U.S. appeals court puts Nebraska same-sex marriages on hold

(Reuters) - A federal judge's ruling that would have allowed same-sex couples in Nebraska to marry starting on Monday will be stayed pending an appeal by state officials, a U.S. appeals court panel said on Thursday. A U.S. District Court judge on Monday had found a Nebraska ban on gay marriage unconstitutional and issued a preliminary injunction allowing same-sex couples to wed as soon as next week. (Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Peter Cooney)