Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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Student debt is a national problem. Students find themselves leaving college with massive loans and the daunting challenge of how to pursue career goals and pay off those loans. A college degree remains important for future earnings and choice of careers, but the load of debt many college graduates face entering the job market drives decisions that may not be the best in the long run. The situation has attracted the attention of politicians and others. Student loan debt surpasses $1.53 trillion and takes an average of 19.7 years to pay off....
The deepest solo ocean dive ever made was to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. It was made in a titanium-hulled submersible on May 1. The depth of the dive was more than 35,800 feet. Four new deep sea species were discovered. Also, discovered on the sea floor was a plastic bag and what may have been candy wrappers. In the Philippines, a juvenile whale was found dying of what scientists thought was dehydration and starvation. After its death, it was discovered that the whale had ingested 88 pounds of single use plastic bags....
More than one million species of plants and animals are facing imminent extinction. This is the crux of a just released United Nations report on biodiversity. Climate change has a part to play in this alarming prediction, but the real reason, the report concludes, is human activity. About half a million of these species may survive for just a few decades more. According to the report, these have “insufficient habitat for long-term survival.” Robert Watson, the study’s chief, told the Associated Press “we are threatening the potential food se...
Twenty Democrats have declared their candidacy for the presidency of the United States. It is the largest field of candidates for one party in history. All are seeking their party’s nomination. The diversity of the candidates is impressive. Age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic backgrounds and philosophies are vastly different. Another difference is experience. Some have little experience in any field, be it politics, business or government. In a few cases, hubris seems to be the reason for the run rather than qualifications. The c...
Despite the calendar, tax season is not over. Bernie Sanders has released his returns. Much to his embarrassment and the embarrassment of some of his supporters, he is a millionaire. He has spent much of his career railing against millionaires. President Donald Trump, on the other hand, steadfastly refuses to release his tax returns. An official request from Representative Richard Neal, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, has been blunted, and the Internal Revenue Service so far has been holding fast against releasing them. Neal wants...
Governor Jay Inslee is running for the presidency of the United States. He is one of the now 20 candidates from the Democratic party seeking the job. So far, his candidacy is lost in the crowd of other hopefuls. His main reason for running for the job is to bring awareness and changes to the arguments and policies on climate change. He is not a one issue candidate but his main focus is on climate change and global warming. Many agree with him, although a political divide about the issue splits the country. President Trump is a fervent denier...
The investigation into the Trump campaign and presidency was concluded last week by special counsel Robert Mueller. A brief summary of this investigation has been released. The full report has not. The White House claims total vindication of the charges. The Democrats are seeing this as just the beginning and will be conducting their own investigations. All this is aside from the various cases working their way through the courts. Now despite all the accusations of a political witch hunt and counter claims of “collusion” and obstruction, the...
There was a time when a total of 50 different license plates adorned cars in America. That was one for each of the 50 states. Many a family trip was saved by the kids in the back seat trying to find as many different ones as they could on long road trips. Generally, these state plates were distinctive. It was always cause for celebration when an Alaskan plate was seen. In one’s own state, the plates were ingrained in memory. In cases of emergency or trying to identify an irresponsible driver, all that was needed was an effort to remember the p...
A scam affecting some elite universities has revealed how far the rich will go to get their children in prestigious schools. Apparently, those with money have been working with a so-called charity to phoney up student admission applications. It is pretty basic. Parents can hire a company to get their kids in the school of their choice. This company has jimmied test scores, had surrogates take admissions tests, paid test proctors and bribed coaches. The super wealthy, of course, do not need such scams. they can simply buy the school a building...
President Donald Trump has vowed he will soon release an executive order on free speech. Ostensively, the mandate would, among other things, deny federal funding to institutions deemed in violation of it. It has not yet been released, but reportedly the administration has been working on it for months. Free speech is the bulwark of American democracy. There are limitations. The classic and simplest is not to yell “fire” in a crowded theater. They go on from there. It is said that the reason for the order is to stop harassment of con...
The draft has had a tumultuous history ever since the draft riots during the Civil War. More recently, draft riots rocked the nation during the Vietnam War. Although the Selective Service mechanism for drafting citizens into the military has remained intact, it has not been used since 1973. That is because the country shifted to an all volunteer military. The draft is now back in the news. A judge recently declared the Selective Service all-male draft unconstitutional. The fact of registering 18 to 25 year old males is legal enough, but not...
Through out the country’s history, states have faced efforts to divide them up. A current movement is to split California into three states. Arizona, Maine and Michigan are just a few that have faced similar efforts in the past. Our own state, Washington, has over the years faced the threat of being split. The movement is fundamentally spurred by the overwhelming imbalance of population and the difference in political ideologies and life styles in those populations. A current effort is most visibly centered around a state representative from S...
It is still up in the air. The long awaited compromise to avoid another government shutdown is in the works. It is being cautiously called an agreement “in principle.” A tentative agreement may be a better description. As of this writing, stalwarts on both sides are not enthusiastic, but more main stream members of both houses of Congress have made progress in crafting legislation to end the threat of a second shutdown as President Trump vowed. The votes in both houses seem to be enough to bring the deal to the President. At this point, how...
