________
________
Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.
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from Breitbart
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from Blue Nation Review
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
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from Conservative Tribune
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
Top Army General Drops Bombshell About Obama as He Resigns
Outgoing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno told Fox News on Wednesday that a continued U.S. troop presence in the region would have kept Iraq on a positive track.
Top Army General Drops Bombshell About Obama as He Resigns
Outgoing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno told Fox News on Wednesday that a continued U.S. troop presence in the region would have kept Iraq on a positive track.
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from Daily Kos
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
Jeb! denounces lobbying interests at event arranged for him by lobbyists
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Jeb! denounces lobbying interests at event arranged for him by lobbyists
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from The Heritage Foundation
from Huffington Post
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]
Will I Be Paralyzed Like My Mother Once Was?
Sometimes referred to as Arnold-Chiari syndrome or more simply as Chiari, the condition that befell my mother is one in which a defect in the lower-back part the skull causes the cerebellum to squish toward the spine, thus causing increased pressure both in the brain and on the spinal cord. Since the cerebellum controls movement and coordination, and the spine is responsible for delivering the signals for basically everything else, the syndrome, while not always fatal, is essentially a one-two punch for permanent disability if left untreated.
________
Will I Be Paralyzed Like My Mother Once Was?
Sometimes referred to as Arnold-Chiari syndrome or more simply as Chiari, the condition that befell my mother is one in which a defect in the lower-back part the skull causes the cerebellum to squish toward the spine, thus causing increased pressure both in the brain and on the spinal cord. Since the cerebellum controls movement and coordination, and the spine is responsible for delivering the signals for basically everything else, the syndrome, while not always fatal, is essentially a one-two punch for permanent disability if left untreated.
________
from Independent Journal Review
Obama Denies IRS Scandal Ever Happened – And Jon Stewart is So Floored He Can Only Utter One Phrase
President Obama denied the IRS scandal ever happened, leaving Jon Stewart in a state of shock. The President blamed the Congress for passing a “crummy law” that didn’t give people guidance, and added that the IRS acted “poorly” and “stupidly.” “Boy, you really do have only a year left,” Jon Stewart blurted out to the audience after expressing his stunned reaction.
Sanders speaks out on Sandra Bland
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders issues a forceful statement on the case of Sandra Bland, days after a tense confrontation with #BlackLivesMatter activists. Sanders joins Ed Schultz to explain. Duration: 7:27
Glacier National Park wildfire destroys historic cabin
A fast-moving wildfire in Glacier National Park torched a car and a historic cabin and forced tourists to abandon their vehicles on the Montana park’s most popular roadway while officials evacuated hotels, campgrounds and homes. Visitors left their vehicles along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and were shuttled out by officials Tuesday, park spokeswoman Denise Germann said. The two-lane road that carries thousands of vehicles on peak days in July and August was shut down for 21 of its 50 miles. By Wednesday evening, the fire had burned more than 6 square miles. It also destroyed the Baring Creek Cabin, a historic backcountry structure.
Highway 2 closed near Davenport for fatal crash
Four people were killed tonight when a car slammed into a semi-truck on Highway 2 about 13 miles west of Davenport, the Washington State Patrol said. The wreck, near the Telford rest area, closed the highway for several hours. Traffic was detoured onto Miles Creston Road and Highway 25. The collision was reported just before 6 p.m. It appears the westbound passenger car crossed the center line and hit the truck head on, WSP Trooper Jeff Sevigney said. All four people in the car died at the scene. The driver of the semi was not injured but was taken to Lincoln Hospital in Davenport as a precaution
Man found dead in burning car identified
Authorities have identified the man found dead in the backseat of a car that burned in the Shadle neighborhood last month as 32-year-old Warren R. Lively. The car caught fire just after midnight June 22 in the parking lot of the Shadle Center Wal-Mart.
Victim of Tuesday’s shooting in East Central identified
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday identified the victim of Tuesday’s fatal shooting in East Central Spokane. He was William Poindexter, 45. Edward Bushnell, 27, was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a second-degree murder charge later that day and is expected to appear in court this week.
One dead after shooting in East Central
A man was arrested late Tuesday afternoon in connection with a fatal shooting in East Central Spokane earlier in the day. Edward A. Bushnell was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a charge of second-degree murder.
Boy, 10, dies in ATV crash in Shoshone Co.
A 10-year-old boy was killed in an ATV accident Tuesday night in Shoshone County. The boy, whose name has not been released, was operating the ATV on Moon Gulch Road, which is north of Interstate 90 between Kellogg and Osburn.
Doctor faces misconduct charges over sex, prescriptions
A former doctor at Rockwood Clinic is facing state charges of unprofessional conduct for allegedly writing multiple drug prescriptions for two prostitutes with whom he had sex. The women were described as patients of Dr. Lewis J. Meline, who lists his specialty as obstetrics and gynecology.
Church shooting suspect faces hate crime charges
The man accused of killing nine black church members last month in Charleston, South Carolina, was indicted Wednesday on 33 federal counts, including hate crimes, firearms violations and obstructing the practice of religion, which could include the death penalty. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the federal grand jury indictments of 21-year-old Dylann Roof. The charges have been expected since Roof was arrested following the June 17 shootings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
9th Circuit rules against CdA Tribe on poker
The 9th Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals has ruled against the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s bid to offer Texas Hold ‘Em poker at its reservation casino in Worley, finding that poker is “explicitly prohibited by Idaho law.” The tribe contended that Texas Hold ‘Em is a game of skill, not just chance, so should be allowed under Idaho’s Constitution. It also argued that Texas Hold ‘Em is widely played already around Idaho, from charity events to big tournaments. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued a preliminary injunction against the poker games at the Coeur d’Alene Casino in September. The tribe appealed to the 9th Circuit. Today, the appeals court sided with Winmill.
Search resumes for 16-year-old believed to have drowned
A 16-year-old Athol boy is believed to have drowned after he fell out of a boat on Lake Coeur d’Alene Tuesday evening. Reginald J. Nault was not wearing a personal floatation device and could not be located. Nault either jumped or fell over board while the boat was moving. Emergency units responded to the area north of Arrow Point around 6 p.m., where the average water depth is around 130 feet. The Sheriff’s Office SONAR search team resumed looking for the boy this morning.
Small Tubbs Hill fire contained
A small brush fire threatened six homes on Tubbs Hill last night. Four different agencies responded to the fire, which was reported at 8:30 p.m. and burned about an acre. This is the second fire on Tubbs Hill in a month. On June 20 there was a 5-acre fire.
Cost of fighting Washington wildfires nearly $35M so far
The cost of fighting large wildfires in Washington state has hit nearly $35 million so far this year, as 29 large wildfires have scorched brush, grass and timber. The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center says those large blazes have burned nearly 130 square miles, or about 81,500 acres. A large fire burns at least 100 acres in timber or 300 acres in grass or brush. There have also been more than 1,000 small wildfires through July 21.
