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Texas to execute man convicted of killing two at birthday party

Texas plans to execute on Wednesday a man convicted of opening fire at a children's birthday party in 2008, believing a rival gang member was present and fatally shooting a woman and her five-year-old granddaughter in a spray of bullets. Texas plans to put Erick Davila, 31, to death by lethal injection at 6 p.m. (2300 GMT) at its execution chamber in Huntsville. If the execution goes ahead, it will be the ninth this year in the United States and the 550th in Texas since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, the most of any state.

Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial goes to the jury

A Pennsylvania jury of seven men and five women was due to begin deliberations on Wednesday to decide whether to convict comedian and actor Bill Cosby of sexual assault, attempting to reach a verdict where a previous jury was hopelessly deadlocked. Cosby, 80, the once-beloved comedian and TV dad who won over America on "The Cosby Show" in the 1980s, is on trial on three counts of aggravated indecent assault of Andrea Constand, 45, at his home outside Philadelphia in January 2004. Starting Wednesday, they will receive instructions from Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill and begin their deliberations.

Arizona Republican takes early lead in tight race for House seat

By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - Republicans were heading for victory in an Arizona election for a U.S. House of Representatives seat, early results suggested on Tuesday, after a tight race that may still bolster Democratic momentum heading into November’s midterm vote.    Republican Debbie Lesko was leading Democratic Hiral Tipirneni, a former emergency room doctor, by about 9,100 votes with about 10,500 votes still to be counted at 11 p.m. local time, according to the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office. "I want to promise you that I am going to continue to work hard for the people of my district and continue to represent you with the values that have continued to make our nation great," Lesko told her supporters in a speech.

Trump's travel ban faces Supreme Court reckoning

President Donald Trump's administration goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to defend the legality of his travel ban targeting people from several Muslim-majority countries, one of the most contentious actions of his presidency. Trump's travel ban - the third version of a policy he first sought to implement a week after taking office in January 2017 - blocks entry into the United States of most people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Chad was on the list announced in September, but Trump removed it on April 10.

U.S. Supreme Court divided over Texas electoral district fight

By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared divided along ideological lines as it heard a bid by Texas to revive Republican-drawn electoral districts thrown out by a lower court for diluting the clout of black and Hispanic voters. Some of the conservative justices seemed willing during arguments in the case to accept that the Republican-led Texas legislature acted in good faith when it adopted new electoral maps in 2013 for state legislative and U.S. congressional seats. Liberal justices seemed skeptical that those maps resolved racial discrimination concerns that caused earlier maps to be invalidated, and questioned whether it was premature to hear the case because a lower court had not yet issued a final ruling on the dispute.

Florida shooting suspect qualifies for public defender, judge rules

The man charged with killing 17 people at Florida high school qualifies to have a public defender represent him at taxpayer expense, even though he may inherit money from his late mother's estate, a Florida judge ruled on Tuesday. The 19-year-old suspect, Nikolas Cruz, has a current net worth of about $28,000 and access to only part of that sum, Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer wrote in a court ruling. The judge said she would reconsider the question of whether Cruz qualified for a public defender should he inherit money from the estate, according to a court filing.

Busloads of migrants from 'caravan' arrive at U.S.-Mexico border

By Edgardo Garrido TIJUANA, Mexico (Reuters) - Dozens of Central American migrants from about 600 traveling in a "caravan" through Mexico arrived at the border city of Tijuana late on Tuesday despite warnings it would be futile to try to cross to claim asylum in the United States. By evening, two busloads of men, women and children arrived in Tijuana, a city that grazes southern California. U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered officials to repel them.

Rapper Meek Mill freed from U.S. jail after months-long campaign

(Reuters) - Rapper Meek Mill, who had been incarcerated for five months on a probation violation, was released from a Pennsylvania jail on Tuesday, his attorney said, after the state's top court granted him bail, capping a star-laden campaign to have him freed. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered a lower court to release the "All Eyes on You" rapper and grant him a new hearing because of "credibility issues with a police officer who was a 'critical witness'" in his 2008 gun and drug convictions, court documents show. Meek Mill's attorney, Joe Tacopina, said on Tuesday that the 30-year-old rapper had been released from jail near Philadelphia.

