Wednesday, July 29, 2015

In the news, Friday, July 17, 2015


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JUL 16      INDEX      JUL 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 The Blaze (& Glenn Beck)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Fact Check: Did an Islamic State Linked Account Really Warn About Chattanooga Prior to the Attack?
In the aftermath of the deadly attacks against military personnel in Chattanooga, Tennessee, it was suggested on Fox News and far-right websites that a Twitter account associated with the Islamic State tweeted out a warning before the shooting actually occurred. That claim appears to be false.

After Chattanooga, Military Members Noticed Man Outside Recruitment Center — & They Paid Him a Visit
Military members at a Virginia recruitment center noticed a man standing near their building Friday — and he was armed with a loaded AR-15. But this man meant them no harm. Instead, following the attacks on military personnel in Chattanooga, he had come to stand guard and protect the servicemen who are prohibited from carrying firearms at the recruitment centers. The man said he had been warmly welcomed from the individuals at the Winchester recruitment offices, telling WTTG that they had come to visit him, bringing lunch and thanking him for what he is doing.

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from Breitbart
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from CNSNews.com (& MRC & NewsBusters)
from Daily Kos
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

McConnell proposes long-term highway bill at the expense of retirees and the disabled

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from Eagle Rising

German Chancellor says NO WAY to Gay Marriage
Can it really be that the United States has become more culturally liberal than Europe? Maybe not all of Europe, but in Germany gay marriage is still not legal, and if you ask their leader Chancellor Angela Merkel, it shouldn’t ever be.

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from KREM 2 News (CBS Spokane)

Crews continue to monitor Moses Lake hay fire
FLAMES BURNED THROUGH MULTIPLE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS ALONG NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD E.
Crews were still on scene Saturday monitoring 11,000 tons of hay that caught fire in an accidental fire at a Moses Lake business. Smoke from the fire alongside the highway in Moses Lake closed Interstate 90 for part of Friday morning. The roadway reopened around 1:15 p.m. However, workers with the Department of Transportation said the roadway could close again if the wind shifts.

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from LifeNews.com

Ben Carson Launches Campaign to De-Fund Planned Parenthood After Shocking Video
Planned Parenthood has been scrambling for days in the aftermath of the undercover video that shows their Medical Director, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, admitting to selling aborted babies’ body parts while munching on her lunch salad. Thankfully, Americans were horrified by the video and lawmakers from across the country said they would do everything they could to defund the abortion giant.

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from The Raw Story
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]


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from Right Wing Tribune
Nation in Distress  [Information from this site may not be reliable.]

4 Marines Killed But Obama Releases Statement Wishing Muslims A Happy End To Ramadan

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from The Spokesman-Review

Spokane finalist to host new ice skating championship
Spokane has been selected as a finalist to host a new ice skating championship event. Star USA, which organizes sporting events, was informed Friday by U.S. Figure Skating that Spokane is in the running to host the first Team Challenge Cup from April 22-24 in 2016.

Bicyclist killed Wednesday identified
The man hit and killed by a pickup while riding his bicycle on Mission Avenue Wednesday has been identified as Baltazar Gonzalez-Hernandez, 45.

Fire in Moses Lake closes I-90; destroys buildings
An explosion sent a mushroom cloud of flames and smoke 1,000 feet into the air Friday and burned at least four buildings at a company that makes plastic tarps to cover haystacks in central Washington state. The blaze closed Interstate 90, the state’s main east-to-west freeway, in both directions for about two hours. No one has been injured and the cause of the blaze is not yet known, Grant County Sheriff’s spokesman Kyle Foreman said. Numerous haystacks were burning at the company called Inland Tarp & Liner in Moses Lake.

Chattaroy woman suspected of murdering 5-year-old nephew
A Chattaroy woman accused of beating her 5-year-old nephew to death in April was arrested Thursday on a second-degree murder charge. Cynthia L. Khaleel called 911 on April 17 to report that her nephew, Gary Blanton III, had fallen out of bed and knocked himself unconscious while staying at her Chattaroy home. Khaleel, 28, was the only adult in the home when first responders arrived, court records say.

