Reuters US Domestic News Summary

DEA announces four-state crackdown on illegal pill distribution

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday announced the results of a four-state crackdown aimed at stopping illegal distribution of addictive prescription medicines, such as opioid painkillers, that yielded 280 arrests. Dubbed Operation Pilluted, the DEA said 22 doctors and pharmacists were among those arrested on federal and state criminal charges over the course of 15 months. Led by the DEA's New Orleans Field Division, the action, which the agency called its largest-ever prescription drug operation, took place in Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi.

Former DEA agent, employee charged with secretly running strip club

U.S. authorities announced charges on Wednesday against a former Drug Enforcement Administration supervisor and a technology specialist at the agency for failing to disclose their ownership stake in a New Jersey strip club. David Polos and Glen Glover, the DEA employees, made false statements to the government by not disclosing they were part owners of Twins Plus Go-Go Lounge in South Hackensack, according to a complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan.

Man who flew gyrocopter to U.S. Capitol faces up to nine and a half years in prison

The Florida man who flew a gyrocopter onto the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in April faces up to 9-1/2 years in prison after being indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday. Douglas Hughes, a 61-year-old mail carrier from Ruskin, Florida, was indicted on six charges, including violation of the registration requirements involving an aircraft and violation of national defense airspace, the U.S. Justice Department said.

U.S. House lifts ban on Capitol Hill sledding

The House of Representatives has voted to lift a ban on sledding on the U.S. Capitol grounds, freeing the area for one of Washington's winter delights, the District of Columbia's congresswoman said. The legislation passed by the House of Representative urges the U.S. Capitol Police not to enforce the law, which has prohibited sledding for security reasons since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

McDonald's, other fast-food workers, protest ahead of annual meeting

Thousands of McDonald's workers seeking a minimum wage of $15 per hour swarmed the fast-food giant's headquarters for the first of two days of protests to coincide with the fast-food chain's annual meeting on Thursday. Protests by low-wage fast-food and retail workers have helped fuel a national debate about pay levels. Companies such as McDonald's Corp and Wal-Mart Stores Inc are raising starting pay and cities like Seattle and Chicago are boosting their minimum wages over time.

NYC's One World Observatory offers panoramic views, painful memories

New York's One World Trade Center on Wednesday treated invited guests to a sneak peek at the panoramic views from the observation deck atop the newly opened tower, which rises nearly a quarter of a mile (400 meters) above the streets of Lower Manhattan. The "pre-opening" of the three-floor aerie at the crown of the Western Hemisphere's tallest building marks the latest milestone in the rebuilding of the site where the Twin Towers were destroyed in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

California Medical Association drops opposition to doctor-assisted suicide

The California Medical Association on Wednesday dropped its three-decade opposition to physician-assisted suicide, possibly paving the way for already-introduced legislation that would make the practice legal for terminally ill patients in the state. The CMA said its change to neutral on the issue marked the first by a state medical association. It comes amid renewed debate over doctor-assisted suicide following the death of brain cancer patient Brittany Maynard last fall.

Shopping area reopens after deadly Texas motorcycle gang fight

The shopping center in the central Texas city of Waco shut after a weekend brawl between rival motorcycle gangs that left nine people dead will reopen on Wednesday, police said. Authorities still are investigating the main crime scene, a Twin Peaks restaurant in the center where five biker gangs used guns, knives, clubs and chains in a Sunday fight that spilled out into two parking lots. The battle ended in a hail of bullets from police positioned outside in anticipation of violence.

New video surfaces showing Freddie Gray arrest in Baltimore

A new video has surfaced revealing a key part of the arrest of Freddie Gray, the Baltimore black man whose death from injuries sustained in police custody sparked riots and led to a federal investigation. The video, shot by a bystander and posted on the Baltimore Sun's website on Wednesday, shows officers putting Gray in leg shackles and handcuffs before placing him in a police van head first and on his stomach.

Bin Laden fixated on attacking U.S. interests: documents

Osama bin Laden was fixated on attacking U.S. targets and pressured al Qaeda groups to heal local rivalries and focus on that cause, according to documents the United States says were seized in his hideout in Pakistan and released on Wednesday. The documents published by U.S. intelligence also contained details of purported negotiations between al Qaeda, its allies in the Pakistani Taliban and representatives of Pakistani intelligence, and what seemed to be an al Qaeda job application.