U.S. urges North Korea to pardon and release American prisoner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday urged North Korea to pardon and release on humanitarian grounds an American student serving a sentence of 15 years of hard labor.

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Some U.S. Agriculture Dept offices reopen with increased security

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which had closed some offices after receiving anonymous email threats, said it reopened most with increased security on Wednesday, but others remained shuttered as further precautions were put in place.

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Virginia Republicans seek to block governor's voting rights restoration

(Reuters) - Virginia Republican leaders said they will file a contempt motion on Wednesday against Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe over his efforts to restore voting rights to about 206,000 felons.

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Amtrak gets partial victory in U.S. appeal over Sandy insurance

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amtrak secured a partial U.S. appellate court win on Wednesday in its efforts to recoup insurance coverage after the railroad service sustained more than $1 billion in losses during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

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Obama to highlight climate issues at home before journey overseas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday embarked on a 10-day trip during which he will stress the urgency of curbing climate change and try to achieve some final agreements on the issue with world leaders at a G20 meeting in China.

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U.S. senators seek federal probe of Takata-linked Texas explosion

(Reuters) - Two U.S. senators on Wednesday called on the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the Aug. 22 crash and explosion of a truck carrying Takata Corp air bag parts.

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U.S. appeals court voids $655.5 million award vs. Palestinian Authority, PLO

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday threw out a $655.5 million judgment against the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization after they had been found liable to a group of American families who accused them of supporting terrorist attacks in Israel.

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Storm bears down on Florida, hurricane threatens Hawaii

(Reuters) - Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning on Wednesday for the Florida Gulf Coast, where preparations were being made for life-threatening flooding and fierce winds, while residents of Hawaii's Big Island were warned of an encroaching hurricane.

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Novartis bid to sell new biosimilar crimped by U.S. court battles

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis has won U.S. approval for a copy of Amgen's blockbuster arthritis drug Enbrel, but the Swiss drugmaker's bid to muscle in on the medicine's $4.7 billion in annual U.S. revenue remains blocked by court battles.

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First U.S.-Cuba scheduled flight in decades set to depart

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Reuters) - The first regularly scheduled commercial flight between the United States and Cuba in more than half a century is set to depart on Wednesday, starting a new chapter in the Obama administration's bid to open trade and travel with the former Cold War foe.

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Several injured after ferry strikes New York kayakers

(Reuters) - Several people were injured, at least one of them seriously, when a ferry struck a group of kayakers off a Manhattan pier on Tuesday evening, officials said.

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Three new cases of local Zika transmission in Florida: officials

(Reuters) - Florida health officials on Tuesday said they were investigating three new Zika virus cases likely stemming from local mosquito bites in Miami-Dade County, including two cases outside of the known areas of active transmission.

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Rubio wins Republican nod for another Senate term

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Insurgent challengers fell flat in Florida on Tuesday as Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio won his party's nomination to seek re-election in November and U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz held a big lead in her Democratic nominating race.

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