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Tuesday, November 24, 2009


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Local News

NEW - 12:17 AM
Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
Washington's popular — but financially pinched — Basic Health Plan now has the dubious distinction of having more people on the waiting list than are enrolled. Tue, 11/24


 
UPDATE - 11:31 PM
Flood fears dampen business, home sales
Fear of flooding is taking a toll on real estate in the Green River Valley. But property owners and city officials say a recent downgrade in the flood risk could help turn things around. Tue, 11/24
 
Nicole Brodeur
Homeless woman bent on giving
The woman didn't want to be known, and yet, no one can forget her. Tue, 11/24
 
Portland cafe's specialty: medical-marijuana tokes
With the Obama administration's decision last month to soften the federal stance on medical marijuana, the Cannabis Cafe and a lounge popped up, bringing a little bit of pot-friendly Amsterdam to a working-class corner of Portland. Tue, 11/24
 
Thousands of tax-refund checks undeliverable
The Internal Revenue Service is looking for the owners of 2,652 tax refund checks sent to Washington state and returned undeliverable. The average refund is $1,099. Tue, 11/24
 
Family of man killed in pedicab accident files civil claim
The family of a Connecticut man who was killed after he was thrown from a pedicab in downtown Seattle more than a year ago has filed a civil claim against the pedicab company. Tue, 11/24
 
No money in King County budget for 4-H, Master Gardener programs
The Metropolitan King County Council passed a 2010 budget Monday that eliminates funding for 4-H clubs, the Master Gardener program and nutrition-education programs offered through the county office of the Washington State University Cooperative Extension. Tue, 11/24
 
Ex-supervisor in Spokane sues Postal Service over firing in Netflix incident
A former Spokane postal supervisor is suing the U.S. Postal Service, saying it wrongly fired him after he refused to accept a late delivery of Netflix DVDs back in 2007. Tue, 11/24
 
Snohomish County workers face furloughs but no layoffs
Faced with a $6 million budget shortfall, the Snohomish County Council on Monday passed a budget for 2010 that does not raise property taxes or lay off workers but, among other cutbacks, will require employees to take five furlough days. Tue, 11/24
 
4 bullets strike Sunnyside house in drive-by
Four bullets struck a Sunnyside house during a drive-by shooting over the weekend, police said. Tue, 11/24
 
High-school students meet the Constitution
Presentations came from 55 Peninsula High School students at the Gig Harbor Civic Center on Thursday as they took part in a "We the People" competition with a simple goal: to promote civic competence. Tue, 11/24
 
NEW - 11:23 PM
Port of Seattle to reduce tax levy next year
The Port of Seattle will trim its tax levy from the $75.9 million it collected this year to $73.5 million in 2010. Tue, 11/24
 
Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
If there's an outbreak of food-borne illness anywhere in the country, chances are William Marler will be filing lawsuits. Marler says he and his law firm have pried $500 million in settlements out of companies that have sickened customers. Mon, 11/23
 
Civil-rights suit against officer, city settled for $87,500
A man who was struck in the face with a flashlight by a Seattle police traffic officer outside a Seattle Seahawks game has settled his civil-rights lawsuit against the city for $87,500 after the case ended in a federal court mistrial last month. Mon, 11/23
 
Giant Magnet, which presents children's festival, taps founder as interim director
Giant Magnet, the nonprofit producer of the annual Seattle International Children's Festival (SICF), has hired the organization's founding director, Marilyn Raichle, as its interim executive director. Mon, 11/23
 
Seattle woman charged with knife attack on boyfriend's ex
A Seattle woman who killed a woman 12 years ago in a jealous rage over a man is now accused of stabbing her boyfriend's former girlfriend earlier this month. Mon, 11/23
 
Chuckanut Drive closed after rockslide
Chuckanut Drive is closed about three miles south of the Whatcom-Skagit County line because of a rockslide. Mon, 11/23
 
Federal judge praises new salmon-protection plan
A federal judge in Portland says the Obama administration's revised salmon recovery plans for the Columbia River basin "look good," but environmental groups say the proposal doesn't go far enough. Mon, 11/23
 
Man who held up convenience store with daughter at side gets 8 years
A man shown on videotape holding up a convenience store with his 9-year-old daughter at his side has been sentenced to nearly eight years in prison. Mon, 11/23
 
