REUTERS AMERICA AFTERNOON NEWS PLAN FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 29
LATEST AND PLANNED U.S. NEWS COVERAGE (ALL TIMES ET)
Top stories as of 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
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BREAKING
U.S. congressman Fattah of Philadelphia charged inracketeering case
WASHINGTON - Democratic U.S. congressman Chaka Fattah ofPennsylvania and four associates were charged on Wednesday withinvolvement in the misuse of hundreds of thousands of dollars offederal, charitable and campaign funds. (USA-CRIME/FATTAH(UPDATE 2, PIX), moved at 1:19 p.m., 492 words)
Fed sees improving economy, job market; September rate hikein view
WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy and job market continue tostrengthen, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday, leaving thedoor open for a possible interest rate hike when central bankpolicymakers next meet in September. (USA-FED/ (WRAPUP 1, PIX),moved at 2 p.m., 422 words)
Afghanistan says Taliban leader dead
KABUL - Afghanistan said on Wednesday that Mullah Omar,elusive leader of the Taliban movement behind an escalatinginsurgency against the government in Kabul, died more than twoyears ago. (AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN/ (UPDATE 4, PIX, TV), moved at12:28 p.m., 606 words) See also: Taliban leader, who Afghanistansays is dead, a pious enigma (AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN/OMAR, moved at1:58 p.m., 1,192 words)
TOP STORIES
University of Cincinnati police officer charged with murderof black man
CINCINNATI - A University of Cincinnati police officer whofatally shot an unarmed black man this month has been chargedwith murder, the Hamilton County prosecutor said on Wednesday.(USA-POLICE/OHIO (UPDATE 3), moved at 1:53 p.m., 376 words)
New York state man charged with supporting Islamic State
WASHINGTON - U.S. authorities arrested a man in western NewYork and charged him with supporting Islamic State by travelingto Turkey to help the militant group, the Justice Departmentsaid on Wednesday. (USA-JUSTICE/ARREST (UPDATE 2), moved at12:13 p.m., 278 words)
Brady blasts NFL 'Deflategate' suspension, denies wrongdoing
New England Patriots football star Tom Brady denied onWednesday he had destroyed his cell phone to avoid giving it toNFL investigators, saying the flap was "manufactured" todistract from "zero evidence" against him in the "Deflategate"scandal. (NFL-BRADY/SUSPENSION (UPDATE 3, PIX, TV), moved at11:51 a.m., 807 words)
Israel wary as U.S. paroles ex-spy Pollard
JERUSALEM - Israel offered a cautious welcome on Wednesdayto the planned U.S. release of former spy Jonathan Pollard, warythat too warm a celebration might hurt efforts to persuade theObama administration to let him leave for Israel immediately.(ISRAEL-USA/POLLARD (PIX), moved at 7:51 a.m., 499 words)
Obamacare case to be turned against government on emissionsrule
WASHINGTON - Opponents of President Barack Obama'ssoon-to-be-implemented policy to cut carbon emissions from powerplants are planning to use an unlikely and potentially potentweapon against him: the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision thatsaved Obamacare. (USA-COURT/ENVIRONMENT, moved at 7 a.m., 866words)
WASHINGTON
Weak home purchase contracts hint at pause in sales activity
WASHINGTON - Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. housesunexpectedly fell in June after five straight months ofincreases, suggesting some cooling in home resales activityafter recent hefty gains. (USA-ECONOMY/ (WRAPUP 1), moved at11:47 a.m., 492 words)
TSA chief vows to close security gaps at U.S. airports
WASHINGTON - The new leader of the U.S. TransportationSecurity Administration said on Wednesday his top priority wouldbe to close security gaps at airport checkpoints where aninternal report showed 96 percent of undercover tests failed.Peter Neffenger, the agency's new administrator, told acongressional panel that front-line TSA employees would betrained by September to avoid the pitfalls that led to thosefailures. (USA-AIRPORTS/ (UPDATE 1), moved at 12:08 p.m., 348words)
U.S. approves possible sale of $5.4 billion in missiles toSaudi Arabia
WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department has approved thepossible sale to Saudi Arabia of $5.4 billion in additionalPAC-3 missiles built by Lockheed Martin Corp , the Pentagon saidon Wednesday. (USA-SAUDI/MISSILES (UPDATE 1), moved at 11:46a.m., 170 words)
CAMPAIGN
Trump lands in new controversy over breast-feeding comments
WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump onWednesday pushed back against a lawyer he had berated when sherequested a break to pump breast milk for her then-infantdaughter, the latest controversial remark to emerge in hispresidential campaign. (USA-ELECTION/TRUMP (UPDATE 1), moved at12:08 p.m., 412 words)
FEATURE
In rise of U.S. vape shops, owners eye new marijuana market
NEW YORK - When Matt and Jen Osmun opened their vape shop inBethel, Connecticut, last December, they didn't expect to get aboost from the local medical marijuana outlet. "Sales are goingreally well, and getting better every month," said Jen Osmun,who started the business with her husband, a former plumber,after he was injured in an accident. Since 2008, the number ofU.S. vape shops has grown to about 8,500, and the sale ofelectronic cigarettes and supplies climbed to $3.5 billion,spurred in part by the growing market for marijuana.(USA-ECIGARETTES/SHOPS (GRAPHIC), moved at 7 a.m., 1,000 words)
OTHER U.S. NEWS
Hundreds of homes threatened by wildfires in U.S. West
SAN FRANCISCO - Hundreds of homes in the U.S. West werethreatened by wildfires on Wednesday, as firefighters gainedground on a glut of blazes. (USA-WILDFIRES/WEST, moved at 1:07p.m., 375 words)
Colorado movie gunman's father: FBI asked if son was'terrorist'
CENTENNIAL, Colo. - The father of Colorado's movie massacregunman told his murder trial on Wednesday how he was quizzed atan airport just hours after the rampage by FBI agents who hesaid were interested in whether his son might be a "terrorist."(USA-SHOOTING/DENVER, moved at 12:49 p.m., 427 words)
Search for 14-year-old Florida boaters enters sixth day
ORLANDO, Fla. - The search for two 14-year-old boys fromFlorida who went missing while on a fishing trip in the AtlanticOcean entered a sixth day on Wednesday, with the U.S. CoastGuard saying there was still a chance they may survive theirordeal. (USA-FLORIDA/SEARCH, moved at 11:12 a.m., 209 words)
Mass. man accused of plotting college bombing pleads notguilty
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The son of a Boston police captainarrested this month and accused of planning to bomb a collegecafeteria on behalf of the Islamic State militant group pleadednot guilty on Wednesday to criminal charges.(USA-SECURITY/ISLAMIC STATE (UPDATE 2), moved at 11:46 a.m., 458words)
Death of woman in jail cell prompts Texas House committeemeeting
AUSTIN, Texas - A Texas House of Representative committeeplans to meet on Thursday to look into conditions that led tothe death of Sandra Bland, a black motorist whose apparentsuicide in jail has raised questions about what role race playedin her treatment. (USA-TEXAS/DEATH, moved at 10:34 a.m., 304words)
Fallen tree injures 8 children outside California museum
LOS ANGELES - A pine tree that stood some seven stories tallfell onto a group of children outside a museum in Pasadena,California, on Tuesday, injuring eight of the youngsters, two ofthem seriously, city and museum officials said.(USA-TREE/CALIFORNIA, moved at 12:46 a.m., 297 words)
Retired professor charged with 1990 California abduction ofdaughter
A retired college professor from Arizona has been chargedwith the 1990 abduction of her daughter from the San Franciscoarea, prosecutors said. (USA-KIDNAPPING/CALIFORNIA, moved at1:25 p.m., 290 words)
Court upholds conviction of ex-FBI agent tied to gangster'Whitey' Bulger
MIAMI - A Florida appeals court on Wednesday reinstated the2008 murder conviction of Boston mob boss James "Whitey"Bulger's longtime FBI handler for providing information thegangster used to carry out a 1982 hit. (USA-CRIME/BULGER, movedat 1:08 p.m., 398 words)
Ex-State Dept counterterrorism official pleads guilty tovoyeurism
WASHINGTON - A former U.S. State Department counterterrorismofficial pleaded guilty on Wednesday to surreptitiously filmingseveral women through the windows of their Washington homes,prosecutors said. (USA-CRIME/VOYEURISM, moved at 1:08 p.m., 244words)
