law he has sought to enforce as the state's top election official. Wednesday's ruling was the latest in a series of rebukes of Kobach by Judge Julie Robinson of Kansas City.

Puerto Rico hit by island-wide power blackout

A power line failure in southern Puerto Rico cut electricity to almost all 3.4 million residents on Wednesday, the latest in a string of operational and political headaches for the U.S. territory's bankrupt, storm-ravaged power utility. In a statement, the Puerto Rican Electric Power Authority, known as PREPA, said "technical personnel" were working to determine a cause and expected to restore service in 24 to 36 hours. Puerto Rico's smaller islands of Culebra and Vieques, as well as a pair of microgrids on the main island, were unaffected.

Former U.S. Olympians tell Congress more reforms needed in gymnastics

By Ian Simpson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. gymnastics needs more reforms to wipe out sexual abuse after a scandal involving an ex-team doctor convicted of molesting female athletes, former Olympic athletes told a Senate panel on Wednesday. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Jordyn Wieber told lawmakers evaluating the impact of reform legislation that only a housecleaning of staff at USA Gymnastics, the sport’s national governing body, could guarantee that a culture of abuse was eradicated.

Starbucks' Schultz steps in as outrage over cafe arrests simmers

Starbucks Corp turned to long-time leader Howard Schultz on Wednesday to make the case that the U.S. coffee chain accused of racial profiling is committed to offering a "safe space" to customers despite the arrest of two black men in one of its Philadelphia cafes. Closing 8,000 company-owned cafes on the afternoon of May 29 "to do significant training with our people is just the beginning of what we will do to transform the way we do business and educate our people on unconscious bias," Schultz, Starbucks' co-founder and executive chairman, told CBS This Morning.

In Kansas, three found guilty in plot to bomb Somalis' apartment complex

By Alice Mannette WICHITA, Kan. (Reuters) - A federal court jury on Wednesday found three men guilty of plotting to bomb a western Kansas apartment complex that is home to Somali immigrants and their mosque, in a crime prosecutors branded an act of domestic terrorism. The men, whom prosecutors described as members of a right-wing militia group, were also convicted of conspiracy to violate the civil rights of their intended victims in Garden City, Kansas. Each defendant - Curtis Allen, Gavin Wright and Patrick Eugene Stein - faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on June 27.

Trump says Stormy Daniels sketch is of a 'nonexistent man'

By Makini Brice WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said a man portrayed in a sketch released by porn star Stormy Daniels, who she said warned her to stop discussing her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump, does not exist. In response, Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti said his client would likely update a lawsuit she has filed against the president to include a charge of defamation. Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, says she had sex with Trump in 2006.

Southwest engine explosion began when fan blade broke: NTSB

Federal air safety officials investigating why the engine of a Southwest Airlines jet blew apart, killing a passenger after shattering a plane window, said on Wednesday that the incident began when a fan blade already suffering metal fatigue snapped off in mid-flight. National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt told a news conference that he could not yet say if the incident, the first deadly airline accident in the United States since 2009, pointed to a fleet-wide issue in the Boeing 737-700. "We want to very carefully understand what was the result of this problem, and as I mentioned a few minutes ago, I’m very concerned about this particular event," Sumwalt said at the news conference at the Philadelphia airport.

New York attorney general wants power to bypass Trump pardons

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's attorney general on Wednesday asked Governor Andrew Cuomo and state legislators to give him and other local prosecutors power to bring criminal charges against people pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump. In a letter, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman urged Cuomo and legislative leaders to close a loophole in New York's double jeopardy law shielding recipients of presidential pardons from state prosecution.

White House presses vulnerable Democrats to back State Dept nominee Pompeo

By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House cranked up pressure on Wednesday on Democratic senators facing tough re-election fights to back secretary of state nominee Mike Pompeo, who looked increasingly likely to face a rare committee rejection before the full Senate can vote on his nomination. President Donald Trump confirmed the CIA director is already deeply involved in diplomacy via a meeting with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. Pompeo needs Democratic votes to gain approval from the panel where one Republican, Senator Rand Paul, has pledged to oppose him.