Marysville soldier dies in Afghanistan
John J. Cleaver, 36, a soldier from Marysville, was killed in Afghanistan after a suicide bomber attacked his unit. Mon, 11/23
 
State pays Connell $11 million for prison impact
The state has paid the city of Connell more than $11 million in impact fees for the expansion of the Coyote Ridge prison in Franklin County. Mon, 11/23
 
Verdict expected in Bremerton arson trial
A Kitsap county judge is expected to issue a verdict Monday in the juvenile court arson trial of a 17-year-old boy accused of burning down a home furnishings store in Bremerton. Mon, 11/23
 
Traffic cameras to be added in West Seattle, Ballard and Sodo
Nearly five dozen new closed-circuit traffic cameras designed to relay real-time information to the Seattle Transportation Department's traffic-management center and to a travelers-information Web site will be in use by next spring, nearly doubling the number of cameras now in use in Seattle, transportation officials said. Mon, 11/23
 
Large lessons in joy come in tiny packages
If being a parent is one long classroom in the school of life — and it is; we learned so much from our kids, and from raising them — then being a grandparent is like being in the graduate school of joy. Mon, 11/23
 

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Nation & World

NEW - 12:51 AM
A Bing deal for Microsoft, News Corp.?
Microsoft has been in early discussions about a pact to pay News Corp. to remove links to its news content from Google's search engine and display them exclusively on Microsoft's Bing. If such an arrangement came to pass, it would be a watershed moment in the history of the Internet, and set off a fierce debate over the future of content online. Tue, 11/24


 
Amazon, Wal-Mart escalate Web price war
In what is emerging as one of the main story lines of the 2009 post-recession shopping season, Wal-Mart Stores and Amazon.com are waging an online price war that is spreading through product areas like books, movies, toys and electronics. Tue, 11/24
 
8 charged in probe of terrorism-recruiting network in U.S.
Federal authorities Monday unsealed criminal charges against eight suspects in an expanding investigation into an alleged U.S.-based recruitment network that sent young men to fight in Somalia. Tue, 11/24
 
Hate crimes against gays, religious groups up, FBI says
Reports of hate crimes against gays and religious groups increased sharply in 2008, according to FBI data released Monday. Overall, the number of reported hate-crime incidents increased about 2 percent. Tue, 11/24
 
UPDATE - 12:11 AM
SC legislators begin Sanford impeachment hearings
Legislators irked for months over Gov. Mark Sanford's summertime vanishing act and his tearful revelation that he was in Argentina for a rendezvous with his lover plan to start debating a measure Tuesday that ultimately would remove him from office. Tue, 11/24
 
Brazilian farmers are turning to reforestation
Hundreds of Brazilian farmers are replanting trees as part of an ambitious initiative to reduce deforestation by setting aside one-third of their farms for native vegetation, a revolutionary move in a region long resistant to environmental controls. Tue, 11/24
 
Feds link Chinese drywall to corrosion
The federal government said Monday that it has found a "strong association" between problematic imported Chinese drywall and corrosion of pipes and wires, a conclusion that supports complaints by thousands of homeowners over the past year. Tue, 11/24
 
N.Y. subway becomes autistic runaway's refuge
Francisco Hernandez Jr. disappeared for 11 days in October, a stretch he spent entirely in subway stations and on trains, he says, hurtling through four boroughs. And somehow he went undetected, despite a round-the-clock search by his panicked parents, relatives and family friends, the police and the Mexican Consulate. Tue, 11/24
 
Some fans at Fort Bragg see themselves in Sarah Palin
About 1,000 fans lined up to greet former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin at a book-signing at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Tue, 11/24
 
France shows off cutting-edge warship in Russia
Russia's once mighty navy, severely degraded after the fall of the Soviet Union, is shopping for a big ship with the power to anchor in coastal waters and deploy troops onto land. Tue, 11/24
 
Iraq election likely delayed again
After two days of divisive sessions and failed talks, Iraq's Parliament disregarded a veto by one of the country's vice presidents and approved new amendments that the vice president promptly indicated he would veto as well. Tue, 11/24
 
Paralyzed Belgian aware but mute for 23 years
For 23 torturous years, a 46-year-old Belgian man says he lay trapped in his paralyzed body, aware of what was going on around him but unable to tell anyone or even cry out. Tue, 11/24
 