White House doctor refuses to pull out as Trump's nominee for veterans job

By Steve Holland and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's physician Ronny Jackson will continue as the nominee to lead the Veterans Affairs department after allegations about his conduct stalled his Senate hearing for the job, a White House official said on Tuesday. Jackson met with Trump after the president left open the possibility during a news conference that the physician would withdraw from the process. Afterward, the White House said there was a feeling the doctor - well liked by administration figures from both parties - was being railroaded.

Cosby prosecutors say his 'time to escape justice is over'

Evidence of being a serial rapist finally caught up with Bill Cosby after decades of assaulting women and hiding behind his kindly television persona, prosecutors told a Pennsylvania jury on Tuesday in closing arguments of his sexual assault trial. With evidence and closing arguments concluded, the jury of seven men and five women was due to begin deliberations on Wednesday to decide whether to convict Cosby, 80, on trial on three counts of aggravated indecent assault of Andrea Constand, 45, at his home outside Philadelphia in January 2004. Some 50 women have accused Cosby, the once-beloved comedian and TV dad, of sexual assault going back decades, but only Constand's case was recent enough to be prosecuted.

U.S. environment agency proposes limits to science used in rulemaking

By Valerie Volcovici and Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule on Tuesday that would limit the kinds of scientific research it can use in crafting regulations, an apparent concession to big business that has long requested such restrictions. Under the new proposals, the EPA will no longer be able to rely on scientific research that is underpinned by confidential medical and industry data. The measure was billed by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt as a way to boost transparency for the benefit of the industries his agency regulates.

James Comey's tell-all book sells 600,000 copies in first week

(Reuters) - Fired FBI director James Comey's memoir that details his private meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump sold some 600,000 copies in all formats in its first week, its publisher said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of best-selling political books. Comey's "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership," has so far outpaced Hillary Clinton's campaign memoir "What Happened" and journalist Michael Wolff's behind-the-scenes White House expose "Fire and Fury" in opening week sales, according to industry figures. Publisher Flatiron Books, a division of privately-owned Macmillan, said it has printed more than 1 million copies of Comey's book, which has made national headlines.

U.S. Supreme Court upholds legality of patent review process

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday gave its stamp of approval to a government review process prized by high technology companies as an easy and cheap way to combat "patent trolls" and others that bring patent infringement lawsuits. The justices ruled 7-2 that a type of in-house patent review at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office does not violate a defendant's right under the U.S. Constitution to have a case adjudicated by a federal court and jury. The court ruled against Oil States International Inc , a Houston-based oilfield services company that had challenged the legality of the process, called inter partes review (IPR).

Trump says veterans pick must decide whether to move forward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his presidential physician must decide whether or not to move forward as his nominee to lead the Veterans Affairs department, saying he had not heard about reported allegations of past behavior issues. Speaking to reporters at a White House news conference, Trump said his pick, Ronny Jackson, was "one of the finest people that I have met" and "a great leader," but that he did not want to put him through an ugly nomination process in the U.S. Senate. ...

U.S. Supreme Court divided over Texas electoral district fight

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared divided along ideological lines as it heard a bid by Texas to revive Republican-drawn electoral districts thrown out by a lower court for diluting the clout of black and Hispanic voters. Some of the conservative justices seemed willing during arguments in the case to accept that the Republican-led Texas legislature acted in good faith when it adopted new electoral maps in 2013 for state legislative and U.S. congressional seats. Liberal justices seemed skeptical that those maps resolved racial discrimination concerns that caused earlier maps to be invalidated, and questioned whether it was premature to hear the case because a lower court had not yet issued a final ruling on the dispute.

U.S. top court curbs human rights claims against companies

Foreign corporations cannot be sued in American courts for human rights abuses committed overseas, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday, refusing to revive a lawsuit claiming Jordan-based Arab Bank Plc helped finance militant attacks in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The 5-4 decision ended a lawsuit by some 6,000 non-U.S. citizen plaintiffs, including survivors and relatives of people killed in attacks, filed under a 1789 U.S. law called the Alien Tort Statute that accused Arab Bank of being the "paymaster" to militant groups.

