Sunday, May 31, 2015

Thoughts for June 2015


______

back      Index      next
______


  1.  "Kind-hearted people might of course think there was some ingenious way to disarm or defeat the enemy without too much bloodshed, and might imagine this is the true goal of the art of war. Pleasant as it sounds, it is a fallacy that must be exposed: War is such a dangerous business that mistakes that come from kindness are the very worst." ~ Carl von Clausewitz

  2.  "However firmly thou holdest to thy opinions, if truth appears on the opposite side, throw down thy arms at once." ~ John Lancaster Spalding

  3.  "The road that is built in hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination." ~ Marion Zimmer Bradley

  4.  "I was the last to consent to the separation; but the separation having been made and having become inevitable, I have always said, as I say now, that I would be the first to meet the friendship of the United States as an independent power." ~ King George III

  5.  "Labour was the first price, the original purchase - money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labour, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased; and its value, to those who possess it, and who want to exchange it for some new productions, is precisely equal to the quantity of labour which it can enable them to purchase or command." ~ Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776)

  6.  "There are two kinds of fools: one says, 'This is old, therefore it is good'; the other says, 'This is new, therefore it is better.'" ~ William Ralph Inge

  7.  "If we have not found heaven within, it is a certainty we will not find it without." ~ Henry Miller

  8.  "A free America, democratic in the sense that our forefathers intended it to be, means just this: individual freedom for all, rich or poor, or else this system of government we call 'democracy' is only an expedient to enslave man to the machine and make him like it." ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

  9.  "Neither conscience nor sanity itself suggests that the United States is, or should or could be the global gendarme." ~ Robert McNamara

10.  "Can any of you seriously say the Bill of Rights could get through Congress today? It wouldn’t even get out of committee." ~ F. Lee Bailey, Newsweek, 17 April 1967

11.  "When someone is giving you his opinion, you should receive it with deep gratitude even though it is worthless. If you don't, he will not tell you the things that he has seen and heard about you again. It is best to both give and receive opinions in a friendly way." ~ Yamamoto Tsunetomo

12.  "I don't believe that the big men, the politicians and the capitalists alone are guilty of the war. Oh, no, the little man is just as keen, otherwise the people of the world would have risen in revolt long ago! There is an urge and rage in people to destroy, to kill, to murder, and until all mankind, without exception, undergoes a great change, wars will be waged, everything that has been built up, cultivated and grown, will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind will have to begin all over again." ~ Anne Frank, 3 May 1944

13.  "Real knowledge, like every thing else of the highest value, is not to be obtained easily. It must be worked for, — studied for, — thought for, — and, more than all, it must be prayed for." ~ Thomas Arnold

14.  "Christian teaching about sex is not a set of isolated prohibitions; it is an integral part of what the Bible has to say about living in such a way that our lives communicate the character of God. Marriage has a unique place because it speaks of an absolute faithfulness, a covenant between radically different persons, male and female; and so it echoes the absolute covenant of God with his chosen, a covenant between radically different partners." ~ Rowan Williams, 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, Presidential Address to the 13th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, 20 Jun 2005

15.  "Responsibility's like a string we can only see the middle of. Both ends are out of sight." ~ William McFee

16.  "Bromidic though it may sound, some questions don't have answers, which is a terribly difficult lesson to learn." ~ Katharine Graham

17.  "Habits of thought are not less tyrannical than other habits, and a time comes when return is impossible, even to the strongest will." ~ Alexandre Vinet

18.  "The career of a politician mainly consists in making one part of the nation do what it does not want to do, in order to please and satisfy the other part of the nation. It is the prolonged sacrifice of the rights of some persons at the bidding and for the satisfaction of other persons. The ruling idea of the politician - stated rather bluntly - is that those who are opposed to him exist for the purpose of being made to serve his ends, if he can get power enough in his hands to force these ends upon them." ~ Auberon Herbert

19.  "Anyone who idolizes you is going to hate you when he discovers that you are fallible. He never forgives. He has deceived himself, and he blames you for it." ~ Elbert Hubbard

20.  "Love is an affection which carries the attention of the mind beyond itself, and is the sense of a relation to some fellow creature as to its object." ~ Adam Ferguson

21.  "My personal attitude toward atheists is the same attitude that I have toward Christians, and would be governed by a very orthodox text: "By their fruits shall ye know them." I wouldn't judge a man by the presuppositions of his life, but only by the fruits of his life. And the fruits — the relevant fruits — are, I'd say, a sense of charity, a sense of proportion, a sense of justice. And whether the man is an atheist or a Christian, I would judge him by his fruits, and I have therefore many agnostic friends." ~ Reinhold Niebuhr

22.  "The aim of those who try to control thought is always the same. They find one single explanation of the world, one system of thought and action that will (they believe) cover everything; and then they try to impose that on all thinking people." ~ Gilbert Highet

23.  "'The only true law is that which leads to freedom,' Jonathan said. 'There is no other.'" ~ Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull

24.  "There is a tendency to mistake data for wisdom, just as there has always been a tendency to confuse logic with values, intelligence with insight. Unobstructed access to facts can produce unlimited good only if it is matched by the desire and ability to find out what they mean and where they lead. Facts are terrible things if left sprawling and unattended. They are too easily regarded as evaluated certainties rather than as the rawest of raw materials crying to be processed into the texture of logic. ...The computer can provide a correct number, but it may be an irrelevant number until judgment is pronounced." ~ Norman Cousins

25. "At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed that all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to say this, that or the other, but it is 'not done' to say it, just as in mid-Victorian times it was 'not done' to mention trousers in the presence of a lady. Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with surprising effectiveness. A genuinely unfashionable opinion is almost never given a fair hearing, either in the popular press or in the highbrow periodicals." ~ George Orwell

"Sometimes the first duty of intelligent men is the restatement of the obvious." ~ George Orwell

26.  "There was an old abbot in one temple and he said something of which I think often and it was this, that when men destroy their old gods [idols] they will find new ones to take their place." ~ Pearl S. Buck

27.  "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." ~ Helen Keller

28.  "To renounce liberty is to renounce being a man, to surrender the rights of humanity and even its duties. For him who renounces everything no indemnity is possible. Such a renunciation is incompatible with man's nature; to remove all liberty from his will is to remove all morality from his acts. Finally, it is an empty and contradictory convention that sets up, on the one side, absolute authority, and, on the other, unlimited obedience." ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau

29.  "The great advantage of our system of government over all others, is, that we have a written constitution, defining its limits, and prescribing its authorities; and that, however, for a time, faction may convulse the nation, and passion and party prejudice sway its functionaries, the season of reflection will recur, when calmly retracing their deeds, all aberrations from fundamental principle will be corrected." ~ Henry Clay, Speech in the Senate on the National Bank Charter (February 11, 1811)

30.  "But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime." ~ Frédéric Bastiat


Saturday, May 30, 2015

In the news, Friday, May 22, 2015


________

MAY 21      INDEX      MAY 23
________


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

________

from Alex Jones (INFOWARS.COM)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

CONGRESS MOVES TO ELIMINATE LABELS SHOWING CONSUMERS WHERE MEAT COMES FROM FOLLOWING WTO RULING
A House committee has voted to get rid of labels on packages of meat that say where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered

________

from The Blaze (& Glenn Beck)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
________

from Breitbart
________

from The Daily Beast

ISIS Says Michelle Obama Is Worth $40—As A Slave
The latest issue of an ISIS propaganda magazine puts a price on the First Lady in the slavery market it says will one day come to the United States.

________

from The Guardian (UK)

France to force big supermarkets to give away unsold food to charity
Supermarkets will have to take measures to prevent food waste and will be forced to donate unsold but edible food to charity or for use as animal feed

________

from Huffington Post
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

France Wants To Forbid Supermarkets To Destroy Unsold Food
France's parliament has voted to forbid big supermarkets from destroying unsold food, encouraging them to donate to charities or farms instead, as part of a national campaign against food waste.

________

from Michael Snyder


[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

46 Population Control Quotes That Show How Badly The Elite Want To Wipe Us All Out

________

from RT (Russia Today)
(Russian government-supported propaganda channel)

BRICS trample US in South America
It started in April with a rash of deals between Argentina and Russia during President Cristina Kirchner’s visit to Moscow. And it continues with a $53 billion investment bang as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits Brazil during the first stop of yet another South American commercial offensive – complete with a sweet metaphor: Li riding on a made in China subway train that will ply a new metro line in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the 2016 Olympics. Where is the US in all this? Nowhere; little by little, yet inexorably, BRICS members China – and in a smaller measure, Russia - have been no less than restructuring commerce and infrastructure all across Latin America.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Dog, mistaken for wolf, shot and killed by teenager in North Idaho
A North Idaho man said his dog was shot on a Forest Service road last weekend by a man who mistook the husky-malamute cross for a wolf. The dog later died. The same bullet struck Jim Rosauer’s second dog, which survived. “He doesn’t look anything like a wolf,” Rosauer said, “but that’s not even the point. There is no gray area here. The season was closed.” Idaho’s wolf season on federal lands closed March 31. Hunters face fines of up to $1,000 if convicted of attempting to take a game animal during a closed season.

Motorcyclist killed in collision with STA bus
Police have closed the intersection of East Euclid Avenue and North Crestline Street while they investigate a fatal collision involving a motorcyclist and an STA bus. The bus was traveling east on Euclid and the motorcyclist was traveling west, said Spokane Police Sgt. Mike Carr. The bus began turning left and hit the motorcycle, Carr said. Police were called at 1:37 p.m.

Mead teachers will not walk out
Mead School District teachers will not be joining the teachers of Spokane Public Schools and East Valley School District in a walkout on Wednesday. On Thursday teachers in the Cheney School District voted to not join the walkout and a meeting of Central Valley School District teachers didn’t reach the quorum required to have a vote.

East Valley teachers to join walkout
Teachers in the East Valley School District voted Thursday to join Spokane Public Schools teachers in a one-day strike on Wednesday, but teachers in the Central Valley and Cheney school districts will not join them.

Felts Field pilot radioed about aileron problem before crashing into Spokane River
The pilot of a plane that crashed into the Spokane River earlier this month had already recovered from one in-flight emergency and was on final approach to Felts Field when it banked sharply and veered out of control just as it reached the runway, a preliminary investigation shows.

Cat food spilled in early morning I-90 crash will go to SCRAPS
A non-injury collision involving two semi trucks seven miles west of Spokane early Friday ended up a boon for the area’s homeless cats. At least four pallets worth of cat food were recovered around Interstate 90 by Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services workers following the collision, which was reported just after midnight near exit 272.

Washington’s water crisis likely to worsen this year
The drought conditions in Washington that prompted Gov. Jay Inslee last week to declare an emergency are likely to grow worse because of a strengthening El Niño tropical weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean, a weather researcher for Washington State University said Thursday.

Boy Scouts leader says ban on gay adults is ‘unsustainable’
The national president of the Boy Scouts of America, Robert Gates, said Thursday that the organization’s long-standing ban on participation by openly gay adults is no longer sustainable, and called for change in order to avert potentially destructive legal battles.

Clinton’s Benghazi emails show role of adviser disliked by White House
Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton received monthly missives about the growing unrest in Libya from a longtime friend who was previously barred by the White House from working for her as a government employee, according to emails received on her personal account.

Cold weather deadlier than heat, study finds
Extreme heat waves like the one that killed more than 70,000 Europeans in 2003 may be the most visible examples of deadly weather, but cold days actually cause more deaths than hot ones, a new study says. After examining more than 74 million deaths that occurred in 13 countries from 1985 to 2012, researchers calculated that 7.3 percent of them could be attributed to cold weather and 0.4 percent to hot weather.

Senate gives Obama win on trade pact bill
After a flurry of last-minute legislative wrangling, the Senate on Thursday advanced a measure that would give President Barack Obama so-called fast-track authority to complete a pending trade pact with leading Pacific nations.

Grand jury indicts six Baltimore officers in man’s death
Six Baltimore police officers have been indicted on substantially the same charges they already faced in connection with the death of Freddie Gray, who was fatally injured while being transported in a police van after being taken into custody.

Historians worry as IS takes town
Fears mounted over the fate of one of the Mideast’s most prominent archaeological sites after Islamic State militants overran the historic Syrian town of Palmyra, seizing control Thursday of its temples, tombs and colonnades within hours.

Senator offers NSA domestic surveillance compromise
The chairman of the Senate intelligence committee floated a compromise Thursday that would end bulk collection of phone records by the National Security Agency after a two-year transition period, leaving it up to the House to accept the deal or allow expiration of government surveillance powers June 1. The proposal by Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, came as the White House and House leaders from both parties urged the Senate to take up a House-passed bill that would end NSA bulk collection after six months while preserving other surveillance powers set to expire.

