January 31, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A3 WASHINGTON – A new government study says the average federal worker earns about 2 percent more than a private sector worker in a comparable profession, though the government’s generous pension … 4

January 31, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A3 GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Minutes before two pileups killed 10 people on a highway shrouded in fog and thick smoke from a brush fire, the Florida Highway Patrol had reopened the …

January 31, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A3 CHICAGO – A nuclear reactor at a northern Illinois plant shut down Monday after losing power, and steam was being vented to reduce pressure, according to officials from Exelon Nuclear … 7

January 31, 2012 in Nation/World on Page A4 TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Groups representing states and cities in the Great Lakes region proposed spending up to $9.5 billion to separate the lakes from the Mississippi River watershed in …

January 31, 2012 in Idaho on Page A5 BOISE – Idaho’s House of Representatives agreed Monday to ask Congress for a long-needed third federal judge, but only after some Republican members said they wouldn’t support asking a Democratic …

January 31, 2012 in City on Page A5 All this talk of installing costly body cameras on Spokane police might be premature. Reining in our cowboy cops could be as simple as putting them in less-threatening duds. 7

January 31, 2012 in City on Page A5 OLYMPIA – By a single vote, a House panel passed a proposal to allow same-sex marriage after rejecting a Spokane Valley legislator’s efforts to change it. Republican Rep. Matt Shea … 1

January 31, 2012 in City on Page A5 A man who fired several gunshots into a house, narrowly missing two toddlers, after a 2009 dispute over a dog accepted a plea bargain Monday that called for 60 days … 14

January 31, 2012 in City on Page A5 From our archives, 100 years ago A crowd of hundreds of Wobblies (members of the Industrial Workers of the World) confronted Spokane police in a tense confrontation that recalled the … 1

January 31, 2012 in City on Page A6 A former Spokane County sheriff’s deputy has been sentenced to serve a month in prison after he previously pleaded guilty to defrauding a federal program that allows law enforcement officers … 4

January 31, 2012 in City on Page A6 For 01-31-2012

January 31, 2012 in City on Page A6 In the courts Superior courts New suits

January 31, 2012 in City on Page A6 OLYMPIA – Political ads for or against a ballot measure would have to name the largest donors to that campaign under a proposal approved Monday by a House panel. The …

January 31, 2012 in City on Page A6 Heavy rain and snow blocked at least one highway in Washington on Monday and left standing water on other highways in North Idaho. State Highway 27 near Oakesdale, Wash., was …

January 31, 2012 in Business on Page A7 OLYMPIA – Two agencies have changed the outlook for Washington’s debt ratings from stable to negative, citing the state’s ongoing budget troubles. Moody’s Investors Service said in its rationale released …

January 31, 2012 in Business on Page A7 BRUSSELS – Investors participating in a deal to slash Greece’s massive debt would face an overall loss on their bond holdings of more than 70 percent, a person involved in … 1

January 31, 2012 in Business on Page A7 BRUSSELS – All European Union countries except Britain and the Czech Republic agreed Monday to sign a new treaty designed to stop overspending in the eurozone and put an end …

January 31, 2012 in Business on Page A7 About 40 percent of Spokane County residents surveyed last fall said they favor plans by the Spokane Tribe to build a casino near Airway Heights. Another 34 percent of the … 2

January 31, 2012 in Business on Page A7 Incomes up slightly, but spending stays flat WASHINGTON – Americans’ income rose in December by the most in nine months, a hopeful sign for the economy after a year of …

January 31, 2012 in Opinion on Page A9 Every so often a bill comes along that makes us wonder why it isn’t already the law. Such is the case with HB 2210, which would bring school board races … 1

January 31, 2012 in Letters, Opinion on Page A9 You want a government that follows a business model? 5