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unfinished
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)
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from The Daily Beast
No, North Korea Didn’t Hack Sony
The FBI and the President may claim that the Hermit Kingdom is to blame for the most high-profile network breach in forever. But almost all signs point in another direction.
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from The Guardian (UK)
Rush Limbaugh: Idris Elba can't be Bond because he's black
Ian Fleming conceived character as white and Scottish, says right-wing commentator, adding: ‘I know it’s racist to point this out’
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from The Spokesman-Review
MAC museum looks to become nonprofit
After another “flat” budget proposal from the state, leaders at Spokane’s Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture say it’s time for the institution to cut most formal ties with Olympia.
Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions dropping
Greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state dropped by about 4.6 percent between 2010 and 2011, led by reductions in emissions from the electricity sector, a new state report shows.
Spokane police recover stolen iPad
Spokane police say they’ve recovered an iPad stolen from a developmentally disabled man Tuesday morning and have a suspect in custody.
‘Interview’ to open in limited release on Christmas Day
“The Interview” was put back into theaters Tuesday when Sony Pictures Entertainment announced a limited Christmas Day theatrical release for the comedy that provoked an international incident with North Korea and outrage over its canceled release.
‘The Interview’ comes to YouTube, Google
“The Interview” is available for rental on a variety of digital platforms including Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft’s Xbox Video and a separate Sony website beginning Wednesday.
U.S. economic surge lifts Dow past 18,000
A surge in U.S. economic growth lifted stocks Tuesday to record highs and showed that the United States is putting distance between itself and struggling economies around the world.
A wintry mix of Gulf Coast thunderstorms expected to travel north, predicted snowfall in the Great Lakes and blustery conditions in the nation’s midsection threatened Tuesday to snag holiday travel plans nationwide.
All ski resorts open in Inland Northwest
With today’s scheduled opening of the Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, all of the Inland Northwest’s ski areas are now operating for the season.
With today’s scheduled opening of the Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, all of the Inland Northwest’s ski areas are now operating for the season.
After Ismaaiyl Brinsley shot his ex-girlfriend and posted an online death threat against police, investigators in Maryland used modern cellphone tracking technology to follow his journey to New York City in real time. But when it came to giving the New York Police Department specifics about Brinsley, the means were markedly low-tech: a phone call and a wanted flier sent by fax.
Feds want to modify blood donor ban for gay men
Federal health officials are recommending an end to the nation’s lifetime ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, a 31-year-old policy that many medical groups and gay activists say is no longer justified.
In brief: Freed by Cuba, Gross gets $3.2M
A former subcontractor freed last week after five years in a Cuban jail will receive $3.2 million from the federal government as part of a settlement with the Maryland-based company that employed him at the time of his arrest.
George H.W. Bush taken to hospital
Former President George H.W. Bush has been taken to a Houston hospital after experiencing a shortness of breath.
Sheriff’s lawsuit rejected by judge
A federal judge has rejected an Arizona sheriff’s lawsuit seeking to halt President Barack Obama’s plan to spare nearly 5 million people from deportation.
Democrat groups collect most cash
For as often as Democrats attack the conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch for their heavy spending on politics, it’s actually the liberal-minded who shelled out the most cash on the just completed midterm elections.At least, that is, among those groups that must disclose what they raise and spend. Among the top 100 individual donors to political groups, more than half gave primarily to Democrats or their allies. Among groups that funneled more than $100,000 to allies, the top of the list tilted overwhelmingly toward Democrats – a group favoring the GOP doesn’t appear on the list until No. 14.
Kurds fight to liberate town
Over the past week, Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters have descended Mount Sinjar, battling to liberate the town of Sinjar, a tiny desert community in northern Iraq that Islamic State group extremists overran in August, killing and enslaving hundreds of its residents.
The Ukrainian parliament voted Tuesday to end the nation’s nonaligned status in the face of Russian aggression, angering Moscow and potentially opening the way to NATO membership in years to come.
Japan parliament re-elects Shinzo Abe as prime minister
Japan’s parliament re-elected Shinzo Abe today to serve another term as prime minister after his party won a snap election earlier this month.
Lava flow stalls short of stores
Officials had been worried that the lava would hit Pahoa Marketplace on or around Christmas, but civil defense administrator Darryl Oliveira said Tuesday that the lava’s leading edge had stopped about 700 yards from the shopping center, which has a supermarket, gas station and other stores.
A former Spokane Valley bank manager pleaded guilty Tuesday to embezzling more than $92,000 from the Banner Bank branch she oversaw by pilfering cash from the till and writing phony checks.
Suspect in would-be pot shop arson back in jail
One man implicated in an alleged Spokane Valley arson targeting a would-be pot shop is back behind bars, and the other faces additional charges of illegally manufacturing hash oil.
Spokane Public Schools has hired former Spokane County sheriff Mark Sterk as the new safety, security and transportation director. He replaces Jason Conley, who left in November to take a position as executive officer of Spokane’s Parks and Recreation department.
Thief steals iPad from disabled man
A developmentally disabled man’s specialty iPad was stolen in the parking lot of Walgreens at 2800 S. Grand Blvd. around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, according to Spokane police.