New Mexico dispatcher who hung up on caller resigns
An Albuquerque, New Mexico, emergency dispatcher hasresigned after telling a 911 caller attending to a dyingteenager to "deal with it" herself and then hanging up on her, afire department spokeswoman said on Wednesday.(USA-DISPATCHER/NEWMEXICO, moved at 1:48 p.m., 390 words)
Cathay Pacific flight makes emergency landing in Alaska'sAleutians
A Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Los Angelesdiverted to a U.S. military airport in Alaska's Aleutian Islandson Wednesday due to smoke in the aircraft, an airlinespokeswoman said. (USA-FLIGHT/ALASKA (UPDATE 1), moved, 139words)
Oregon bridge danglers hope to delay Shell's Arctic drilling
Protesters rappelled off a bridge in Portland, Oregon, onWednesday hoping to delay Royal Dutch Shell's Arctic oilexploration this summer by blocking the return of a ship toAlaska that holds emergency equipment. (USA-SHELL/ARCTIC, moved,398 words, will be updated)
MIDDLE EAST
Israel approves new homes in settlement after demolishingtwo buildings
JERUSALEM - Israel gave final approval on Wednesday forplans to build 300 new homes in a Jewish settlement in theoccupied West Bank, announcing the move as it carried out acourt demolition order against two vacant apartment blocks inthe same enclave. (ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/SETTLEMENT (UPDATE 1, TV,PIX), moved at 12:54 p.m., 360 words)
U.S., Turkey weigh which Syrian rebels to support in borderarea
WASHINGTON - The United States and Turkey have not yetagreed on which Syrian rebels they will support in a jointeffort to help clear the Islamic State from an area along theTurkish border, officials say. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/USA-TURKEY(UPDATE 1), moved at 5 a.m., 775 words) See also: Turkey signsdeal to open air bases to U.S.-led coalition(MIDEAST-CRISIS/TURKEY-USA, moved at 5:25 a.m., 60 words) andTurkey launches heaviest air strikes yet on PKK, stoking Kurdishire (MIDEAST-CRISIS/TURKEY (UPDATE 1, TV, PIX, GRAPHIC), moved,780 words)
Bahrain sees foreign link in attack, Iran denies role
DUBAI - Bahraini authorities arrest several people inconnection a deadly bombing and suspect the attack was a foreignattempt to harm the Gulf state's stability, local media reports.(BAHRAIN-SECURITY/BLAST (UPDATE 1), moved, 335 words)
Gunmen in Egypt kill guard outside Niger embassy
CAIRO - Unidentified gunmen shot dead a security guardoutside the embassy of Niger in Cairo, Egyptian interiorministry says. (EGYPT-VIOLENCE/, moved, 150 words)
Islamic State claims car bomb in Yemen capital, four dead
DUBAI - A car bomb exploded outside an Ismaili mosque inYemen's war-damaged capital Sanaa on Wednesday, killing fourpeople and wounding six, health authorities and a securitysource said. (YEMEN-SECURITY/BOMBING (UPDATE 2), moved at 2:09p.m., 277 words)
WORLD
Pressed by left, Greece's Tsipras vows "thus far and nofurther"
ATHENS - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, struggling tocontain a revolt in his left-wing Syriza party, said onWednesday that his government would not implement reformmeasures beyond those agreed with lenders at a euro zone summitthis month. (EUROZONE-GREECE/ (WRAPUP 2, TV, PIX, GRAPHICS),moved at 1:23 p.m., 1,046 words)
Pakistan police say kill leader of banned sectarian group
LAHORE - Pakistani police kill the leader of the sectarianmilitant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, his two sons and 11 others ina shootout after gunmen attack a police convoy and free him ashe is being moved, police say. (PAKISTAN-MILITANT/ (UPDATE 2),moved, 415 words)
Migrant dies in Channel Tunnel as British security bodymeets over crisis
LONDON/PARIS - A migrant dies trying to cross to Britainfrom France as more than 1,000 try to swarm through the ChannelTunnel. (EUROPE-MIGRANTS/CALAIS (UPDATE 1, PIX), moved, 530words)
Zimbabwean charged over killing of Cecil the lion
HWANGE, Zimbabwe - A Zimbabwean court on Wednesday charged aprofessional hunter with failing to prevent an American fromunlawfully killing 'Cecil', the southern African country'sbest-known lion, in a case that has triggered widespreadrevulsion at trophy hunting. (ZIMBABWE-WILDLIFE/LION (UPDATE 4,PIX, TV), moved at 1:51 p.m., 920 words)
