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from POLITICO
Bobby Jindal: IRS officials deserve prison time
By JONATHAN MARTIN
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Jimmy Carter: ‘I do not favor’ legalizing marijuana
By KEVIN ROBILLARD
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from The Spokesman-Review
FBI swarm Browne’s Addition
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Car show kicks off festivities
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Federal execs to reap bonuses
By law, cuts don’t affect elite group; bill would end that
Lindsay Wise McClatchy Tribune
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Officer believed suspect had gun
Firearm found where Cairns jumped fence
Nicole Hensley The Spokesman-Review
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Large asteroid to fly by Earth on May 31
Deborah Netburn Los Angeles Times
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Anteater’s birth a mystery to Connecticut zoo staff
Associated Press
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Commuter trains collide; 60 hurt
Susan Haigh Associated Press
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Military to retrain about sexual assault
Associated Press
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IRS’ tea party admission was planned
Agency planted person to ask about conservative super PACs
Kevin G. Hall McClatchy-Tribune
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OAS study puts drug legalization on table
Violence, illicit use remain rampant, report concludes
Chris Kraul Los Angeles Times
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Obama budget would cut deficits
CBO report says his tax hikes, spending cuts top current laws
Lisa Mascaro McClatchy-Tribune
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Ex-Argentine dictator Videla, 87, dies in prison
Up to 30,000 were killed after military coup in 1976
Los Angeles Times
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Bombs in Iraq claim scores in Sunni areas
Sameer N. Yacoub Associated Press
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Opposition in Syria may get rid of leader
Loss would be blow to U.S., muddle talks
Hannah Allam McClatchy-Tribune
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Natural gas export plan OK’d for Texas
LNG boom brings surge of project applications
Matthew Daly Associated Press
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In brief: From Wire Reports:
Little Rock, Ark. – An Arkansas law banning most abortions 12 weeks into a woman’s pregnancy won’t take effect while a legal challenge is pending, a federal judge ruled Friday.
U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright granted a request for a preliminary injunction against the ban, which was set to take effect in August.
The state’s Republican-led Legislature overrode a veto from Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe to enact the law in March. Weeks later, attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas and the Center for Reproductive Rights sued the state on behalf of two Little Rock abortion providers and sought an injunction to block the ban’s enforcement.
Those groups also want Wright to block the law permanently, saying it’s unconstitutional and clearly contradicts the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion until a fetus could viably survive outside the womb. A fetus is generally considered viable at 22 to 24 weeks.
Wright didn’t decide Friday whether Arkansas’ ban was constitutional; she is expected to do that sometime in the future. Her decision Friday was merely a temporary one: It means the law can’t be enforced while the lawsuit is pending.
Bombing suspect’s indictment delayed
Boston – Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev won’t be indicted within the 30-day period prescribed under the Federal Speedy Trial Act but prosecutors said Friday they would ask for more time.
Sunday marks 30 days since Tsarnaev was arrested following the April 15 twin bombing that killed three people and injured more than 260.
U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz’s office did not specify the exception under which they would seek more time but those available to prosecutors include delays related to the defendant’s physical capacity. Tsarnaev remains in a prison hospital after being badly wounded in a gunbattle with police before his arrest.
Earlier Friday, a judge denied a request from Tsarnaev’s attorneys that they be allowed to take periodic photos of the 19-year-old to document “his evolving mental and physical state” and whether his statements to authorities after his arrest were made voluntarily.
Nigeria launches offensive against militia
Maiduguri, Nigeria – Security forces in Nigeria have launched airstrikes against encampments of the Islamist militia Boko Haram as part of a major military operation in the country’s northeast, military officials said Friday.
The airstrikes hit one of the main rebel bases, in the Sambisa Forest Reserve south of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, according to military officials cited by news agencies.
The Nigerian military have also sent several thousand soldiers to the area in recent days.
Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade told the Agence France-Presse news service Friday that the air attacks began two days ago. Fighter jets and helicopter gunships are involved in the operation. It was not clear how many people, including Boko Haram fighters, died in the attacks.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan announced a state of emergency in three northeastern states Tuesday after attempts to negotiate an amnesty and peace deal with Boko Haram failed. He said Nigeria was facing a “war” by the rebels. However, Jonathan also declared a state of emergency in 2011 and beefed up forces then, with little effect.
Political prisoners pardoned before visit
Yangon, Myanmar – Myanmar’s president pardoned at least 20 political prisoners Friday, just ahead of an historic state visit to the United States that will highlight the two sides’ improved relations brought about by the former pariah nation’s democratic reforms.
Ye Aung, a member of the government’s political prisoner scrutiny committee, said 20 prisoners had been freed so far Friday, with more releases expected. The exact number to be released was unclear, though a former prisoner who tracks releases, Ba Myo Thein, said he had heard that at least 32 would be freed.
President Thein Sein will visit the White House on Monday, the first state visit by a Myanmar leader in almost 47 years.
The U.S. applied sanctions against Myanmar’s previous military regime for its poor human rights record. Thein Sein has implemented several reforms since his election in 2010, including freeing hundreds of political prisoners. The U.S. in turn eased most sanctions. Last November, Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Myanmar.
A group campaigning for democracy in Myanmar – which is also known by its old name, Burma – accuses Thein Sein’s government of using political prisoners for public relations purposes.
Unemployment rate stays level in Idaho
Idaho’s unemployment rate held at 6.1 percent in April and ticked down to 7.2 percent in Kootenai County, the Idaho Department of Labor said.
Employers maintained hiring at normal levels, but 1,300 people left the state labor force, driving both employment and unemployment down, officials said.
New hires in April surpassed 16,000 statewide, with more than a third of those for new jobs.
The jobless rate dropped throughout North Idaho in April and stood at 10.5 percent in Shoshone County, 8.3 percent in Bonner County, 7.9 percent in Boundary County and 10.4 percent in Benewah County.
GM stock price reaches two-year peak, tops $33
DETROIT – Shares of General Motors reached an important milestone on Friday, closing above their initial public offering price of $33 for the first time in more than two years.
GM shares reached $33.77 Friday before slipping back to close at $33.42, up 3.2 percent. The auto giant sold shares to the public for $33 in a November 2010 IPO, but they’ve traded below that price since May 4, 2011.
GM’s business is getting stronger. Two weeks ago, GM reported solid first-quarter earnings on robust sales in North America. On Friday, there were signs sales declines may have bottomed in Europe, where GM has lost money for more than a dozen years.
Shares of all automakers traded in the U.S. show double-digit gains this year. GM and Ford are benefiting from strong sales in the U.S. as well as China. And investors believe the Japanese government’s economic policies create an advantage for exporters such as Toyota and Honda.
DETROIT – Shares of General Motors reached an important milestone on Friday, closing above their initial public offering price of $33 for the first time in more than two years.
GM shares reached $33.77 Friday before slipping back to close at $33.42, up 3.2 percent. The auto giant sold shares to the public for $33 in a November 2010 IPO, but they’ve traded below that price since May 4, 2011.
GM’s business is getting stronger. Two weeks ago, GM reported solid first-quarter earnings on robust sales in North America. On Friday, there were signs sales declines may have bottomed in Europe, where GM has lost money for more than a dozen years.
Shares of all automakers traded in the U.S. show double-digit gains this year. GM and Ford are benefiting from strong sales in the U.S. as well as China. And investors believe the Japanese government’s economic policies create an advantage for exporters such as Toyota and Honda.
Economic optimism helps boost oil prices
NEW YORK – The price of oil rose to $96 a barrel Friday on hopes that a steady recovery in the U.S. economy could boost fuel use.
Benchmark oil for June delivery rose 86 cents to close at $96.02 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. But even with three straight days of gains, oil finished the week down 2 cents.
A gauge of future economic activity in the U.S. rose more than analysts expected, as did a measure of consumer confidence, adding to evidence that the economy is steadily recovering. Traders hope that’s a sign of increased demand for fuels like gasoline.
At the pump, gas prices rose 2 cents to an average of $3.62 a gallon. But that average is skewed by ballooning gas prices in the Midwest. Refinery outages in the region have created fuel shortages. The average price in Minnesota and North Dakota jumped 15 cents overnight.
Bank of Montreal agrees to increase oversight
WASHINGTON – Federal regulators are ordering the Bank of Montreal to take steps to correct lapses in oversight that could allow the bank to be used for money laundering.
The Federal Reserve announced an agreement Friday with the bank, Canada’s fourth-largest by assets. The Fed cited procedural deficiencies to prevent money laundering in the bank and its Chicago branch.
No financial penalty was imposed on the bank under the agreement. The bank agreed to submit detailed plans to the Fed and to Illinois banking regulators for strengthening its programs and correcting problems.
The remedial actions “are well under way,” Bank of Montreal spokesman Paul Deegan said in a statement. The bank is “fully committed to the highest standards of regulatory compliance” with anti-money laundering rules in all of the jurisdictions in which it operates, Deegan said.
Fairchild airmen’s memorial set for May 28
A memorial for the three Fairchild airmen who died when their KC-135 crashed in Kyrgyzstan will be May 28 at the INB Performing Arts Center.
An air refueling tanker crashed May 3 with three Fairchild Air Force Base personnel aboard: Capt. Mark Tyler Voss, Capt. Victoria Pinckney and Tech. Sgt. Herman “Tre” Mackey III.
The public memorial will take place at 1 p.m. The INB Performing Arts Center is at 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
“Team Fairchild is a strong family,” said Col. Brian Newberry, wing commander of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing. “We remain resilient together during this unexpected and difficult tragedy that resulted in the loss of three airmen’s lives.”
Serial killer Yates appeals death penalty federally
SEATTLE – Serial killer Robert Yates, whose death sentence has been upheld by the state Supreme Court, is seeking an appeal through the federal court system.
The Seattle Times reported that Yates filed a petition Wednesday in Seattle claiming his lawyers failed to present evidence of mental illness during his 2002 trial in Pierce County. He was convicted of killing two women in 1997 and 1998 and got the death penalty.
The 60-year-old former Air National Guard pilot from Spokane pleaded guilty in 2000 to 13 other murders in Spokane, Skagit and Walla Walla counties. He was given a sentence of more than 400 years in prison in a plea deal.
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Facebook aims to be ‘social ad’ juggernaut
Barbara Ortutay Associated Press
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House targets SEC
Bill requires wider analyses of regulations’ impact
Associated Press
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Canada wooing U.S. tech workers
Associated Press
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Stocks up for fourth week in row
Steve Rothwell Associated Press
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Spokane police Officer Jeff Graves faces stalking, harassment claims
Nicole Hensley The Spokesman-Review
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Sheriff’s detective on leave
Toliver charged with two assaults after alleged barn party brawl
Nicole Hensley The Spokesman-Review
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Candidates give voters a choice at deadline
Two more city council positions contested as filing period ends
Mike Prager The Spokesman-Review
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We’ll learn more if we let folks vote
Shawn Vestal The Spokesman-Review
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State, USDA sharing data to catch fraud
Washington anticipates boost in tracking abuse of EBT cards
Jim Camden The Spokesman-Review
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Fazliddin Kurbanov pleads not guilty to terrorism charges
Betsy Z. Russell The Spokesman-Review
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opinion:
Charles Krauthammer
Froma Harrop
Guest opinion: Clean energy incentives keep spurring growth
Bennett Freeman
Nick Gier
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Tracie Cone Associated Press
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Scholar to discuss views on inadequacies, realities of Scriptures
Tracy Simmons
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Doctor K: Vasculitis can be treated successfully
Anthony L. Komaroff Universal Uclick
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Surrounded by support – and sisters
Deborah Chan The Spokesman-Review
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