Recent Dam Photos

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GALLERIES INDEX

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This Aerial photograph of Grand Coulee Dam was taken by Craig Brougher during
the 2015 annual shoreline investigation of Lake Roosevelt. Grand Coulee Dam is
in the foreground and Steamboat Rock and Banks Lake are in the background.

This photograph by Bureau of Reclamation Hydrologic Technician Craig Brougher shows the backside of Grand Coulee Dam, with Lake Roosevelt on the right, above the dam; and Rufus Woods Lake on the left, below the dam, both of which are part of the Columbia River. The town of Coulee Dam is actually two communities on opposite sides of the river, Engineers Town with its Maple Trees showing their Fall colors, and Mason City across the bridge. Both communities were incorporated in 1959 into the town of Coulee Dam.

Evening shot of Grand Coulee Dam on forebay shot may be even better.
Dennis King photo

Flood control water over the spillway

May 2018: Recently reopened fishing spot  near the Third Powerhouse,
which had been closed  after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2011.

1965 view of Grand Coulee Dam by Edward J. Powell

May 2016: New Momma with twins taking a stroll up Grand Coulee Dam.
Shonita Ratcliff was able to capture a great scene.

The Columbia River tops Grand Coulee Dam as extra water makes its way from Canada, filling local reservoirs. The spill has been cooling the town of Coulee Dam during the high heat of the last couple days, with temperature differences of at least 15 degrees from Grand Coulee to Coulee Dam. As of last Friday, the spill was expected to continue through this week. — Scott Hunter photo, July 3, 2013

People often ask where Lake Roosevelt begins. Here is a photo taken above Grand Coulee Dam, where the "lake" starts, backing up into Canada to the headwaters of the Columbia River.

A recent photo of the Dam by pilot John Sullivan.

In the news, Friday, February 9, 2018

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FEB 08      INDEX      FEB 10

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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 BBC News (UK)

LEFT-CENTER BIAS

Shutdown averted as Trump signs budget bill
President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping budget bill approved by Congress to re-open the government after it was briefly closed overnight.

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from Christian Today

News & Media Website based in London, UK

Church of England embraces unity with Methodist Church
The Church of England has embraced plans for unity with the Methodist Church, possibliy ending 200 years of schism that began with John Wesley in the 18th century. The plans for a 'new relationship of being "in communion"', which have yet to be approved by the Methodist conference, centre on allowing priests and presbyters to ministers in each other's churches. Despite warnings that the moves were 'controversial' and 'threaten the fundamentals' of the Church of England, its ruling general synod passed a report taking the plans for unity forward by an overwhelming majority.

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from Miami Herald

Leonard Pitts Jr.: Is this country in trouble now? You’d better believe it.

The GOP, led by an opportunistic narcissist, is sowing dangerous distrust of government for political gain. And it’s working.

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from The Seattle Times

LEFT-CENTER BIAS,  HIGH,  Newspaper in Seattle, WA

Judge blocks UW from billing student Republicans for Saturday campus rally
A federal judge on Friday blocked the University of Washington from billing the College Republicans an estimated $17,000 security fee for a campus rally Saturday on grounds that doing so would violate free-speech rights. “The guidelines of how the bill was calculated runs afoul (by) chilling speech,” U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman said after saying she would issue a temporary restraining order against the UW. After the student Republican group holds its event, lawyers for both sides are expected back in court for a preliminary injunction hearing to determine whether the UW’s policy for billing this and other such events are constitutional.

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from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

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from Toronto Sun

News & Media Website in Toronto, Ontario

59,300 part-time jobs cut in January as minimum wage jumps to $14
Ontario shed some 59,300 part-time jobs in January, the same month the province hiked minimum wage about 20% to $14 an hour — but experts say it may be too soon to know how much the two are correlated.

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from The Western Journal

Media/News Company

Real Life Heroes Of New Eastwood Film Say God Orchestrated Events On Paris Train

The three Americans heralded as heroes for thwarting a 2015 terrorist attack on a Paris bound train say God divinely orchestrated events leading up to the fateful moment. The actions of the childhood friends former U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone, National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos, and Anthony Sadler are the subject of Academy Award-winning director Clint Eastwood’s latest film “The 15:17 to Paris,” which opens this weekend.

