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Majority of Americans say Trump should agree to interview with Mueller: poll

Most Americans think President Donald Trump should agree to an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, if asked, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows. A majority of Democrats wants Trump to consent to an interview while Republicans appear divided after months of negotiations between Trump and Mueller's teams and the president's changing position on the matter. The following are some key findings from the poll:     ** Sixty percent of U.S. adults said President Trump should agree to an interview with Special Counsel Mueller, to answer questions about whether there was any coordination between associates of Trump's 2016 election campaign and Russia.     Trump has repeatedly said there was no collusion, and Russia has denied election meddling.

Despite Trump order, border child separations could go on: legal experts

"The first thing that hit me when I read the order was the tremendous amount of wiggle room built into it," said John Banzhaf, a professor or public interest law at George Washington University. The order signed by Trump on Wednesday calls for those families to be detained together but it permits separation if deemed that detention with a parent "would pose a risk to the child's welfare." Family unity is the policy "where appropriate and consistent with law and available resources," the order said. Legal experts said this language could be exploited by the government to separate families on various grounds and be challenged in court, potentially adding to the welter of litigation against Trump's hardline immigration policy.

Parents in California torture case ordered to stand trial: prosecutors

A judge on Thursday ordered a married couple to stand trial on charges of torture, false imprisonment and abuse for their treatment of 13 siblings who were found imprisoned and starving in their suburban California home, prosecutors said. David and Louise Turpin were bound over for trial after a two-day hearing in Riverside County Superior Court in which the court heard the tape of a 911 call by a 17-year-old girl who climbed out a window and dialed police on a borrowed cell phone, said John Hall of the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. Officers who went to the Turpins’ home in Perris, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles found 12 siblings ranging in age from two to 29 inside, suffering from malnourishment, muscle wasting and other signs of severe abuse.

SEC judge appointments unconstitutional, U.S. high court says

By Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court gave presidents more control over key jobs in federal agencies on Thursday, ruling that the way the Securities and Exchange Commission selected in-house judges who enforce investor protection laws violated the U.S. Constitution. The justices agreed with President Donald Trump's administration that the SEC, in having low-level staff install administrative law judges, infringed upon powers given to the president in the U.S. Constitution's "appointments clause" regarding the filling of certain federal posts. The ruling could reverberate through the federal government, which has nearly 2,000 administrative law judges who decide matters as varied as unfair trade practices, veterans benefits and patent infringement.

U.S. appeals court calls D.C. sniper's life sentences illegal

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied an appeal by prosecutors who said Lee Boyd Malvo need not be resentenced over his role in the D.C. sniper case, which left 10 people dead over three weeks in Washington, Maryland and Virginia. It cited recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles were unconstitutional, and that this rule applied retroactively. "We make this ruling not with any satisfaction, but to sustain the law," Circuit Judge Paul Niemeyer wrote for a three-judge panel of the Richmond, Virginia-based appeals court.

Trump directs U.S. agencies to reunite families at border; Melania visits region

WASHINGTON/MCALLEN, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he was directing federal agencies to begin reuniting children and parents separated at the U.S.-Mexico border after entering the country illegally, a first step to implementing his executive order reversing an administration policy that had drawn global condemnation. Trump's announcement came as his wife, Melania, made a damage-control visit to a border detention facility in Texas where children are being held.

U.S. states set to gain billions in sales taxes after court ruling

U.S. states could reap billions in online sales tax revenue and buttress their budgets after the nation's top court ruled on Thursday that e-commerce companies could be forced to collect the money, even if they have no physical presence in a state. The Supreme Court's ruling in favor of South Dakota and against Wayfair Inc and two other online retailers was a victory for state governments, and a boost for brick-and-mortar stores. The effect is expected to be positive and widespread because 45 states impose sales taxes and until now were barred from requiring those companies to collect remote sales taxes.

Tent city for migrant children puts Texas border town in limelight

A small Texas farming community near El Paso with no traffic lights, a cotton gin and two dollar stores has found itself playing the uncomfortable host to a U.S. government tent city for children suspected of illegal border crossings. In a quiet corner of Texas with vast desert spaces, dusty roads and cotton fields, Tornillo was thrust into the limelight when the first tents went up last week. The tent city has come under scrutiny amid outcry at home and abroad over the Trump administration's policy of separating parents and children after families cross the border from Mexico illegally.

U.S. passengers file suit against Southwest over fatal engine explosion

Eight passengers have sued Southwest Airlines Co over a catastrophic engine blowout in April that killed a passenger and injured several others. The plaintiffs, eight passengers from Flight 1380 on April 17 and one passenger's husband, filed suit on Tuesday in the Supreme Court of the State of New York County of New York. Passengers Cindy Candy Arenas, Jaky Alyssa Arena, Jiny Alexa Arenas, Elhadji Cisse, Donald Kirkland, Beverly Kirkland, Connor Brown, and Cassandra Adams, and Cindy Arenas' husband, Joe Leos Arenas, allege that Southwest acted negligently in its responsibilities to maintain and repair its aircraft and aircraft components.

U.S. centers force migrant children to take drugs: lawsuit

(Reuters) - Immigrant children are being routinely and forcibly given a range of psychotropic drugs at U.S. government-funded youth shelters to manage their trauma after being detained and in some cases separated from parents, according to a lawsuit. Children held at facilities such as the Shiloh Treatment Center in Texas are almost certain to be administered the drugs, irrespective of their condition, and without their parents' consent, according to the lawsuit filed by the Los Angeles-based Center for Human Rights & Constitutional Law. The Shiloh center, which specializes in services for children and youths with behavioral and emotional problems, did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

First lady Melania Trump visits detained immigrant children

Melania Trump on Thursday went on a damage-control mission near the Texas border with Mexico, visiting children displaced by the country’s immigration crisis and showing a softer side than the hardline policies of her husband, U.S. President Donald Trump. The first lady left the White House quietly in the morning and flew to Texas for the unannounced visit, a day after Trump signed an executive order keeping intact families who cross into the United States illegally from Mexico.

Remains of U.S. war dead being returned from North Korea: Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday the remains of U.S. troops missing from the Korean War were in the process of being returned to the United States from North Korea, correcting a statement he made a day earlier. "And I understand ... that they’ve already sent back or are in the process of sending back the remains of our great heroes who died in North Korea during the war," Trump said at a Cabinet meeting. Trump, who met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at an historic summit in Singapore earlier this month, said on Wednesday the remains of 200 American servicemen had been sent back.

Trump administration to suspend prosecutions of migrant parents with children: Washington Post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration will stop prosecuting migrant parents who cross the border illegally with children until immigration authorities have the resources that would allow them to be held in custody, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. "We're suspending prosecutions of adults who are members of family units until ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) can accelerate resource capability to allow us to maintain custody," an unnamed official told the newspaper. (Reporting by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

U.S. labor market tightening; mid-Atlantic manufacturing cools

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to a further tightening of labor market conditions. Other data on Thursday showed a moderation in factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region in June amid a decline in new orders. Firms, however, continued to report overall increases in employment this month.

Texas Gulf gets more rain, threatens region with flooding

(Reuters) - Heavy showers drenched the Texas Gulf Coast on Thursday and flood waters continued to rise after residents fled their homes and crews conducted numerous water rescues in towns still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Flash flood warnings and watches were in effect for communities along the Gulf of Mexico coast and inland, where as much as 5 inches (13 cm) of rain was forecast, the National Weather Service said. More than a foot of rain has already fallen in parts of the region this week.

Trump backs down on separating immigrant children, legal problems remain

By Roberta Rampton and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday backed down and abandoned his policy of separating immigrant children from their parents on the U.S.-Mexico border, after images of youngsters in cages sparked outrage at home and abroad. Trump signed an executive order requiring immigrant families be detained together when they are caught entering the country illegally for as long as their criminal proceedings take. While that may end a policy that drew a rebuke from Pope Francis and everyone else from human rights advocates to business leaders, it may also mean immigrant children remain in custody indefinitely.

Pummeled for days on immigration crisis, Trump told top aides: 'Fix it'

By Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's abrupt reversal in a volatile immigration crisis resulted from pressure by close family members, friends and lawmakers who urged him to climb down from a deeply unpopular hardline policy. As recently as Monday, Trump was vowing to stick to a policy that led to children being separated from their parents when they crossed illegally into the United States from Mexico. Privately, Trump understood that he was facing a huge political problem, and he was keenly aware of negative news coverage, watching TV at times on a television in the small dining room adjacent to the Oval Office, a source close to him said.

Grandmother in El Salvador prays for detained granddaughter

By Nelson Renteria ARMENIA, El Salvador (Reuters) - Ana Henriquez prays that her six-year-old granddaughter will soon be reunited with her mother, even if it means that they are both deported back to El Salvador. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday backed down and abandoned the policy that was aimed at immigrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border after images of youngsters in cages sparked outrage at home and abroad.