New Alzheimer’s research shows early signs of vulnerability in women
Older women with mild memory impairment worsened about twice as fast as men, researchers reported Tuesday, part of an effort to unravel why women are especially hard-hit by Alzheimer’s. Nearly two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. At age 65, seemingly healthy women have about a 1-in-6 chance of developing Alzheimer’s during the rest of their lives, compared with a 1-in-11 chance for men. Scientists once thought the disparity was just because women tend to live longer – but there’s increasing agreement that something else makes women more vulnerable.
Obama says critics of Iran deal ‘quick to go to war in Iraq’
President Barack Obama defended his pursuit of a negotiated solution to halt Iran’s nuclear program against critics who he claimed would prefer to rush the U.S. back to war, arguing Tuesday that engaging in “smart, principled diplomacy” was the true test of American leadership.
County’s fast approval of broadband-boosting towers draws complaint
A wireless company has received fast-track approval from Spokane County to construct three towers designed to boost broadband Internet speeds in rural areas. Commissioners say the need for high-speed Internet access in outlying parts of the county, and the closing window for access to federal funds, trumps the usual lengthy public hearing process. The decision has at least one competitor crying foul, though county planners say they received no complaints before green-lighting an emergency ordinance earlier this summer. And school district officials are excited about the possibility of faster log-on speeds.
Stormwater tanks present landscaping challenge for city
The dirt above two big 250,000-gallon stormwater tanks along Spokane’s South Riverton Avenue is just that. Dirt. There are also a lot of weeds.
DNA studies differ on Native American origins
This week, two teams of scientists released reports detailing the origins of Native American peoples. Both groups looked at ancient and modern DNA to attempt to learn more about the movements of populations from Asia into the New World, and about how groups mixed once they got here. Both discovered a hint that some Native Americans in South America share ancestry with native peoples in Australia and Melanesia. But the two groups came to different conclusions when it came to how that DNA with ties to Oceania made its way into the Native American genome.
Body of King Philip II, Alexander the Great’s father, ID’d in ancient tomb
By examining dusty bones pulled from the bottom of an ancient tomb, researchers say they’ve identified the remains of King Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, in a tomb in Vergina, Greece, along with his wife and a child.
Highway bill vote delayed in Senate
With a deadline looming for a cutoff of highway aid to states, Senate Republicans failed Tuesday to muster enough votes to take up a bill that would extend transportation programs for six years. Democrats complained they’d had only an hour to read the 1,040-page bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he would give Democrats more time, but added he intends to push forward with the bill even if it means keeping the Senate in session over the weekend.
Trump-GOP feud escalates after Graham comments
Donald Trump pushed back ever harder Tuesday against Republicans fed up with his provocations, disclosing one opponent’s cell number in a fiery speech and lashing out at an influential newspaper as part of an in-your-face escalation of the feud.
Ohio’s Kasich joins GOP field, now at 16
Saying “big ideas change the world,” Ohio Gov. John Kasich declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination Tuesday. Kasich, 63, launched his campaign at Ohio State University before a crowd of 2,000. The event marked the entry of a strong-willed and sometimes abrasive governor into a nomination race that now has 16 notable Republicans.
In brief: Some convictions overturned in ex-governor’s case
A federal appeals court Tuesday overturned some of the most sensational convictions that sent former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich off to a lengthy stint in prison, ruling that the Democrat did not break the law when he sought to secure a Cabinet position in President Barack Obama’s administration in exchange for appointing an Obama adviser to the president’s former U.S. Senate seat. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago also ordered the resentencing of Blagojevich, offering the 58-year-old a ray of hope that he could end up serving less than his original 14-year term. The three appellate judges dismissed five of 18 corruption counts against Blagojevich, while affirming 13 counts. In a blow to the defense, the panelists also suggested the original sentence wasn’t necessarily extreme, even when factoring in the newly tossed convictions.
Immigration debate heats up
Urged on by anguished testimony from the father of a murder victim, Congress plunged into a heated debate over immigration on Tuesday as GOP lawmakers vowed to shut down funding for so-called sanctuary cities like San Francisco that shield immigrants from deportation by federal authorities. Immigrant advocates denounced the approach, accusing Republicans of following presidential candidate Donald Trump in demonizing Latinos. But after 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle was shot this month, allegedly by an immigrant with a criminal record and without legal status, even some Democrats were calling for action to address the ineffective tangle of federal and local laws and policies that left the man on the street.
Lauded author Doctorow dies
Writer E.L. Doctorow, who wryly reimagined the American experience in such novels as “Ragtime” and “The March” and applied its lessons to the past and the future in fiction and nonfiction, has died. He was 84. Doctorow won the National Book Award for fiction in 1986 for “World’s Fair” and the National Book Critics Circle award in 1989 for “Billy Bathgate” and in 2005 for “The March.”
“Archie” cartoonist Tom Moore has died in Texas
Tom Moore, the “Archie” cartoonist who brought to life the escapades of a freckled-face, red-haired character, has died in Texas. He was 86. Moore drew Archie Andrews and his friends on and off from 1953 until he retired in the late 1980s. Annual sales of the comic regularly surpassed half a million during the 1960s.
Actor Theodore Bikel died Tuesday morning
Theodore Bikel, the Tony- and Oscar-nominated actor and singer whose passions included folk music and political activism, died Tuesday morning of natural causes at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 91. Many viewers knew him best for his portrayal of Tevye in stage productions of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Although he did not appear in the original 1964 Broadway version or the 1971 film, he played Tevye more than 2,000 times on stage from 1967 onward.
Songwriter Wayne Carson has died
Grammy-winning songwriter Wayne Carson, who wrote hits like the Willie Nelson classic “Always On My Mind,” and The Box Tops’ “The Letter,” has died. He was 72.
2nd undercover video targets Planned Parenthood on fetal parts sales
Anti-abortion activists on Tuesday released a second undercover video aimed at discrediting Planned Parenthood’s procedures for providing fetal tissue to researchers. The video shows a woman identified as Dr. Mary Gatter, a Planned Parenthood medical director in California, meeting with people posing as potential buyers of intact fetal specimens. Much of the conversation on the video deals with how much money the buyers should pay.
In brief: U.S. drone strike kills head of al-Qaida-led Khorasan Group
A U.S. military drone strike in northwest Syria has killed Muhsin al-Fadhli, the head of a shadowy cell of veteran al-Qaida operatives known as the Khorasan Group that sought to attack Western targets, Pentagon officials said Tuesday. The 34-year-old Kuwaiti’s vehicle was hit July 8 as it traveled near the Turkish border in the Syrian town of Sarmada.
