Reuters: U.S.

Senators debate requiring U.S. sick leave for flu

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:27:07 -0500

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A proposed U.S. law requiring employers to provide paid sick leave would help stop the spread of swine flu and increase productivity, supporters argued on Tuesday.

Fort Hood suspect contacted Islamist: sources

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:06:30 -0500

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence agencies learned an Army psychiatrist contacted an Islamist sympathetic to al Qaeda and they relayed the information to authorities before the man allegedly went on a shooting spree that killed 13 people in Texas last week, U.S. officials said on Monday.

Ex-Bear Stearns hedge fund managers acquitted

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:30:19 -0500

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two former Bear Stearns Cos hedge fund managers were acquitted on Tuesday of fraud charges in the first criminal trial of prominent Wall Street executives stemming from subprime mortgage securities that fueled a market meltdown.

Ex-NY Post editor sues paper, claims racism, sexism

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:25:39 -0500

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former New York Post editor has sued the newspaper and its parent, News Corp, saying she was fired after complaining about sexism and racism, including a cartoon that appeared to liken U.S. President Barack Obama to a chimpanzee.

Ex-U.S. astronaut gets light sentence for 2007 attack

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:55:48 -0500

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - A former NASA astronaut accused of attacking and trying to kidnap a romantic rival pleaded guilty to lesser charges on Tuesday and was sentenced to two days in jail followed by one year of probation.

U.S. TV viewing at all time high in 2008-09

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:29:54 -0500

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Americans are spending more time watching television, as well as playing on computers and chatting on social networking sites.

Madoff friend Picower leaves $200 million to wife

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:51:35 -0500

MIAMI (Reuters) - Jeffry Picower, the billionaire beneficiary of Bernard Madoff's fraud scheme who died last month in Florida, left $200 million to his wife and appointed her chairwoman of a charitable foundation to be funded with assets from his estate.

U.N. missions say NY white powder envelopes harmless

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:58:52 -0500

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Preliminary police examinations of white powder sent in letters to four U.N. missions in New York City showed the material was harmless, diplomats from the affected countries said on Tuesday.

U.S. indicts foreigners for hacking RBS WorldPay

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:26:21 -0500

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. grand jury indicted eight foreigners on charges that they hacked a computer network used by the credit card processing company RBS WorldPay and stole more than $9 million, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.

Treasury says 650,000 in trial home loan workouts

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:56:41 -0500

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 20 percent of struggling U.S. homeowners eligible for loan workouts have entered into a trial modification, but it is unclear how many of them will be able to keep the lower payments permanently, the Treasury Department said on Tuesday.