Saturday, April 25, 2015

In the news, Friday, April 17, 2015


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APR 16      INDEX      APR 18
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Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

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from Americans Against the Tea Party
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
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from Breitbart
from National Journal

Jeb Bush Backs Hike in Social Security Retirement Age
The Republican charges into one of the more controversial issues in American politics.

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from The Spokesman-Review

Police say suspect attempted to use officer’s taser
Spokane police arrested two men in Browne’s Addition who fled after crashing a car Friday, one of whom attempted to shoot a police officer with his own Taser, police said in a news release.

Woman accused of attacking man with sharpened tree branch
A Spokane woman is accused of using a sharpened tree branch and knife to attack a man she lives with. Molly M. Kelly, 33, and Kevin V. Mock, 51, both face second-degree assault charges for attacking a man at his home in Logan on Thursday afternoon.

Housing activity boosts March hiring in Idaho
Idaho’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.8 percent in March, thanks in part to increased housing market activity.

Weitensteiner, longtime director of Morning Star Boys Ranch, reinstated as priest
The Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner, the former director of the Morning Star Boys’ Ranch, has been reinstated as an active priest after the last sex abuse claims against him were rejected by a retired federal judge hired to rule on the credibility of the cases.

Highway abuzz with bees after semitruck tips, dumps hives
A semitruck had just merged onto Interstate 5 around 3:30 a.m. Friday when it tipped on its side, dumping its load of 448 hives. The driver was not hurt.

Spokane County teen dies after motorcycle crash
Ryan J. Tachell, 18, was traveling eastbound on Interstate 90 Thursday evening approaching the construction zone near Spokane Street. He lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into the median barrier. Tachell was transported to Kootenai Health, where he died Friday morning. Tachell, from Elk, was a senior at Riverside High School.

Jury indicts state auditor on fraud, tax charges
A federal grand jury indicted state Auditor Troy Kelley Thursday on charges of fraud, lying to federal investigators, filing false tax returns and “corrupt interference with Internal Revenue laws.”

Chilling reality: Warm days mask Spokane River’s strong flow and take-your-breath-away cold
Drowning deaths increase this time of year, as warmer days lure people to the rivers and lakes for boating and fishing, but many are unprepared for the cold, fast-moving water cascading out of the mountains.

Teen use of e-cigarettes has tripled in one year
The use of electronic cigarettes by high school students tripled from 2013 to 2014 – a surprising boom that threatens to wipe out hard-won gains in the fight against teen smoking, a new government report says.

Spokane developer Harlan Douglass set free after night in jail
For 24 hours, prominent Spokane developer Harlan Douglass was known as Spokane County Jail inmate number 401869. Douglass allegedly slapped an opposing lawyer and pushed him up against a wall following a heated dispute at the Spokane County Courthouse on Wednesday. Court documents describe accusations that Douglass assaulted Warren Robinson, an attorney for First American Title Insurance Co., about 11 a.m. Police arrested Douglass on investigation of third-degree assault. He was charged with a felony because the assault occurred on courthouse property. Douglass was released from jail on his own recognizance Thursday.

Tons of cocaine seized on high seas
A Coast Guard cutter arrived Thursday in San Diego with more than 14 tons of cocaine, part of what authorities described as a surge of seizures near Central and South America. The cocaine, valued by the Coast Guard at $424 million, was seized by U.S. and Canadian forces in 19 incidents in the eastern Pacific Ocean near Central and South America. It included a 10 1/2-ton bust from a freighter, the largest maritime drug interdiction in that area since 2009.

Spacecraft that altered understanding of Mercury to crash into planet
After more than four years of orbiting Mercury, NASA’s Messenger spacecraft is about to end its mission with a bang. After more than 4,100 orbits around the closest planet to the sun, the satellite will crash into Mercury’s crater-pocked surface April 30.

Eye contact helps dogs, people bond, study finds
Just by gazing at their owners, dogs can trigger a response in their masters’ brains that helps them bond. And owners can do a similar trick in return, Japanese researchers found. This two-way street evidently began when dogs were domesticated long ago, because it helped the two species connect.

Vatican’s review of U.S. nuns ends with joint report
The Vatican ended its controversial investigation of U.S. nuns Thursday, marking a quiet conclusion to a boisterous battle between the Holy See and the main umbrella group of American nuns.

Congress strikes deal to allow president to negotiate trade pacts
Top congressional lawmakers struck a long-sought, bipartisan agreement Thursday for the broadest trade policy pact in years, allowing President Barack Obama to negotiate trade accords for Congress’ review and move forward with talks on a sweeping partnership with Pacific nations.

Aerial vehicle landing on Capitol lawn prompts uproar
Doug Hughes, 61, the Florida postal carrier charged Thursday with two federal crimes for steering his small gyrocopter through protected Washington airspace “literally flew under the radar” to the lawn of the Capitol, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said as key lawmakers raised alarms about security risks. Hughes’ stunt, aimed at drawing attention to the need for campaign finance reform, exposed a seam in the U.S. government’s efforts to protect the White House, Capitol and other federal buildings.