Warrant issued for shooting suspect
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Forest J. Shields in connection with a shooting outside the Daniel Apartments at 525 W. Sinto Monday morning. He is being charged with attempted first-degree murder.

Auditor: Immigration petition likely to fail, but Fagan says it’s not over
Update 5 p.m.: Spokane County officials stopped double-checking petition signatures with about 150 lines left to go late Friday. Unofficial tallies show the petition 45 signatures short of the sufficient number to put the issue on the ballot in November.

Two children die in Colville apartment fire
Neighbors reported hearing a blast followed by a series of smaller explosions shortly after 1:30 a.m. Portions of the wooden, two-story building already were engulfed in flames when Colville firefighters arrived. The extent of the fire prevented search crews from getting inside, according to the Colville Fire Department. A woman and a young girl managed to get out, but two boys, believed to be 4 and 7, died in the fire. Their identities were being withheld.

Gunman kills four at military site
A gunman opened fire on two military centers more than 7 miles apart on Thursday, killing four Marines and wounding three other people in what authorities are investigating as a terrorist attack. A police officer was among those injured in the brazen daylight shooting, in which a man identified by federal authorities as Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, 24, sprayed dozens of bullets at a military recruiting center, then drove several miles away to a Navy-Marine training facility and opened fire again before he was killed.

Her concrete canvas on a hill: Spokane artist picked to paint Seattle parking garage
Ellen Picken has to be philosophical about the “canvas” for her abstract mural: Two stories of concrete walls interspersed with glass window panes on a busy corner of First Hill, just above downtown. “You can’t get too attached to it,” she said during a pause this week between finishing touches to the black-on-white geometric shapes on the old building. “There’s going to be graffiti. Dirt will get on it. Plants will grow out of it. Someday, it will come down.”

Drought prompts fishing limits on 38 rivers in Washington
Reacting to reports of drought-related dead and stressed fish, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department officials are enacting fishing restrictions involving 38 rivers, including the Spokane River. The Kettle River near Republic is one of 21 rivers that will be closed to fishing when the emergency rules take effect on Saturday. The Spokane River and tributaries are among 16 river systems that will be restricted to “hoot owl” hours that prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight.

Witnesses share accounts of Moscow shootings
Witnesses from the Jan. 10 shootings in Moscow, Idaho, that left three people dead faced the alleged shooter, 29-year-old Moscow resident John Lee, in court for the first time Thursday during a preliminary hearing. Following the hearing, Lee was bound over to the Latah County 2nd District Court on three charges of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery. He is scheduled to enter a plea on Aug. 4 and will face the death penalty or three life sentences, plus 15 years and $100,000 in fines, if found guilty on all four charges.

Emmy nominations show wealth of diverse talent

Emmy nominations 2015: List of nominees
The 67th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held Sept. 20 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Greek banks to reopen after lenders’ pledge
Greece on Thursday won vital pledges of support from bailout lenders needed to keep its economy from collapsing, but officials in Athens said the painful austerity measures demanded in return were likely to force an election within months.

Bush expected to recover in 3-4 months after neck fracture
Former President George H.W. Bush fractured a bone in his neck when he took a tumble at his oceanside summer home, but he suffered no neurological impairment and the injury will be allowed to heal on its own, which is expected to take three to four months, officials said Thursday. Bush, at 91 the oldest living former president, remained hospitalized in fair condition a day after he fell at his home in Kennebunkport.

Google car involved in injury collision
Google Inc. revealed Thursday that one of its self-driving car prototypes was involved in an injury accident for the first time. In the collision, a Lexus SUV that the tech giant outfitted with sensors and cameras was rear-ended in Google’s home city of Mountain View, where more than 20 prototypes have been self-maneuvering through traffic.

