Thursday, April 9, 2015

In the news, Thursday, March 26, 2015


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MAR 25      INDEX      MAR 27
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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 BBC News (UK)

Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'
The co-pilot of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps, named as Andreas Lubitz, appeared to want to "destroy the plane", officials said.

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from The Heritage Foundation

Indiana Protects Religious Liberty. Why That’s Good Policy.
No one has the right to have the government force a particular minister to marry them, or a certain photographer to capture the first kiss or a baker to bake the wedding cake.

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from Money Talks News
from Newsmax

John Bolton: Bomb Iran Before It Gets the Bomb
There is only one way to block the Iranians from building a nuclear bomb, according to former ambassador John Bolton: Bomb them first. The "inconvenient truth," Bolton insists, is that "only military action like Israel's 1981 attack on Saddam Hussein's Osirak reactor in Iraq or its 2007 destruction of a Syrian reactor, designed and built by North Korea, can accomplish what is required. Time is terribly short, but a strike can still succeed."

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from Newsweek

Chechnya Threatens to Arm Mexico if U.S. Sends Weapons to Ukraine

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from POLITICO

Miley Cyrus to Mike Pence: You’re an a--hole
Singer Miley Cyrus wants to take a wrecking ball to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s “religious freedom” bill.

from The Spokesman-Review

Spokane gains role in state oil train discussion
Spokane’s “voice will be heard” during this year’s discussion over the proposal to build a crude oil facility in Vancouver, Washington, which would greatly increase the amount of crude oil running on the rail lines through downtown Spokane. The state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council said Thursday that the city – as well as a number of environmental, tribal and governmental entities – was granted intervention status, meaning the city will be part of the formal hearings regarding the facility.

Black box suggests pilot locked out
The first half of Germanwings Flight 9525 was chilling in its normalcy. It took off from Barcelona en route to Duesseldorf, climbing up over the Mediterranean and turning over France. The last communication was a routine request to continue on its route. Minutes later, at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Airbus A320 inexplicably began to descend. Within 10 minutes it had plunged from its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet to just over 6,000 feet and slammed into a remote mountainside. To find out why, investigators have been analyzing the mangled black box that contains an audio recording from the cockpit. A newspaper report suggests the audio contains intriguing information at the least: One of the pilots is heard leaving the cockpit, then banging on the door with increasing urgency in an unsuccessful attempt to get back in.

Friends of German co-pilot doubt he intentionally crashed plane
On Thursday, French prosecutors said AndreasLubitz, the co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525, “intentionally” crashed the jet into the side of a mountain Tuesday in the French Alps. After starting as a co-pilot with Germanwings in September 2013, Lubitz was upbeat when he returned to the LSC Westerwald e.V glider club to update his glider pilots’ license with about 20 takeoffs. Club chairman Klaus Radke said he rejects the Marseille prosecutors’ conclusion that Lubitz deliberately put the Germanwings flight into a descent and dove it straight into the French Alps after the pilot had briefly left the cockpit. “I don’t see how anyone can draw such conclusions before the investigation is completed,” he told the AP.

Suspected bank robber expresses concern for dogs
David C. Burns reportedly led police on a chase after committing a bank robbery Wednesday afternoon, riding his bike through alleys and across yards until he slammed into the side of a police cruiser. Washington Trust Bank employees said a man dressed in a dirty grey sweatshirt and pants and a Spider Man mask entered the bank at 27 E. Indiana around 3:30 p.m. He put a black canvas bag on the counter and demanded cash before fleeing. Minutes after his bond was set at $50,000 in court Thursday, Burns interrupted the judge to ask that someone take care of his dogs. “They’re starving right now,” he said.

Idaho lawmakers vote to repeal ‘instant racing’
Idaho lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly to repeal authorization for the slot machine-like “instant racing” machines that have cropped up around Idaho this year, including at the Greyhound Park in Post Falls.

Narcotics dog who ingested meth during search dies
Barney, the Tacoma police narcotics dog that became sick after ingesting methamphetamine during a drug investigation, has died. His handler, Officer Henry Betts, rushed him to a veterinary hospital on Tuesday after the dog touched his nose to meth at a Puyallup storage unit. He was with officers who were serving a search warrant.

WSU touts $3.4 billion economic impact
A new study by WSU’s Office of Economic Development says Washington State University generated more than $3.4 billion in economic impact within the state last year. The study released Wednesday says WSU delivered $18.87 in economic impact for every state dollar invested in the school.

Friday Zags game to be screened at The Bing and Garland
Gonzaga fans looking for a social experience Friday evening are in luck. The Bing Crosby and Garland theaters will host live screenings of the Sweet 16 game against the UCLA Bruins starting at 4:15 p.m. Admission is free and refreshments will be available for purchase.

