U.S. Top News: Pope denounces U.S. political push to legalize gay marriage

Click to View in Browser 03/9/2012 Pope denounces U.S. political push to legalize gay marriage VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Friday denounced the "powerful political and cultural currents" seeking to legalize gay marriage in the United States, where Maryland has just become the eighth state to allow it. Judge sets stage to take over Oakland's troubled cops (Reuters) - After weeks of raucous street demonstrations, Oakland city leaders finally decided one chilly morning last fall to remove a downtown campsite that had become a national symbol of the Occupy movement. Protesters made makeshift gas masks and braced for a fight with the much-maligned Oakland Police Department. Two dead, including gunman, in shooting at Pittsburgh hospital PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Two people were killed and seven people were wounded in a shooting on Thursday at a psychiatric institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and one of the dead was the gunman who walked into the clinic's lobby armed with two semi-automatic handguns, authorities said. Banks foreclosing on churches in record numbers LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Banks are foreclosing on America's churches in record numbers as lenders increasingly lose patience with religious facilities that have defaulted on their mortgages, according to new data. Anti-government, hate groups growing: report WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - The number of hate and anti-government groups in the United States continued to rise last year, fueled by racial tensions, conspiracy theories and anger over economic inequality, according to a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Men who went on spending spree with friend's body sentenced (Reuters) - Two men who admitted to driving around Denver with their dead friend's corpse and using the dead man's debit card to fund a night at a strip club were sentenced on Thursday to probation, prosecutors said. Florida poised to enact "Caylee's law" inspired by girl's death TALLAHASSEE, Fla (Reuters) - The Florida legislature on Thursday passed and sent to the governor a law intended to protect missing children that was prompted by the death of two-year-old Caylee Anthony and the acquittal of her mother, Casey, of murder charges. Fourth body found from Coast Guard helicopter crash in February Mobile, Alabama (Reuters) - The body of the final missing crewman from a helicopter crash that killed four U.S. Coast Guard members off the Alabama coast late last month has been recovered, officials said Thursday. The body of Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Knight, of Thomasville, Alabama, was recovered by response personnel late Thursday afternoon. Court blocks more parts of Alabama immigration law (Reuters) - An appeals court ordered the state of Alabama on Thursday to stop enforcing additional parts of its controversial new immigration law, pending review of a federal challenge to the measure that is considered the toughest in the nation. Environmental groups sue to stop California building project LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Environmentalists on Thursday sued to stop a development project that would build a new town on the shores of the Salton Sea, California's largest lake, because they said it would increase pollution and threaten wildlife in nearby parks. Related Video Market Pulse: New Greek bonds to trade above Portugal Breakingviews: no cheer for euro zone's first default Great Debate How to tackle the child marriage crisis The battle over money funds A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend