U.S. Top News: Newtown students return to class after school massacre

	Click to View in Browser 12/18/2012 Newtown students return to class after school massacre NEWTOWN, Connecticut (Reuters) - Students returned to school in the shattered Connecticut town of Newtown on Tuesday, accompanied by police and counselors to help them cope with grief and fear after a gunman's rampage killed 26 people in an elementary school and altered attitudes about gun control in Washington. Toyota fined $17.35 million for U.S. floormat recall delay (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp has agreed to a record fine of $17.35 million for failing to report a safety defect to the U.S. government in a timely manner, but maintained it has done nothing wrong. Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii dead at 88 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye, a decorated World War Two veteran who lost an arm in battle and represented Hawaii in Congress since its statehood more than a half century ago, died on Monday at age 88. Bloomberg slams lawmakers for fear of gun lobby NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined loved ones of victims of shootings from Colorado to Virginia to blast U.S. lawmakers on Monday for being too cowed by the firearms lobby to pass gun control laws that could save lives. Fewest states in 20 years executed inmates in 2012: report AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Nine states executed inmates in 2012, the fewest number in 20 years, as several Southern states that usually carry out executions did not put any inmates to death, according to a report released Tuesday by a nonprofit that tracks death penalty data. Even without Congress, Obama could act to restrict guns WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Unburdened by re-election worries and empowered by law to act without Congress, U.S. President Barack Obama could take action to improve background checks on gun buyers, ban certain gun imports and bolster oversight of dealers. Newtown residents say "enough is enough" after tragedy NEWTOWN, Connecticut (Reuters) - Residents of Newtown gathered on Monday to share ideas on how, after the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the small Connecticut town can escape the designation of "just another site" of a school shooting in America. Siblings in multistate crime spree get 35 years in Georgia case ATLANTA (Reuters) - Three Florida siblings at the center of a multistate crime spree and manhunt last year were each sentenced on Monday to more than 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal bank robbery and firearms charges in Georgia. Maxfield & Oberton to stop production of magnetic toy Buckyballs (Reuters) - Maxfield & Oberton Holdings LLC said it will stop production of the popular magnetic toys Buckyballs this week, months after U.S. regulators had labeled them a safety hazard and issued a stop-sale order. Government can reduce inequality, but chooses not to It is important to acknowledge that while government has played an enormous role in creating the trend toward growing income inequality in the U.S., surprisingly little of that role has involved the most obvious ways government affects income distribution, i.e., taxes and benefits. Related Video U.S. Morning Call: Walmart bribed officials in Mexico - NYT Market Pulse: Whisper it, but Europe the place to be in 2013 Great Debate Fiscal cliffhanger: Ignore the partisans 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