Lockheed Martin wins $928 million U.S. defense contract: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp has won a $928 million contract to build an undefined number of hypersonic conventional strike weapons, the Pentagon said in a statement on Wednesday.

New York nanny convicted in stabbing deaths of two young children

A New York nanny was found guilty on Wednesday of stabbing to death two children in her care at their luxury Manhattan apartment, in a case that drew national headlines. A jury unanimously rejected the insanity defense of Yoselyn Ortega, 55, whose lawyer said she hallucinated a devil's order "to kill the children and herself" when she plunged a kitchen knife into Lucia Krim, 6, nicknamed Lulu, and her brother Leo, 2, and left their bloody bodies in a bathtub. The Oct. 25, 2012 killings were discovered when Marina Krim returned to the family's Upper West Side apartment to find her children dead and their nanny standing over them stabbing her own neck with a knife.

Minnesota prosecutor to announce if charges will be filed in singer Prince's death

Carver County Attorney Mark Metz will hold a news conference at 11:30 a.m. CDT (1630 GMT) regarding his decision following a lengthy investigation, the Carver County Attorney's office said in a statement on Wednesday. Prince, 57, was found dead at his Paisley Park complex near Minneapolis on April 21, 2016. Police investigating Prince's death found numerous opioids in the singer's home, according to court documents released in April 2017.

Puerto Rico hit by island-wide power blackout

A power line failure in southern Puerto Rico cut electricity to almost all 3.4 million residents on Wednesday, the latest in a string of operational and political headaches for the U.S. territory's bankrupt, storm-ravaged power utility. In a statement, the Puerto Rican Electric Power Authority, known as PREPA, said "technical personnel" were working to determine a cause and expected to restore service in 24 to 36 hours. Puerto Rico's smaller islands of Culebra and Vieques, as well as a pair of microgrids on the main island, were unaffected.

New York governor to allow 35,000 paroled felons to vote

New York State plans to restore voting rights to about 35,000 New York felons on parole who previously were barred from casting a ballot until they completed their parole, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday. Cuomo will issue an executive order to restore voting rights to those felons already on parole as well as those who enter the parole system each month, a spokesman said. Most convicted felons in the United States face hurdles and roadblocks to voting, which vary by state.

Airlines check some Boeing 737 engines after fatal Southwest accident

By Jamie Freed and Tim Hepher SINGAPORE/PARIS (Reuters) - Global airlines began inspecting some Boeing 737 engines on Wednesday as an investigation gathered pace into an explosion which killed a passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight in the first fatal U.S. airline accident in almost a decade. European regulators earlier this month ordered checks following lengthy analysis of a similar non-fatal incident at Southwest two years ago but investigators warn it is too early to say whether the two problems are linked. Southwest Flight 1380 made an emergency landing in Philadelphia on Tuesday after an engine ripped apart mid-air, shattering a window on the 737 and nearly sucking out a passenger.

Trump lawyer, U.S. prosecutors propose candidates to review seized files

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors and lawyers for President Donald Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen have asked a judge to consider several candidates to review whether documents seized from Cohen in FBI raids are protected by attorney-client privilege. While maintaining that their own internal "taint team" could identify such materials, prosecutors proposed on Wednesday that U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood appoint one of three former federal magistrate judges in Manhattan as an independent special master, if she decides one is needed for the task.

U.S. appeals court says Ohio cannot block Planned Parenthood funds

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati upheld a lower-court judge's ruling enjoining a law Republican Governor John Kasich signed in 2016 that would strip funding that Planned Parenthood received for non-abortion services. The law would have affected funding for Planned Parenthood programs for mothers' and infants' health, HIV counseling and testing, and sex education. Planned Parenthood offers abortions in some of its Ohio clinics, but not all of them.

Emboldened by #MeToo, 'mad as hell' women take spotlight at Cosby retrial

By David DeKok NORRISTOWN, Pa. (Reuters) - As Bill Cosby approached a Pennsylvania courthouse for the beginning of his retrial on charges of drugging and sexually assaulting a one-time friend, a bare-breasted protester ran toward him shouting: "Women's lives matter." Later, when testimony began, a woman who says Cosby accosted her when she was 17 looked directly at him from the witness stand and blurted out: "You know what you did, Mr Cosby." Her break with decorum drew a swift admonishment from the judge, but it was too late. In contrast to Cosby's first trial, outbursts and protests, both inside and outside the courtroom, have unfolded as a second jury hears the sexual assault case against the man once known as "America's Dad." At least one protest group promises more theatrics to come.