S.C. governor faces 37 charges of violating ethics laws
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, whose tryst with an Argentine lover blossomed into a wide-ranging scandal, is accused of breaking ethics... Tue, 11/24
 
UPDATE - 12:16 AM
Trying last-ditch lung bypass for worst swine flu
A technology originally developed for premature babies may be helping to save some of the sickest swine flu patients by rerouting their blood so their lungs can rest. Tue, 11/24
 
U.S. also fights war on drugs in Afghanistan
The U.S. on Monday agreed to hand out millions of dollars in development aid to provinces in Afghanistan that have eliminated or reduced the production of opium poppies, the raw ingredient in making heroin. Tue, 11/24
 
Madagascar's lemurs in trouble
Its endless virgin forests have been decimated and Madagascar has been left paralyzed and lawless in the wake of a coup this year — perfect conditions for the pillaging of the lemurs' remaining habitat. Tue, 11/24
 
California students target redheads, police say
As many as four youngsters were targeted in the suburban Los Angeles town of Calabasas by at least a dozen middle-school students after a Facebook group urged them to beat up redheads, authorities said. Tue, 11/24
 
UPDATE - 01:04 AM
11 more Philippine victims found; death toll to 35
A Philippine police official says 11 more bodies have been recovered from a mass grave in the country's south, raising the number of massacre victims to 35. Tue, 11/24
 
UPDATE - 12:01 AM
Astronauts rest up after 3 spacewalks
The astronauts aboard the orbiting shuttle-station complex are resting after their three successful spacewalks. Tue, 11/24
 
Obama: US economy has 'core strengths'
President Barack Obama said Monday the nation's economy is in good shape for the long term thanks to "core strengths" such as its universities, its innovation and a dynamic workforce. Mon, 11/23
 
China planning agency OKs Shanghai Disney project
China's economic planning agency has formally approved a plan to build a Disney theme park in Shanghai, ensuring the city will have a new showcase attraction after next year's World Expo has wound down. Mon, 11/23
 
Calif. man jailed after housing homeless on ranch
A California rancher who houses homeless people on his property chose to serve 90 days in jail rather than accept probation after being convicted of misdemeanor safety violations. Mon, 11/23
 
Canada woman to fight insurance co. over Facebook
A Canadian woman on sick leave for depression said Monday she would fight an insurance company's decision to cut her benefits after her agent found photos on Facebook of her vacationing, at a bar and at a party. Mon, 11/23
 
Program to help truckers attracts drug smugglers
A U.S. program that offers trusted trucking companies speedy passage across American borders has begun attracting just the sort of customers who place a premium on avoiding inspections: Mexican drug smugglers. Mon, 11/23
 

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Business & Technology

Disney's new movie chief recasting studio
Seeking to recast the studio for the digital era, Rich Ross and Bob Iger have set in motion a plan to challenge entrenched practices, potentially pitting Disney against theater owners, retailers and other business partners. Tue, 11/24


 
Madoff liquidator wants $22M for 5 months' worth
Irving Picard, the liquidator for Bernard Madoff's investment-advisory business, asked a judge to approve $22.1 million in fees for him and his team with the law firm Baker & Hostetler, for five months of work. Tue, 11/24
 
U.S. monthly home sales surge, but can it last?
While rising foreclosures and disappearing jobs still threaten the comeback, there are now bidding wars for houses in some cities, and U.S. home sales are nearly 36 percent above their low point in January. Tue, 11/24
 
On the move
Appointments, promotions and awards in the business community. Tue, 11/24
 
UPDATE - 12:25 AM
Economic recovery likely not quite that energetic
Remember the economy's return to growth last quarter? Well, it probably wasn't as energetic as first thought. Tue, 11/24
 
General Electric buys Kent-based Naverus
Naverus, a Kent-based firm that pioneered satellite-based airplane navigation technology for guiding aircraft and streamlining flight patterns around airports, has been acquired by General Electric for an undisclosed amount, the companies said Monday. Mon, 11/23
 
Washington Banking seeks $30 million in stock sale
Washington Banking Co., the parent of Whidbey Island Bank, said Monday it would raise $30 million by selling new shares of common stock, becoming the latest local bank to tap the capital markets. Mon, 11/23
 
Biofuel used on Boeing 747 flight
Air France-KLM successfully uses 50 percent biofuel mix in one engine during demonstration flight in the Netherlands Mon, 11/23
 