Military charges Bergdahl with desertion
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who abandoned his post in Afghanistan and was held captive for five years by the Taliban, was charged Wednesday by the U.S. military with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy and could get life in prison if convicted.

Woman shot at Hillyard apartment dies
The death of Christen N. DeMars, 22, could be the second homicide in Spokane this week. Police are asking anyone who knows the whereabouts of her boyfriend, Cameron D. Keith, 28, to call 911 immediately. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office has held off ruling the shooting a homicide, pending further investigation.

AP exposes seafood trade slavery in Southeast Asia
The Burmese slaves sat on the floor and stared through the rusty bars of their locked cage, hidden on a tiny tropical island thousands of miles from home. Just a few yards away, other workers loaded cargo ships with slave-caught seafood that clouds the supply networks of major supermarkets, restaurants and even pet stores in the United States. Here, in the Indonesian island village of Benjina and the surrounding waters, hundreds of trapped men represent one of the most desperate links criss-crossing between companies and countries in the seafood industry. This intricate web of connections separates the fish we eat from the men who catch it and obscures a brutal truth: Your seafood may come from slaves.

Prolific thief held in theft cases
Christopher J. Cannata, 42, one of Spokane’s most prolific thieves, has been arrested again – this time allegedly for a burglary that garnered significant media attention last month at the popular Chaps Diner and Bakery on Cheney-Spokane Road.

In brief: Tornado kills person, injures others in Oklahoma
The slow start to the nation’s tornado season came to a violent end Wednesday, when tornadoes raked Tulsa during its evening rush hour, killing one person and injuring others.
Police: Boy shoots brothers, kills self
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said Wednesday that a 13-year-old boy shot and killed his 6-year-old brother, wounded his 16-year-old brother and then fatally turned the gun on himself after an argument over food. The shooting happened shortly after 6 p.m. in Hudson, Florida, a community in suburban Pasco County about an hour north of downtown Tampa.
VA official retires amid investigation
Glenn Haggstrom, the top Department of Veterans Affairs official in charge of construction nationwide, retired Wednesday amid an internal investigation of delays and massive cost overruns at the Denver veterans hospital, the agency said.
Bill easing concealed gun law advances
Kansas is poised to join a handful of other states that allow their residents to carry concealed firearms without a permit after the Legislature gave final approval Wednesday to a bill backed by the National Rifle Association.
Woman who was cut for fetus recovering
Michelle Wilkins, 26, a Colorado woman whose unborn baby was cut from her womb by a stranger with a kitchen knife has been released from a hospital a week after the gruesome attack. The baby girl she planned to name Aurora did not survive. Police say Dynel Lane, 34, lured Wilkins to her home on March 18 with a Craigslist ad offering baby clothes. Lane then beat and stabbed Wilkins and removed the unborn child. Lane was arrested at a hospital after telling her husband she had suffered a miscarriage.

Ex-Oklahoma University fraternity member apologizes for racist chant
A former University of Oklahoma fraternity member caught on video leading a racist chant said Wednesday he’s deeply sorry for his role in the incident and upset and embarrassed that he failed to stop it.

Daughters of King, Wallace unite for 50-year-march in Alabama
The daughters of two major figures of the civil rights era, Martin Luther King Jr. and former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, shared a stage on the steps of the Alabama Capitol on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march.

House passes budget aimed at deficits; Democrats vote no
Normally quarrelsome House Republicans came together Wednesday night and passed a boldly conservative budget that relies on nearly $5 trillion in cuts to eliminate deficits over the next decade, calls for repealing the health care law and envisions transformations of the tax code and Medicare. Final passage, 228-199, came shortly after Republicans bumped up recommended defense spending to levels proposed by President Barack Obama. Much of the budget’s savings would come from Medicaid, food stamps and welfare, programs that aid the low-income, although details were sketchy.

U.S. conducting airstrikes to help Iraq retake Tikrit
At Iraq’s request, the U.S. began airstrikes in Tikrit on Wednesday in support of a stalled Iraqi ground offensive to retake the city from Islamic State fighters. The bombing marked a significant expansion of the U.S. military role in Iraq.

Afghan president thanks Congress, vows country will be self-reliant
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani thanked Congress on Wednesday for billions of American tax dollars and vowed his war-wracked country will be self-reliant within this decade.