Record 47 million expected to travel for U.S. July Fourth holiday: AAA

U.S. travelers will hit the roads, rails and airports in record numbers this Fourth of July holiday, despite higher gasoline prices, the nation's largest automotive advocacy group said on Thursday. Some 46.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles (80 km) over the upcoming July Fourth holiday, the fifth consecutive annual increase and highest travel volume since the group began tracking data 18 years ago, according to the AAA, or American Automobile Association. The holiday period is defined this year as July 3 to July 8.

Trump says North Korea has returned remains of 200 U.S. war dead

President Donald Trump said North Korea had returned on Wednesday the remains of 200 U.S. troops missing from the Korean War, although there was no official confirmation of the move from military authorities. "We got back our great fallen heroes, the remains sent back today, already 200 got sent back," Trump told a crowd of supporters during a rally in Duluth, Minnesota. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday that in coming days North Korea would hand over a "sizeable number" of remains to United Nations Command in South Korea, and they would then be transferred to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.

Trump backs down on separating immigrant children, legal problems remain

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday backed down and abandoned his policy of separating immigrant children from their parents on the U.S.-Mexico border, after images of youngsters in cages sparked outrage at home and abroad. Trump signed an executive order requiring that immigrant families be detained together when they are caught entering the country illegally for as long as their criminal proceedings take. While the change may end a policy that drew a rebuke from Pope Francis and everyone else from human rights advocates to business leaders, it may also mean immigrant children remain in custody indefinitely.

Organizer of deadly Virginia rally plans follow-up in Washington

The organizer of a far-right rally last year in Charlottesville, Virginia, that turned deadly is planning to hold a rally near the White House in Washington on the first anniversary of the event, federal officials said on Wednesday. Jason Kessler filed an application last month and it has been approved to hold what he described as a "white civil rights rally" on Aug. 11-12, although a permit has not yet been issued, Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service, said in an email. Kessler organized the Aug. 12, 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville that drew international attention when a suspected white nationalist crashed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing one woman.

Flash floods punish Texas border towns, Gulf coast area

(Reuters) - Heavy downpours lashed Texas' Gulf Coast and unleashed flash floods on Wednesday, submerging vehicles, swamping homes and forcing numerous water rescues in towns still recovering from last year's Hurricane Harvey. Residents waded shoulder deep through flood waters running down their streets in Mercedes, Texas, about 5 miles (8 km) north of the Mexico-U.S. border, while water was rising in nearby Weslaco. Some 121 miles northeast on the Texas Gulf coast, a flash flood watch was in effect for towns around Corpus Christi after more than a foot of rain had fallen, the National Weather Service said.

U.S. airlines ask government not to put separated migrant children on flights

Four major U.S. airlines have asked the federal government not to use their flights to transport migrant children who have been separated from their parents as part of the Trump administration's policy on illegal immigration. American Airlines Group Inc, United Continental Holdings Inc and Frontier Airlines issued statements on Wednesday before U.S. President Donald Trump backed down from the policy and signed an executive order to end the immediate separation of families detained at the U.S.-Mexico border for entering the country illegally. "The family separation process that has been widely publicized is not at all aligned with the values of American Airlines - we bring families together, not apart," the company said.

Speeding to auction record? 1962 Ferrari could fetch $45 million

Auctioneers RM Sotheby's said on Wednesday that the red Ferrari was one of just 36 examples of the 250 GTO model built by the famed Italian car maker. It has been owned since 2000 by American car collector and Numerix software company chairman Dr. Greg Whitten, who has raced it in vintage events, the auction house said. "The GTO was essentially the final true road racer, marking the end of an era when drivers really got their hands dirty," RM Sotheby's car specialist Shelby Myers said in a statement.

New York sues 3M, five others over toxic chemical contamination

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York state sued 3M Co and five other companies to recover the cost of cleaning up environmental contamination caused by toxic chemicals in firefighting foam that they manufactured. Governor Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Barbara Underwood said on Wednesday the lawsuit seeks more than $38.8 million plus punitive damages and is the first of its type by a U.S. state. New York said the use of the foam at five military and civilian airports in the state caused "extensive contamination" to nearby fish, soil and water and increased the risk to people of immune system damage and other health problems.

Tent city for migrant children puts Texas border town in limelight

By Jon Herskovitz TORNILLO, Texas (Reuters) - A small Texas farming community near El Paso with no traffic lights, a cotton gin and two dollar stores has found itself playing the uncomfortable host to a U.S. government tent city for children suspected of illegal border crossings. In a quiet corner of Texas with vast desert spaces, dusty roads and cotton fields, Tornillo was thrust into the limelight when the first tents went up last week. The tent city has come under scrutiny amid outcry at home and abroad over the Trump administration's policy of separating parents and children after families cross the border from Mexico illegally.