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NRG Energy to cut emissions at Big Cajun coal plant in Louisiana Nov 21st 2012, 00:21 HOUSTON (Reuters) - A unit of NRG Energy Inc agreed to spend $250 million to install pollution control equipment at its 1,489-megawatt Big Cajun II coal-fired plant in Louisiana under a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, the government said on Tuesday. In addition, NRG's Louisiana Generating unit will pay a civil fine of $3.5 million and spend an additional $10. ... Illinois may grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants Nov 21st 2012, 00:16 CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois may soon become the most populous U.S. state to grant a form of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, after the nation's growing Hispanic population boosted the power of Democrats in national and state elections on November 6. A bipartisan group of Illinois politicians announced on Tuesday they would propose such a law when the legislature convenes on November 27. Washington state and New Mexico are the only states that currently allow illegal immigrants to get licenses. Utah allows driving permits. ... Academy Sues Over "Deer Hunter" Oscar Statuette Nov 20th 2012, 23:30 LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - A possibly counterfeit Oscars trophy for the 1978 film has sparked a very real lawsuit. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington state over an Oscar statuette that "was either a genuine statuette or a very convincing counterfeit." If it's real, the trophy was the one awarded to Aaron Rochin for his sound work on the 1978 film "The Deer Hunter." The Academy is suing Washington resident James Dunne, who sold the statue, and Edgard G. Francisco, who purchased it. ... Kansas court lawyer fired for inappropriate tweet Nov 20th 2012, 23:24 KANSAS CITY, Kansas (Reuters) - A state appeals court attorney in Kansas was fired on Monday for inappropriate comments on Twitter about former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline, who faces a state Supreme Court ethics review over cases he handled against abortion providers while in office. As Kline's case was heard before the state Supreme Court last Thursday, Sarah Peterson Herr, a research attorney for the Kansas Court of Appeals, tweeted about the expressions on his face, writing "Why is Phil Klein (sic) smiling? There is nothing to smile about, douche bag. ... Former Marcos aide charged with secretly keeping Monet painting Nov 20th 2012, 23:22 NEW YORK (Reuters) - The former secretary to Imelda Marcos was indicted Tuesday in New York on charges of conspiring to sell artwork that the former Phillipine first lady acquired during her husband's presidency, including a Claude Monet water-lily painting. The paintings, which the Philippine government claims it owns, disappeared around the time Phillipine President Ferdinand Marcos was forced from power a quarter century ago. The ex-aide, Vilma Bautista, 74, a New York resident, was charged on Tuesday with conspiracy and other crimes. ... Media files: 2012-11-20T233927Z_1_CBRE8AJ1TPW00_RTROPTP_2_USA-MARCOSAIDE-PAINTINGS.JPG (image/jpeg) South Carolina tax chief resigns after taxpayers hit in cyber attack Nov 20th 2012, 23:21 CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - The head of South Carolina's tax collection agency has resigned after hackers gained access to state computers and the personal information of nearly 4 million state taxpayers, including Social Security numbers, Governor Nikki Haley said on Tuesday. Jim Etter, director of the Department of Revenue, will step down at the end of the year, Haley said. His resignation follows criticism that state officials took too long to disclose a huge security breach that began in August but was not publicly disclosed until October. Hackers also stole 3. ... Secondhand smoke at five major airports puts flyers at risk: CDC Nov 20th 2012, 23:17 ATLANTA (Reuters) - Thanksgiving travelers who pass through the five major U.S. airports that still allow indoor smoking in designated public rooms face a hidden health hazard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday. A study by the federal health agency found that secondhand smoke levels directly outside public smoking areas were five times higher than the levels in smoke-free airports. ... Strong online growth seen this holiday shopping season Nov 20th 2012, 23:02 SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - E-commerce is expected to grow strongly this holiday season, spurred by early online deals, the rise of mobile devices and more offers of free shipping. ComScore Inc expects online sales to grow 15 percent to 18 percent in the United States this holiday season. Last year, holiday e-commerce spending rose 15 percent to a record $37.2 billion, according to the firm. Doug Anmuth, an analyst at J.P. Morgan, expects online purchases in the fourth quarter to top 10 percent of total U.S. retail spending for the first time. ... Four