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from WND (World Net Daily)

[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Commission that attacked Christian baker faces defunding
A state commission in Colorado that punished Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips for refusing to use his artistry to promote same-sex marriage could be eliminated. Future funding for the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, where one member even likened Christians to Nazis, failed in a vote in the state’s Joint Budget Committee. State Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, tweeted that the decision came down to a party-line vote that tabled plans to continue sending money to the commission.

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In the news, Thursday, February 8, 2018

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FEB 07      INDEX      FEB 09

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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 Family Policy Institute of Washington

Nonprofit Organization in Lynnwood, WA

Elections Have Consequences: Abortion Mandate, Surrogacy Contracts, and Therapy Ban All Advance in the Legislature
The Washington State legislature continues to prioritize a number of radical social policies in the 2018 legislative session. Yesterday, the Senate passed SB 6037 legalizing contract surrogacy by a 27-21 vote margin. Over in the House of Representatives, two bills that were previously fast-tracked through the Senate had a hearing in the House Health and Wellness Committee. Senate Bill 5722 would make it illegal for therapists to help a minor with unwanted same-sex attraction or identify with their biological sex. Senate Bill 6219 would force require every insurance policy in Washington State to cover abortion and thereby require everyone who purchases an insurance product to pay for abortions.

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from Intellectual Takeout

Nonprofit Organization in Bloomington, Minnesota

Viktor Frankl’s Guide to Living a Life of Meaning
Without purpose can anyone truly live a full, happy life? Many Americans find their lives devoid of meaning; up to 40 percent of Americans have “not discovered a satisfying life purpose.” In his book Life on Purpose, Victor Strecher, a professor of public health at the University of Michigan, reports on studies showing those having “a strong purpose in life, on average, live longer lives than those with a weak purpose.”

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from Newsweek

LEFT-CENTER BIAS,  HIGH,  American weekly news magazine

NOW MATTIS ADMITS THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE ASSAD USED POISON GAS ON HIS PEOPLE

Lost in the hyper-politicized hullabaloo surrounding the Nunes Memorandum and the Steele Dossier was the striking statement by Secretary of Defense James Mattis that the U.S. has “no evidence” that the Syrian government used the banned nerve agent Sarin against its own people. This assertion flies in the face of the White House (NSC) Memorandum which was rapidly produced and declassified to justify an American Tomahawk missile strike against the Shayrat airbase in Syria.


RUSSIA ROUTED MILLIONS TO INFLUENCE CLINTON IN URANIUM DEAL, INFORMANT TELLS CONGRESS
Moscow routed millions of dollars to the U.S. expecting the funds would benefit ex-President Bill Clinton’s charitable initiative while his wife, Hillary Clinton, worked to reset relations with Russia, an FBI informant in an Obama administration-era uranium deal stated.

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from SPIEGEL International (Der Spiegel)

News & Media Website in Hamburg, Germany

Geopolitical Laboratory: How Djibouti Became China's Gateway To Africa
Djibouti, one of Africa's smallest countries, has become China's "strategic partner." The Chinese have built a military base and a port, and is currently constructing a free trade zone, fast establishing it as Beijing's gateway to the continent.

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from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

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In the news, Wednesday, February 7, 2018

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FEB 06      INDEX      FEB 08

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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 BBC News (UK)

LEFT-CENTER BIAS

Food may influence cancer spread
There is mounting evidence the food on your plate can alter cancer's growth and spread, say Cambridge scientists.

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from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

Let the Market Give Discrimination Its Just Desserts
Anybody who refers to the United States as a free enterprise, free market, or capitalist economy is wrong. Real liberty and freedom mean that individuals, including business owners, may choose to associate with whomever they wish based on whatever criteria they wish. This is not the case in the United States.

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from The Living Church
Magazine of The Living Church Foundation (Anglican)

Toward a New Vision for Formation
Too often the study of Scripture and theology is done at arm’s length, like a scientist engaging in vivisection. In too many cases residential training has differed little from full-time undergraduate or postgraduate programs. The Church must be better about treating its ordinands like grownups and recognizing how vulnerable many of them are.

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from NPR (& affiliates)

Nonprofit Broadcasting & Media Production Company

Linguists Discover Previously Unidentified Language In Malaysia
Linguists working in the Malay Peninsula have identified a language, now called Jedek, that had not previously been recognized outside of the small group of people who speak it. The newly documented language is spoken by some 280 people, part of a community that once foraged along the Pergau River.

The Difficult Math Of Being Native American
It's called blood quantum. Lots of Native nations, including my friend's, use it to determine who can and can't enroll as a citizen. But even in tribes like my own that use different enrollment policies, the notion that Indigeneity can be quantified — that it's our "blood" that makes us Native or not — is impossible to avoid.

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from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

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In the news, Tuesday, February 6, 2018

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FEB 05      INDEX      FEB 07

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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 Miami Herald

Leonard Pitts Jr.: Is Donald Trump smarter than a second-grader? Don’t ask

"Ava Rose Olsen is 7 years old. Human beings of that age ask pointed questions. And the one she posed to Trump was a whopper:‬ ‪“'I hate guns. One took my best friend. I don’t want that to ever happen again. Are you going to keep kids safe?'”‬

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from RealClearWorld

Media/News Company: international partner of RealClearPolitics

A New U.S. Defense Strategy for the Future
The Pentagon’s new National Defense Strategy articulated a profound shift in U.S. strategy, but one that has long been underway: Great power competition, not terrorism, is now the primary focus of U.S. national security.

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from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

EWU plans major expansion into Spokane’s University District as anchor tenant of Avista’s planned 150,000-square-foot Catalyst building
Eastern Washington University plans to move three degree programs and around 1,000 students from its Cheney campus to a building along East Sprague Avenue – a major expansion of EWU’s footprint in Spokane’s University District that will allow for more growth in its science and engineering departments. Construction of the five-story, 150,000-square-foot “Catalyst” building is scheduled to begin in September, with completion expected in April 2020. The building will rise on a 5.5-acre lot at the south landing of the U-District pedestrian bridge being built over the wide rail corridor that cuts through the area. The lot is owned by Avista Development, a subsidiary of Avista Corp

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In the news, Monday, February 5, 2018

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FEB 04      INDEX      FEB 06

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from AOL

Media/News Company

A Nazi is about to get the Republican nomination for a Congressional seat
A former leader in the American Nazi Party is about to get the Republican nomination for a U.S. congressional seat in Illinois. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Arthur Jones, a Holocaust denier who has repeatedly tried ― and failed ― to attain office, is the only candidate seeking the GOP nod for the seat in the heavily Democratic 3rd Congressional District.

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from Bloomberg

Media/News Company

Think Carefully Before Cutting Off Subsidies to Red States
There are a few ways liberals could reduce the imbalance. But all of them play to conservatives' wishes.

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from Huffington Post

LEFT BIAS, HIGH, online news aggregator and blog

An Actual Nazi Is About To Be The Only GOP Candidate In A Congressional Race
A former leader in the American Nazi Party is about to be the only Republican on the ticket for a congressional race in Illinois. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Arthur Jones, a Holocaust denier who has repeatedly tried ― and failed ― to attain office, is the only candidate seeking the GOP nod for the seat in the heavily Democratic 3rd Congressional District.

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from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

Then and Now: St. Luke’s Hospital
St. Luke’s Hospital, [originally on] North Summit Boulevard, served North Spokane from 1900 to 1970. The hospital treated patients with polio and mental illness. It was also the place where Shriners’ Hospital started. It moved to 711 S. Cowley on the South Hill in 1970.

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In the news, Sunday, February 4, 2018

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FEB 03      INDEX      FEB 05

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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 Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

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from The Washington Times

News & Media Website in Washington, D.C.

Disruption at home and abroad — follow the money: Part 1
In this long season of cultural and political tension, Americans need to know the truth about the source of the conflicts, about why communities and our nation are being ripped apart. Mr. Soros’ Open Society Foundation also is busy abroad in a well-financed attempt to strip America and other nations of our sovereignty and make us beholden to an international government.

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In the news, Saturday, February 3, 2018

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FEB 02      INDEX      FEB 04

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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 CNN

LEFT BIAS

The Fed drops the hammer on Wells Fargo
The Fed handed down unprecedented punishment late Friday for what it called the bank's "widespread consumer abuses," including its notorious creation of millions of fake customer accounts.Wells Fargo won't be allowed to get any bigger than it was at the end of last year -- $2 trillion in assets -- until the Fed is satisfied that it has cleaned up its act.

