December 27, 2011 in Idaho, News A St. Maries, Idaho, man accused of murdering an 18-year-old woman told police he accidentally shot her in the face while checking to see if his gun was unloaded, officials … 1

December 27, 2011 in Sports The expanded WCC joins the Pac-12 and Big Sky in tipping off conference season before the new year, with all three area representatives playing Thursday night.

December 27, 2011 in Business, Region Washington state’s minimum wage increases by 37 cents to $9.04 an hour starting on New Year’s Day. 118

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska told his supporters today he plans to retire rather than seek a third term, a significant setback for Democratic efforts to maintain control of the … 15

December 27, 2011 in Business, Nation/World A vacationing President Barack Obama today nominated a Harvard University professor and a former Treasury official under President George H.W. Bush — a Democrat and a Republican — to the … 8

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney carried himself today like a man with the party nomination in hand, even before the first votes have been cast, while a newly unearthed memo … 3

December 27, 2011 in Business Sears Holdings Corp. plans to close between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart stores after poor sales during the holidays, the most crucial time of year for retailers. 23

December 27, 2011 in Business, Nation/World Americans are gaining faith that the economy is on the upswing. The monthly Consumer Confidence Index surged to the highest level since April and is approaching a post-recession peak. 9

December 27, 2011 in City, Idaho A traffic fatality near Deer Park Monday night became the fifth roadway death in the Inland Northwest over the Christmas holiday period.

December 27, 2011 in City, Idaho The inch or so of snow that accumulated in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas overnight isn’t likely to be sticking around for long. 5

December 27, 2011 in City on Page A1 Stevens County activists dressed in prison stripes recently were tossed out of Gonzaga University’s Cataldo Hall where Rick Steves, the travel writer and TV show host, was delivering a speech. … 8

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A1 NEW YORK – Drug companies are working to develop a pure, more powerful version of the nation’s second-most-abused medicine, which has addiction experts worried that it could spur a new … 5

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A1 LOS ANGELES – The moon has come a long way since Galileo first peered at it through a telescope. Unmanned probes have circled around it and landed on its surface. … 4

December 27, 2011 in City on Page A2 For 12-27-2011

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A2 SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah woman used Facebook to get help after she and her 17-month-old son were held hostage at a residence for nearly five days, police said. …

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A3 STAMFORD, Conn. – A department store Santa Claus who died with his wife and three grandchildren in a Christmas morning house fire in Connecticut spent a long career trying to …

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A3 DES MOINES, Iowa – An Iowa caucus campaign that has cycled through several Republican presidential front-runners entered its final week Monday, as unpredictable as the day conservatives began competing to … 1

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A3 SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Police on Monday arrested a suspect in a shooting that critically wounded a soldier at his Southern California homecoming party after he survived a suicide bombing …

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A3 MIAMI – A surgeon and technician from a Mayo Clinic in Florida flying across the northern corner of the state to retrieve a heart for transplant died Monday in a …

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A4 SANAA, Yemen – Yemeni soldiers battled al-Qaida-linked militants Monday outside the southern city of Zinjibar, which remains partly under the control of the Islamists. Five soldiers and four fighters were …

December 27, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A4 LONDON – A teenager was fatally stabbed and a second man wounded in attacks on London’s most famous retail street as thousands of shoppers flocked to Britain’s capital seeking post-Christmas …