In brief: Ohio man accused of terror plot
An Ohio man traveled to Syria and trained alongside terrorists, then returned to the U.S. with plans to attack a military base or a prison, according to a federal indictment announced Thursday. Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, 23, of Columbus, a U.S. citizen originally from Somalia, wanted to “kill three or four American soldiers execution style,” according to the indictment. Attacking the prison was part of a backup plan if that didn’t work, the charges said.
Kentucky judge rejects gay marriage ban
A Kentucky judge has ruled in favor of two same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses but put the ruling on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court considers a similar challenge to gay marriage bans.
Scott says he’ll sue feds for hospital funds
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday he is suing the Obama administration for withholding federal money for hospitals that serve the poor, saying they are doing so because the state won’t expand Medicaid.
House bills target estate, sales taxes
The House voted Thursday to repeal the federal tax on estates, a politically volatile issue that affects few inheritances. The House also passed a bill to make permanent a deduction for state and local sales taxes that expired at the beginning of the year.

Four dead after chain of events that began with toddler hit by car
Damani Terry just wanted to join a group of girls dancing in a park across the street. The 2-year-old stepped into the road – right into the path of an oncoming van. The van hit the toddler, and the driver jumped out to check on the badly injured boy, setting into motion a chain of events that included an uncle fatally shooting his own nephew and a stranger and then taking his own life. In the end, four people were dead.

Disparate Spokane groups gather to denounce Trans-Pacific Partnership
A gathering of right- and left-leaning activists and politicians found common cause Thursday evening as they met in the Spokane City Council chambers to discuss their opposition to an ambitious trade accord among 12 Pacific nations, including the United States.

More than 2,000 families have fled the Iraqi city of Ramadi with little more than the clothes on their backs, officials said Thursday, as the Islamic State group closed in on the capital of western Anbar province, clashing with Iraqi troops and turning it into a ghost town.

Al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen consolidated control over much of the country’s largest province on Thursday, capturing a major airport, an oil terminal and the area’s main military base, and striking an alliance with local tribal leaders to administer the region.

Russia has weathered the worst of its economic troubles and is on the road to recovery, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday during a marathon call-in TV show, offering to normalize ties with the West if it treats Moscow as an equal partner and not a “vassal.” He also defended the delivery of a long-range air defense missile system to Iran, casting it as a reward for Tehran’s flexibility in nuclear talks and vowing to continue working with global partners to reach a definitive solution to the country’s contested nuclear program.
Doctor describes Syria chlorine attacks
U.N. Security Council members were moved to tears Thursday as the first eyewitness to the latest suspected chlorine attacks on civilians in Syria emerged from the country to give a graphic eyewitness account of dying children. A Syrian doctor who treated victims from a half-dozen attacks over the past month, Mohamed Tennari, was helped out of the country by the United States, which arranged for the closed-door briefing.
Police: Muslims threw Christians into sea
Italy’s migration crisis took on a deadly new twist Thursday as police in Sicily reported that Muslim migrants had thrown 12 Christians overboard during a recent crossing from Libya. Palermo police said they had detained 15 people suspected in the high seas assault, which they learned of while interviewing tearful survivors from Nigeria and Ghana who had arrived in Palermo on Wednesday morning after being rescued at sea.

Surgery scheduled for Theia, the dog that was buried alive
Theia, the Moses Lake “miracle dog” who survived being hit by a car, beaten and buried alive, is due for treatment at Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Pullman starting Tuesday.

EWU hosts research exhibit for undergrads from around the globe
More than 3,000 college students and faculty are in Cheney and Spokane this week for the nation’s largest conference devoted to promoting undergraduate research. Hosted this year by Eastern Washington University, it’s the annual signature event for the National Council on Undergraduate Research. Thousands of research projects – ranging from the hard sciences to the visual and performing arts – are being presented through Saturday by students from 369 universities hoping to improve their graduate school chances or boost their resumes. Organizers say visitors are welcome.

In brief: EWU provost named as Western Oregon president
Eastern Washington University Provost Rex Fuller was chosen Thursday as Western Oregon University’s next president. Fuller, who was runner-up to Mary Cullinan for the top job at EWU last year, will assume his new role July 1. He replaces Western Oregon’s retiring president, Mark Weiss.
Gun-notification bill goes to governor
A bill that aims to prevent another tragedy like the murder-suicide of Sheena Henderson and her husband, Christopher, at a Spokane hospital last summer received final approval from the Senate Thursday.
Otter vetoes bill on kids’ epilepsy
Gov. Butch Otter has vetoed a bill that would have allowed parents of Idaho children with an intractable form of epilepsy to treat their kids with cannabidiol, a non-psychotropic oil that’s an extract of cannabis and can halt the children’s repeated, extended and life-threatening seizures.