Three journalists missing in Syria
Three Spanish freelance journalists who traveled to Syria to report amid the country’s long-running civil war have gone missing around the embattled northern city of Aleppo, a Spanish journalism association said Tuesday, the latest ensnared in the world’s most dangerous assignment for reporters. The disappearance of Antonio Pampliega, Jose Manuel Lopez and Angel Sastre, presumed to be working together, comes as most media organizations have pulled out of Syria, especially with the rise of the extremist Islamic State group. At least 84 journalists have been killed since 2011 in Syria, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, while others remain missing or have been released for ransom.
Car bomb in Iraq kills 14, wounds 30
An Iraqi police official in Baghdad says a car bomb detonated in front of a busy clothing store, killing 14 people and wounding 30. The explosion happened in the predominantly Shiite district of New Baghdad late Tuesday.
Execution of Colorado theater shooter unlikely
The time has come for jurors to hear whether James Holmes should be executed for killing 12 people in a Colorado movie theater. But even if they choose death, Holmes could spend the rest of his life in prison awaiting capital punishment that never happens. Colorado has executed only one person in nearly half a century, and just three people sit on the state’s death row. The man closest to seeing his death sentence carried out was granted an indefinite reprieve in 2013 by the Democratic governor, who said he had doubts about the fairness of the state’s death penalty system.
Report blasts DEA’s use of informants
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s use of confidential informants was heavily criticized Tuesday in an inspector general’s report that found a lack of oversight over recruitment and failure to properly regulate illegal activities by its sources.
In brief: Activist fights citation for rifle at courthouse
The gun activist arrested after he openly carried a rifle on the plaza outside the Spokane federal courthouse will fight a misdemeanor citation in court. Anthony P. Bosworth, an Iraq War veteran from Yakima, was cited Feb. 25 for failure to comply by Homeland Security officials guarding the Thomas S. Foley United States Courthouse. A video of the encounter posted online shows Bosworth openly carrying an assault rifle before being handcuffed by uniformed guards, who also seized his weapons.
Search for boater continues at Idaho lake
The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office continued searching Tuesday for a boater missing on Lake Pend Oreille. Jeremy R. Heckert, 38, of Sandpoint, was reported missing and presumed drowned July 10 after apparently jumping from a boat without a life vest in Ellisport Bay near East Hope.
Wolf’s killing of cow reported near Cle Elum
A cow was killed by a wolf on a grazing allotment near Cle Elum, Washington, wildlife officials said. The cow’s carcass was discovered Thursday by a Washington State University graduate student doing wolf research. The kill was in the range of the Teanaway Pack.
Knox Presbyterian Church hard-pressed to cover burglary loss
When Karen Colvin arrived at work Tuesday morning, she discovered that someone had broken into her office inside Knox Presbyterian Church in north-central Spokane and taken two computers and most of their accessories, including an external hard drive and the computer mice. But they left one keyboard. The thieves also took a small stereo off her desk and a vacuum cleaner. Small dishes that once held candles sit empty on a countertop. “They took weird things,” said Colvin, the church’s administrator. “They took our water cooler, but they left one of our full bottles of water.” They also took several trash cans, presumably to make it easier to haul items away.
Fire roundup: Farmland fire slows traffic on West Plains
A fire burning just north of Interstate 90 west of Spokane clogged westbound traffic on I-90 at the Geiger exit Tuesday afternoon. The fire started about 12:30 p.m. on land owned by Rowand Machinery Co. that was leased out for farming, and burned at least 8 1/2 acres. The winter wheat harvest had just been completed on Monday. Staff members from Rowand used two company bulldozers to start building fire lines.
Interstate reopened in Grant County
I-90 in Grant County reopened in both directions Tuesday morning after a 17-mile stretch was closed the day before when blowing dust and smoke from a brush fire made it unsafe for drivers.
Walla Walla County declares emergency
The Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners has declared a state of emergency and is seeking help from the governor in dealing with the Blue Creek wildfire. Meanwhile, the federal government is providing money to help fight the wildfire, which has grown to nearly 4 square miles and has destroyed one home. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal dollars to help with firefighting costs.
Court measure, setting of mayor’s pay before Spokane voters
Two ballot measures are before Spokane voters this primary election, one that should be familiar and another that won’t. Proposition 1 will allow the city’s Salary Review Commission to set the mayor’s pay. The measure is the culmination of a heated discussion between Mayor David Condon and the Spokane City Council after the mayor’s 2015 budget proposal included a nearly $7,000 pay raise for his position. Currently, the city charter states that the mayor must be the highest-paid employee at City Hall other than the city administrator, wording that was reaffirmed by voters in 2011. This ballot measure would again amend the city charter. Proposition 2 will formalize the city’s municipal court in the city charter. Currently, the court is described only in the city’s municipal code. If approved by voters, the court will be enshrined in the charter, which is the city’s basic ruling document and can only be amended by a vote of the people. The municipal court has limited jurisdiction and can only deal with criminal misdemeanors and civil infractions such as parking violations, driving without a valid license, drunken driving, minor theft and domestic violence assaults. Howard Delaney, the court’s administrator, said the ballot measure is “really just housekeeping and formalizing what was done by ordinance previously.”
In brief: Education funding a work in progress, Legislature reports
The Legislature’s annual progress report to the Washington Supreme Court on its work toward fulfilling the court’s order to fix education funding is a mixture of accomplishments and wishes for the future.
Brother sues CEO who set $70,000 wage
A Seattle CEO who set a $70,000 minimum wage for all 120 of his employees is being sued by his brother. Lucas Price accuses his brother and co-founder, Dan Price, in court documents of violating his rights as minority shareholder in Gravity Payments and breaching duties and contracts.
Conservation Corps hiring statewide
The Washington Conservation Corps is hiring for 300 positions statewide, including 10 in Spokane County. The program partners with AmeriCorps to provide yearlong, full-time employment for young adults ages 18-25, according to a state Department of Ecology news release. Veterans of the Second Gulf War, reservists and dependents of any age may also apply. Crews rebuild boardwalks and trails, plant native trees and shrubs, and provide emergency response for communities in need after natural disasters. This summer, they also are fighting wildfires.
Police chief seeks guidance on pot tickets
The chief of the Seattle Police Department has asked City Council members if they want her officers to stop issuing $27 fines for public pot use. Chief Kathleen O’Toole said Monday that she didn’t want to report to the council every six months, as pot use tickets have been generating national news.
Spokane stabbing suspect jailed on murder charge
A Spokane detective was inside Mike’s Grocery at 2025 N. Hamilton St. Monday viewing video surveillance of a stabbing the night before when the suspect in the crime walked in the front door of the business. Joaquen E. Vasquez, 50, was booked into jail Monday night on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the stabbing of Jay Dee Dodgen, 51, on the steps of a vacant house next to Mike’s Grocery.