Dish subscribers lose Fox channels
Fox News and Fox Business Channel remain blacked out for Dish network subscribers as the two companies continue contract negotiations.
Ice cream recall hits Snoqualmie
Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream said it is voluntarily recalling nearly a year’s worth of ice cream and related products because of possible listeria contamination.
Seattle to begin warning those who don’t recycle
Fail to recycle in Seattle and you can get a ticket from the garbage collector. The city said it will start enforcing new recycling requirements on Jan. 1 with warnings tags. Careless residents will start seeing fines July 1 on their bills – $1 per violation, $50 for a commercial or apartment building.
92,500 beat health insurance deadline
Although 92,500 Washington individuals and families had already taken care of their health insurance business before Tuesday’s deadline to sign up for coverage that goes into effect on Jan. 1, only 70,000 out of 130,000 had renewed the insurance they bought in 2014, the exchange reported.
Consumer sentiment at highest level since 2007
The University of Michigan said Tuesday that its index of consumer sentiment has jumped to 93.6 from 88.8 in November. December’s reading is the highest since January 2007, nearly a year before the recession officially began.
Court: Argentina must disclose records to U.S. creditors
Argentina and various banks must reveal information about the nation’s assets to U.S. bondholders who are owed about $1.5 billion, a federal appeals court said Tuesday, though the panel cautioned a judge that a sovereign state is entitled to grace and civility and some records may be off limits.
Oil price nosedive a shocker
For the first half of 2014 the oil market looked just as it had the year before – and the two years before that. Oil was over $100 a barrel and drivers in the U.S. were paying around $3.50 a gallon for gasoline. Then, despite intense turmoil in the Middle East and an improving economy in the U.S., the price of oil went into a nosedive. In the second half of 2014, it dropped by half, to depths not seen since May 2009, when the U.S. was in the Great Recession. By December, some drivers even saw a price at the pump that started with a $1.
Drones taking off as hot holiday gifts
Drones – flying devices that often carry cameras and can be navigated remotely by smartphones or controllers – have taken off as popular gifts, as novices have become just as interested in the devices as serious hobbyists.
Spending up
U.S. consumer spending rose at the fastest pace in three months in November, while income posted the best gain in five months – both encouraging signs for economic growth.
County’s jobless rate increased in November
Spokane County’s unemployment rate rose to 7.1 percent in November from 6.7 percent in October, the state Employment Security Department reported. Washington’s preliminary jobless rate last month was 6.2 percent statewide, up from 6 percent in October.
Injunction issued over medical pot delivery
A judge has ordered a smartphone application that facilitates the delivery of medical marijuana to stop its activities in Los Angeles and to remove all reference to marijuana delivery within city limits.
FDA OKs diabetes drug for weight loss
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a Novo Nordisk diabetes drug as a treatment for obesity. It’s the first injectable drug approved for weight loss.
4,000 tech patents sold for $900 million
A group led by Apple and Microsoft has sold about 4,000 technology patents to patent management company RPX Corp. for $900 million.
Disney wins fight over superheroes
A Colorado company lost its latest fight against Disney over the rights to Marvel’s iconic comic book characters Tuesday when a federal appeals court ruled it could not claim ownership to certain superheroes such as Spider-Man and Iron Man.
IRS leaders accused of tax scandal cover-up
A House Republican investigation faults senior IRS officials in the mistreatment of conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status, but could find no link to the White House, according to a report released Tuesday.
Editorial: High court elections should stay nonpartisan
Carl Hiaasen: Cuba change just common sense
Time isn’t on fruit cake’s side, but taste sure is
Amelia Ermish’s fruitcake
Fruitcake recipe a crowd-pleaser for 50 years
Nana’s Fruitcake
Sold as a baby, Cd’A woman finally locates family
In a search that spanned most of her life, Heather Livergood has found where she came from. And this Christmas she has the gift of family, including two brothers she never knew. The Coeur d’Alene woman was sold as a newborn for $100 – one of possibly dozens of babies whose fates were orchestrated by Gertrude Pitkanen, a notorious Montana abortionist and midwife who arranged black market adoptions.
Facebook policy challenger dies at 114
A 114-year-old woman who challenged Facebook after the social media site wouldn’t let her list her real age has died in Minnesota. Anna Stoehr, one of the nation’s oldest residents, died Sunday in her sleep after several days in hospice care. She drew national attention this year after KARE-TV reported about her attempt to create a Facebook account. The social media site wouldn’t let her enter a birth year before 1905, so she listed her age as 99 – but she wrote a letter to the company saying, “I’m still here.” In response, Facebook sent her a bouquet of 114 flowers for her most recent birthday.
Former Spokane Police Chief Terry Mangan has died following a long illness. Mangan, 76, served as chief from 1987 until 1998 and was the first person selected to Spokane’s top cop job from outside the department. He died Monday at a hospital near Washington, D.C.
Obituary: Kelly, Merle Vern
(1 Oct 1927 - 21 Dec 2014) Tekoa, Spokane
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from Time
Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce of 1914
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from TPNN (Tea Party News Network)
What REAL Leadership Looks Like: Reagan Uses Christmas Address to Fight Tyranny
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from The Washington Post (DC)
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from The Washington Times (DC)
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