Trump contradicts himself over Comey firing

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he did not fire James Comey "because of the phony Russia investigation," contradicting his 2017 statement that he ousted the FBI director last year over the probe. "Both of those things can't be true," Comey said in response when asked about the president's comments on ABC, adding that he still does not know why Trump fired him last May. "It matters that the president is not committed to the truth as a central American value," he said on the television network's "The View" program. Comey's ouster came as the FBI investigated alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between Moscow and Trump's campaign.

Barbara Bush funeral planned for Saturday at Houston church

A private funeral for former U.S. first lady Barbara Bush, the only American woman to see her husband and son both sworn in as president, will be held on Saturday at a Houston church where her family has been members since the 1950s, officials said. Bush, the wife of the 41st president, George H.W. Bush, and mother of the 43rd, George W. Bush, died on Tuesday at the age of 92. After the funeral at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, Bush will be buried on Saturday on the grounds of the George H.W. Bush Library and Museum at Texas A&M University in College Station, about 100 miles (160 km) away, the university said.

Miami among cities at risk from yellow fever spread : study

Miami is at risk of a deadly yellow fever outbreak because the disease could thrive there but the city has no checks on travelers arriving from endemic zones, a study to be published by the World Health Organization showed. Yellow fever is spread by the same mosquito that causes Zika virus, which spread through the Americas after being detected in Brazil in 2015 and has been reported in southern Florida and southern Texas. The U.S. Centres for Disease Control advises that yellow fever is found in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa and South America, and is a very rare cause of illness in U.S. travelers.

Kentucky accuses J&J of contributing to opioid epidemic

(Reuters) - Kentucky's attorney general on Wednesday sued Johnson & Johnson , accusing the pharmaceutical manufacturer of devising a deceptive marketing scheme that mischaracterized the risk of opioid abuse and addiction. The lawsuit by Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear was his fifth to date seeking to hold a drug manufacturer or distributor responsible for its role in the national opioid epidemic. The lawsuit, filed in McCracken Circuit Court, accused J&J and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit of misrepresenting that its opioid medications were safer than alternatives and were "rarely addictive" when used for chronic pain.

Four U.S. senators seek details on unusual cellular surveillance in D.C. area

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four U.S. senators on Wednesday urged the U.S. Homeland Security Department (DHS) to disclose additional information about unusual cellular surveillance activity that has been detected around the nation's capital. The senators - Ron Wyden and Ed Markey, both Democrats, and Republicans Rand Paul and Cory Gardner - said the Trump administration should make public additional details about possible surveillance using cellphone-site simulators around Washington. "The American people have a legitimate interest in understanding the extent to which U.S. telephone networks are vulnerable to surveillance and are being actively exploited by hostile actors," the four said in a letter reviewed by Reuters.

Former FBI chief says Trump's leadership style 'strikingly similar' to mob boss

(Reuters) - Former FBI director James Comey on Tuesday told late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert that the way U.S. President Donald Trump leads is "strikingly similar" to a mob boss. Comey appeared on "The Late Show" on CBS to promote his tell-all memoir, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership," which went on sale at midnight on Tuesday. Colbert asked Comey about how he described in the book the people around Trump as having a mob or a "Cosa Nostra" quality.

'Angels' and training help former fighter pilot save Southwest flight

Tammie Jo Shults, 56, may have drawn on her Navy skills when one of the two engines on her Boeing 737-700 blew and broke apart at 32,000 feet on Tuesday, forcing her to implement a rapid descent toward Philadelphia International Airport. One of the first female fighter pilots in the U.S. Navy, Shults calmly told air traffic control that part of her plane was missing, and she would need ambulances on the runway.