Interstate at washed out bridge in California to reopen Friday
The main route connecting Los Angeles and Phoenix, which was closed when a surge of floodwater damaged several bridges spanning small desert gullies, is set to partially reopen Friday – far sooner than officials first estimated. The California Department of Transportation had expected repairs on Interstate 10 to take weeks but announced Tuesday that it will be able to handle traffic again less than a week after the spans were damaged. Travelers will still face delays, however, because just one lane will be open in each direction where one bridge collapsed.
Bill Cosby’s lawyers ask to keep settlement sealed
Bill Cosby’s lawyers argued on Tuesday that his admission to using quaaludes in the 1970s doesn’t mean he drugged and sexually assaulted women. The comments came as the lawyers asked a court to preserve the confidentiality of Cosby’s 2006 settlement in a sexual-battery lawsuit, which the accuser wants unsealed.
Idaho sees more school Internet savings
The savings are continuing to mount after the demise of the Idaho Education Network. The service, aimed at providing broadband Internet, videoconferencing and other services to every high school in the state, shut down in February when a judge ruled the $60 million contract was illegal. State lawmakers set aside $3.64 million for school districts to negotiate their own broadband service contracts with the vendors of their choice, after pulling back $5 million in funding that was to go to the defunct network. The final year-end numbers show the districts spent just $2.2 million of that amount; the other $1.37 million will revert to the state general fund.
As global air travel increases, industry looks to biofuels
As people in countries such as China, India and Indonesia get wealthier, they are increasingly turning to air travel for vacation or business, creating an enormous financial opportunity for the airlines. The number of passengers worldwide could more than double, to 7.3 billion a year, in the next two decades, according to the International Air Transport Association. But many in the industry believe that without a replacement for jet fuel, that growth could be threatened by forthcoming rules that limit global aircraft emissions. In order to carry all those extra passengers, airlines are turning to a technology very few can make work on a large scale: converting trash into fuel.
Citi to refund $700 million to card customers
Nine million credit card customers will receive refund checks from Citigroup after U.S. regulators forced the bank to repay $700 million and fined it $70 million for illegal and deceptive practices. The order, coming from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is the latest multimillion dollar settlement against the largest credit card issuers for their role in selling “add-on” products to customers, such as credit score monitoring or “rush” processing of payments. Bank of America reached a similar, slightly larger settlement with regulators in 2014 and JPMorgan Chase was fined in 2013.
Apple stock slides on smartwatch vagueness
Apple’s stock slid sharply Tuesday after the company reported strong iPhone sales but remained coy about the performance of its new smartwatch.
Cooked books cost Toshiba CEO his job
Toshiba’s chief executive resigned Tuesday to take responsibility for doctored books that inflated profits at the Japanese technology manufacturer by $1.2 billion over several years. Toshiba Corp. acknowledged a systematic cover-up, which began in 2008. Various parts of the Japanese company’s sprawling business including computer chips and personal computers were struggling financially, but top managers set unrealistic earnings targets under the banner of “challenge,” and subordinates faked results. On top of its struggles in electronics, Tokyo-based Toshiba’s prospects in nuclear power, one of its core businesses, were shaken after the 2011 Fukushima disaster set off public fears about reactor safety. All 48 of the nation’s working reactors are now offline.
Briefcase: Fiber and data company adds region to network
Colorado company Level 3 Communications recently expanded its network to Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. The Fortune 500 company offers communication services such as fiber networks, voice, data, and data-center and cloud-based services. Level 3 has 276 “on-net” buildings in the area, which means it offers fiber services there. It currently offers services on its own fiber networks in more than 60 countries and 500 markets, according to a news release.
AT&T’s DirecTV bid endorsed
The head of the Federal Communications Commission has recommended approving AT&T’s $48.5 billion purchase of DirecTV. The deal would create the country’s largest provider of cable or satellite TV. The other four commissioners still have to vote on the proposal. The company would have 26.4 million TV subscribers in the U.S., topping Comcast as well as a possible new giant, Charter, which wants to buy Time Warner Cable. It would also include AT&T’s nationwide network of tens of millions of wireless customers, its Internet and landline phone services and DirecTV’s millions of customers in Latin America.
Phones deal blow to Microsoft
Microsoft booked an $8.4 billion charge in the fourth quarter, swallowing a bitter pill by writing off the Nokia phone business it bought just over a year ago. It narrowly beat analysts’ depressed expectations for a quarter that also saw a steep decline in personal computer sales even as it prepares to launch its latest operating system, Windows 10. The software giant posted a net loss of $3.20 billion, or 40 cents per share, reversing a profit of $4.61 billion, or 55 cents per share, a year ago. Adjusted to exclude the charges, the company posted a quarterly profit of 62 cents per share, beating the average estimate of 15 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research of 31 cents per share. The write-down was expected after CEO Satya Nadella announced 7,800 job cuts two weeks ago. The company will continue to make phones on a smaller scale.
Facebook loses data fight
Facebook can’t block nearly 400 search warrants seeking users’ postings for a criminal fraud investigation, an appeals court said Tuesday, but the judges said they understand the social networking site’s unease about prosecutors’ extensive request. The [New York] state Supreme Court Appellate Division ruling won’t put any new information in prosecutors’ hands. Facebook had lost earlier rulings and already turned the data over. But the case has been closely watched by social media companies, civil libertarians and prosecutors. The Manhattan district attorney’s office noted the unanimous decision from the Appellate Division’s First Department about the warrants, which a lower-court judge had approved at the outset. The 381 warrants helped build a disabilities benefits fraud case against police and fire department retirees.
Polls on nuclear deal yield conflicting results
Americans support the nuclear agreement with Iran by 56 percent to 37 percent. No, they disapprove of the deal, 48 percent to 38 percent. The conflicting findings come from respected polling operations with long track records of accurately tracking public opinion. A Washington Post/ABC News survey released Monday found Americans supporting the deal; a poll from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center released Tuesday found disapproval. How can both be correct? Question wording seems likely to be a big part of the answer.
Trudy Rubin: U.S. lacks plan to halt Iran’s mischief
Editorial: Idaho should study four-day school week’s effect on learning
Shawn Vestal: Newsmakers self-identify however they please
Weedy purslane is actually a superfood
Purslane Quesadillas
Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt Dip) with Purslane, Cucumbers and Herbs
Local growers making the most of blueberry season
Blueberry Slushy
Summer Glow Bowl with Citrus Bee Pollen Dressing
Grilled Chicken with Pickled Blueberries
Blueberry Cream Cheese Fingers
Blog-inspired book features Lebanese-American family favorites
Apricot-Lime Fruit Leather
Hummus with Lamb and Sumac
Carson calls Trump's comments 'distracting'
Ben Carson called the rhetoric of fellow Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump "a distraction" and offered what he said was a better answer to America's illegal immigration problems than the controversial solutions proposed by the billionaire.
