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After Charlottesville, Boston aims to avert violence at 'Free Speech' rally

By Scott Malone and Nate Raymond BOSTON (Reuters) - Hundreds of police officers were positioned around a Boston park where a group plans to hold a "Free Speech" rally with right-wing speakers on Saturday, a week after a woman was killed at a Virginia white-supremacist protest. Streets around Boston Common were lightly trafficked early on Saturday, while some 500 police officers placed barricades to prevent vehicles from entering the park, the nation's oldest. Last weekend's violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, where one woman was killed in a car rampage after bloody street battles, ratcheted up racial tensions already inflamed by white supremacist groups marching more openly in rallies across the United States.

Duke University removes contentious Confederate statue after vandalism

The decision to take down the statue followed discussions among students, faculty, staff and alumni about maintaining safety on campus, university President Vincent E. Price said in a statement. "I took this course of action to protect Duke Chapel, to ensure the vital safety of students and community members who worship there, and above all to express the deep and abiding values of our university," Price said. The prestigious university will preserve the statue of Lee, who led Confederate forces in the American Civil War of 1861-1865, and use it as an educational tool so that students can study "Duke's complex past," Price added.

Solar eclipse presents first major test of power grid in renewable era

By Ruthy Munoz HOUSTON (Reuters) - As Monday's total solar eclipse sweeps from Oregon to South Carolina, U.S. electric power and grid operators will be glued to their monitoring systems in what for them represents the biggest test of the renewable energy era. Utilities and grid operators have been planning for the event for years, calculating the timing and drop in output from solar, running simulations of the potential impact on demand, and lining up standby power sources. It promises a critical test of their ability to manage a sizeable swing in renewable power. ...

Powerball jackpot grows to $535 million, fifth largest ever

A $2 investment could yield more than a half-billion dollars in the Powerball lottery's fifth-largest jackpot in a 25-year history that is up for grabs on Saturday. The Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball for 44 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, said the size of the jackpot increases with the number of tickets sold, and could grow further before the drawing. In the televised drawing set for Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EDT in Tallahassee, Florida, five of 69 white balls and one of 26 red balls - the Powerball - will be randomly selected to form the winning six-digit number.

Millions of Americans to gaze upon Monday's once-in-a-lifetime eclipse

Twilight will fall at midday on Monday, stars will glimmer and birds will roost in an eerie stillness as millions of Americans and visitors witness the first total solar eclipse to traverse the United States from coast to coast in 99 years. The sight of the moon's shadow passing directly in front of the sun, blotting out all but the halo-like solar corona, may draw the largest live audience for a celestial event in human history. "It will certainly be the most observed total eclipse in history," astronomer Rick Fienberg of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) said last week.

Senator McCain completes first round of radiation and chemotherapy

"His resilience & strength is incredible," Meghan McCain, who is a host on the Fox News program "Outnumbered," wrote on Twitter about her father. McCain, 80, who is known for his political independence during three decades in the Senate representing Arizona, was found to have an aggressive form of brain tumor, glioblastoma, after surgery in July for a blood clot above his left eye.

Mayor says Lee statue must go as debate over U.S. slave past rages

The mayor of Charlottesville called on Friday for a special session of Virginia's legislature to let localities decide the fate of Confederate monuments like the statue at the center of a far-right rally last week that turned deadly. Mayor Mike Signer issued his appeal amid an increasingly contentious debate over what to do with memorials to Confederate figures, who fought for the preservation of slavery during the U.S. Civil War, that are seen by opponents as offensive. In what has become the biggest domestic crisis of his presidency, Donald Trump has been sharply criticized, including by fellow Republicans, for blaming Charlottesville's violence not only on the white nationalist rally organizers, but also the anti-racism activists who opposed them.

California man on delayed honeymoon among Barcelona victims

A 43-year-old California man on a delayed honeymoon was among the 13 people killed when a van plowed through a popular pedestrian area in the Spanish city of Barcelona, his family said on Friday. Jared Tucker and his wife had gone to Barcelona to celebrate their first anniversary in the form of a belated honeymoon. Walking in the area of the famous Las Ramblas boulevard on Thursday, he had gone to find a restroom when he was struck down by the van, his wife Heidi Nunes Tucker told KGO television in San Francisco.