Saudi Arabia begins airstrikes in Yemen as president flees
President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi fled Yemen by sea Wednesday as Shiite rebels and their allies moved on his last refuge in the south, captured its airport and put a bounty on his head, officials said. Hours later, Saudi Arabia announced it had begun airstrikes against the Houthi rebels. The departure of the close U.S. ally and the imminent fall of the southern port of Aden pushed Yemen further toward a violent collapse. It also threatened to turn the impoverished but strategic country into another proxy battle between the Middle East’s Sunni powers and Shiite-led Iran.

Spokane County seeks new tack on some traffic offenses
Changing the way certain traffic offenses are handled in Spokane County could avoid clogging the already-crowded jail with nonviolent offenders, improve collection of fines and help put lives back on track, the county’s top prosecutor said. In a proposal to county commissioners this week, Prosecutor Larry Haskell said he wants to hire two additional deputy prosecutors to implement a program styled after the city of Spokane that would give his office more time to evaluate whether motorists driving on suspended licenses would be eligible for diversion programs instead of automatic jail time.

Idaho bill raises gas tax, cuts grocery sales tax and credit
Idaho House Republican leaders introduced complicated legislation Wednesday to make big changes in Idaho’s tax system – lowering the top income tax rate, removing the sales tax from groceries and raising the gas tax by 7 cents a gallon.

WSU medical school in Spokane gets Senate OK
Washington State University should soon have the authority to start a new medical school on its Spokane campus. The question now is, will it have the money to do that? On Wednesday, the Senate voted 47-1 to send Gov. Jay Inslee a bill repealing a 1917 law that says only the University of Washington can operate a state-sponsored medical school. Considering bills had passed both chambers in identical forms by large margins in the past month, that result wasn’t really in doubt.

Panel hears support for involuntary rehab
Under the state’s Involuntary Treatment Act, someone who presents a physical threat or is “gravely disabled” by a mental illness can be detained for treatment without the person’s consent. There’s a similar system in state law for people who are incapacitated by substance abuse, but, according to the bill’s sponsors, it’s rarely used. “It’s not used very much because there’s not much treatment available,” said Jane Beyer, of the Department of Social and Health Services. Supporters said integrating addiction treatment into mental health care would make the system more efficient and more accessible to people with substance abuse disorders.

In brief: Toy gun at school leads to arrest of two boys
Two boys were arrested at Lakeland High School in Rathdrum on Wednesday after one allegedly carried a realistic-looking toy gun into the school. The boys, 13 and 12, are from Post Falls. They were allegedly at the school to deliver the marijuana and paraphernalia to a 15-year-old sister of one of the boys. She is a Lakeland student, according to police reports. The sister confirmed their story, police said.
Off-duty officer detains suspect
A man entered the Washington Trust Bank at 27 E. Indiana Ave. around 3:30 p.m. and demanded cash, according to a police news release. He did not show a weapon. Officer Jim Christensen was on his way home when he spotted the suspect riding a bike near Division Street and Mission Avenue. The man, whose name was not released, was arrested without incident.
Lewiston woman injured in rollover
Wynter W. Spencer, 36, was thrown from her Mazda Protege about 9:30 a.m. after it rolled into a wheat field on U.S. Highway 195 Wednesday morning near Spangle. She was transported by helicopter to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Pro-Uber bill passes despite city protests
The Idaho Senate has approved legislation proposed by a lobbyist for Uber to ban city regulation of the ride-sharing service in Idaho; the bill was opposed by Idaho cities including Coeur d’Alene and Boise.
Man convicted in 2007 killings
A Seattle jury Wednesday convicted 36-year-old Joseph McEnroe of killing six members of his ex-girlfriend’s family on Christmas Eve 2007.

Knox conviction ‘not justice,’ defense tells Italian high court
Amanda Knox’s defense lawyer urged Italy’s highest court on Wednesday to overturn the American’s conviction in the 2007 murder of her British roommate, calling it a “grave judicial error.” Knox faces 28 1/2 years in an Italian jail for the 2007 murder of 21-year-old Meredith Kercher in an apartment they shared in the university town of Perugia, after being convicted by a Florence appeals court last year along with her former Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito.

Heinz to buy Kraft, creating brand-name behemoth
Some of the most familiar names in ketchup, pickles, cheese and hot dogs are set to come under the same roof after H.J. Heinz Co. announced plans Wednesday to buy Kraft and create one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies. The combination of the two companies – each more than a century old – was engineered by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital, which teamed up just two years ago to buy Heinz. While shoppers are not expected to see any major changes, the creation of The Kraft Heinz Co. reflects the pressures facing some of the biggest packaged food makers in the U.S.