Crews assess, work to control California oil spill
Efforts to clean the crude-stained Santa Barbara coastline ramped up Thursday as scientists, government officials and workers tried to get a handle on the size, extent and environmental impact of Tuesday’s oil spill.

In brief: China, U.S. clash over islands, rights
China said Thursday it is entitled to keep watch over airspace and seas surrounding artificial islands it created in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, following an exchange in which its navy warned off a U.S. surveillance plane. The United States said its aerial patrolling was in accordance with international law and “no one in their right mind” would try to stop it.
Irish premier calls for gay marriage approval
Prime Minister Enda Kenny is urging Ireland’s voters to support the legalization of gay marriage in a referendum that pits the power of the Catholic Church against his secular government.

In reversal, Malaysia searches seas for boat people
Four Malaysian navy ships began searching the seas for stranded boat people Thursday in the first official rescue operation since desperate migrants started washing onto Southeast Asia’s shores, and the U.S. military gave the first indication it was ready to take a direct role in helping address the crisis.

Suspect in D.C. family’s murder arrested
A former Marine and ex-convict accused in the slayings of a wealthy Washington family and their housekeeper was arrested Thursday, a week after authorities said the family was killed in their mansion and it was set on fire. Daron Dylon Wint, 34, was arrested in northeast Washington shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday.

Ben Alan Burkey murder conviction overturned by appeals court
A former police informant’s murder conviction has been reversed on a technicality but he’ll continue to be held while Spokane authorities decide whether to seek a new trial. Ben Alan Burkey, convicted of murder and several other offenses in connection with the 2005 abduction and beating death of 52-year-old Rick L. Tiwater, was denied his right to a public trial when some of the potential jurors were questioned privately, the state appeals court ruled Thursday. The appellate judges made clear it was a procedural issue rather than evidentiary flaws. “We decide that the evidence amply supports each conviction, but reverse, because considering the now well-developed case law, Mr. Burkey did not receive a public trial,” the three-judge panel wrote in a unanimous decision.

Tykes to get new trikes, thanks to governor giving away raise
The children in Jennifer Gonzalez’s preschool class at Windsor Elementary next fall probably won’t care, but they will owe their new tricycles in large part to a citizens commission that recently gave elected state officials a raise, a governor who didn’t feel right about taking it and a Legislature deadlocked over the budget.

Online registry should help police return stolen bicycles to owners
Since bikes were invented, bikes have been stolen. Returning bicycles to their rightful owners may get a bit easier in Spokane, thanks to a new online tool the city unveiled this week in conjunction with Bike to Work Week, called SpokaneBikeID.org. About half of all cyclists have had their bikes stolen, according to a recent study in the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, and only 2.4 percent of stolen bikes are returned to their owners.

Wolf worries lead to hiring of wildlife-conflict specialist
The state of Washington has hired an internationally known wildlife-conflict specialist to help defuse tensions over the state’s expanding wolf population. Francine Madden is the executive director of the Human Wildlife Conflict Collaboration, which also works in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Houston-based nonprofit tries to resolve conflicts that arise when protecting animals such as lions, leopards and elephants leads to clashes with local communities.

Washington being proactive on wolves
Washington wildlife managers said they’re working to avoid a repeat of last year’s grazing season, when wolves killed at least 28 sheep and two cows. The attacks led to the Department of Fish and Wildlife killing two wolves.

Olympia officer shoots unarmed suspects after beer theft attempt
Two stepbrothers suspected of trying to steal beer from a grocery store were not armed with guns when they were shot Thursday by a police officer who confronted them, authorities said. The officer reported he was being assaulted with a skateboard early Thursday before the shooting in Olympia that left a 21-year-old man critically injured and a 24-year-old man in stable condition. Both were expected to survive.

Idaho public charter schools discriminate against students of color, complaint says
A nonprofit that advocates for Idaho Hispanics has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the state and all of Idaho’s public charter schools, charging that the state’s charter school system has evolved into “a separate but unequal public school system that discriminates against students of color.”

In brief: Murder suspect ruled competent for trial
A Spokane County Superior Court judge has ruled a 24-year-old accused of stabbing his pregnant girlfriend to death in August 2009 is competent to stand trial, over the objections of his defense team and in spite of multiple rulings finding him mentally incompetent. Robbie Bishop was arraigned Wednesday before Judge James Triplet, who found him competent to stand trial earlier this month. It is the latest competency determination in a case that has lasted more than five years.
Injured bicyclist shows improvement
The condition of a boy injured when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle in a residential neighborhood in northwest Spokane on Wednesday afternoon has been upgraded. The collision was reported just before 4 p.m. Wednesday at the corner of Nettleton Street and Liberty Avenue.
Concert to raise money for Nepal
A Spokane-based nonprofit is holding a concert tonight to raise money to help Nepal after devastating earthquakes. The Benefit for Nepal Concert will feature The Angela Maria Project and Shambhava. It starts at 6 p.m. at the nYne Bar and Bistro, 232 W. Sprague Ave. Suggested donation is $5 to $10. Money will go to the Conscious Connections Foundation, which was founded by Ganesh Himal Trading, a Spokane wholesaler of products made in Nepal.
Man apparently finds Palouse earthworms
Earthworm enthusiast Cass Davis, of Moscow, Idaho, found three specimens of what he believes to be the giant earthworm last weekend while hiking along Paradise Ridge Road, the Lewiston Tribune reported. “It’s more than likely a giant Palouse earthworm, but we can’t confirm that until we do the genetic analysis,” said Chris Baugher, a University of Idaho doctoral candidate studying the species.

GOP bill easing regulations on small banks advances
Republican senators advanced legislation Thursday that would ease rules on smaller banks and other requirements of the landmark law reining in Wall Street and the financial industry after the 2008 crisis. But it received no support from Democrats, making its chances of Senate passage slim.

McDonald’s CEO ‘proud’ of worker pay raise
McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook said Thursday he was “incredibly proud” of a recent decision to bump pay for some workers, even as hundreds of protesters outside called on the company to do more ahead of its annual shareholder meeting.

Another record day on Wall Street
The stock market eked out another record close on Thursday as rising oil prices boosted energy stocks. Best Buy was among the biggest gainers after reporting earnings that exceeded the expectations of Wall Street analysts. Lumber Liquidators, a specialty retailer of hardwood flooring, plunged after its CEO abruptly quit the company.