Solar eclipse to be streamed live for first time, from balloons

By Nathan Frandino CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Next week's solar eclipse will be streamed live online for the first time, from the vantage point of helium-filled balloons across the United States, providing the public with sky-high views as the moon blocks the sun. A team of researchers from Montana State University has partnered with NASA to participate in the Space Grant Ballooning Project to send more than 50 high-altitude balloons 80,000 feet (24,384 meters) up to capture the solar eclipse as it crosses the country on Aug. 21. "We'll see the variations from coast to coast to see what the eclipse does over landscapes," Cassandra Runyon, director of the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium, said excitedly at a test launch on Thursday.

Judge rejects bid by Polanski's 1977 rape victim to end case

A Los Angeles judge on Friday rejected a request by the woman who was raped by director Roman Polanski 40 years ago to have the criminal case against him dismissed. The ruling follows the first appearance in June in the case by Samantha Geimer, who was 13 years old when Polanski sexually assaulted her in Los Angeles in 1977.

Tillerson says one American dead in Spain attack

A San Francisco area man on a delayed honeymoon was among the 13 people killed in Thursday's attack in Spain, his family told a local television station on Friday, hours after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed that an American citizen was dead. Jared Tucker, 43, had gone to Barcelona to celebrate his first anniversary in the form of a belated honeymoon when he became separated from his wife as they were walking, his father, Dan Tucker told KGO television in San Francisco. Jared Tucker's wife, Heidi Nunes Tucker, told the station that her husband had gone to find a restroom when the attackers struck, plowing into a crowd of pedestrians with a van.

Mayor says Lee statue must go as debate over U.S. slave past rages

By Brandon Shulleeta RICHMOND, Va. (Reuters) - The mayor of Charlottesville called on Friday for a special session of Virginia's legislature to let localities decide the fate of Confederate monuments like the statue at the center of a far-right rally last week that turned deadly. Mayor Mike Signer issued his appeal amid an increasingly contentious debate over what to do with memorials to Confederate figures, who fought for the preservation of slavery during the U.S. Civil war, that are seen by opponents as offensive. In what has become the biggest domestic crisis of his presidency, Donald Trump has been sharply criticized, including by fellow Republicans, for blaming Charlottesville's violence not only on the white nationalist rally organizers, but also the anti-racism activists who opposed them.

California mass killer spared death penalty over prosecutor misconduct

A California man convicted of the worst mass killing in Orange County history was spared the death penalty on Friday after a judge found that serious misconduct by prosecutors had violated his rights to a fair trial. The ruling means that, barring a successful appeal, former tugboat worker Scott Dekraai, 47, will be sentenced to life in prison for killing eight people in a 2011 shooting rampage at a Seal Beach hair salon. "If this case had been prosecuted from the outset by the Orange County District Attorney within the most fundamental parameters of prosecutorial propriety, this defendant would likely be living alongside other convicted killers on California's Death Row," Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals wrote in a 19-page ruling.

Roadblocks, weapons bans as Boston braces for 'Free Speech' rally

By Scott Malone BOSTON (Reuters) - Boston officials are planning road blockades and even banning food vendors from the historic Boston Common as they step up security around a "Free Speech" rally on Saturday featuring right-wing speakers, aiming to avoid a repeat of last weekend's violence at a white supremacist rally in Virginia. Saturday's rally has drawn intense concern from city and state officials following the violence in Charlottesville, when white supremacists at a "Unite the Right" rally fought in the streets with anti-racism protesters.

Insys agrees to pay $4.45 million to resolve Illinois opioid lawsuit

Insys Therapeutics Inc has agreed to pay $4.45 million to resolve a lawsuit by Illinois' attorney general claiming it deceptively marketed an addictive fentanyl-based cancer pain drug for off-label uses. The settlement, announced by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Friday, will resolve claims that Insys illegally marketed its product Subsys to high-volume prescribers of opioid drugs instead of to oncologists treating cancer patients. "It's unethical, greedy behavior by companies like Insys that is responsible for creating the opioid epidemic and resulting overdose deaths in our state," Madigan said in a statement.

