December 9, 2012 in Sports The Eastern Washington football team has all the momentum in the world, freshly seized Saturday night and ready to be carried all the way to the national title game. If …

December 9, 2012 in Sports SEATTLE — Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner stood face to face, screaming at each other in celebration, counting up all the turnovers the Seattle Seahawks accumulated. There were plenty, along … 1

December 9, 2012 in Sports PULLMAN – Minutes prior to the beginning of Washington State’s 59-50 win over Fresno State here on Sunday, a reasonable person could have wondered why so many fans chose to …

December 9, 2012 in City on Page A1 Five-year-old Aidan Marin believes in Santa. His mom, Fran Marin, hopes to keep it that way. “Believing in Santa was magical for me growing up,” she said. “Every child should … 1

December 9, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A2 WASHINGTON – The Agriculture Department is responding to criticism over new school lunch rules by allowing more grains and meat in kids’ meals. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told members of …

December 9, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A3 BATON ROUGE, La. – U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany will return to Congress for a fifth term after handily defeating his fellow Republican congressman, Jeff Landry, in a runoff election. Boustany …

December 9, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A3 WASHINGTON – Hovering in the background of the “fiscal cliff” debate is the prospect of 2 million people losing their unemployment benefits four days after Christmas. “This is the real …

December 9, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A3 DOHA, Qatar – Seeking to control global warming, nearly 200 countries agreed Saturday to extend the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty that limits the greenhouse gas output of some rich countries …

December 9, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A4 CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced Saturday night that his cancer has returned and that he will undergo another surgery in Cuba. Chavez, who won re-election on Oct. …

December 9, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A4 ROME – Premier Mario Monti told the Italian president Saturday he is resigning soon, saying he can no longer govern after Silvio Berlusconi’s party withdrew crucial support. It paves the …

December 9, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A7 KABUL, Afghanistan – An American doctor abducted by the Taliban five days ago was rescued today in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S.-led military coalition said. Dr. Dilip Joseph was captured by …

December 9, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A7 WASHINGTON – The Afghan government is pursuing an ambitious new peace initiative in which Pakistan would replace the United States in arranging direct talks between the warring sides and the …

December 9, 2012 in City on Page B1 I’ll be first to concede that I have the understanding of a frozen pot pie when it comes to automobile maintenance or the vagaries of the infernal combustion engine. I’ve … 11

December 9, 2012 in City on Page B1 With the countdown to Christmas well under way, families are flocking to area farms and lots to pick the perfect tree. “It’s a family tradition,” said Chelsey Williamson. “We come … 1