Report: Social Security disability fund could dry up in 2016
Report Social Security disability fund will go broke in 2016, in midst of presidential race
Obama Denies IRS Scandal Ever Happened – And Jon Stewart is So Floored He Can Only Utter One Phrase
President Obama denied the IRS scandal ever happened, leaving Jon Stewart in a state of shock. The President blamed the Congress for passing a “crummy law” that didn’t give people guidance, and added that the IRS acted “poorly” and “stupidly.” “Boy, you really do have only a year left,” Jon Stewart blurted out to the audience after expressing his stunned reaction.
________
from Mad World News
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]
Illegal Alien Brutally Killed Her Son, And Who It Was Is BIG Trouble For Obama
A woman, whose son was brutally tortured then murdered by an illegal alien, unloaded during a Senate committee hearing, and the illegal who committed the heinous act poses a serious problem for Barack Obama and the Democrats.
King Obama Just Removed MAJOR Part Of Immigration Oath, Now It’s Pointless
Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t weaken our nation any further, out comes news that he’s unilaterally removed two very important clauses from the oath that citizens who wish to become naturalized have to take, basically rendering the oath worthless. Under new guidance from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, effective July 21 of this year, certain candidates to become naturalized citizens will no longer be required to recite the services clauses of the oath to become Americans.
________
Illegal Alien Brutally Killed Her Son, And Who It Was Is BIG Trouble For Obama
A woman, whose son was brutally tortured then murdered by an illegal alien, unloaded during a Senate committee hearing, and the illegal who committed the heinous act poses a serious problem for Barack Obama and the Democrats.
King Obama Just Removed MAJOR Part Of Immigration Oath, Now It’s Pointless
Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t weaken our nation any further, out comes news that he’s unilaterally removed two very important clauses from the oath that citizens who wish to become naturalized have to take, basically rendering the oath worthless. Under new guidance from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, effective July 21 of this year, certain candidates to become naturalized citizens will no longer be required to recite the services clauses of the oath to become Americans.
________
from NBC News (& affiliates)
Sanders speaks out on Sandra Bland
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders issues a forceful statement on the case of Sandra Bland, days after a tense confrontation with #BlackLivesMatter activists. Sanders joins Ed Schultz to explain. Duration: 7:27
________
from Newsmax
from The Spokesman-Review
Glacier National Park wildfire destroys historic cabin
A fast-moving wildfire in Glacier National Park torched a car and a historic cabin and forced tourists to abandon their vehicles on the Montana park’s most popular roadway while officials evacuated hotels, campgrounds and homes. Visitors left their vehicles along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and were shuttled out by officials Tuesday, park spokeswoman Denise Germann said. The two-lane road that carries thousands of vehicles on peak days in July and August was shut down for 21 of its 50 miles. By Wednesday evening, the fire had burned more than 6 square miles. It also destroyed the Baring Creek Cabin, a historic backcountry structure.
Highway 2 closed near Davenport for fatal crash
Four people were killed tonight when a car slammed into a semi-truck on Highway 2 about 13 miles west of Davenport, the Washington State Patrol said. The wreck, near the Telford rest area, closed the highway for several hours. Traffic was detoured onto Miles Creston Road and Highway 25. The collision was reported just before 6 p.m. It appears the westbound passenger car crossed the center line and hit the truck head on, WSP Trooper Jeff Sevigney said. All four people in the car died at the scene. The driver of the semi was not injured but was taken to Lincoln Hospital in Davenport as a precaution
Man found dead in burning car identified
Authorities have identified the man found dead in the backseat of a car that burned in the Shadle neighborhood last month as 32-year-old Warren R. Lively. The car caught fire just after midnight June 22 in the parking lot of the Shadle Center Wal-Mart.
Victim of Tuesday’s shooting in East Central identified
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday identified the victim of Tuesday’s fatal shooting in East Central Spokane. He was William Poindexter, 45. Edward Bushnell, 27, was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a second-degree murder charge later that day and is expected to appear in court this week.
One dead after shooting in East Central
A man was arrested late Tuesday afternoon in connection with a fatal shooting in East Central Spokane earlier in the day. Edward A. Bushnell was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a charge of second-degree murder.
Boy, 10, dies in ATV crash in Shoshone Co.
A 10-year-old boy was killed in an ATV accident Tuesday night in Shoshone County. The boy, whose name has not been released, was operating the ATV on Moon Gulch Road, which is north of Interstate 90 between Kellogg and Osburn.
Doctor faces misconduct charges over sex, prescriptions
A former doctor at Rockwood Clinic is facing state charges of unprofessional conduct for allegedly writing multiple drug prescriptions for two prostitutes with whom he had sex. The women were described as patients of Dr. Lewis J. Meline, who lists his specialty as obstetrics and gynecology.
Church shooting suspect faces hate crime charges
The man accused of killing nine black church members last month in Charleston, South Carolina, was indicted Wednesday on 33 federal counts, including hate crimes, firearms violations and obstructing the practice of religion, which could include the death penalty. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the federal grand jury indictments of 21-year-old Dylann Roof. The charges have been expected since Roof was arrested following the June 17 shootings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
9th Circuit rules against CdA Tribe on poker
The 9th Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals has ruled against the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s bid to offer Texas Hold ‘Em poker at its reservation casino in Worley, finding that poker is “explicitly prohibited by Idaho law.” The tribe contended that Texas Hold ‘Em is a game of skill, not just chance, so should be allowed under Idaho’s Constitution. It also argued that Texas Hold ‘Em is widely played already around Idaho, from charity events to big tournaments. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued a preliminary injunction against the poker games at the Coeur d’Alene Casino in September. The tribe appealed to the 9th Circuit. Today, the appeals court sided with Winmill.
Search resumes for 16-year-old believed to have drowned
A 16-year-old Athol boy is believed to have drowned after he fell out of a boat on Lake Coeur d’Alene Tuesday evening. Reginald J. Nault was not wearing a personal floatation device and could not be located. Nault either jumped or fell over board while the boat was moving. Emergency units responded to the area north of Arrow Point around 6 p.m., where the average water depth is around 130 feet. The Sheriff’s Office SONAR search team resumed looking for the boy this morning.
Small Tubbs Hill fire contained
A small brush fire threatened six homes on Tubbs Hill last night. Four different agencies responded to the fire, which was reported at 8:30 p.m. and burned about an acre. This is the second fire on Tubbs Hill in a month. On June 20 there was a 5-acre fire.
Cost of fighting Washington wildfires nearly $35M so far
The cost of fighting large wildfires in Washington state has hit nearly $35 million so far this year, as 29 large wildfires have scorched brush, grass and timber. The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center says those large blazes have burned nearly 130 square miles, or about 81,500 acres. A large fire burns at least 100 acres in timber or 300 acres in grass or brush. There have also been more than 1,000 small wildfires through July 21.