Malaysian probe into fund scandal stalls after PM sacksdeputy
KUALA LUMPUR - A Malaysian parliamentary investigation intoa graft scandal at a state investment fund embroiling PrimeMinister Najib Razak has been put on hold as cracks in thelong-ruling party appears to widen. (MALAYSIA-POLITICS/ (UPDATE2, PIX, TV), moved, 620 words)
Fabius, visiting Tehran, invites Rouhani to France
DUBAI - On the first visit to Iran in 12 years by a Frenchforeign minister, Laurent Fabius conveys an invitation fromPresident Francois Hollande to Iran's President Hassan Rouhanito visit France in November. (FRANCE-IRAN/FABIUS (UPDATE 2),moved, 395 words)
London-bound BA flight lands in Montreal after bomb threat
MONTREAL - A British Airways flight from Las Vegas to Londonmade an emergency landing in Montreal on Wednesday due toconcern that a bomb threat had been made, an airport spokesmansaid. (BRITISHAIRWAYS-DIVERSION/ (UPDATE 1), moved at 10:34a.m., 145 words)
Backers fear that missing in action, Trudeau losing bid tolead Canada
OTTAWA/MONTREAL - Justin Trudeau, the man who was supposedto lead Canada's Liberals out of the political wilderness, hasinstead sunk to third place just months from an election.(CANADA-POLITICS/TRUDEAU (PIX), moved, 700 words)
SPOTLIGHT
Ukraine struggles to control maverick battalions
KIEV - In the eyes of many Ukrainians, volunteer fightersare heroes for helping the weak regular army resist pro-Russianseparatists. In the view of the government, some of thevolunteers have become a problem. Bringing them under controlwill not be easy. (UKRAINE-CRISIS/BATTALIONS (SPECIAL REPORT,PIX, GRAPHIC), moved, 1,820 words)
HEALTH AND SCIENCE
California lawmaker battles recall by anti-vaccine activists
SACRAMENTO - Democratic State Senator Richard Pan, theCalifornia lawmaker who made it harder for parents to opt out ofvaccinating their children, a stance that earned him deaththreats, is now launching a campaign to save his job, days afterthe state certified a recall effort against him.(USA-VACCINES/CALIFORNIA, moved, 400 words)
Insulin resistance might increase Alzheimer's risk
Insulin resistance may increase the risk for Alzheimer'sdisease by depriving the brain of sugar needed for normalcognition, a small study suggests. Diabetes itself - a diseasein which the body can't properly use insulin to convert bloodsugar into energy - has been linked to Alzheimer's disease, butthe exact nature of the connection isn't as clear.(HEALTH-ALZHEIMERS/DIABETES, moved, 530 words)
ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE
Venice Film Festival marks 72nd edition with star lineup
ROME - The Venice Film Festival revealed a star-studdedlineup for its 72nd annual edition on Wednesday with topHollywood names centre stage in a wide selection of U.S. andinternational movies. The world's oldest film festival will openwith "Everest", starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Keira Knightley andbased on the 1996 climbers' disaster on the world's highestmountain. (FILMFESTIVAL- VENICE/, TV, moved at 9:27 am, 350words)
Rapper Future takes top spot on Billboard chart
Rap artist Future topped the U.S. Billboard 200 album chartfor the first time with the debut of his album "DS2" this week."DS2" is the third studio album from the 31-year-old. The13-track album sold 151,000 units in its first week, accordingto figures from Nielsen SoundScan, making it Future's highestearner yet. (MUSIC- CHARTS/, moved at 9:32 am, 300 words)
Huge Detroit, Bethlehem Banksy murals to be sold in BeverlyHills
LOS ANGELES - A large street mural painted on a derelictDetroit auto factory by elusive British artist Banksy is goingup for auction in Beverly Hills and could fetch up to $400,000for a local non-profit group, Julien's Auctions said onWednesday. (ART-BANKSY/AUCTION (PIX), moved at 9 a.m., 396words)
EU probes Disneyland Paris over prices for foreign tourists
BRUSSELS - European Union regulators are investigatingprices charged by Disneyland Paris after complaints from foreignconsumers who said they were charged far more than their Frenchcounterparts. (EU-DISNEYLANDPARIS/PRICES (CORRECTED), moved at8:30 a.m., 289 words)