Florida shooting suspect qualifies for public defender, judge rules

The man charged with killing 17 people at Florida high school qualifies to have a public defender represent him at taxpayer expense, even though he may inherit money from his late mother's estate, a Florida judge ruled on Tuesday. The 19-year-old suspect, Nikolas Cruz, has a current net worth of about $28,000 and access to only part of that sum, Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer wrote in a court ruling. The judge said she would reconsider the question of whether Cruz qualified for a public defender should he inherit money from the estate, according to a court filing.

Express Scripts targets Amgen, Lilly migraine drugs in pricing shift

The largest U.S. manager of prescription benefits is telling drugmakers that the current pricing model is broken, and taking aim at Amgen Inc, Eli Lilly and Co and other makers of new migraine medicines to try and fix it. Express Scripts told Reuters it is pressing them to forego the usual strategy of setting a high U.S. list price, then lowering the cost for health plans through hefty rebates. It is also seeking a refund if the drugs don't work within a defined timeframe.The shift could help Express Scripts and other pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) bring prices down, and deflect growing criticism of their role as "middlemen" in the drug supply chain.

Massachusetts court weighs suspending judge for courthouse affair

Massachusetts's top court weighed on Tuesday whether it should suspend a judge who admitted to engaging in repeated sexual encounters including in his courthouse with a social worker whose lawyer contended he abused the power he had over her. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court considered whether it should take the rare step of indefinitely suspending Judge Thomas Estes without pay, clearing the way for state lawmakers to potentially remove him from office. The case has evoked the #MeToo movement, which has prompted women to share experiences of sexual abuse and harassment and exposed men accused of misconduct in fields ranging everywhere from entertainment to politics and business.

Nashville police arrest Waffle House shooting suspect after manhunt

Police on Monday arrested the man suspected of fatally shooting four people at a Waffle House restaurant, ending a 36-hour manhunt after tips from the public led police to search secluded woods nearby. Photos posted online by Nashville police showed Travis Reinking, a 29-year-old construction worker, in custody. Photographed in the back of a police car, he looked disheveled and was wearing a torn red shirt and dirty blue jeans.

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush admitted to Houston hospital

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush was admitted to a Houston hospital on Sunday after contracting an infection that spread to his blood, a family spokesman said on Monday. Bush, 93, was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital a day after a funeral was held for his wife, Barbara Bush, spokesman Jim McGrath said. Bush, the country's oldest living ex-president, served a single term in the Oval Office from 1989 through 1993.

Waffle House shooting suspect arrested in Nashville woods

By Tim Ghianni NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - Police on Monday arrested the man suspected of fatally shooting four people at a Waffle House restaurant, ending a 36-hour manhunt after tips from the public led police to search secluded woods nearby. Photos posted online by Nashville police showed Travis Reinking, a 29-year-old construction worker, in custody. Photographed in the back of a police car, he looked disheveled and was wearing a torn red shirt and dirty blue jeans.

Three MS-13 gang members in Massachusetts convicted in murder trial

Three suspected members of the MS-13 gang in Massachusetts were convicted on Monday of participating in gang-related murders, in a case U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has called an example of how authorities can try to tackle the criminal organization. The verdict in Boston federal court came in the largest U.S. criminal case involving MS-13, whose members include immigrants from El Salvador and which U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to link to his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.

Ex-Insys employee in U.S. opioid case sentenced to home confinement

Natalie Perhacs, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Callie Granade in Mobile, Alabama, after pleading guilty to conspiring to pay kickbacks to the doctors to prescribe Insys' product Subsys, according to court records. The home confinement is part of a five-year period of probation imposed by Granade, who also ordered Perhacs to participate in 300 hours of community service.

Southwest cancels more U.S. flights as it inspects engines

Southwest Airlines Co canceled more flights on Monday as it worked to complete inspections of engines like the one that failed last week in a deadly accident over Pennsylvania. Flightaware.com, a website that tracks aviation cancellations, said Southwest canceled 129 flights on Monday, or 3 percent of its total flights, and delayed 468 other flights, or 11 percent. Southwest said the cancellations were the result of the company’s announcement last Tuesday that it would begin voluntarily stepping up inspections of some CFM56-7B engines over the next 30 days.