New Alzheimer’s research shows early signs of vulnerability in women
Older women with mild memory impairment worsened about twice as fast as men, researchers reported Tuesday, part of an effort to unravel why women are especially hard-hit by Alzheimer’s. Nearly two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. At age 65, seemingly healthy women have about a 1-in-6 chance of developing Alzheimer’s during the rest of their lives, compared with a 1-in-11 chance for men. Scientists once thought the disparity was just because women tend to live longer – but there’s increasing agreement that something else makes women more vulnerable.
Obama says critics of Iran deal ‘quick to go to war in Iraq’
President Barack Obama defended his pursuit of a negotiated solution to halt Iran’s nuclear program against critics who he claimed would prefer to rush the U.S. back to war, arguing Tuesday that engaging in “smart, principled diplomacy” was the true test of American leadership.
County’s fast approval of broadband-boosting towers draws complaint
A wireless company has received fast-track approval from Spokane County to construct three towers designed to boost broadband Internet speeds in rural areas. Commissioners say the need for high-speed Internet access in outlying parts of the county, and the closing window for access to federal funds, trumps the usual lengthy public hearing process. The decision has at least one competitor crying foul, though county planners say they received no complaints before green-lighting an emergency ordinance earlier this summer. And school district officials are excited about the possibility of faster log-on speeds.
Stormwater tanks present landscaping challenge for city
The dirt above two big 250,000-gallon stormwater tanks along Spokane’s South Riverton Avenue is just that. Dirt. There are also a lot of weeds.
DNA studies differ on Native American origins
This week, two teams of scientists released reports detailing the origins of Native American peoples. Both groups looked at ancient and modern DNA to attempt to learn more about the movements of populations from Asia into the New World, and about how groups mixed once they got here. Both discovered a hint that some Native Americans in South America share ancestry with native peoples in Australia and Melanesia. But the two groups came to different conclusions when it came to how that DNA with ties to Oceania made its way into the Native American genome.
Body of King Philip II, Alexander the Great’s father, ID’d in ancient tomb
By examining dusty bones pulled from the bottom of an ancient tomb, researchers say they’ve identified the remains of King Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, in a tomb in Vergina, Greece, along with his wife and a child.
Highway bill vote delayed in Senate
With a deadline looming for a cutoff of highway aid to states, Senate Republicans failed Tuesday to muster enough votes to take up a bill that would extend transportation programs for six years. Democrats complained they’d had only an hour to read the 1,040-page bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he would give Democrats more time, but added he intends to push forward with the bill even if it means keeping the Senate in session over the weekend.
Trump-GOP feud escalates after Graham comments
Donald Trump pushed back ever harder Tuesday against Republicans fed up with his provocations, disclosing one opponent’s cell number in a fiery speech and lashing out at an influential newspaper as part of an in-your-face escalation of the feud.
Ohio’s Kasich joins GOP field, now at 16
Saying “big ideas change the world,” Ohio Gov. John Kasich declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination Tuesday. Kasich, 63, launched his campaign at Ohio State University before a crowd of 2,000. The event marked the entry of a strong-willed and sometimes abrasive governor into a nomination race that now has 16 notable Republicans.
In brief: Some convictions overturned in ex-governor’s case
A federal appeals court Tuesday overturned some of the most sensational convictions that sent former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich off to a lengthy stint in prison, ruling that the Democrat did not break the law when he sought to secure a Cabinet position in President Barack Obama’s administration in exchange for appointing an Obama adviser to the president’s former U.S. Senate seat. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago also ordered the resentencing of Blagojevich, offering the 58-year-old a ray of hope that he could end up serving less than his original 14-year term. The three appellate judges dismissed five of 18 corruption counts against Blagojevich, while affirming 13 counts. In a blow to the defense, the panelists also suggested the original sentence wasn’t necessarily extreme, even when factoring in the newly tossed convictions.
Immigration debate heats up
Urged on by anguished testimony from the father of a murder victim, Congress plunged into a heated debate over immigration on Tuesday as GOP lawmakers vowed to shut down funding for so-called sanctuary cities like San Francisco that shield immigrants from deportation by federal authorities. Immigrant advocates denounced the approach, accusing Republicans of following presidential candidate Donald Trump in demonizing Latinos. But after 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle was shot this month, allegedly by an immigrant with a criminal record and without legal status, even some Democrats were calling for action to address the ineffective tangle of federal and local laws and policies that left the man on the street.
Lauded author Doctorow dies
Writer E.L. Doctorow, who wryly reimagined the American experience in such novels as “Ragtime” and “The March” and applied its lessons to the past and the future in fiction and nonfiction, has died. He was 84. Doctorow won the National Book Award for fiction in 1986 for “World’s Fair” and the National Book Critics Circle award in 1989 for “Billy Bathgate” and in 2005 for “The March.”
“Archie” cartoonist Tom Moore has died in Texas
Tom Moore, the “Archie” cartoonist who brought to life the escapades of a freckled-face, red-haired character, has died in Texas. He was 86. Moore drew Archie Andrews and his friends on and off from 1953 until he retired in the late 1980s. Annual sales of the comic regularly surpassed half a million during the 1960s.
Actor Theodore Bikel died Tuesday morning
Theodore Bikel, the Tony- and Oscar-nominated actor and singer whose passions included folk music and political activism, died Tuesday morning of natural causes at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 91. Many viewers knew him best for his portrayal of Tevye in stage productions of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Although he did not appear in the original 1964 Broadway version or the 1971 film, he played Tevye more than 2,000 times on stage from 1967 onward.
Songwriter Wayne Carson has died
Grammy-winning songwriter Wayne Carson, who wrote hits like the Willie Nelson classic “Always On My Mind,” and The Box Tops’ “The Letter,” has died. He was 72.
2nd undercover video targets Planned Parenthood on fetal parts sales
Anti-abortion activists on Tuesday released a second undercover video aimed at discrediting Planned Parenthood’s procedures for providing fetal tissue to researchers. The video shows a woman identified as Dr. Mary Gatter, a Planned Parenthood medical director in California, meeting with people posing as potential buyers of intact fetal specimens. Much of the conversation on the video deals with how much money the buyers should pay.
In brief: U.S. drone strike kills head of al-Qaida-led Khorasan Group
A U.S. military drone strike in northwest Syria has killed Muhsin al-Fadhli, the head of a shadowy cell of veteran al-Qaida operatives known as the Khorasan Group that sought to attack Western targets, Pentagon officials said Tuesday. The 34-year-old Kuwaiti’s vehicle was hit July 8 as it traveled near the Turkish border in the Syrian town of Sarmada.