After threats and counter threats, invitations and disinvitations, the State of the Union Address finally occurred. President Trump gave his speech from the House of Representatives Tuesday night. Behind him, Nancy Pelosi sat listening, sometimes engaged and sometimes reading from what appeared to be pages of future spontaneous remarks. Beside her was Vice President Pence, as always emulating the FIGI water girl. Not many State of the Union speeches are love fests. This could have been more tense than normal, but it wasn’t. In fact, the w...
Measles were officially eradicated in 2000 in the United States. The viral disease was a scourge for young kids, killing thousands. Since the concerted effort to vaccinate children, the disease in the states was eliminated, although it remained a virulent danger in other parts of the world. Recently, it has periodically reared its ugly head in the states. Now, multiple states are dealing with outbreaks of the disease. In Washington state, Governor Jay Inslee has declared a public health emergency because of the number of cases in the southwest...
The Gazette received a call last week from a local Federal agency. It was to inform us that its small bill could not be paid until the government shutdown ended. The office was closed, the heat turned down and few had access to the building. The answering machine warned callers that messages left would not be answered until the situation changed. How many thousands or millions of times this type of message was relayed across America is unknown. Also unknown is the hardship and fear the shutdown has caused workers and families. The toll is...
Washington state celebrated Temperance and Good Citizenship Day on January 16. It has been a long standing requirement for schools to observe. The day was initiated in 1923. Ostensively, it was to push prohibition and avoidance of alcohol. That purpose was dashed with the repeal of prohibition, although moderation in drink was still a goal. Now, this day has a different significance. Temperance is not just about alcohol. Defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, temperance is: 1-moderation in action, thought, or feeling 2a-habitual moderation...
President Donald J. Trump addressed the nation on Tuesday. All networks gave him free airtime for the prime time speech. Democrats immediately demanded equal air time for a response. Reportedly, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer said based on previous pronouncements by the President this address was bound to be “full of malice and misinformation.” Thus, they wanted to respond to it as soon as it was over. Democrats had already decided that they are against what the President was about to say hours before he said any...
George H. W. Bush, our 41st president, died last week. He was 94. He had an illustrious career. Although from a patrician family, at 18 he volunteered for the military to become a pilot during World War II. Later he served in the House of Representatives, ambassador, chief of the Central Intelligence Agency and vice president under Ronald Reagan. Then, he was elected president. Wednesday was a National Day of Mourning for him. Since his death, he has been widely lauded for his diplomacy, civility and kindness as well as for his internal...
Something is going to happen about climate change. Just what and when is unknown. This week, a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress. The prospects that it will be passed are not good, but this is the first bipartisan carbon tax bill in ten years to be considered. The bill will probably be introduced again next year in the House of Representatives. This comes on the heels of the defeat of I-1631 in Washington. That, too, was a carbon tax proposal. Much was wrong with it. In many important regards it was just too vague and too open to...
It is here. As of Friday, the Christmas season officially starts. At least it used to. This Thursday, as in recent years, Thanksgiving Day is really the start. That is when the Black Friday sales kick off in earnest. Some even started weeks ago. If you eat fast and don’t go for an extra piece of pie, you could be one of the first in a store opening Thursday afternoon. Most stores, however, open early Friday, Black Friday, with buys meant to attract shoppers before they spend all their money elsewhere. Black Friday is a long held tradition. N...
California is ablaze again. Three massive fires in the state are destroying homes, businesses, forests and open land. They have claimed more than 40 known victims. About 200 people are missing. Two of the big fires are in southern California and are very close together. Malibu, the prestigious beachside town, is threatened. The biggest fire, already claimed as the states’s most destructive and most deadly, is to the north. The town of Paradise, near Chico, has been virtually destroyed. Thousands upon thousands have been evacuated from the d...
It is amazing, but true. The American people are in agreement on a political issue. Consensus is overwhelming. It is something not seen in a long time. This goes beyond Tuesday’s election results. In fact, it may be more fundamental than who won and who lost. According to a recent poll, nearly 80 percent of Americans are fearful that the political divides will lead to violence. The poll indicates they are afraid. Both parties are guilty of playing hardball continuously. They give the other party no quarter, and it is not always over the most im...
We really don’t need the Russians to fool with elections. We are perfectly able to do it ourselves. After a lengthy string of local issues relating to elections and ballots, now the state has stepped in to confuse voters as well. One instance involves the Whitman County ballots. The state declared that election ballots would be postage free. The return envelope says that no postage is necessary. Making ballots free of any mailing charge is the result of a deal at the state level. All Washington ballots can be mailed for free. No ballot in Washi...
GameDay is coming to Pullman. It’s a big deal. GameDay is the ESPN television show that airs on Saturday mornings before most college football games are played. It is the ideal show for rabid football fans, with facts, figures, replays and analysis. It is also entertaining for those more casual football followers. Even the uneducated can enjoy the humor, graphics, game videos and predictions for the day’s upcoming games. The show takes place on a stage in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of fans. Each episode is at a different school. The...