Tillerson condemns racism, calls for national reconciliation

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a forceful condemnation of "bigotry in all its forms" on Friday and called for national reconciliation as he promised to work toward making the government more racially diverse.

Ranchers in parched U.S. Northern Plains welcome hay lottery

Hundreds of livestock ranchers in the drought-stricken U.S. Northern Plains are embracing what organizers say is the first lottery designed to provide some much-needed relief to their operations. Ranchers in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana have been suffering through the region's worst drought in 30 years, which has withered grazing fields, causing a severe spike in the cost of hay to feed their animals. While the ranchers search for affordable hay, some have been selling off cattle they cannot afford to feed.

Nestle defends 'Kit Kat' campaign against Atari 'Breakout' lawsuit

Nestle SA on Friday paddled back claims in a new lawsuit in which Atari SA accused the Swiss food company of pilfering its classic 1970s video game "Breakout" to help sell Kit Kat chocolate-covered wafer bars. Nestle damaged Atari's goodwill and reputation on Facebook, Twitter and television by exploiting the name, look and feel of "Breakout," it said in a copyright and trademark infringement complaint filed on Thursday in San Francisco, Atari said Nestle and its U.S. and U.K. affiliates did this to whet the appetites of "nostalgic Baby Boomers, Generation X, and even today's Millennial and post-Millennial 'gamers.'" A spokeswoman for Nestle UK said: "We are aware of the lawsuit in the U.S. and will defend ourselves strongly against these allegations." Kit Kat was first manufactured in 1935.

SEC drops case against ex-JPMorgan traders over 'London Whale'

The top U.S. securities regulator on Friday dropped its civil lawsuit accusing two former JPMorgan Chase & Co traders of trying to hide some of the bank's $6.2 billion of losses tied to the 2012 "London Whale" scandal. The decision by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to dismiss charges against Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout came four weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice abandoned its criminal case against both men, who have denied wrongdoing. Prosecutors said their case ran into trouble after testimony from Bruno Iksil, a cooperating witness who had been dubbed the London Whale, proved unreliable.

In Charlottesville, Germans sense echoes of their struggle with history

BERLIN/WEIMAR, Germany (Reuters) - For the past decade, the pupils of the Manfred von Ardenne school in Berlin have been visiting a local cemetery to tend the graves of victims of the Nazis. By honoring those who died doing forced labor for Adolf Hitler's regime and learning their stories, pupils gain a clearer, more visceral understanding of their country's crimes 75 years ago. "It is very important for us to bring our pupils closer to what happened to make sure it never happens again," said Annemarie Sardisong, the school's head teacher.

Self-sufficient eclipse chasers hit the road to 'totality'

For the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in the United States in almost a century, and the first visible anywhere in the Lower 48 states since 1979, Zeiler had only to drive some 650 miles (1,046 km) from the desert Southwest to the Rockies.

NFL player charged with beating sister's boyfriend

An Oakland Raiders cornerback who prosecutors say beat and stomped on his sister's boyfriend was charged on Thursday with assault and battery. Sean Lee Smith, a 30-year-old National Football League defensive player, could face up to seven years in prison if he is convicted on all three felony counts against him, which include allegations of causing great bodily injury. Smith is accused of attacking his sister's boyfriend, Christopher Woods, on the morning of July 4 in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena, according to a criminal complaint.

U.S. Navy to remove senior leaders of warship after deadly June crash

By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy will relieve the two senior officers and the senior enlisted sailor on a U.S. warship that collided with a Philippine container ship in June off the coast of Japan, the Navy said on Thursday, A separate official report released on Thursday contained dramatic accounts of what happened when the freighter hit the USS Fitzgerald, killing seven Navy sailors. Admiral Bill Moran, deputy chief of naval operations, told reporters that the USS Fitzgerald's commander, executive officer and master chief petty officer would be removed. Multiple U.S. and Japanese investigations are still under way into how the Fitzgerald, a guided missile destroyer, and the much larger ACX Crystal container ship collided in clear weather south of Tokyo Bay in the early hours of June 17.