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from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

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In the news, Friday, February 2, 2018

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FEB 01      INDEX      FEB 03

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from BBC News (UK)

LEFT-CENTER BIAS

Sprawling Maya network discovered under Guatemala jungle
Researchers have found more than 60,000 hidden Maya ruins in Guatemala in a major archaeological breakthrough. Laser technology was used to survey digitally beneath the forest canopy, revealing houses, palaces, elevated highways, and defensive fortifications. The landscape, near already-known Maya cities, is thought to have been home to millions more people than other research had previously suggested.

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from Columbia Basin Herald

Newspaper in Moses Lake, WA

SCHOOL REPORTING BILL CLEARS STATE HOUSE COMMITTEE
A bill that would allow school districts across the state to use a mobile app to allow students to report violence or dangerous situations anonymously at school has cleared a key state legislative committee. According to Rep. Matt Manweller, R-Ellensburg, House Bill 2442, which cleared the House Education Committee on Wednesday, would give students in Washington state “a fast, secure and anonymous way method to report threatening activities.”

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from Competitive Enterprise Institute

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS

In the Sports-Subsidy Game, Taxpayers Always Lose
This Sunday, we will watch athletes who earn an average annual salary of nearly $3 million compete to become champion of a league that makes more than $14 billion a year in revenue – in between commercials that cost $5 million for 30 seconds of airtime. Big league sports do not need to be subsidized by taxpayers.

Job and GDP Growth Numbers Signal Improving Economy
Today’s jobs numbers, which were modestly above expectations, are yet another sign that the economy is starting to pick up steam as a result of free-market supply-side stimuli. The economy added 200,000 more jobs in January, above the expected number of 180,000.

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from Ellensburg Daily Record

Newspaper in Ellensburg, WA

Washington carbon tax measure clears Senate committee
A measure to tax fossil fuel emissions to fight climate change has cleared a Senate committee. The Senate energy, environment and technology committee amended and approved Senate Bill 6203 Thursday night. It now goes to a fiscal committee. The bill proposes a new tax of $10 per metric ton of carbon emissions, lower than the $20 per ton originally proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee. The tax would begin in 2019 and in 2021 would increase $2 per ton each year until it is capped at $30 a ton.

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from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

What Caused the Great Depression?
The definitive guide to the key events and policies that caused the Great Depression.

Few areas of historical research have provoked such intensive study as the causes of America’s Great Depression—and for good reason. Tens of millions of humans suffered intense misery and despair.

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from The Guardian (UK)

LEFT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, daily newspaper

After 400 years lost, 'cursed' novel of Spain's imperial age is finally published
Four hundred years after it was written, a lost and supposedly cursed Golden Age novel chronicling the splendour, adventure and violence of Spain’s imperial zenith has been published for the first time. Historia del Huérfano, or The Orphan’s Story, charts the progress of a 14-year-old Spaniard who leaves Granada and heads to the Americas to seek his fortune. Its hero ricochets around the Spanish empire, from the high-society fiestas of Lima to the mephitic mines of Potosí, and goes on to witness Sir Francis Drake’s attack on Puerto Rico and the sacking of Cádiz. After romantic escapades and the odd shipwreck and run-in with pirates, the soldier-cum-missionary finally manages to embrace the calm of monastic life in the capital of viceregal Peru.

Canterbury artefacts 'may have been stolen by metal thieves'
Two suspected metal thieves are believed to be behind the theft of an archaeological hoard including hundreds of Anglo-Saxon beads and iron age coins, having apparently stumbled on the artefacts while scavenging for copper pipes and wiring. Canterbury Archaeological Trust is appealing for the public’s help in scanning online sale sites such as eBay for any sign of the artefacts stolen in three raids last month at its warehouse, in the north-east of the city.

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from HumanProgress.org

Education Website

What Are the Exceptions to Human Progress?

Human progress is neither linear nor guaranteed. And while the world is getting better across a multitude of indicators of human well-being, individual countries can and do regress – sometimes dramatically. Perhaps no two countries exemplify that fact as well as Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Both nations took a decidedly wrong turn at the end of the last millennium and descended into poverty and dictatorship. What explains the long-term survival of their reprehensible regimes? Simply put, both regimes appear to prioritize their hold on power at almost cost to the population. Indeed, by immiserating their people, they have in many ways strengthened their positions.

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from KIRO Radio 97.3 FM (MyNorthwest.com)

Media/News Company in Seattle, Washington

Senate passes carbon tax, polls indicate opposition

A Washington state Senate committee approved a measure to tax fossil fuel emissions in an effort to fight climate change. However, some lawmakers are questioning the actual effect a carbon tax might have on global warming. “People don’t want this. Particularly when it does absolutely nothing,” Senator Doug Ericksen told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. “This isn’t going to make the wine grapes grow better in Walla Walla, get rid of forest fires, make the snow packs better. It has zero impact except on the pocket books of the people that get to spend the surplus slush fund that they’re going to generate off working families.”

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from The Liberty Review
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

We Should All Know the Man Who Helped End Communism in Russia
Heroes for liberty are not peculiar to any region of the world or to a particular time period or to one sex. They hail from all nationalities, races, faiths, and creeds. They inspire others to a noble and universal cause — that all people should be free to live their lives in peace so long as they do no harm to the equal rights of others. They are passionate not solely for their own liberty, but for that of others as well. It is time to give an important figure in recent Russian history his historical due—Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev. A leading figure in the latter years of the Soviet government, Yakovlev began his career as a Red Army officer and a Communist Party apparatchik, but he ultimately became a devoted and effective enemy of Soviet tyranny. He will be remembered as the architect of “perestroika” (restructuring of the political and economic systems) in the late 1980s and its consequences: exposure of the heinous lies and crimes of the criminal Soviet regime and the inevitable demise of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). For most of his life, Yakovlev was a closet classical liberal in one of the most illiberal and collectivist societies in history. He did not share either the socialist or Russian nationalist worldviews.

North Korean Defector Notes What Surprised Him Most Once Outside
Many North Koreans are amazed by life in South Korea, and that was no different for Ji Seong-ho, the remarkable young defector who made a special appearance at the State of the Union address Tuesday night. Ji endured starvation, suffered severe injuries, lost loved ones, and experienced firsthand the Kim regime’s brutality before he left North Korea. His journey to freedom was marked by pain, tears, and incredible hardship. When he finally reached South Korea, “it was beyond my expectations,” he revealed in an interview with The Daily Caller. But, what shocked him most about life in South Korea was not the impressive advancements of an unshackled, free society; rather, it was the trash cans. “When I was in North Korea, I dug through the trash but struggled to find food,” he explained, “In South Korea, I found trash cans full of food.”

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from The Living Church
Magazine of The Living Church Foundation (Anglican)

Another Angle on Cradles
The question is whether we can learn to use religious language as a form of self-emptying, not self-justification.

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from PBS (& affiliates)

U.S. has no evidence of Syrian use of sarin gas, Mattis says

The U.S. has no evidence to confirm reports from aid groups and others that the Syrian government has used the deadly chemical sarin on its citizens, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday. “We have other reports from the battlefield from people who claim it’s been used,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. “We do not have evidence of it.” He said he was not rebutting the reports. “We’re looking for evidence of it, since clearly we are dealing with the Assad regime that has used denial and deceit to hide their outlaw actions,” Mattis said.

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from Psephizo  (blog)

Can we be virtuous in an age of social media?
In reflecting upon the significance of social media, many commentators, both Christian and non-Christian, have naturally been drawn to the sorts of language and frameworks afforded by virtue ethics, even when they may not have realized it. Such commentators recognize that social media encourages certain sorts of communities and that it is structuring and forming us, often in disquieting ways. For instance, many have observed that being on social media has led them and others of their acquaintance to become more short-tempered, anxious, distracted, fractious, ungracious, and unkind.

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from Redoubt News
CONSPIRACY-PSEUDOSCIENCE,  MIXED,  right wing militia movement blog

FISA MEMO Released to the Public
The controversial FISA Memo has been declassified by President Donald Trump and released to the public by Congress. Before the release, President Trump was asked about the 4 page document and said, “A lot of people should be ashamed of themselves.” The memo, also known as the ‘Nunes Memo’, outlines alleged violations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and their use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) within their investigation during the 2016 Presidential election cycle. The memo outlines how Christopher Steele, on behalf of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Hillary Clinton campaign, compiled a dossier which formed the basis for the Carter Page FISA application. Steele, a longtime FBI Informant, was paid $160,000 by the DNC and the Clinton campaign.