Feds want to run air bag recall, speed up fixes
Exploding air bags made by Takata Corp. are so dangerous that U.S. safety regulators want to manage a massive recall so cars can be fixed faster.

Business briefs: Shopify shares up sharply after successful IPO
Shares of Shopify climbed 51 percent in its first day of trading Thursday, a day after raking in about $131 million in its initial public offering, more than the company expected. Shopify stock rose $8.68 to close at $25.68. The offering of 7.7 million shares priced at $17 each, valuing the entire company at around $1.27 billion.
Lumber Liquidators’ CEO quits amid turmoil
Lumber Liquidators CEO Robert Lynch has abruptly quit the company that is embroiled in an investigation over products imported from China. Shares tumbled more than 16 percent in trading on Thursday.
New services promised as PayPal goes solo
As PayPal prepares to split from its corporate parent, its new chief executive is promising to expand the popular online payment system, adding a variety of services for consumers to use when shopping on their phones or in traditional stores. PayPal will be spinning off from parent company eBay later this year.

Shawn Vestal: There’s no ducking our Cold War preparedness

Martin Schram: Weighing the cost of the war on terror

Amy Goodman: In a first, Plowshares trio freed

Editorial: Parties win as earlier Washington primaries get shelved

________

from The Washington Post (DC)
________


In the news, Thursday, May 21, 2015


________

MAY 20      INDEX      MAY 22
________


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

________

from Americas Freedom Fighters
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]


________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

The Sanction of the Victim
The primary moral message of Atlas Shrugged, I would argue, is the idea that evil has, to a large degree, only the power that its victims grant to it.


________

from Forum for Middle East Understanding
(FFMU) (Shoebat.com)  [Information from this site may be unreliable.]

New Revelation That Shows Obama Wants Israel To Face Another Holocaust

________

from Independent Journal Review

‘Humiliating’ Cheese Sandwich Given to Mom’s Kids Sets Off Fiery Debate Over School Lunch Policy

________

from Pew Research Center

The new Republican-led Congress is drawing harsh reviews from the public – including most Republicans. Just 23% of Americans say congressional Republicans are keeping the promises they made during last fall’s campaign, while 65% say they are not.

________

from POLITICO

Archives officials worried about preserving Hillary’s records
Before Hillary Clinton stepped down as secretary of state in early 2013, National Archives officials were warned that her official records might wind up outside the control of the State Department and pledged to take steps to address the issue, newly released records reveal.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

East Valley teachers vote to join walkout
Teachers in the East Valley School District have voted to join Spokane Public Schools teachers in a one day walkout on Wednesday. Teachers in 64 Washington school districts have voted to walk out in protest of the state legislature’s failure to fully fund schools, according to the Washington Education Association.

Prosecutor: 6 officers indicted in death of Freddie Gray
The state’s attorney in Baltimore says all six officers charged in the police-custody death of Freddie Gray have been indicted by a grand jury. State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby made the announcement Thursday. The charges returned by the grand jury were similar to the charges Mosby announced about three weeks ago.

State hires wildlife-conflict specialist
The state of Washington has hired an internationally known wildlife-conflict specialist to help diffuse tensions over the state’s expanding wolf population. Francine Madden is the executive director of the nonprofit Human Wildlife Conflict Collaboration in Houston, which also does work in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The nonprofit works to resolve conflicts that arise when protecting animals such as lions, leopards and elephants leads to problems in local communities.

Civil rights complaint charges Idaho’s charter school enrollment system discriminates
A nonprofit that advocates for Idaho Hispanics has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the state and all of Idaho’s public charter schools, charging that the state’s charter school system has evolved into “a separate but unequal public school system that discriminates against students of color.”

Boy hit by car while riding bike in NW Spokane
A boy was hit by a car while riding a bike shortly before 4 p.m Wednesday afternoon in Northwest Spokane near the intersection of Nettleton Street and Liberty Avenue.

Corrections Corporation of America cleared in Idaho prison scandal
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday declined to file criminal charges of fraud or public corruption in connection with Idaho’s controversial private prison contract with Corrections Corporation of America.

Catholic Diocese of Spokane installs Thomas Daly as bishop
The Most Rev. Thomas Daly was installed as the seventh bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane Wednesday as the fifth and sixth bishops looked on. Hundreds of people packed into the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes for Daly’s installation Mass, including family and friends of Daly’s. Half the church was filled with deacons and priests from all corners of the diocese, which covers 13 counties in Eastern Washington. Daly, 55, was introduced by Archbishop Peter Sartain. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, who is the Vatican’s ambassador to the United States, read the apostolic mandate signed by Pope Francis appointing Daly as the new bishop of Spokane.

David Letterman signs off after 33 years on late-night TV
David Letterman was ushered into retirement Wednesday by four presidents declaring “our long national nightmare is over” and a succession of stars delivering a final Top Ten list of things they always wanted to say to the late-night host.

Spokane teachers approve May 27 strike
Spokane Public Schools teachers and staff voted Wednesday to have a one-day walkout on May 27 to protest a lack of state funding for schools. All classes and other school-related activities will be canceled the day of the strike, and students will have to attend school on June 18, one day longer than originally scheduled. In addition, the district is canceling its early start schedules on Thursdays starting May 28 until the remainder of the year.

Rand Paul commandeers Senate to protest Patriot Act
Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul commandeered the Senate floor Wednesday to deliver a nearly 11 hours-long protest against renewal of the Patriot Act, calling the post-Sept. 11 law government intrusion on Americans’ privacy.

Oil spill not first for Santa Barbara
Nearly 50 years ago, a blowout on an offshore oil platform spewed more than 3 million gallons of oil into the Santa Barbara Channel and devastated the coastline, killing thousands of seabirds and galvanizing the U.S. environmental movement. The spill that occurred Tuesday when a pipeline ruptured near U.S. 101 was far smaller – up to 105,000 gallons. But the incident gave rise to similar anger and frustration on the part of residents and environmentalists who have long feared a repeat of the 1969 disaster along the same sensitive coastline.

Islamic State advancing on ancient Palmyra in Syria
Islamic State forces are closing in on the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria, authorities said Wednesday, drawing alarm worldwide about the fate of one of the world’s most spectacular architectural treasures.

Palmyra a crossroads of civilizations
An oasis in the Syrian desert, northeast of Damascus, Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world.