Three journalists missing in Syria
Three Spanish freelance journalists who traveled to Syria to report amid the country’s long-running civil war have gone missing around the embattled northern city of Aleppo, a Spanish journalism association said Tuesday, the latest ensnared in the world’s most dangerous assignment for reporters. The disappearance of Antonio Pampliega, Jose Manuel Lopez and Angel Sastre, presumed to be working together, comes as most media organizations have pulled out of Syria, especially with the rise of the extremist Islamic State group. At least 84 journalists have been killed since 2011 in Syria, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, while others remain missing or have been released for ransom.
Car bomb in Iraq kills 14, wounds 30
An Iraqi police official in Baghdad says a car bomb detonated in front of a busy clothing store, killing 14 people and wounding 30. The explosion happened in the predominantly Shiite district of New Baghdad late Tuesday.
Execution of Colorado theater shooter unlikely
The time has come for jurors to hear whether James Holmes should be executed for killing 12 people in a Colorado movie theater. But even if they choose death, Holmes could spend the rest of his life in prison awaiting capital punishment that never happens. Colorado has executed only one person in nearly half a century, and just three people sit on the state’s death row. The man closest to seeing his death sentence carried out was granted an indefinite reprieve in 2013 by the Democratic governor, who said he had doubts about the fairness of the state’s death penalty system.
Report blasts DEA’s use of informants
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s use of confidential informants was heavily criticized Tuesday in an inspector general’s report that found a lack of oversight over recruitment and failure to properly regulate illegal activities by its sources.
In brief: Activist fights citation for rifle at courthouse
The gun activist arrested after he openly carried a rifle on the plaza outside the Spokane federal courthouse will fight a misdemeanor citation in court. Anthony P. Bosworth, an Iraq War veteran from Yakima, was cited Feb. 25 for failure to comply by Homeland Security officials guarding the Thomas S. Foley United States Courthouse. A video of the encounter posted online shows Bosworth openly carrying an assault rifle before being handcuffed by uniformed guards, who also seized his weapons.
Search for boater continues at Idaho lake
The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office continued searching Tuesday for a boater missing on Lake Pend Oreille. Jeremy R. Heckert, 38, of Sandpoint, was reported missing and presumed drowned July 10 after apparently jumping from a boat without a life vest in Ellisport Bay near East Hope.
Wolf’s killing of cow reported near Cle Elum
A cow was killed by a wolf on a grazing allotment near Cle Elum, Washington, wildlife officials said. The cow’s carcass was discovered Thursday by a Washington State University graduate student doing wolf research. The kill was in the range of the Teanaway Pack.
Knox Presbyterian Church hard-pressed to cover burglary loss
When Karen Colvin arrived at work Tuesday morning, she discovered that someone had broken into her office inside Knox Presbyterian Church in north-central Spokane and taken two computers and most of their accessories, including an external hard drive and the computer mice. But they left one keyboard. The thieves also took a small stereo off her desk and a vacuum cleaner. Small dishes that once held candles sit empty on a countertop. “They took weird things,” said Colvin, the church’s administrator. “They took our water cooler, but they left one of our full bottles of water.” They also took several trash cans, presumably to make it easier to haul items away.
Fire roundup: Farmland fire slows traffic on West Plains
A fire burning just north of Interstate 90 west of Spokane clogged westbound traffic on I-90 at the Geiger exit Tuesday afternoon. The fire started about 12:30 p.m. on land owned by Rowand Machinery Co. that was leased out for farming, and burned at least 8 1/2 acres. The winter wheat harvest had just been completed on Monday. Staff members from Rowand used two company bulldozers to start building fire lines.
Interstate reopened in Grant County
I-90 in Grant County reopened in both directions Tuesday morning after a 17-mile stretch was closed the day before when blowing dust and smoke from a brush fire made it unsafe for drivers.
Walla Walla County declares emergency
The Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners has declared a state of emergency and is seeking help from the governor in dealing with the Blue Creek wildfire. Meanwhile, the federal government is providing money to help fight the wildfire, which has grown to nearly 4 square miles and has destroyed one home. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal dollars to help with firefighting costs.
Court measure, setting of mayor’s pay before Spokane voters
Two ballot measures are before Spokane voters this primary election, one that should be familiar and another that won’t. Proposition 1 will allow the city’s Salary Review Commission to set the mayor’s pay. The measure is the culmination of a heated discussion between Mayor David Condon and the Spokane City Council after the mayor’s 2015 budget proposal included a nearly $7,000 pay raise for his position. Currently, the city charter states that the mayor must be the highest-paid employee at City Hall other than the city administrator, wording that was reaffirmed by voters in 2011. This ballot measure would again amend the city charter. Proposition 2 will formalize the city’s municipal court in the city charter. Currently, the court is described only in the city’s municipal code. If approved by voters, the court will be enshrined in the charter, which is the city’s basic ruling document and can only be amended by a vote of the people. The municipal court has limited jurisdiction and can only deal with criminal misdemeanors and civil infractions such as parking violations, driving without a valid license, drunken driving, minor theft and domestic violence assaults. Howard Delaney, the court’s administrator, said the ballot measure is “really just housekeeping and formalizing what was done by ordinance previously.”
In brief: Education funding a work in progress, Legislature reports
The Legislature’s annual progress report to the Washington Supreme Court on its work toward fulfilling the court’s order to fix education funding is a mixture of accomplishments and wishes for the future.
Brother sues CEO who set $70,000 wage
A Seattle CEO who set a $70,000 minimum wage for all 120 of his employees is being sued by his brother. Lucas Price accuses his brother and co-founder, Dan Price, in court documents of violating his rights as minority shareholder in Gravity Payments and breaching duties and contracts.
Conservation Corps hiring statewide
The Washington Conservation Corps is hiring for 300 positions statewide, including 10 in Spokane County. The program partners with AmeriCorps to provide yearlong, full-time employment for young adults ages 18-25, according to a state Department of Ecology news release. Veterans of the Second Gulf War, reservists and dependents of any age may also apply. Crews rebuild boardwalks and trails, plant native trees and shrubs, and provide emergency response for communities in need after natural disasters. This summer, they also are fighting wildfires.
Police chief seeks guidance on pot tickets
The chief of the Seattle Police Department has asked City Council members if they want her officers to stop issuing $27 fines for public pot use. Chief Kathleen O’Toole said Monday that she didn’t want to report to the council every six months, as pot use tickets have been generating national news.
Spokane stabbing suspect jailed on murder charge
A Spokane detective was inside Mike’s Grocery at 2025 N. Hamilton St. Monday viewing video surveillance of a stabbing the night before when the suspect in the crime walked in the front door of the business. Joaquen E. Vasquez, 50, was booked into jail Monday night on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the stabbing of Jay Dee Dodgen, 51, on the steps of a vacant house next to Mike’s Grocery.
