Saturday, May 30, 2015

In the news, Wednesday, May 20, 2015


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MAY 19      INDEX      MAY 21
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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.]

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

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

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

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

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from The Inlander

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

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from MSN News

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

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from New York Times

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

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from PBS (& affiliates)

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

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from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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

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from The Spokesman-Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Editorial: Drought puts required river flow levels to test

Trudy Rubin: Iraq mess needs thoughtfulness, not politics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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