Trump Tweets support for American pastor on trial in Turkey

By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump voiced his support on Tuesday for Pastor Andrew Brunson, who is on trial in Turkey on charges he was linked to a group accused of orchestrating a failed 2016 military coup, in a case that has compounded strains in U.S.-Turkish relations. "Pastor Andrew Brunson, a fine gentleman and Christian leader in the United States, is on trial and being persecuted in Turkey for no reason," Trump tweeted. Hopefully he will be allowed to come home to his beautiful family where he belongs!" Brunson, a Christian pastor from North Carolina who has lived in Turkey for more than two decades, was indicted on charges of helping the group that Ankara holds responsible for the failed 2016 coup against President Tayyip Erdogan.

Barbara Bush, wife and mother of U.S. presidents, dies at 92

Bush was the wife of the 41st president, George H.W. Bush, and mother of the 43rd, George W. Bush. According to some media reports, Bush had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart problems in recent years. "Barbara Bush was a fabulous First Lady and a woman unlike any other who brought levity, love and literacy to millions," George W. Bush said in a statement.

Former first lady Barbara Bush dead at 92: family

(Reuters) - Former U.S. first lady Barbara Bush, the only woman to see her husband and son sworn in as U.S. president, died on Tuesday, the Bush family said. She was 92. (Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler)

IRS gives taxpayers one-day extension after computer glitch

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service said it would give taxpayers an additional day to file their 2017 returns after computer problems prevented some people from filing or paying their taxes ahead of Tuesday's midnight deadline. "Taxpayers do not need to do anything to receive this extra time," the IRS said in a statement announcing the extension. Earlier, the agency said several systems were hit with the computer glitch, including one that handles some returns filed electronically and another that accepts online tax payments using a bank account.

Wind-fanned wildfires threaten to spread in parched Oklahoma

By Nick Oxford TALOGA, Okla. (Reuters) - Wildfires which have killed two people in western Oklahoma could spread and more could ignite as wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour whip an area where scant rain has fallen in five months, fire and forestry officials said on Tuesday. Several wildfires have begun in the past week, and the largest, dubbed the Rhea Fire, began on Thursday. By Tuesday it covered nearly 250,000 acres, in western Oklahoma, and was only 3 percent contained, said Shawna Hartman, spokeswoman for Oklahoma Forestry Services.

Supreme Court restricts deportations of immigrant felons

A provision in U.S. law requiring the deportation of immigrants convicted of crimes of violence is unconstitutionally vague, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday in a decision that could hinder the Trump administration's ability to step up the removal of immigrants with criminal records. The court, in a 5-4 ruling in which President Donald Trump's conservative appointee Neil Gorsuch joined the four liberal justices, invalidated the provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act and sided with convicted California burglar James Garcia Dimaya, a legal immigrant from the Philippines.

San Diego County joins Trump challenge to California 'sanctuary' law

San Diego County leaders voted on Tuesday to join the Trump administration's court challenge to a California law limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, amid a conservative backlash to the so-called sanctuary movement. The Republican-controlled Board of Supervisors voted during a closed-door session to direct the county attorney's office to file a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the administration's lawsuit, board Chair Kristin Gaspar said.

Starbucks to close 8,000 U.S. stores for one afternoon for racial-bias training

The company said in the Tuesday announcement that it will also provide training materials for non-company workers at the roughly 6,000 licensed Starbucks cafes that will remain open in locations such as grocery stores and airports. The announcement from world's biggest coffee company comes as it tries to cool tensions after the Philadelphia incident last week sparked accusations of racial profiling at the chain, which is the subject of a boycott campaign on social media. The controversy is the biggest public relations test yet for new Starbucks Chief Executive Kevin Johnson, who already was fighting to boost traffic to Starbucks amid competition from coffee sellers ranging from hipster cafes to fast-food chains and convenience stores.

One dead after engine explodes on Southwest flight

By Mark Makela PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - An engine on a Dallas-bound Southwest Airlines flight with 149 people aboard apparently exploded on Tuesday, forcing an emergency landing in Philadelphia as one passenger was killed and another one was nearly sucked out a window of the plane, the airline and federal officials said. The fatality on the flight from New York was the first in a U.S. commercial aviation accident since 2009, according to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) statistics. "We have a part of the aircraft missing, so we're going to need to slow down a bit," the plane's captain, Tammy Jo Shults told air traffic controllers in audio released on NBC News.