U.S. anti-Muslim hate crimes rose 15 percent in 2017: advocacy group

Hate crimes targeting U.S. Muslims rose 15 percent in 2017, the second year of increases, according to a study released on Monday by advocacy group the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The group recorded 300 U.S. hate crimes targeting Muslims last year, ranging from the June beating of a Muslim man in the Bronx borough of New York City by attackers who called him a terrorist to a November incident when a Muslim family's Kansas restaurant was burned down. CAIR attributed the increase in part to the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, particularly restrictions on immigration from Muslim-majority countries.

California risks severe 'whiplash' from drought to flood: scientists

By Alister Doyle OSLO (Reuters) - California will suffer more volatile weather this century with a "whiplash" from drought to rain and mounting risks a repeat of the devastating "Great Flood" of 1862, scientists said on Monday. Climate change, driven by man-made greenhouse gas emissions, would drive more extreme shifts between hot and dry summers and wet winters in the most populous U.S. state, they wrote in the journal Nature Climate Change. Global warming is making California and other regions with similar Mediterranean-style climates, from southern Europe to parts of Australia, drier and warmer in summer, said lead author Daniel Swain of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Miami police use stun gun on man accused of touching female passenger

Jacob Garcia began screaming insults on Sunday when airline staff tried to move him to another seat after the woman and her boyfriend accused him of touching her inappropriately, according to a Miami-Dade Police Department arrest report. Police ordered everyone off the plane, which was about to depart for Chicago, according to the arrest report and an American Airlines statement. A stun gun had little effect on him, possibly because it did not attach properly through his clothing, the arrest report said.

Police search for gunman who killed four at Nashville waffle house

By Tim Ghianni NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - A nearly nude gunman killed four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee, early on Sunday and then fled after a patron saved lives by wrestling the assault-style rifle from his hands. The suspected shooter, identified by authorities as Travis Reinking, 29, fled on foot and was still at large as murder warrants were being issued for him, the Metropolitan Nashville Police said. Reinking, originally from Morton, Illinois, lives near the restaurant, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron told an afternoon news conference.

Southwest cancels about 40 flights for engine inspections

At the time, Southwest said those inspections would cause some impact on operations, but it has not said how many engines it planned to inspect. On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration and European airline regulators ordered emergency inspections within 20 days of nearly 700 aircraft engines similar to the one involved in a fatal Southwest engine blowout earlier this week. The engine explosion on Southwest Flight 1380 on Tuesday was caused by a fan blade that broke off, the FAA said.

Trump aide urges Congress to pare back bipartisan spending deal

By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress needs to consider rolling back the spending deal that U.S. Republicans brokered with Democrats last month, because lawmakers voted to enact the $1.3 trillion legislation without reading it, an aide to President Donald Trump said on Sunday. White House legislative director Marc Short said the spending bill, which ran to more than 2,000 pages, was rushed into place to avoid a government shutdown.

Austin Powers movies' Mini-Me, Verne Troyer, dies

The diminutive actor who starred in the Austin Powers movies' as "Mini Me", Verne Troyer, died Saturday at a hospital in Los Angeles. "It is with great sadness and heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today," his family posted on his Instagram account. Troyer, who was 2 feet 8 inches (81 cm) tall, is best known for Austin Powers movies "The Spy Who Shagged Me" and "Austin Power in Goldmember." He also had the role of the goblin Griphook in the Harry Potter movies.

White Sox struggle in wake of Farquhar brain hemorrhage

(Reuters) - The Chicago White Sox lost 10-1 to the Houston Astros on Saturday but matters on the field took a backseat to concerns about their reliever Danny Farquhar, who suffered a brain hemorrhage a day earlier. The White Sox said tests had revealed a ruptured aneurysm. White Sox starter James Shields told reporters prior to the game on Saturday the players were all suffering.

Turkey's Erdogan says U.S. should look at its own actions if it wants jailed pastor freed

President Tayyip Erdogan said the United States should look at its own actions if it wants the return of an American Christian pastor who has been jailed in Turkey for suspected links to a 2016 failed coup. Erdogan made the comment in a live interview with broadcaster NTV. Andrew Brunson, 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 coup against Erdogan.