Dollar decline continues as stocks jump
The safe-haven dollar began the week lower as a Federal Reserve official urged the continuation of stimulus programs and as home sales in October greatly exceeded market expectations, revving up traders' taste for higher-yielding assets. Mon, 11/23
 
October home sales rise 10.1 pct from September
Home sales surged for the second month in a row in October, climbing to the highest level in 2 1/2 years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of an expiring tax credit. Mon, 11/23
 
Weak dollar, home sales data carry stocks higher
The stock market ended a three-day losing streak Monday, closing broadly higher as a weaker dollar and upbeat home sales numbers encouraged investors to take on more risk. Mon, 11/23
 

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Sports

Gonzaga comes from behind to beat Colorado, 76-72
Steven Gray scored 27 points and Matt Bouldin added 21 in helping Gonzaga overcome a sluggish first half on its way to a 76-72 win over Colorado. Mon, 11/23


 
Sounders FC: James Riley among biggest names unprotected for Wednesday's expansion draft
Sounders FC on Monday submitted its list of 11 players protected from being chosen by the Philadelphia Union in the MLS expansion draft Wednesday. Mon, 11/23
 
Huskies finish third at NCAA cross-country championships
Washington sophomore Kendra Schaaf finished second, leading the Huskies to a third-place team finish at the NCAA championships in Terre Haute, Ind. The Washington men finished 18th. Mon, 11/23
 
Steve Kelley
Next Seahawks GM should be Mike Holmgren
The answer to a brighter future is to turn to the Seahawks' past. Mon, 11/23
 
Huskies tight end Kavario Middleton says UW will score 50 against Cougars in Apple Cup
Despite an 0-10 record heading into the 2008 Apple Cup in Pullman, the Washington Huskies were listed as seven-point favorites, expected to get the one win that would prevent historical embarrassment. Mon, 11/23
 
Bud Withers
Washington State coach Paul Wulff says he's excited about Cougars' future
Coach says talented recruiting classes will start to pay off soon. Restless fans hope he's right. Mon, 11/23
 
Baseball | Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is voted American League MVP
Joe Mauer became the second catcher in 33 years to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award, finishing first in a near-unanimous vote Monday.  Mon, 11/23
 
UPDATE - 11:25 PM
College Football | Colorado coach second-guesses bringing in his son to play quarterback for him
Colorado coach Dan Hawkins says in hindsight he would not have recruited his son, Cody, to play quarterback for him.  Mon, 11/23
 
Fishing | Where they're biting, where they're not
 Mon, 11/23
 
Golf | Lorena Ochoa edges Jiyai Shin for LPGA player of the year as season ends
Lorena Ochoa and Jiyai Shin's duel for LPGA player of the year fittingly came down to the final hole of the season. A Mon, 11/23
 
UPDATE - 11:16 PM
Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge help Portland beat Chicago
Greg Oden tied a career high with 24 points and LaMarcus Aldridge also had 24 to help the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Chicago Bulls. Mon, 11/23
 
Huskies get commitment from 6-foot-10 Turkish star Enes Kanter
Kanter, a 17-year-old center, is considered a possible lottery pick in 2011 NBA draft. Mon, 11/23
 
Media: Man pleads not guilty in Erin Andrews videos case
Media Insurance executive pleads not guilty to interstate stalking of ESPN reporter Andrew. Mon, 11/23
 
UPDATE - 11:41 PM
Men's College Hoops | Gonzaga beats Colorado in Maui Invitational opener
Steven Gray scored 27 points and Matt Bouldin added 21 in helping Gonzaga overcome a sluggish first half. Mon, 11/23
 
NFL | Cleveland coach Eric Mangini suggests Detroit players faked injuries
On Monday, Cleveland's embattled coach questioned whether Detroit's defensive players faked injuries to slow down the Browns' no-huddle offense, which put up a season-high 439 yards during a 38-37 road loss. Mon, 11/23
 
NFL | Tennessee edges Houston 20-17
Rob Bironas kicked a 53-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining and the Tennessee Titans beat the Houston Texans 20-17 Monday night for their fourth consecutive victory, after an 0-6 start. Mon, 11/23
 
Prep Football | Big Colin Porter gets Bothell moving
The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Huskies recruit is a big reason the top-ranked Cougars are playing in the Class 4A football semifinals. Mon, 11/23
 