men charged in California with plot to join al Qaeda Nov 20th 2012, 22:52 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Four men with California ties accused of making arrangements to join up with al Qaeda and Taliban militants for training in Afghanistan have been arrested on U.S. charges of plotting to provide material support to terrorists, the FBI said. A criminal complaint unsealed by federal authorities late on Monday accuses the four men of conspiring to take part in activities they intended as preparation for deadly attacks on Americans overseas, including U.S. military personnel. ... Ancient petroglyphs ripped from stone at California rock art site Nov 20th 2012, 22:50 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Four petroglyphs carved into volcanic rock more than 3,500 years ago have been hacked out and stolen by thieves who also damaged other engravings at a historic site in California, U.S. authorities said on Tuesday. The petroglyphs in the Volcanic Tablelands east of Yosemite represented a "pristine example of Great Basin rock art" that portrayed the daily hunter-gatherer activities that took place in the area, the Bureau of Land Management said. ... Media files: 2012-11-20T225045Z_1_CBRE8AJ1RGP00_RTROPTP_2_ARTS-US-USA-PETROGLYPHS.JPG (image/jpeg) Detroit rejects condition for cash infusion Nov 20th 2012, 22:49 DETROIT (Reuters) - Detroit will not get a much-needed $10 million after the city council rejected on Tuesday a contract to hire a law firm that was part of a deal to help the city overhaul its finances. The state of Michigan and its biggest city, Detroit, announced a deal last week that includes several milestones the city must achieve in the next month to receive the $10 million by Tuesday and another $20 million by December 14. ... Media files: 2012-11-20T224903Z_1_CBRE8AJ1RDV00_RTROPTP_2_USA-DETROIT-COUNCIL.JPG (image/jpeg) Dismissed U.S. priest vows to keep fighting for women's ordination Nov 20th 2012, 22:43 VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - An American activist priest who was dismissed by the Vatican because of his support for women's ordination said on Tuesday the Roman Catholic Church will have to deal with the issue of gender inequality. The Maryknoll religious order said on Monday that Father Ray Bourgeois had been kicked out of the priesthood and the order by the Vatican's doctrinal department, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. "The Vatican and Maryknoll can dismiss me, but they cannot dismiss the issue of gender equality in the Church. ... Robert Kennedy son acquitted of child endangerment charges Nov 20th 2012, 22:19 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Douglas Kennedy, a son of slain Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was acquitted on Tuesday of child endangerment and harassment charges related to a confrontation with two nurses who tried to stop him from leaving the maternity ward with his newborn son. Two maternity ward nurses physically tried to block Kennedy from taking his boy outside for some fresh air, which led to a confrontation in which Kennedy lost his balance and fell, according to a judge's ruling. The baby was uninjured in the fall. ... Former Senator Warren Rudman, budget deal architect, dies Nov 20th 2012, 22:15 LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Former Senator Warren Rudman, a moderate New Hampshire Republican known for a budget deal that helped slash government deficits in the 1990s, died on Monday at age 82, state officials said. Rudman, who had been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, served in the Senate from 1980 to 1993. He was best known for his work in the 1980s on what became the Gramm-Rudman Act — a bipartisan budget agreement that triggered automatic cuts to federal spending if the deficit exceeded certain targets. ... Media files: 2012-11-20T221539Z_1_CBRE8AJ1PU700_RTROPTP_2_RIDGE-SENATE.JPG (image/jpeg) Senator Mark Warner says won't run for Virginia governor Nov 20th 2012, 22:11 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Senator Mark Warner said on Tuesday he would not run for governor of Virginia next year, a job he held from 2002 to 2006. Warner's announcement leaves Terry McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, as the party's only announced nominee to replace current Governor Bob McDonnell, a Republican. Warner has been mentioned as a possible White House candidate in 2016. He was elected to the Senate in 2008. "I loved being governor, but I have a different job now - and it's here, in the United States Senate," Warner said in a statement. ... Media files: 2012-11-20T221113Z_1_CBRE8AJ1PNL00_RTROPTP_2_USA-FISCAL.JPG (image/jpeg) U.S. settles police-bias probe in East Haven, Connecticut Nov 20th 2012, 22:01 BOSTON (Reuters) - The town of East Haven, Connecticut, and federal officials finalized a settlement agreement after a 2-1/2-year investigation found its police force harassed Latinos. Under the terms of the settlement, filed in U.S. District