March 20, 2010 in City Spokane sports fan had a tough choice this weekend: spike or dunk. In addition to the much-touted NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Spokane played host to the Pacific Northwest Qualifier, a …

March 20, 2010 in Region OLYMPIA – Using a compromise plan suggested by the governor, House Democrats stripped an increased sales tax out of plans to balance the state budget and countered with higher business … 5

March 20, 2010 in Sports Quincy Pondexter scored 18 points, Isaiah Thomas added 15 and 11th-seeded Washington extended its incredible late-season surge all the way to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament’s regional semifinals with an … 1

March 20, 2010 in Nation/World on Page A1 LOS ANGELES – Cases of severe, therapy-resistant asthma are on the rise worldwide, and new strategies are needed to treat the estimated 100,000 people who die of asthma every year. …

March 20, 2010 in City on Page A1 A lawyer representing the city of Spokane argued for the first time Friday that Otto Zehm was suffering from “excited delirium” before his 2006 confrontation with police, making it a … 11

March 20, 2010 in Nation/World on Page A2 DAKAR, Senegal – A top official in Sierra Leone’s government said he raced to a town in the country Friday after news reports said at least 200 people had been …

March 20, 2010 in Nation/World on Page A3 DUBLIN, Ireland – Pope Benedict XVI addresses Ireland today in a letter apologizing for the sex abuse scandal here – a message being watched closely by Catholics from Boston to … 1

March 20, 2010 in Nation/World on Page A3 MINNEAPOLIS – Contractor URS Corp. and the state of Minnesota reached a $5 million settlement Friday in the state’s lawsuit over the 2007 downtown Minneapolis bridge collapse that killed 13 …

March 20, 2010 in Nation/World on Page A3 NEW YORK – A federal judge on Friday rejected a legal settlement that would have given at least $575 million to people sickened by ash and dust from the World …

March 20, 2010 in Nation/World on Page A3 WASHINGTON – Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives continued scouring for votes Friday among reluctant anti-abortion and conservative Democrats in search of enough “Yeas” to triumph in Sunday’s historic …

March 20, 2010 in Nation/World on Page A4 MONTERREY, Mexico – A shootout in the northern city of Monterrey killed two suspected drug cartel gunmen and wounded a soldier Friday. Suspected gang members also blocked roads in the …

March 20, 2010 in Business on Page A6 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is honoring Avista subsidiary Advantage IQ for its role in reducing carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases. Advantage IQ is among 110 manufacturers, retailers, public …

March 20, 2010 in Business on Page A6 PARIS – Aerospace and defense company EADS said Friday it is considering a new bid for a $35 billion Pentagon contract for midair refueling tankers but will only compete if … 1

March 20, 2010 in Business on Page A6 Spokane police Detective Stacey Carr finally has somewhere to turn when she can’t investigate an office embezzlement or a case of identity theft inside a local company. Carr’s one of …

March 20, 2010 in City on Page B1 From our files, 50 years ago Fairchild Air Force Base officials provided an update on the area’s Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile bases – all nine of them.