Jamaican author makes Man Booker long list with Bob Marleynovel
LONDON - The long list of 13 titles for the 2015 Man BookerPrize for fiction written in English, published on Wednesday,features the first Jamaican author in contention for the $78,000prize. Marlon James is nominated for his third novel, "A BriefHistory of Seven Killings," the story of the attemptedassassination of reggae singer Bob Marley. (ARTS-BOOKER/, movedat 7 a.m., 317 words)
CONSUMER TECH
A fresh Start: Microsoft's Windows 10 wins plaudits
Microsoft Corp's launch of its first new operating system inalmost three years, designed to work across laptops, desktop andsmartphones, won mostly positive reviews for its user-friendlyand feature-packed interface. (MICROSOFT-LAUNCH/WINDOWS 10(UPDATE 2), moved at 11:40 a.m., 370 words)
Russians hackers used Twitter, photos to reach U.S.computers - report
SAN FRANCISCO - Russian government-backed hackers whopenetrated high-profile U.S. government and defense industrycomputers this year used a method combining Twitter with datahidden in seemingly benign photographs, according to expertsstudying the campaign. (RUSSIAN-HACKERS/BACKDOOR, moved at 8a.m., 380 words)
Being frank not enough, Twitter needs to broaden portfolio
Twitter Inc interim CEO Jack Dorsey's criticism of thecompany's efforts to woo new users may just be the first step toaddress its long-standing problems. (TWITTER-RESULTS/STOCKS(UPDATE 1), moved at 2:06 p.m., 460 words)
Facebook reports results after the bell
Facebook reports results after the bell. Investors havepiled into its stock options to make bullish bets, as robustmobile pricing and strength in video ads are expected to helpthe company post strong results. Investors will keep a closewatch on costs and whether the company can keep up growth inmonthly active users. (FACEBOOK-RESULTS, expect after 4 p.m.,400 words)
BUSINESS AND MARKETS
China stocks bounce back as intervention restores stability
SHANGHAI/HONG KONG - Chinese shares bounce back more than 3percent, as Beijing's latest efforts to prop up values restoresa measure of stability to its unruly stock market.(CHINA-MARKETS/ (WRAPUP 2, PIX, GRAPHICS), moved, 550 words)
U.S. judge dismisses 'pyramid scheme' lawsuit vs Herbalife,CEO
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing HerbalifeLtd and its chief executive officer of misrepresenting theweight-loss and nutritional products maker's sales practices aslegitimate when the company was "at its core" a pyramid scheme.(HERBALIFE-LAWSUIT/, moved at 11:30 a.m., 364 words)
India's Spice Jet in talks with Boeing, Airbus for $11billion jet deal
NEW DELHI - Indian budget airline Spice Jet Ltd is in talkswith Boeing Co and Airbus Group to acquire about 100 newnarrow-body jets, its chief financial officer says, in a dealthat would be worth about $11 billion at list prices.(SPICEJET-ORDERS/ (UPDATE 1), moved, 400 words)
Belgium's Solvay to buy U.S. peer Cytec for $5.5 billion
BRUSSELS - Belgian chemical group Solvay has agreed to buyU.S. peer Cytec for $5.5 billion, giving it a bigger presence inthe lightweight materials business where demand from theaerospace industry is booming. (CYTEC-M&A/SOLVAY (UPDATE 2),moved, 415 words)
Lone Star to buy property firm Quintain for $1.1 billion
LONDON - Quintain Estates and Development will be bought byU.S. private equity firm Lone Star, the London property groupsays, after receiving a bid valuing the firm at around $1.1billion. (QUINTAIN EST DEV-M&A/LONESTAR, moved, 155 words)
Barclays to speed up cost-cuts and asset sales
LONDON - Barclays' new chairman sought to stamp his mark onthe bank on Wednesday by accelerating the sale of assets andcost cutting after the group produced a 12 percent increase insecond-quarter profits. (BARCLAYS-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 3), moved,825 words)
Nissan profit jumps 58 pct on strong U.S. sales, weak yen
YOKOHAMA - Japan's Nissan Motor Co says first-quarteroperating profit soared 58 percent, beating forecasts, lifted bystrong vehicle sales in the United States and China as well as aweak yen, boosting the value of earnings overseas.(NISSAN-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 1, PIX), moved, 285 words)
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