By Alex Dobuzinskis

(Reuters) – A federal judge on Friday issued legal sanctions against high profile Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio for destroying documents in a civil rights lawsuit accusing him and his department of racially profiling Latinos.

Citing the admitted destruction of emails and patrol records by Arpaio’s office, U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow said he would punish the department by drawing certain incriminating conclusions of fact against the agency when it comes time to rule on the suit.

By Alex Dobuzinskis

(Reuters) – A college student stranded in her car for nine days on a barren northern Arizona road has been rescued after living on candy bars and melted snow, authorities said on Thursday.

Arizona State University student Lauren Weinberg, 23, was found Wednesday by two U.S. Forest Service employees patrolling on snowmobiles, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office patrol Lieutenant Jim Coffey said.

LOS ANGELES, Dec 22 (Reuters) – In 2012, buzzwords will bow
to the British royals with “Kate,” the Duchess of Cambridge,
forecast as the most-used word in the media, according to a
group that surveys the English language.

The Texas-based Global Language Monitor on Thursday said
several factors will keep Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, in
the news after her widely-watched wedding earlier this year to
Britain’s Prince William.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Gunshots were fired on Thursday at the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles by a man identified by a security guard as a protester, and police said a suspect was taken into custody.

Details were sketchy, but police spokesman Gregory Baek said multiple rounds were fired at the building during the afternoon shooting, which left no one injured.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Comic book artist Joe Simon, who created Captain America with the late Jack Kirby, has died at age 98, a family spokesman said on Thursday.

Simon died of natural causes on Wednesday at his home in New York surrounded by family, said Steve Saffel, who worked with him on autobiography “Joe Simon: My Life in Comics.”

Dec 8 (Reuters) – A federal judge has ruled that a Montana
blogger was not acting as a journalist when she lambasted an
Oregon attorney in online statements that led to a $2.5 million
defamation judgment against her.

The ruling last week by U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez
is seen by observers as potentially having chilling effects on
other bloggers.

By Alex Dobuzinskis

(Reuters) – A federal judge has ruled that a Montana blogger was not acting as a journalist when she posted inflammatory statements about an Oregon attorney and that she is not protected from a $2.5 million defamation judgment.

The ruling last week by U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez is seen by outside observers as potentially having chilling effects on other bloggers.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – At least nine prisoners suffered stab and gunshot wounds during a riot of about 50 inmates at a California prison on Wednesday that was eventually quelled, authorities said.

Some law enforcement officers also were slightly injured during the melee at California State Prison-Sacramento, said a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Voters in Los Angeles, home to the U.S. porn industry, could soon be asked to decide whether condoms should be required in adult films to reduce sexually transmitted diseases.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation said on Monday it submitted far more than the required number of signatures on a petition for a public ballot that could go before voters in June 2012.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Voters in the city of Los Angeles, home to the nation’s porn industry, could be asked next year whether condoms should be required in adult film shoots to cut down on sexually transmitted diseases.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation said on Monday it had submitted about 71,000 signatures, surpassing the required number of 41,000, for a ballot initiative that could go before voters in June 2012.