My colleague John Craig has the story: State Sen. Bob McCaslin, 83, has filed for a seat on the Spokane Valley City Council.McCaslin, who last November was re-elected to his senate seat, could hold both posts. The challenge would be trying to balance simultaneous duties…
This story, from this morning's New York Times, about the causes of the nation's fast-mushrooming deficit:There are two basic truths about the enormous deficits that the federal government will run in the coming years. The first is that President Obama’s agenda, ambitious as it may…
As a reporter, I get upwards of 100 emails a day. But some just jump out at you."More than 6,500 scientists and doctors will convene at SLEEP 2009," one recent one began.It turns out that a group called the "Associated Professional Sleep Societies" hosts an…
The trend won't be a surprise, but the numbers are pretty startling: state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said this week that the number of Washingtonians with no health insurance has shot up to a record 876,000.That's 1 in 5 people between the ages of 19…
From my weekly print column:Getting a breather from the tax man: Struggling to pay your property taxes? Some low- and middle-income homeowners can delay paying those taxes.Here's who qualifies:-You must have had a household income of $57,000 or less last year,-You must have owned the…
If you're approached by a Referendum 71 signature-gatherer and want to read the petition before you sign it, you'd better bring a magnifying glass, a chair and a cool drink. As required by law, R-71 authors managed to squeeze the entire 114-page bill onto a…
Short takes and breaking news from the Washington Legislature and the state capital.
