July 12, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A1 WASHINGTON – Senior government officials prepared emergency steps Friday to rescue troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac but stopped short after a campaign of public statements eased immediate …

July 12, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A2 The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is cracking down on what officials describe as a small but disturbing gang problem on Santa Catalina Island, a favorite tourist resort off the …

July 12, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A3 SEOUL, South Korea – A soldier fatally shot a South Korean tourist Friday at a resort in North Korea, prompting the South to suspend a high-profile tourism program just as …

July 12, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A4 Russia and China vetoed U.S.-proposed sanctions on Zimbabwe’s leaders Friday, the global community’s latest attempt to take concrete action against a regime widely criticized for a violent and one-sided presidential …

July 12, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A5 WASHINGTON – The Bush administration on Friday rejected its own experts’ conclusion that global warming poses a threat to the public, launching a comment period that will delay any action …

July 12, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A5 WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court Friday threw out a major component of the Bush administration’s effort to reduce unhealthy levels of soot and smog in Eastern and Midwestern states, …

July 12, 2008 in City on Page A7 The Spokane Regional Health District warned that smoke from Thursday’s fires consisted of an unhealthy mix of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other material. Microscopic particles can …

July 12, 2008 in City on Page A7 Thursday bordered on chaotic for firefighters and law enforcement officers in Spokane County. Numerous fires were reported, and winds gusts reached more than 40 mph. “Last night was a blur,” …

July 12, 2008 in City on Page A7 Crews from the state Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service continued to battle a 600-acre fire on the border of Stevens and Ferry counties Friday afternoon. Rich …

July 12, 2008 in Business on Page A8 WASHINGTON – A mortgage rescue to help hundreds of thousands of struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure and get more affordable, safer loans passed the Senate overwhelmingly Friday, but it faces a …

July 12, 2008 in Business on Page A8 Salt Lake City- based Overstock.com went entirely fur-free on Thursday. The decision was inspired by the Internet retail giant’s discovery that much of the purported raccoon fur on the market …

July 12, 2008 in Business on Page A8 Developer Dick Vandervert, his plans to expand a West Plains apartment complex frustrated by Spokane County, on Thursday petitioned for annexation into the city of Airway Heights. He said Airway …

July 12, 2008 in Business on Page A8 The launch of Apple Inc.’s new iPhone turned into an information-technology meltdown Friday as customers were unable to get their phones working. In stores, people waited at counters to get …

July 12, 2008 in Nation/World on Page A10 PASADENA, Calif. – The federal government took control of Pasadena-based IndyMac Bank on Friday in what regulators called the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history. Citing a massive run on …

July 12, 2008 in City on Page B1 Four people suffered serious injuries in a two-car crash on Highway 395 on Friday afternoon, the Washington State Patrol said. Herman L. Kemple, 70, of Spokane, was turning southbound onto …