Interstate at washed out bridge in California to reopen Friday
The main route connecting Los Angeles and Phoenix, which was closed when a surge of floodwater damaged several bridges spanning small desert gullies, is set to partially reopen Friday – far sooner than officials first estimated. The California Department of Transportation had expected repairs on Interstate 10 to take weeks but announced Tuesday that it will be able to handle traffic again less than a week after the spans were damaged. Travelers will still face delays, however, because just one lane will be open in each direction where one bridge collapsed.
Bill Cosby’s lawyers ask to keep settlement sealed
Bill Cosby’s lawyers argued on Tuesday that his admission to using quaaludes in the 1970s doesn’t mean he drugged and sexually assaulted women. The comments came as the lawyers asked a court to preserve the confidentiality of Cosby’s 2006 settlement in a sexual-battery lawsuit, which the accuser wants unsealed.
Idaho sees more school Internet savings
The savings are continuing to mount after the demise of the Idaho Education Network. The service, aimed at providing broadband Internet, videoconferencing and other services to every high school in the state, shut down in February when a judge ruled the $60 million contract was illegal. State lawmakers set aside $3.64 million for school districts to negotiate their own broadband service contracts with the vendors of their choice, after pulling back $5 million in funding that was to go to the defunct network. The final year-end numbers show the districts spent just $2.2 million of that amount; the other $1.37 million will revert to the state general fund.
As global air travel increases, industry looks to biofuels
As people in countries such as China, India and Indonesia get wealthier, they are increasingly turning to air travel for vacation or business, creating an enormous financial opportunity for the airlines. The number of passengers worldwide could more than double, to 7.3 billion a year, in the next two decades, according to the International Air Transport Association. But many in the industry believe that without a replacement for jet fuel, that growth could be threatened by forthcoming rules that limit global aircraft emissions. In order to carry all those extra passengers, airlines are turning to a technology very few can make work on a large scale: converting trash into fuel.
Citi to refund $700 million to card customers
Nine million credit card customers will receive refund checks from Citigroup after U.S. regulators forced the bank to repay $700 million and fined it $70 million for illegal and deceptive practices. The order, coming from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is the latest multimillion dollar settlement against the largest credit card issuers for their role in selling “add-on” products to customers, such as credit score monitoring or “rush” processing of payments. Bank of America reached a similar, slightly larger settlement with regulators in 2014 and JPMorgan Chase was fined in 2013.
Apple stock slides on smartwatch vagueness
Apple’s stock slid sharply Tuesday after the company reported strong iPhone sales but remained coy about the performance of its new smartwatch.
Cooked books cost Toshiba CEO his job
Toshiba’s chief executive resigned Tuesday to take responsibility for doctored books that inflated profits at the Japanese technology manufacturer by $1.2 billion over several years. Toshiba Corp. acknowledged a systematic cover-up, which began in 2008. Various parts of the Japanese company’s sprawling business including computer chips and personal computers were struggling financially, but top managers set unrealistic earnings targets under the banner of “challenge,” and subordinates faked results. On top of its struggles in electronics, Tokyo-based Toshiba’s prospects in nuclear power, one of its core businesses, were shaken after the 2011 Fukushima disaster set off public fears about reactor safety. All 48 of the nation’s working reactors are now offline.
Briefcase: Fiber and data company adds region to network
Colorado company Level 3 Communications recently expanded its network to Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. The Fortune 500 company offers communication services such as fiber networks, voice, data, and data-center and cloud-based services. Level 3 has 276 “on-net” buildings in the area, which means it offers fiber services there. It currently offers services on its own fiber networks in more than 60 countries and 500 markets, according to a news release.
AT&T’s DirecTV bid endorsed
The head of the Federal Communications Commission has recommended approving AT&T’s $48.5 billion purchase of DirecTV. The deal would create the country’s largest provider of cable or satellite TV. The other four commissioners still have to vote on the proposal. The company would have 26.4 million TV subscribers in the U.S., topping Comcast as well as a possible new giant, Charter, which wants to buy Time Warner Cable. It would also include AT&T’s nationwide network of tens of millions of wireless customers, its Internet and landline phone services and DirecTV’s millions of customers in Latin America.
Phones deal blow to Microsoft
Microsoft booked an $8.4 billion charge in the fourth quarter, swallowing a bitter pill by writing off the Nokia phone business it bought just over a year ago. It narrowly beat analysts’ depressed expectations for a quarter that also saw a steep decline in personal computer sales even as it prepares to launch its latest operating system, Windows 10. The software giant posted a net loss of $3.20 billion, or 40 cents per share, reversing a profit of $4.61 billion, or 55 cents per share, a year ago. Adjusted to exclude the charges, the company posted a quarterly profit of 62 cents per share, beating the average estimate of 15 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research of 31 cents per share. The write-down was expected after CEO Satya Nadella announced 7,800 job cuts two weeks ago. The company will continue to make phones on a smaller scale.
Facebook loses data fight
Facebook can’t block nearly 400 search warrants seeking users’ postings for a criminal fraud investigation, an appeals court said Tuesday, but the judges said they understand the social networking site’s unease about prosecutors’ extensive request. The [New York] state Supreme Court Appellate Division ruling won’t put any new information in prosecutors’ hands. Facebook had lost earlier rulings and already turned the data over. But the case has been closely watched by social media companies, civil libertarians and prosecutors. The Manhattan district attorney’s office noted the unanimous decision from the Appellate Division’s First Department about the warrants, which a lower-court judge had approved at the outset. The 381 warrants helped build a disabilities benefits fraud case against police and fire department retirees.
Polls on nuclear deal yield conflicting results
Americans support the nuclear agreement with Iran by 56 percent to 37 percent. No, they disapprove of the deal, 48 percent to 38 percent. The conflicting findings come from respected polling operations with long track records of accurately tracking public opinion. A Washington Post/ABC News survey released Monday found Americans supporting the deal; a poll from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center released Tuesday found disapproval. How can both be correct? Question wording seems likely to be a big part of the answer.
Trudy Rubin: U.S. lacks plan to halt Iran’s mischief
Editorial: Idaho should study four-day school week’s effect on learning
Shawn Vestal: Newsmakers self-identify however they please
Weedy purslane is actually a superfood
Purslane Quesadillas
Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt Dip) with Purslane, Cucumbers and Herbs
Local growers making the most of blueberry season
Blueberry Slushy
Summer Glow Bowl with Citrus Bee Pollen Dressing
Grilled Chicken with Pickled Blueberries
Blueberry Cream Cheese Fingers
Blog-inspired book features Lebanese-American family favorites
Apricot-Lime Fruit Leather
Hummus with Lamb and Sumac
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from The Washington Examiner (DC)
Carson calls Trump's comments 'distracting'
Ben Carson called the rhetoric of fellow Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump "a distraction" and offered what he said was a better answer to America's illegal immigration problems than the controversial solutions proposed by the billionaire.
________
from Yahoo News
Report: Social Security disability fund could dry up in 2016
Report Social Security disability fund will go broke in 2016, in midst of presidential race
________
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