Seahawks coach Jim Mora evaluates stinker of a loss — again
There is a format for these things in the NFL, a procedure for dealing with this kind of loss in a way that's clinical as an autopsy, and the first step is an honest and blunt admission of inadequacies. Mon, 11/23
 
Second-tier soccer league dubs itself the NASL
The second division men's professional soccer league is scheduled to begin play this spring. It announced its name Monday, and it should be familiar to soccer fans in the United States and Canada: the North American Soccer League. Mon, 11/23
 
Stars of the week
DELETE Mon, 11/23
 
NW Briefs
Golf: UW's Nick Taylor is in fourth place after 36 holes of Texas golf meet
Washington senior Nick Taylor is tied for fourth, three strokes back, and Richard Lee is tied for 10th after 36 holes of the Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic at the El Paso Country Club on Monday. Mon, 11/23
 
Locker vs. Locker collision won't happen this year
Washington State freshman Casey Locker is redshirting, so he won't have a shot at his cousin, UW quarterback Jake Locker, when the teams play in the Apple Cup. Mon, 11/23
 
Mariners' Ken Griffey Jr. could earn $3.9 million next season
Base salary is $2.35 million, but total could jump to $3.9 million if Griffey hits incentives in one-year contract. Mon, 11/23
 
Prep Football | Family sustains Archbishop Murphy lineman Taniela Tupou
It has been an up-and-down year, emotionally, for the big lineman, whose team is in the Class 2A football state semifinals. Mon, 11/23
 

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Entertainment

As glam as he wants to be: Adam Lambert's real debut
Out and proud Adam Lambert is forging new ground in the entertainment world. Will his recording, "For Your Entertainment," garner as much attention as his outlandish looks and behavior? Tue, 11/24


 
CD review | BlakRoc's 'BlakRoc'
BlakRoc, a collaboration between Ohio garage-bluesmen the Black Keys and artists such as Ludacris, Mos Def and Jay-Z, is gimmicky and NPR-ready but stands as '09's most interesting hip-hop approach. Tue, 11/24
 
Local books | A new Jance thriller, Starbucks' corporate history and an orphan's tale
A selection of new titles by Washington authors, or of local interest. Tue, 11/24
 
New DVDs | 'Angels & Demons,' 'Funny People,' 'Four Christmases,' 'Shorts'
Tuesday's new DVD releases include "Angels & Demons," "Funny People," "Four Christmases" and "Shorts." Tue, 11/24
 
The season finale of 'Dancing With the Stars' is a Tuesday TV pick
Tonight's season finale of this popular dance show is chock full of guest stars. Tue, 11/24
 
Elton John & Billy Joel reschedule Seattle concerts
The Elton John-Billy Joel concerts at KeyArena, postponed earlier this month due to illness, have been rescheduled to Feb. 3 and 6, 2010. Mon, 11/23
 
Freeloader alert: Free frappés, free hot drinks, free doughnuts
Free frappés at participating Western Washington McDonald's through Dec. 7. Complimentary warm drinks at the Bravern every Wednesday in December. And Mighty-O has free doughnuts for kids dressed as pirates on Saturday, Nov. 28. Seattle Times Freeloader: When cheap isn't cheap enough. Mon, 11/23
 

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Living

Rules to dine by when eating in restaurants with kids
An expert and parents offer their thoughts on dining with small children in restaurants. Mon, 11/23
 

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Travel & Outdoors

Get ready for Thanksgiving flight delays, thanks to New York
Delays at New York City's three major airports boomerang through U.S. air travel Mon, 11/23
 
Grand Canyon to change "unfair" hiking-permit system
Permits will no longer be available in person starting in February Mon, 11/23
 

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Opinion

E.J. Dionne / Syndicated columnist
Obama's 'third way' in Afghanistan: neither Iraq nor Vietnam
President Obama has decided that Afghanistan is neither Iraq nor Vietnam, writes columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. This is a view that puts him at odds with both the hawks and the doves, and is why he will insist that he is not committing new troops indefinitely. Mon, 11/23
 
Guest columnist
Turning to a new chapter in Afghanistan
An expanded military emphasis won't work in Afghanistan, write guest columnists Khalil Nouri and Terry Green. The current Afghan problems are tribal imbalance and the interference of Afghanistan's regional neighbors. Any resolution must address those issues. Mon, 11/23
 

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