In brief: Boeing workers in S.C. to vote on union
About 3,000 production workers at Boeing plants in South Carolina will decide next month whether they want representation by the Machinists union. The union announced Tuesday that the Machinists and Boeing have agreed to the National Labor Relations Board conducting a one-day vote April 22 at five locations on the company’s North Charleston campus.
Durable goods orders slip
The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that orders for durable goods dropped 1.4 percent in February, disappointing economists who were looking for a small increase. The decline was the third drop in the past four months, and January’s increase, previously reported as a 2.8 percent gain, was revised down to a more moderate 2 percent.
Settlement costs PayPal
PayPal Inc. has agreed to pay $7.7 million to settle with U.S. regulators who said the payments company allowed violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran, Cuba and Sudan.
Wells Fargo pares 1,000 jobs
Wells Fargo will close its home lending servicing office in Milwaukee and eliminate 1,000 jobs, saying fewer homeowners are falling behind on payments and seeking help keeping their homes.
Ford recalls police vehicles
Ford is recalling about 213,000 police vehicles in North America to fix springs that may not keep doors closed in a crash.

UAW chief balks at new lower-pay tier
The leader of the United Auto Workers union has rejected a new level of lower wages for members who make auto parts ahead of contract talks with automakers that start in summer. There have been reports that General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. may propose a new pay level that is lower than the two existing groups.

Airway Heights steel projects a go
More than half a million dollars in state funding was scrapped for two new steel operations on the West Plains after the city of Airway Heights was told its local funding match was inadequate. Albert Tripp, the city’s administrator, said the companies receiving the funding – Brown-Strauss Steel and Seaport Steel – already have secured funding through private lenders and still will locate facilities near the Geiger Spur, a rail line constructed through the West Plains by Spokane County. “They were able to find funding privately through a bank with better rates and a more competitive package,” Tripp said.

Facebook adding more features to Messenger app
Facebook is trying to mold its Messenger app into a more versatile communications hub as smartphones create new ways for people to connect with friends and businesses beyond the walls of the company’s ubiquitous social network.

Ruth Marcus: Lynch delay not about race, gender

Editorial: Try new approach to property crime

Doctor K: Alternative therapies mixed on RA

Spokane wins EPA grant for Hillyard brownfields cleanup
The city of Spokane recently won a $200,000 federal environmental grant as part of its plan to clean up and redevelop contaminated industrial sites in the Hillyard area.

Pat Munts: Better gardening can start in the classroom

Graffiti artist Tasko captures fleeting moments of mind
In his youth, Jason Lopez – who uses the name Tasko – wore a cape; running around in the night with a rattle can, adding color to the doldrums and seeing his efforts realized in the light of day. Tasko is an urban artist who started tagging buildings about 20 years ago in California and Oregon. He eventually went “legit,” putting his work to canvas.

Landmarks: Cottage held kidnapped Weyerhaeuser boy
There is a cottage style home in the Cannon’s Addition neighborhood of Spokane that looks much like the homes around it, but unlike its neighbors, the house at 1509 W. 11th Ave. was a pivotal player in the 1935 kidnapping of George Weyerhaeuser, the 9-year-old grandson of timber baron Frederick Weyerhaeuser, a case that made international headlines.

Randy Mann: Inland NW usually sheltered from severe thunderstorms
Our region sees an average of 11 days with thunderstorms each year – one in April, two in May, three in June, two in July, two in August and one in September.

Whittaker legend lives on 50 years after Kennedy climb
The spirit of the 1965 first ascent of Canada’s Mount Kennedy is being captured in a documentary film culminating in May with a 50th-anniversary expedition to include two of Jim Whittaker’s sons, Leif and Bobby.

Valley’s mining ban gets panned
Central Pre-Mix, county against moratorium at council hearing

Feisty GOP legislator Dick Bond dies at 93
Dick Bond, the rock-ribbed Republican legislator who gained fame in some circles and notoriety in others for leading a 1982 tax revolt against his own party’s governor, died Wednesday morning. In 1968, Bond was recruited to run against Democrat Tom Foley, who was finishing his second term as Eastern Washington’s congressman. It was a close race, and a contentious one but afterward Foley nominated one of Dick’s sons, Marc, to the Air Force Academy. Six years later, he won a state House of Representatives seat in Spokane’s 6th Legislative District, which at the time consisted primarily of the South Hill and was among the state’s most reliably Republican.

Obituary: Duncan, William Nelson “Bill”
11 Aug 1926 - 22 Mar 2015     Farmington, Tekoa

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from The Washington Post (DC)

Why America’s obsession with STEM education is dangerous
Alongside technical skills, America needs the creativity that a liberal arts education provides.

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from The Western Center for Journalism
(Western Journalism)

Obama Is NOT A Muslim. The Top 7 Reasons Why
He couldn't be. He isn't nearly disciplined enough.

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