Nebraska lawmakers vote to abolish death penalty
Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill abolishing the death penalty that would make it the first conservative state to do so since 1973 if the measure becomes law.

House panel votes to repeal country-of-origin meat labeling law
The House Agriculture Committee voted 38-6 to repeal a “country-of-origin” labeling law for beef, pork and chicken Wednesday – just two days after the World Trade Organization ruled against parts of the law. The labels tell consumers what countries the meat is from: for example, “born in Canada, raised and slaughtered in the United States.” The WTO ruled Monday that the U.S. labels put Canadian and Mexican livestock at a disadvantage, rejecting a U.S. appeal after a similar WTO decision last year.

To join al-Qaida, first a few applicant questions
In Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida, applicants for the terrorist roster were asked a battery of sometimes surprisingly mundane questions, according to a U.S. translation of captured documents.

Israel enacts, then suspends, plan for West Bank bus segregation
Hours after announcing the launch of separate buses for Palestinians and Jews in the West Bank, Israel’s government was forced to back down Wednesday in response to a wave of domestic outrage that included comparisons to apartheid-era South Africa.

U.S. offers public look at Osama bin Laden’s private library
Suffice it to say Osama bin Laden’s bedside table held no beach reads or steamy novels. But the Obama administration’s release Wednesday of more than 400 documents, reports, books and other materials that were seized by U.S. Navy SEALs during the 2011 raid that killed the al-Qaida chief in Pakistan provides new insight to the mindset of the man who sponsored the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In brief: Iran leader bans inspections key to deal
Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday banned a key component of a pending nuclear deal with the West: inspections of military sites by the international nuclear watchdog. “No permit will be issued for that,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, adding that the International Atomic Energy Agency would also not be allowed to conduct interviews with Iranian nuclear scientists. Khamenei has the last word in all strategic matters according to the Iranian constitution.
Women saved from extremists in custody
All 275 women, girls and children rescued from Boko Haram and taken to the safety of a northeast Nigerian refugee camp have been taken into military custody amid suspicions that some are aiding the Islamic extremists, a camp official and a Nigerian military intelligence officer said Wednesday.

UW outlines expanded Spokane medical school
The University of Washington is confident it can have an expanded Spokane branch of its medical school operating in conjunction with Gonzaga University by 2016, depending on state allocations. Gonzaga, however, says that while discussions with UW are ongoing, it’s too early to discuss details.

NC, Rogers students honored for being first in family to graduate
More than 50 students were honored Wednesday night for becoming the first in their family to graduate from high school or the first family member to head to college. The annual event started in 2009 to recognize North Central students. This year, it expanded to include Rogers High School students.

Federal official tours North Spokane Corridor
The Federal Highway Administration’s top official lobbied for passage of a $478 billion transportation bill while touring Spokane’s unfinished North Spokane Corridor on Wednesday. Gregory Nadeau, acting administrator of the agency, said that while the community has identified the freeway as a priority, there’s no long-term funding for the project or thousands of others across the country.

Murder charge still pending in shooting of Coeur d’Alene officer
Sixteen days after he allegedly shot and fatally wounded a Coeur d’Alene police officer, Jonathan Daniel Renfro has not been charged with murder. A judge Wednesday was ready to take up a motion to charge Renfro with first-degree murder in the May 5 shooting death of Sgt. Greg Moore. But the defendant’s court-appointed lawyer said her office didn’t receive the Kootenai County prosecuting attorney’s notice of the hearing on that motion. First District Senior Magistrate Barry Watson reset the hearing for 9:30 a.m. June 5.

In brief: Plummer man pleads guilty to killing birds of prey
A Plummer man pleaded guilty Wednesday to violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act after federal investigators found a large number of eagle and hawk feathers and a wide array of bird skulls and feet at his residence. Adrian Q. Brown-Sonder, 23, could get up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine when sentenced in U.S. District Court Aug. 18, a court news release said.
Man faces another charge of indecency
A 40-year-old man accused of dropping his trousers at a Spokane Valley sandwich shop has a criminal history of assaulting fast-food customers. James S. Huber was arrested just after 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Jimmy John’s on North Pines Road.
Agency: Pot sold to minor at 4 stores
Four licensed marijuana stores in Western Washington were accused this month of selling pot to a minor who was working with the state licensing agency on “compliance checks.” The stores – two in Everett and two in Tacoma – could be hit with $2,500 fines and suspensions. The person who did the selling could be charged by a local prosecutor.
Libby Dam to raise flows for sturgeon
Flows through Libby Dam will start increasing on Friday to help endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon as they spawn.
N.Y. Times writer to speak at Whitworth
New York Times columnist David Brooks will speak in Spokane at the Whitworth University President’s Leadership Forum on Oct. 13.

Washington’s first dinosaur fossil found on San Juan Islands
Scientists have uncovered Washington’s first dinosaur fossil, in a state park on the San Juan Islands. Researchers found part of the left femur of a theropod dinosaur while collecting fossils of a sea creature on the shores of Sucia Island State Park.

First dinosaur bone discovered in Washington
The fossil has the sexy name of UWBM 96770, but at the Burke Museum in Seattle, they’re pretty excited. The fossil is not that big – 1 1/2-feet long, weighing maybe 15 pounds. But it is the first dinosaur bone ever found in Washington. It was a leg bone from an animal from the T. rex family, but smaller by tyrannosauroid standards – around 36 feet long.

Washington jobless rate drops to 5.5 percent in April
Washington’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.5 percent last month, the lowest it’s been in nearly seven years, officials said Wednesday. The latest report from the state’s Employment Security Department shows that the jobless rate dropped from March’s 5.9 percent and the state gained 8,200 new jobs from March to April.

Group of California farmers proposes deal to cut water use
A group of California farmers, in a surprising turnaround, is volunteering to give up a fourth of its available water this year, sharing a resource all but guaranteed to them for more than a century.

Health insurer CareFirst says 1.1 million profiles were hacked
In the latest disclosure of a cyberattack against a health insurer, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield said attackers gained access to a database that included the names of 1.1 million people.

Banks to pay more than $5 billion, plead guilty to market rigging
Four of the world’s biggest banks agreed Wednesday to pay more than $5 billion in penalties and plead guilty to rigging the currency markets – a rare instance in which federal prosecutors have wrung an admission of criminal wrongdoing from a major financial institution. Traders at JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup’s banking unit Citicorp, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland were accused of working together to manipulate rates on the foreign exchange market, where hundreds of billions of dollars and euros change hands back and forth.

