Canada abuzz over purported crack video of mayor
TORONTO — A video purportedly of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack has caused an uproar in Canada. Ford on Friday called the allegations “ridiculous.”
'American Idol' finale draws record low ratings
NEW YORK — Ratings for the “American Idol” finale plunged to a record low for the 12-year-old show.
Obama to host concert honoring Carole King
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is putting on a show at the White House next week for singer-songwriter Carole King.
Official: 'Amazing' no one died in train crash
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Officials described a devastating scene of shattered cars and other damage where two trains packed with rush-hour commuters collided in Connecticut, saying Saturday it’s fortunate that no one was killed and that there weren’t even more injuries.
Hagel orders review of sex-abuse prevention
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Friday ordered the military to recertify all 25,000 people involved in programs designed to prevent and respond to sexual assault, an acknowledgement that assaults have escalated beyond the Pentagon’s control.
FBI executes search warrant in ricin letter case
SPOKANE — The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are executing a search warrant Saturday in the case of two letters containing the deadly poison ricin that were intercepted this week at a post office in Washington state.
Pa. coffee run leads to hatchet hitchhiker arrest
ELIZABETH, N.J. — Two cups of coffee ended life on the run for an Internet sensation known as Kai the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker.
Syria's Assad says he won't step down
BEIRUT — Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a newspaper interview Saturday he won’t step down and will instead “face the storm,” raising new doubts about a U.S-Russian effort to get Assad and his opponents to negotiate an end to the country’s civil war.
Brother of Arias' victim describes life since murder
PHOENIX — Steven Alexander stood before the jury, looked up at a family picture and grimaced and cried as he ticked off the list of problems that have befallen him in the five years since his brother was murdered: ulcers, depression, a separation from his wife, nightmares.
Walla Walla Water Watcher
Facts and tips on water usage and conservation are presented weekly by the city of Walla Walla, in partnership with Walla Walla Community College and the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin.
Demand for more high-tech foreign worker visas draws fire
Unions and some Democrats blast Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg’s push.
WASHINGTON — To the U.S. technology industry, there’s a dramatic shortfall in the number of Americans skilled in computer programming and engineering that is hampering business. To unions and some Democrats, it’s more sinister: The push by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to expand the number of visas for high-tech foreign workers is an attempt to dilute a lucrative job market with cheap, indentured labor.
What's really behind the wage gap headlines?
It has become a rite of spring – the annual announcement that women earn 70 to 77 percent of what men earn on average or over a lifetime. The two pay gap studies most cited right now are from the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). These organizations have a legislative agenda and a need to keep donations flowing in. I agree with many of their overall goals – improved access to daycare, parental leave, family friendly work hours and equal pay for equal work. But specious statistics and distorted data don’t serve their cause well. The NWLC study lead
Assisted living industry rolls out welcome mat as boomers age
Baby boomers are turning 65 at a rate of nearly 10,000 a day.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The economy is slowly recovering, home values are rising again, and baby boomers are turning 65 at a rate of nearly 10,000 a day. Leaders in the senior living industry hope these factors add up to more older Americans selling their homes and moving into assisted living communities over the next decade.
Tea party tax returns show activism on a shoestring
WASHINGTON — Dozens of tea party groups and other conservative organizations of the kind subjected to improper scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service operated with small budgets and rarely displayed overt partisan activities, according to an Associated Press review of public tax filings by 93 such activist groups. A few groups built million-dollar operations and political ties that could have been legitimate grounds for IRS investigation, tax law experts said.
Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Geza Vermes dies
Geza Vermes was a graduate student in Belgium in the late 1940s when he was captivated by news about a remarkable discovery in the desert east of Jerusalem. He quickly switched gears, penning his doctoral thesis on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the ancient manuscript fragments that would become his life’s work.
Church bulletin - 5/19/13
Church bulletin for May 19.
There's a saboteur — and it's one of us
In “World Peace and other 4th-Grade Achievements,” by John Hunter, the author and game deviser tells of adding a saboteur to the game. Only he and the saboteur know who that is. The other players believe he or she only plays the designated role. Having a saboteur in the game causes the players to come up with strategies to counter the saboteur’s actions. They have to reach more deeply into their intellectual and emotional selves.
Walla Walla 2020 to hold annual meeting Monday
WALLA WALLA — The citizens group Walla Walla 2020 will hold its annual meeting and celebrate its 25th anniversary on Monday.
How loyalty programs influence the way you shop
To hold onto customers, companies are using shoppers’ purchasing histories for more personalized deals.
NEW YORK — Loyalty programs at supermarkets used to be as simple as getting access to the cheaper advertised prices on store shelves.
Terroir movement arrives at maple syrup's door
BURLINGTON, Vt. — The next time you take a bite of syrup-soaked pancake, ask yourself: What does that maple syrup really taste like? Do you detect a hint of spiced meat? Perhaps a whisper of mango? Or is that je ne sais quoi the flavor of oats?