Theater killer verdict quick
Colorado theater shooter James Holmes was convicted Thursday in the chilling 2012 attack on defenseless moviegoers at a midnight Batman premiere after jurors swiftly rejected defense arguments that the former graduate student was insane and driven to murder by delusions. The initial phase of Holmes’ trial took 11 weeks, but jurors needed only about 12 hours over a day and a half to find him guilty on all 165 counts. The same panel must now decide whether Holmes should pay with his life. Starting Wednesday, they will hear what is expected to be a month’s worth of testimony over whether Holmes deserves the death penalty.

In brief: Senate OKs revised No Child education law
More than a decade after No Child Left Behind established a stronger federal role in public education, the Senate on Thursday approved a rewrite of the much-criticized education law that would return much of that power to the states. The 81-17 vote comes a week after the House passed its own rewrite and sets the stage for what could be contentious negotiations over the federal government’s influence in education policy.
Astronauts take shelter from space junk
A piece of space junk forced the three space station astronauts to seek emergency shelter Thursday. For nearly an hour, the American and two Russians hunkered down in their Soyuz capsule, which is docked to the International Space Station, in case they had to make a quick getaway. The fragment from an old Russian weather satellite ended up passing harmlessly, about 1 1/2 miles away.
Tornado sweeps through Illinois towns
Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director James Joseph said no patients have been received at area hospitals after a tornado swept through the towns of Kirkwood, Monmouth and Cameron late Thursday.

TLC pulls plug on popular ‘19 Kids’
After weeks in limbo stemming from revelations of sexual misconduct by one of its stars, the TLC reality show “19 Kids and Counting” is officially dead. TLC is not moving forward with an 11th season of “19 Kids” featuring the Duggars, whose show “will no longer appear on the air,” the network told the Associated Press on Thursday.

Family seeks answers in woman’s Texas jail death
Family and friends sought more details Thursday about the death of a black woman who authorities say hanged herself in a Texas jail after her arrest for allegedly kicking an officer following a traffic stop, saying the 28-year-old gave no indication she was in such an emotional state that she would kill herself. However, Sandra Bland had posted a video to her Facebook page in March acknowledging she was suffering from “a little bit of depression,” as well as post-traumatic stress disorder.

In brief: U.N. likely to back Iran nuclear deal
The U.N. Security Council scheduled a vote for first thing Monday morning on a resolution endorsing the Iran nuclear deal. The resolution was circulated to council members Wednesday by the United States. Members were also briefed by both Iran and the other countries that negotiated the landmark agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program. With all five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council involved in the marathon Iran negotiations, the resolution’s adoption Monday was almost certain.
IS militants target Egypt navy vessel
An Egyptian navy vessel was targeted on Thursday by militants affiliated with the Islamic State group, who claimed they destroyed it with a rocket while it was anchored off the Sinai peninsula’s Mediterranean coast. Egyptian military spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Samir said the vessel caught fire in an exchange of fire with “terrorists” on the shore and that there were no fatalities among its crew members.
China cremates Tibetan lama’s body
Chinese authorities cremated the body of a Tibetan lama in a prison Thursday against the wishes of his family, who had wanted to perform Buddhist funeral rites on the body in his hometown, a rights group said.

World’s water hotter, rising, scientists say
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the American Meteorological Society’s annual state of the climate report, released Thursday, delves into the details of already reported record-smashing warmth globally in 2014, giving special attention to the world’s oceans. The report said ocean surface temperatures were the warmest in 135 years of records, with the seas holding record levels of heat energy down to 2,300 feet below the surface. Sea level also hit modern highs, partly because warmer water expands.

Obama visits prison, meets with inmates
Obama came to the medium-security El Reno Federal Correctional Institution near Oklahoma City to press his case that the nation needs to reconsider the way crime is controlled and prisoners are rehabilitated. The president met with inmates and walked past rows of empty cells secured by large gray doors. Prison officials opened cell No. 123 for Obama and he gazed at its sparse trappings: a double bunk bed and third bed along the wall, a toilet and sink, along with a small bookcase and three lockers. “Three full-grown men in a 9-by-10 cell,” he said.