Car owners' lawyers accuse GM of threats in ignition switch deal

Lawyers for car owners suing General Motors Co over faulty ignition switches and other defects on Thursday accused the carmaker of meddling in settlement talks and having issued threats that led to the canceling of an agreement. Under a deal with a trust that holds many GM liabilities from before its 2009 bankruptcy, the automaker would have been forced to pay $1 billion in shares to resolve millions of claims.

Arkansas gets new batch of lethal injection drug, seeks execution date

Arkansas in April put four inmates to death by lethal injection in its first executions in about a dozen years, ahead of the May expiration date of the state's drug supply. The resumption came as the number of U.S. executions in 2016 fell to a low not seen in a quarter century.

Solar eclipse coming with nearly $700 million tab for U.S. employers

Add next week's total eclipse of the sun to the list of worker distractions that cost U.S. companies hundreds of millions of dollars in lost productivity. American employers will see at least $694 million in missing output for the roughly 20 minutes that outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimates workers will take out of their workday on Monday, Aug. 21 to stretch their legs, head outside the office and gaze at the nearly two-and-a-half minute eclipse. "There's very few people who are not going to walk outside when there's a celestial wonder happening above their heads to go out and view it," Challenger said, estimating that 87 million employees will be at work during the eclipse.

Uber wins U.S. court appeal to push price-fixing case to arbitration

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] on Thursday won a victory in its effort to keep unhappy customers from suing in court, persuading a federal appeals court to send a Connecticut passenger's price-fixing case against the ride-service company into arbitration. Overturning a lower court ruling, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said Uber and former Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick properly notified customers in online user agreements that disputes should be arbitrated. In a 3-0 decision, the appeals court also said the passenger, Spencer Meyer, agreed to arbitrate his own claims, but could try to show Uber waived its right to arbitration by actively fighting him in court.

Ex-Venezuela parliament head loses bid to sue Dow Jones for libel

A U.S. judge has dismissed a lawsuit by the former head of Venezuela's National Assembly accusing The Wall Street Journal of libeling him in an article that identified him as the target of a U.S. drug trafficking investigation. U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest in Manhattan ruled on Wednesday that Diosdado Cabello had failed to explain exactly how the article was false. Gary Redish, a lawyer for Cabello, said he was reviewing the decision with his client.

Durant won't go to White House to visit Trump

Durant was honored in his hometown of Seat Pleasant, Md. and the 2017 Finals MVP told ESPN he will not attend any possible ceremony with Trump. "Nah, I won't do that," Durant told ESPN. Durant and the Warriors are scheduled to visit the Washington Wizards Feb. 28.

Canada sees 'unsustainable' spike in asylum seekers at U.S. border

TORONTO/MONTREAL (Reuters) - The number of asylum seekers who illegally crossed the U.S. border into Canada more than tripled last month, according to Canadian government data released on Thursday, as migrants worried about the U.S. administration's immigration crackdown head north. More than 3,100 people walked across the border illegally in July to file refugee claims and were arrested, up from 884 in June, the federal government said. Ninety-six percent of them went to Quebec, where an influx of asylum seekers, primarily Haitians, is sparking a backlash from opposition politicians and anti-immigrant groups in the primarily French-speaking province.

Iran denies appeal of jailed Princeton student: university

By Yeganeh Torbati WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iranian authorities have denied the appeal of a Princeton University student who had been convicted on espionage charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison, the university and his wife said on Thursday. Xiyue Wang, a history doctoral student and U.S. citizen who was conducting dissertation research in Iran in 2016 when he was detained by Iranian authorities, was accused by Iran of "spying under the cover of research," a claim his family and university deny. "Iranian authorities have denied Xiyue Wang's appeal of his conviction and 10-year prison sentence for espionage that he did not attempt or commit," Princeton University said in a statement.

Governor urges Trump to drop Virginia from offshore drilling plan

By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe urged the Trump administration to exclude his state from a federal offshore oil and gas drilling plan, citing concerns about revenue sharing and environmental issues, in a letter that his office revealed on Thursday. McAuliffe, a Democrat, had previously said that any federal drilling plan that includes his state must include a revenue-sharing program. In the letter, dated Aug. 11 and sent to Kelly Hammerle, national program manager of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), McAuliffe said he could not trust President Donald Trump, a Republican, to share revenues because he had proposed axing revenue sharing with Gulf Coast states where the drilling already occurs.