Budget talks stall along partisan lines
Budget negotiations between Washington House Democrats and Senate Republicans stalled Wednesday evening, with each side accusing the other of forcing the legislative session past its scheduled April 26 adjournment date.

In reversal, bill banning powdered alcohol goes to Inslee
A plan to legalize powdered alcohol is headed down the drain. The Senate voted unanimously Thursday to ban the controversial product, which turns water into rum or vodka, just six weeks after voting unanimously to tax and regulate it like liquid booze.

Airway Heights mayor downplays ‘minor’ school bus accident
Airway Heights Mayor Patrick Rushing suspects politics are behind increased interest in a noninjury crash involving a school bus he drove in January. The mayor released a statement Wednesday about the Jan. 7 incident, stressing the misdemeanor citations for hit-and-run and following too close to another vehicle were dismissed after the Medical Lake School District’s insurance company paid for damages to the other driver’s vehicle. Rushing was driving an empty school bus when he rear-ended another car on a foggy morning at the intersection of South Brooks Road and U.S. Highway 2, according to police records.

Repair plan reviewed in fall of slab fatal to family
Officials in the city where a concrete slab fell from an overpass and killed a young family in a pickup below say they would’ve closed the roadway if they had known heavy work was being performed on the structure. Mayor Neil Johnson issued a statement saying that according to a plan filed with the city, no demolition work was scheduled to occur Monday, when the accident happened. It killed Josh and Vanessa Ellis and their 8-month-old son, Hudson.

Hindus push ban on beef in India
Despite Hindu beliefs that cows are sacred – and the fact that their slaughter is banned in most of the country – India is the world’s fifth-largest consumer and second-largest exporter of beef. The meat, which in India comes from bulls and buffaloes, is widely eaten in some communities, particularly by low-caste Hindus and millions of Muslims and Christians. With the victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party last year, hard-line Hindu groups are pushing to expand the slaughter ban to include all types of cattle, male or female. Meat traders, many of whom have carried their trade for generations, are worried about their jobs.

Business in brief: Transportation panel head admits lobbyist link
Rep. Bill Shuster is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Pennsylvania Republican acknowledged his relationship with Shelley Rubino in a statement Thursday but said she doesn’t lobby him. Rubino works for Airlines for America, a trade association for major U.S. airlines.
Sony hacking woes get worse
Sony’s hacking problems aren’t over yet. Whistleblower site WikiLeaks on Thursday put hundreds of thousands of emails and documents from last year’s crippling cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment into a searchable online archive. It’s the latest blow for the entertainment and technology company struggling to get past the attack, which the company estimates caused millions in damage.
Yahoo, Microsoft extend tie
An agreement announced Thursday extends a search partnership that Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. forged in 2009 while they were being led by different CEOs. Current Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer had the option of terminating the relationship under a clause triggered earlier this year.
Home construction softens
U.S. homebuilders opened the spring buying season in March at a slower pace than last year. The Commerce Department says builders began construction at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 926,000 homes last month, a 2.5 percent decline from the pace in March 2014.

Etsy stock soars on first day
Shares of arts and crafts retailer Etsy surged in opening trading Thursday on the Nasdaq. After pricing at $16 late Wednesday the stock opened at nearly double that, and hit a high of $35.73 in morning trading. The company is valued at $3.33 billion, based on afternoon trading just shy of $30.

Jobs outlook for college grads is best it’s been in years
The Labor Department reported Thursday the unemployment rate for Americans in their 20s who received a four-year or advanced degree last year rose to 12.4 percent from 10.9 percent in 2013.

USDA foresees extended bird flu outbreak
The nation’s poultry industry may have to live with a deadly bird flu strain for several years, which would be “devastating,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief veterinary officer said Thursday.

Washington insurers to revamp info on contraceptive benefits
Eight insurance companies agreed Thursday to revamp the information they give consumers about contraception benefits to make sure it is accurate.

Otter considers special session to ensure child support payments
Gov. Butch Otter declared Idaho’s just-concluded legislative session “incomplete” on Thursday and indicated he’s laying the groundwork to call lawmakers back for a special session to address a crisis they created in Idaho’s child-support enforcement system.

Shawn Vestal: Imaginary crisis averted, Idaho’s real kids suffer

Editorial: Indicted state auditor needs to quit his job – now

Amy Goodman: U.S. shift on Cuba addresses ‘Open Veins’

Obituary: Knapp, Dorothy Agnes (Flemming)
21 Jan 1924 - 14 Apr 2015     Harrington, Deer Park

Obituary: Thulean, Donald
24 Jun 1929 - 9 Apr 2015
In 1962 he became the second music director of the Spokane Symphony.
In 1984 he left the Spokane Symphony as Conductor Emeritis to become the Vice President for Artistic Affairs of the American Symphony Orchestra League.

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from The Western Center for Journalism
(Western Journalism)  [Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski Blasts Obama For Inept Foreign Policy

An Open Letter To Trey Gowdy Regarding A HUGE Mistake He Just Made

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