Work begins on Peppertree Plaza at Spokane I-90 ‘gateway’
Once veiled behind temporary murals, the piles of dirt and rubble at the northwest corner of Division and Third Avenue have gone almost untouched since 2008, when a Lutheran church at the site was demolished to make room for a proposed new motel. The Great Recession and a series of regulatory issues foiled that plan, and the owners wanted to sell the property for several years. But construction began this week on a new project, a two-story office and retail space dubbed the Peppertree Plaza.

Inmate who died in Spokane County Jail didn’t get care, family says
The family of a woman who died in the Spokane County Jail earlier this week said Tammy Heinen did not receive the medical care she needed before her arrest Sunday on an outstanding warrant. Family members said the 44-year-old had recently been diagnosed with a leg infection and was taking antibiotics. Her boyfriend was on the way to the hospital with her when she was picked up on the warrant, they said.

Three vie for school board
Donald Dover, Jerrall Haynes and Rocky Treppiedi are on the August 4, 2015 primary ballot competing for position 3 on the school board for Spokane Public Schools.

Guilty plea entered in woman’s strangling
In a surprise move, Tony T. Callihan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Thursday, accepting a sentence of 20 years in prison. Callihan, 40, was accused of strangling his girlfriend, 48-year-old Michelle Koenen, on Dec. 7, 2012. Police found him sleeping in Koenen’s car a week later in Clearlake, California, and he’s been in jail since.

In brief: 19 legal weed stores, 1 in Spokane, fail minor sales test
The Liquor Control Board reported Thursday it sent underage investigative aides to all of the state’s 157 licensed recreational marijuana stores, which cannot sell to anyone under 21. Most passed, but 19, including Royal Cannabis, 7115 N. Division, either failed to ask for identification or didn’t properly check the ID and determine the purchaser was too young. The tests were conducted between mid-May and the end of June and were the first for the state-licensed recreational marijuana stores, which started opening one year ago. The stores that received citations have the choice of a 10-day suspension or a $2,500 fine.
DOE accepts grants for drought relief
With a $16 million appropriation from the Legislature, the Washington Department of Ecology is accepting grant applications for public projects to help relieve hardships arising from the drought. These funds can be used over the next two years to help protect public health and safety and reduce economic or environmental impacts from water shortages. The grant money is available to entities such as cities, public utilities and irrigation districts. It can be used for projects that ensure reliable public water supplies, getting water to farmers and providing extra flows for fish. Some examples include deepening wells, developing alternative water sources, purchasing water, repairing leaks or other conservation programs.
Oil train derails, leaks in Montana
Authorities say an oil train derailed in rural northeastern Montana, prompting the evacuation of some homes and leaving at least two of the cars leaking oil. There are no reports of injury or fire, but of the 21 cars that derailed only two remained upright. A BNSF spokesman said the train was pulling 106 loaded crude oil cars when it derailed near Culbertson near the North Dakota border just after 6 p.m. Thursday.

Police: DUIs alleged in separate crashes leaving 1 dead, 1 injured
A bicyclist was killed and a motorcyclist was seriously injured in separate accidents Wednesday, and in both cases, police say, the drivers who caused the crashes admitted to recently smoking marijuana.

2-year-old, who died in fire, was outgoing, fan of ‘Frozen’
The last time anyone saw Genevieve Brouillette, she was snuggled by her favorite fleece Minnie Mouse blanket, drinking a combination of Dr. Pepper and root beer out of sippy cup and watching her favorite movie, “Frozen,” said her mother Jenne Brouillette. With Genevieve settled in, her stepfather, Fredrick Ferree, left the camper where the family was living to get a bottle for Genevieve’s 10-month-old brother, Brouillette said. Ferree walked to his father’s residence, which is on the same property. He stayed for a couple minutes to chat but soon noticed smoke. Genevieve, who would have turned 3 in August, died in the fire that consumed the camper at about 8 p.m. Tuesday at 4039 Hoo Doo Loop near Oldtown, Idaho.

Yellen reassures legislators on raising interest rates
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen sought to reassure worried lawmakers on Thursday that when the Fed begins to raise interest rates, it will be careful not to derail the economy.