In brief: WSU to offer degree combining Doctor of Pharmacy, MBA
In a move it hopes will appeal to entrepreneurial-minded pharmacy students, Washington State University is rolling out a new joint degree program. Students will be able to simultaneously earn Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Business Administration in four years, the university announced. The  joint degree will be available to students at WSU’s pharmacy college in Spokane and through its extension program at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima. Enrollment will open this summer.
Oil rig owner settles over spill
A committee of lawyers representing businesses and individuals claiming damages from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill announced a $211 million settlement Wednesday with Transocean Ltd., owner of the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.
Judge: RadioShack auction final
A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Wednesday refused to reopen a disputed auction for the sale of RadioShack’s intellectual property, including trademarks and data on some 67 million customers of the electronics retailer.
Fed: No rate hike in June
Federal Reserve policymakers largely agreed when they met last month that June would be too early to start raising interest rates, as they debated whether the economy’s winter weakness would fade or persist.

Editorial: Highway funding needs local, state support

Dana Milbank: Commitment to campaign finance reform can save Clinton from herself

Ask Dr. K: Botox can treat chronic migraines

‘Out-of-body experience’: Immersive art installations on display downtown
“The Introspection Game,” a new immersive art experience designed by New York-based artists Yang Wang and Zhenzhen Qi, premieres tonight at Laboratory Art Space at 301 W. Main St. It’s a 3-D virtual reality experience that lasts about 10 minutes and adapts to an individual’s physical and emotional responses.

Associated Garden Clubs’ sale a second chance
The Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane has a lot of plants left over from its annual fundraising sale earlier this spring, and the organization is now giving the public a second chance to purchase a wide variety of plant stock.

Pat Munts: Gardening: When blooms gone, it’s time to trim lilac bush

Cliff Cannon mini-park takes shape
The little sitting wall and pocket park on the southeast corner of 14th Avenue and Lincoln Street on Spokane’s South Hill was supposed to look different than it does – but that’s what happens when history intervenes.

Randy Mann: Lots of earthquakes, but numbers near normal


Front Porch: The world has lost yet another WWII hero
The world lost another hero when George “Bud” Garvin passed away on April 15. But like so many who served in World War ll, Garvin shunned the label.

‘Happy’ Rockefeller, widow of former vice president, dies
Margaretta “Happy” Rockefeller, the widow of former U.S. Vice President and New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller and one of the first women to speak publicly about her breast cancer in the 1970s, has died. She was 88.

Obituary: Dormaier, George H.
3 Jan 1921 - 18 May 2015      Hartline
Obituary at Strate Funeral Home

________

from Universal Free Press
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Sheriff Clarke – Elitist Obama Kicking White Voters In The Teeth, Creating Permanent Underclass In US
Sheriff David Clarke of Milwaukee County, WI, notes that he recently provided testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, contrasting his credentials as a true law enforcement professional with the “lap dog bureaucrats” and “academic elitists” which populated the so-called “President’s” Task Force on 21st Century Policing.”

________

from Washington's Blog

250+ Tech Companies and Digital Rights Groups: TPP Could Criminalize Journalism and Whistleblowing
Hundreds of tech companies and digital rights groups – including Imgur, DreamHost, Namecheap, AVG, Mediafire, Internet Archive, BoingBoing, Piwik, Private Internet Access, and more than 200 others – signed a letter to Congress today stating: "Criminalizing Journalism and Whistleblowing: TPP’s trade secrets provisions could make it a crime for people to reveal corporate wrongdoing “through a computer system.” The language is dangerously vague, and enables signatory countries to enact rules that would ban reporting on timely, critical issues affecting the public."

________

from X Tribune

Angry Thug Confronts Whites On Streets, Gives Ultimatum To Bow To Blacks Or…
A disturbing confrontation was caught on video on the streets of New York City, showing just how bad the racial animosity has gotten between blacks and whites, following Obama and Al Sharpton’s endless quest to divide America on all fronts.

________


In the news, Wednesday, May 20, 2015


________

MAY 19      INDEX      MAY 21
________


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

________



from The Blaze (& Glenn Beck)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Business mogul Donald Trump made a notable pledge to Bible-believers across the globe over the weekend, vowing that if he runs for president and wins, he will be the “greatest representative of the Christians they’ve had in a long time.”

________

from Breitbart
from CNSNews.com (& MRC & NewsBusters)
from Daily Kos

________

from Huffington Post
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

China Is Building The World's Longest And Highest Glass-Bottom Bridge
Timid visitors to China will definitely want to miss this tourist attraction. The country's Hunan province is building the world's highest and longest glass-bottom bridge and intends to open it this summer. The bridge will span a canyon in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, some 984 feet (300 meters) above the ground. It will be over a quarter of a mile long (430 meters) and almost 20 feet wide, according to state media.

________

from The Inlander

MARINE FOR LIFE 
On the eve of another Memorial Day, one local Pearl Harbor survivor retells a story that will never be forgotten
Ray Garland remembers sweating in the humid Hawaii air that Sunday morning. It was just before 8 am when he and a couple of fellow Marines were raising the flag over the battleship USS Tennessee, just as they did every morning. But it wasn't just any morning at Pearl Harbor; it was December 7, 1941, and all hell was about to break loose.

________

from MSN News

Is your car part of the biggest recall in history?
Federal officials dialed up the largest consumer recall in history Tuesday, ordering auto manufacturers to replace defective air bags made by auto-parts giant Takata in a whopping 33.8 million vehicles. But neither automakers nor the government has made it easy to find out whether your car is included — and how it should be fixed.

________

from New York Times

Guilty Pleas and Heavy Fines Seem to Be Cost of Business for Wall St.
Even as five big banks plead guilty to felonies and paying out billions of dollars, the question remains whether top executives will shrug off the penalties as just an average cost of doing business. The Justice Department hailed the guilty pleas by JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Barclays, UBS and the Royal Bank of Scotland to foreign exchange and Libor manipulation charges as a victory for discouraging corporate misconduct. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said that the penalty of more than $5 billion that the banks agreed to pay, including $2.5 billion in criminal fines, “should deter competitors in the future from chasing profits without regard to fairness, to the law, or to the public welfare.”