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from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

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In the news, Thursday, February 1, 2018

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JAN 31      INDEX      FEB 02

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

________

from Competitive Enterprise Institute

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS

SEC Should Investigate California Municipalities for Climate-Related Securities Fraud
It appears a variety of California municipalities have gotten themselves in hot water. To investors of their bonds, they have claimed that they are unable to predict sea level rise or other climate risks. But they recently filed suit against a variety of oil and gas companies claiming the companies are causing the sea level to rise. The municipalities in their lawsuits give very explicit predictions as to how much they think the sea level will rise.

Uber Wants to Make It Illegal to Operate Your Own Self-Driving Car in Cities
Beleaguered ridesourcing giant Uber has been criticized for a wide variety of sins, both real and imagined. But their biggest sin yet may be what they apparently want to do to the public in the future: force everybody to use Uber’s service by outlawing private automobiles.

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from The Inlander
Media/News Company in Spokane, WA

The Spokane Central Market will house a dozen or so restaurants inside a shared space
By sometime later this summer, downtown Spokane will be home to a trendy new food hall. Called the Spokane Central Market, the space in a building at the corner of Wall and Riverside will be similar in nature to the Saranac Commons on the east end of downtown that's home to a brewery, bakery, café, biscuit counter and a few other non-food retailers. Spokane Central Market, however, will be significantly larger in size, totaling 20,000 square feet and with enough space to house between 12 and 15 tenants. Similar to a food court, seating and other public areas inside the space will be shared by all of the market's tenants.

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from The Liberty Review
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]

Now’s a Good Time to Remember President Coolidge, a Man of Principle
In his veto of a congressional salary increase, our 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, told Congress that, “No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.” This statement truly characterizes Coolidge for who he was as a man. Not only was he deeply concerned with tax reduction and the federal budget, but he was also highly dedicated to the serving of both his neighbor and nation. Coolidge had a special understanding of public service and never swayed from his foundational beliefs. These qualities made him the beloved man that he was. Calvin Coolidge —although soft-spoken— showed immense amounts of courage in serving his nation and staying true to his fundamental convictions.

US Now Exporting 10 Million Barrels of Oil Per Day
.S. oil production hit a historic milestone, pulling more than 10 million barrels per day out of the ground last November, according to the latest federal data. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Wednesday that crude production hit 10.038 million barrels per day, nearly beating the all-time record of 10.044 million barrels per day hit in November 1970.

6,000 Syrians in US Will Have Protection Extended by Trump
The Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) will reportedly continue to protect around 6,000 Syrian refugees in the U.S. due to the ongoing violence in the country. The protections for Syrian refugees, which was established under former President Barrack Obama in 2012, will however no longer allow immigrants who arrived in the U.S. after August 2016 to apply, a change in the previous policy. The 6,000 Syrians who are currently in the U.S. will be protected by DHS for another 18 months, while war continues in Syria.

Trump’s SOTU Was First in Eight Years Not to Mention ‘Global Warming’
While President Donald Trump touted policies to make the U.S. into an energy superpower, his first State of the Union (SOTU) address to Congress left out a hallmark of Obama-era speeches. Trump’s address is the first in eight years to not refer to manmade global warming — nine years if you include former President Barack Obama’s 2009 address to Congress. Instead, Trump emphasized deregulation and boosting energy production — many of the regulations Trump rescinded were Obama-era global warming policies.

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from The Spokesman-Review

Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

Expansion of tiny, cottage homes gets Spokane City Council’s OK
Developers hoping to build smaller homes on lots within Spokane city limits received a helping hand from city lawmakers this week. The Spokane City Council unanimously passed revisions to city zoning laws designed to promote development on smaller lots that were proven financially infeasible. The actions taken this week represent a first step in what city planners say is an effort to increase affordable housing opportunities through the promotion of infill development – using existing space within the city’s borders – including areas where single-family homes stand.

15 years after Columbia space shuttle disaster, remembering Spokane’s own Michael Phillip Anderson
Today marks 15 years since Barbara Anderson and her late husband, Bobbie, rose from bed expecting to flip on the TV and watch the Columbia return to Earth. For 15 days, they had monitored its voyage, beaming at each sight of their astronaut son. What actually happened on the morning of Feb. 1, 2003, was a national tragedy and a reminder that humankind had not yet overcome all the hazards of the final frontier.

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