Court in Connecticut on Tuesday, the town agreed to put its officers through 32 hours of training on topics including bias-free policing and effective community engagement each year. "Discriminatory policing, in the form of either selective enforcement or non-enforcement of the law ... ... Four men charged in California with terrorist plot Nov 20th 2012, 22:01 (Reuters) - Four men with ties to Southern California have been arrested and charged with plotting to kill Americans overseas by joining up with al Qaeda to engage in "violent jihad" or Islamic holy war, the FBI said on Monday. Other charges the men face include plotting to bomb government facilities and conspiracy to kill Americans. Since the September 11 2001 attacks, the U.S. government has stepped up surveillance efforts to catch both domestic and foreign militants, but has repeatedly warned that such groups continue to pose a threat. ... Dolphins found shot, mutilated; hunt on for killers Nov 20th 2012, 21:57 MOBILE, Alabama (Reuters) - Authorities are trying to determine who is responsible for killing at least six bottlenose dolphins that have washed ashore along the U.S. Gulf Coast in the past several months, in some cases with their carcasses mutilated. In the most recent case, a dolphin was found dead Friday with part of its jaw missing on Ship Island off the Mississippi coast, said Moby Solangi, director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, Mississippi. ... Media files: 2012-11-20T215755Z_1_CBRE8AJ1P0M00_RTROPTP_2_USA-DOLPHIN.JPG (image/jpeg) Supreme Court accepts raisin case tied to Depression-era law Nov 20th 2012, 21:47 (Reuters) - The Supreme Court agreed to address what may constitute an improper government "taking," in an appeal by California raisin growers who objected to a federal program designed to stabilize supply and prices in the raisin market. The court agreed to address the constitutionality of a "reserve tonnage" program overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under a law dating from 1937, near the end of the Great Depression. It requires raisin "handlers", who include farmers and packers, to set aside part of their crops, in an effort to prevent supply gluts and price volatility. ... Human trafficking victims freed in U.S. prostitution bust Nov 20th 2012, 21:03 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Authorities on Tuesday broke up a $7 million, three-state prostitution and money laundering ring, rescuing two human trafficking victims and arresting more than a dozen people, New York's attorney general said. The crackdown was the result of a 16-month investigation into Somad Enterprises Inc., an advertising agency with offices in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania that placed classified ads for five escort services, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said at a joint news conference. ... Three in failed Ohio bridge bombing plot sentenced to prison Nov 20th 2012, 21:01 AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Three self-described anarchists who pleaded guilty to plotting to blow up a four-lane highway bridge near Cleveland were sentenced to prison on Tuesday by a federal judge. Douglas Wright, 27, Brandon Baxter, 20 and Connor Stevens, 20, pleaded guilty on September 5 to conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, along with other related charges. U.S. District Judge David D. Dowd Jr. gave Wright 11 1/2 years, Baxter just under 10 years and Stevens 8 years in prison. ... Media files: 2012-11-20T210119Z_1_CBRE8AJ1ME900_RTROPTP_2_USA-SECURITY-CLEVELAND.JPG (image/jpeg) Texas veterans parade hit by train did not have city permit Nov 20th 2012, 20:50 SAN ANGELO, Texas (Reuters) - The Texas parade where four veterans were killed last week when a freight train crashed into a float did not have a permit, the city of Midland said on Tuesday. A Union Pacific train on November 15 hit a flat bed trailer carrying wounded veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and their wives, killing four and wounding 16. The National Transportation Safety Board said the warning signal lights flashed, the alarm sounded and the arm came down on one of the parade floats before the train traveling at 62 miles per hour hit the trailer. ... Detroit refuses contract for law firm to overhaul city finances Nov 20th 2012, 20:33 DETROIT (Reuters) - The City Council of Detroit on Tuesday rejected a contract to hire a law firm to help carry out an overhaul of the beleaguered city's finances. In a voice vote, the council rejected the contract for Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone to provide legal advice and to handle litigation pertaining to implementation of the financial stability agreement. In a deal last week between Michigan state officials and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, the contract was stated as one of the conditions for the release of $10 million in state funds to help the city's budget. ...

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