________

from PBS (& affiliates)

The Sagebrush Sea
It’s been called The Big Empty – an immense sea of sagebrush that once stretched 500,000 square miles across North America, exasperating thousands of westward-bound travelers as an endless place through which they had to pass to reach their destinations. Yet it’s far from empty, as those who look closely will discover. In this ecosystem anchored by the sage, eagles and antelope, badgers and lizards, rabbits, wrens, owls, prairie dogs, songbirds, hawks and migrating birds of all description make their homes. For one bird, however, it is a year-round home, as it has been for thousands of years. The Greater Sage-Grouse relies on the sage for everything and is found no place else. But their numbers are in decline. Two hundred years ago, there were as many as 16 million sage grouse; today, there may be fewer than 200,000.

________

from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Judge's order bars enforcement in Oregon gold mine dispute
The federal government and southern Oregon gold miners have each taken a step back from tensions over a mining claim where a constitutional activist group has posted armed guards. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is holding off enforcement action. The miners have agreed not to work the claim until their appeal of the agency's decision against their operation is resolved.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

Thomas Daly installed as bishop of Spokane
The Rev. Thomas A. Daly was installed as the seventh bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane Wednesday as the fifth and sixth bishops looked on. Hundreds of people packed into the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes for Daly’s installation Mass, including family and friends of Daly. Half the church was filled with deacons and priests from all corners of the diocese, which covers 13 counties in Eastern Washington. Daly, 55, was introduced by Archbishop Peter Sartain. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, who is the Vatican’s ambassador to the United States, read the apostolic mandate signed by Pope Francis appointing Daly as the new bishop of Spokane.

Spokane teachers vote to strike on May 27; officials cancel school
Spokane Public Schools’ teachers and staff voted Wednesday to do a one-day walkout on May 27 in protest of the Legislature not fully funding basic education. All classes and other school-related activities will be cancelled on May 27, and students will have to attend school on June 18, one day longer than originally scheduled. In addition, the district is cancelling its early start schedules on Thursday starting May 28 until the remainder of the year.

Still no murder charge in death of CdA officer
Sixteen days after he allegedly shot and fatally wounded a Coeur d’Alene police officer, Jonathan Daniel Renfro has not yet been charged with murder. A judge today was ready to take up a motion to charge Renfro with first-degree murder in the May 5 death of Sgt. Greg Moore. But the defendant’s court-appointed lawyer said her office didn’t receive the Kootenai County prosecuting attorney’s notice of the hearing on that motion. First District Senior Magistrate Barry Watson reset the hearing for 9:30 a.m. June 5.

Federal prosecutors: No charges in Idaho CCA probe
After an extensive, 15-month investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, federal prosecutors on Wednesday declined to file any federal criminal charges of fraud or public corruption in connection with Idaho’s canceled private prison contract with Corrections Corporation of America.

UPDATE: Omaha Police officer shot, killed
Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said Wednesday that 29-year-old Officer Kerrie Orozco, shot while helping serve an arrest warrant, died at Creighton University Medical Center shortly after the 1 p.m. shooting. Schmaderer said the suspect, 26-year-old Marcus Wheeler, also died at the hospital.

Los Angeles becomes latest US city to favor $15 minimum wage
Los Angeles is the latest and biggest city to endorse a hike in the minimum wage, adding to a string of successes for unions and advocates for the poor who have made it a primary objective as American wages stagnate. But even those who backed the City Council’s vote for a $15-an-hour wage by 2020 — more than double the current federal minimum requirement — admit it’s an experiment.

Ferris House owners asking nearly $1 million
Eighteen months ago, real estate agent Joe Dinnison found the proverbial needle in a haystack – someone willing to pay $815,000 for a three-bedroom Spokane residence with no garage. Now Dinnison hopes to do it again. Same house, only the price is $1 million.

Marine who died in crash was mother’s ‘superhero’
The mother of a Marine killed Sunday when a military aircraft crashed in Hawaii says her son joined the Marine Corps because he wanted to “do something bigger and better.” Michele Barron, of Spokane Valley, said Joshua Barron loved to fly, loved his job and was proud of what he did. The Marine Corps said the 24-year-old lance corporal died of injuries sustained when an MV-22 Osprey went down at a military base outside Honolulu.

Takata’s air bag recall doubles to 33.8 million
Under pressure from U.S. safety regulators, Takata Corp. has agreed to declare 33.8 million air bags defective, a move that will double the number of cars and trucks included in what is now the largest auto recall in U.S. history.

Three firms are finalists for Riverfront Park design
Superlatives were not lacking Tuesday as the city named the three finalists who will compete to determine the overall look and feel of Spokane’s Riverfront Park. In front of the park’s Rotary Fountain in bright sunshine, parks Director Leroy Eadie introduced the teams, one of which will be chosen this summer by the city’s Park Board to design the park’s public spaces and park grounds, work that will effectively set the tone for the overall theme of the park.

Record $50 million worth of heroin seized in NYC
An investigation of a pair of New York City drug traffickers has resulted in a record seizure of 154 pounds of heroin from Mexico worth at least $50 million, authorities said Tuesday.

Hillary Clinton urges fast release of emails
Hillary Rodham Clinton urged the State Department on Tuesday to speed the release of 55,000 pages of emails from her time as secretary of state, as her decision to spurn administration rules and use a private email address continued to dog her presidential campaign.

To fight bee decline, Obama proposes more land to feed bees
The Obama administration hopes to save the bees by feeding them better. A new federal plan aims to reverse America’s declining honeybee and monarch butterfly populations by making millions of acres of federal land more bee-friendly, spending millions of dollars more on research and considering the use of fewer pesticides.

In brief: Pipeline spill dumps oil along California coast
A broken pipeline spilled 21,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean before it was shut off Tuesday, creating a slick stretching about 4 miles along the central California coastline, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Union urges Amtrak to add rail workers
The union for Amtrak’s locomotive engineers urged the railroad on Tuesday to put a second crew member at the controls of trains on the busy Northeast Corridor, where a derailment killed eight people and injured more than 200 others.
Chinese nationals charged with theft
Three Chinese nationals who earned advanced degrees from the University of Southern California and three others have been charged with stealing wireless technology from a pair of U.S. companies.
Bill would cap perks for ex-presidents
Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and other former presidents who earn lucrative speaking fees and draw other income would no longer be able to count on taxpayer dollars to pay for their post-White House office space and staff under a bill in the House.