U.S. homebuilder sentiment hits highest level since 2005
The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Thursday rose this month to 60, the highest level since November 2005. The latest reading is unchanged from May, which was revised upward 1 point from 59. July’s reading is up from 53 a year ago. Readings above 50 indicate more builders view sales conditions as good, rather than poor.

Survey finds Uber tops taxis as business travelers’ preference
Taxis are losing business travelers to ride-hailing services like Uber, a survey shows. In the three months ended in June, Uber overtook taxis as the most expensed form of ground transportation, according to expense management system provider Certify. Uber accounted for 55 percent of ground transportation receipts compared with taxis at 43 percent.

Stronger dollar, cheaper oil hurt manufacturing in northeast
Manufacturing growth in the Philadelphia region fell in July, a sign that factories are struggling to contribute much to the expanding U.S. economy. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said Thursday that its index of factory activity fell to 5.7 in July from 15.2 the previous month. Any reading above zero indicates that manufacturing is expanding. The index has been stuck in single digits for all but one month this year. That compares with a recent high of 40.2 in November. Manufacturers are recovering from the setbacks of a brutal winter, a strong dollar hurting exports and cheaper oil prices cutting into equipment and material orders by energy firms.
General Mills will lay off 600
General Mills said Thursday it will lay off over 600 workers and shut down factories in the Chicago area and Joplin, Missouri, bringing to six the number of plant closings it has announced in the past year.

Briefcase: Leone & Keeble wins bidding for NIC career-technical facility
Spokane-based general contractor Leone & Keeble Inc. is the apparent bid winner to build the $20 million North Idaho College Career Technical Education Facility in Rathdrum.
Starbucks offering opportunity
Starbucks said Thursday it’s opening stores in 15 poor and middle-class inner city locations across the U.S., including one in Ferguson, Missouri, as part of its bid to integrate more disadvantaged youths into the workforce.
UnitedHealth growth strong
UnitedHealth, nation’s largest health insurer, said Thursday that operating earnings climbed about 19 percent to $864 million for its Optum business segment, which provides pharmacy benefits management and technology services.
30-year rate rises to 4.09
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose this week, reaching highs for the year as investor anxiety over economic turbulence abroad moderated.

Juniors opt out of new assessment tests at high rate in Spokane area
Local students who opted out of Washington’s new assessment tests likely did so because of exam fatigue, not because of furor over Common Core standards, school officials say.

Shawn Vestal: Washington state gas tax a tale of two votes

Editorial: Senate bill positive step to fix law on education

Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan: APA reports torturers’ impunity
[APA: American Psychological Association]

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from The Washington Examiner (DC)

The process that could pass or kill the Iran deal
The Obama administration and other governments that negotiated the nuclear agreement with Iran need to get that deal approved both at the United Nations, and in the legislative bodies of various individual countries. The P5+1 countries that negotiated the deal plan to get approval from the U.N. first, a move that has outraged many members of the U.S. Congress who say they should get the first shot. However, the top U.S. negotiator in the Iran nuclear talks said Thursday the U.N. resolution that will be adopted to implement the deal will include a 90-day "review" period that will let Congress and possibly other legislative bodies hold votes on the agreement. "The way that the UN Security Council resolution is structured, there is an interim period of 60-90 days that I think will accommodate the congressional review," Undersecretary of State for Policy Wendy Sherman told reporters.

House Republicans introduce resolution to block Obama's Iran deal
More than two-thirds of all House Republicans have signed onto a resolution disapproving of the Iran nuclear agreement, language that is likely to get a vote in early September after members spend weeks pouring over the deal. The resolution from Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., has the potential to block the deal that most Republicans oppose, but only if it can pass the House and Senate, and then if both chambers can override an expected veto from President Obama.

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from WND (World Net Daily)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

OBAMA'S PRE-TERROR TWEET: HAPPY EID-UL-FITR
Sends out pro-Muslim message 2 hours before Chattanooga attack

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