Deadly Waco shootout began with parking dispute
A deadly weekend shootout involving rival motorcycle gangs apparently began with a parking dispute and someone running over a gang member’s foot, police said Tuesday.

Student returns to school after teacher gave kidney
An 18-year-old returned to her Detroit high school Tuesday with a new kidney, donated by her gym teacher. Students threw confetti as A’Ja Booth entered West Side Academy, walking arm-in-arm with Nadirah Muhammad down a red carpet in the gym. Muhammad, 39, gave Booth the kidney for transplant in December.

In brief: Indonesian fishermen rescue hundreds of migrants
A flotilla of Indonesian fishermen rescued more than 430 migrants who were stranded at sea and brought them ashore to safety today, the latest victims of a humanitarian crisis confronting Southeast Asia. Hoping to find a solution, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia held an emergency meeting to address the plight of the migrants who are fleeing persecution in Myanmar and poverty in Bangladesh.
Syrian troops retreat from military base
Insurgents in Syria captured the last military base and several small villages in the northwestern province of Idlib on Tuesday, marking the latest collapse of government troops in the region now almost entirely in opposition hands, activists said.
Prince Charles meets Sinn Fein leader
Prince Charles offered a historic handshake Tuesday to Gerry Adams, longtime leader of the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party and reputedly an Irish Republican Army commander when the outlawed group killed the prince’s great-uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, in 1979.
Grounded cruise ship freed, awaits checkup
A cruise ship carrying nearly 3,500 passengers and crew spent the early hours today anchored off Bermuda after being grounded on a reef close to the British island.
Montreal residents arrested at airport
Canadian police arrested 10 youths at Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport last weekend who are suspected of wanting to go to Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State group, said a government official who spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday.

Iraq struggles with sectarian politics after Ramadi fall
As it moves to try to reverse the stunning loss of Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s largest Sunni province, the Shiite-led government is hamstrung by the sectarian politics it has failed to overcome ever since the Islamic State group began its rampage more than a year ago.

Coeur d’Alene public safety bond passes
In a low-profile election with small voter turnout, a $6 million property tax measure to buy new equipment for the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and fund other public safety priorities cruised to passage Tuesday.

Ex-employee of Red Robin alleges workplace racism
A former employee has filed a federal lawsuit, with the Idaho Human Rights Commission’s blessing, against Red Robin restaurants claiming wrongful termination after she complained about alleged racist comments made by her boss.

One-day teacher strikes OK with 10-year-old
A rare special session hearing on a bill to penalize teachers for one-day strikes featured a walkout by Democrats, questions of legal authority and denunciations of the education unions by conservative think tanks.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell discusses wildfire strategy
Collaborating with ranchers is essential to fighting wildfires as climate change increases fire danger, U.S. Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell said Tuesday at an event in Boise.

Teresa Luna lands Idaho security post
Teresa Luna, who resigned the top job in Idaho’s state Department of Administration after controversy, has been hired as the new emergency planner for the state Bureau of Homeland Security.

In brief: Lewiston man killed in one-vehicle crash
A 24-year-old Lewiston man died Tuesday morning when his vehicle left state Highway 3 between Juliaetta and Kendrick. Travis D. Cleveland was driving north on the highway in a Ford pickup around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday when he drove off the road on the right side of the highway. The truck traveled down an embankment and flipped. Cleveland was declared dead at the scene.
Invalid search voids sentence for drugs
A Yakima County man earned a reprieve Tuesday from a five-year sentence for drug possession when appellate judges ruled a search of his bag by deputies was unlawful, despite his admission he possessed methamphetamine.
Deputy unhurt when car hits apple trees
A Grant County Sheriff’s deputy was hurt but his injuries were not life-threatening Tuesday when a crash sent his patrol car into an orchard.

Idaho Gov. Otter signs child support legislation
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter signed newly passed child support enforcement legislation into law Tuesday and praised lawmakers who overwhelmingly passed the bill in a one-day special session Monday.

Home construction surge boosting U.S. economy
The U.S. housing market has given a sudden jolt to what appeared to be a slumping economy. Builders broke ground on homes last month at the fastest pace in more than seven years. The stepped-up construction is helping boost sales at stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s and improving the likelihood that the U.S. economy will accelerate after likely shrinking early this year.

Los Angeles backs $15 minimum wage
The Los Angeles City Council gave initial approval Tuesday to raising minimum pay in the nation’s second-largest city to $15 an hour by 2020, a key step as wages in America have stagnated.

Winners, losers from dollar’s ride not always predictable
In the months since the U.S. dollar began rising in value against other currencies, the consequences have reverberated, for better or worse, around the world. Who wins and who loses isn’t always obvious.

In brief: Regulators warn of risks to financial institutions
The panel created to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis said Tuesday that banks and other financial institutions are stronger now but regulators must remain alert to new risks including the danger posed from cyberattacks.
Higher worker pay hurts Wal-Mart’s bottom line
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. reported a 7 percent drop in first-quarter profit as the strong dollar and some efforts to improve its business hurt its bottom line. The company said Tuesday that higher worker wages and increased spending on its online operations were among the reasons its results missed Wall Street estimates. On the news, investors sent the company’s shares down more than 4 percent.

Shawn Vestal: Questions still remain about Spokane’s cop culture

Editorial: Drought puts required river flow levels to test

Trudy Rubin: Iraq mess needs thoughtfulness, not politics

‘Mug Meals’ can help you master the microwave
Nutella Cake
“Baked” Egg with Country Bread, Spinach and Tomato

Art of asparagus
Our mild winter and unusually warm spring brought purple-tipped, tight-budded spears of spring asparagus a little early this year, an unexpected but welcomed surprise.
Asparagus-Fennel Soup with Tarragon
Fennel oil
Spring Asparagus with Israeli Couscous, Olives and Feta
Wok Seared Asparagus with Mushrooms and Crispy Tofu

It’s lake season, time for a good dip
Aunt Marie’s Lake Dip

Quick, easy desserts you make in a mug
Poppy Seed and Lemon Cake

Obituary: Crockett, Edward L. “Chuck”
6 Jun 1931 - 16 May 2015     Rosalia, Waverly, Latah

Obituary: Amestoy, Lyndon (Aka Lyn)
9 Jul 1954 - 7 May 2015      Spokane
Rocket Engineering at Felts Field [plane crash]

Obituary: Beal, John Fulton
d. 23 Apr 2015, age 71      Spokane

________