Eastern Owyhee County Library

Defense Secretary Robert Gates named former Army Secretary Togo West and former chief of naval operations Adm. Vernon Clark to review a broad range of Pentagon programs. The review will try to find gaps in procedures for identifying service members who could pose threats to others, he said.

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Idaho's Division of Medicaid received $114,826 from a settlement reached with Aventis Pharmaceutical, Inc., Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said Thursday.

A computer glitch at the Federal Aviation Administration caused widespread flight cancellations and delays, causing air travelers across the nation to revise their plans. The glitch was reminiscent of a software malfunction that delayed flights around the country last year. Matthew Wald, a reporter for The New York Times, says there have been intermittent systemic disruptions for years.

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The Senate needs 60 votes to bring its health care bill to the floor. To round up those votes, the bill unveiled Wednesday costs less than the House version, and delays the effective date for many provisions to 2014. Republicans are denouncing the cost cuts as mere gimmicks. Will those measures be enough to persuade wavering Democrats to vote at least to bring the bill up?

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Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner defended Thursday the administration's handling of the financial crisis, as he again urged Congress to pass a regulatory overhaul that has been months in the making. Geithner faced tough questioning on the bailout of insurance giant AIG and Wall Street bonuses. Republican Congressman Kevin Brady even demanded Geithner's resignation.

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Studies show that testing women in their 40s could save a small percentage of lives. But to some public health officials, it isn't worth the possible harm the excess testing causes. Cancer survivors and advocacy groups say the screening tool isn't perfect, but it's worth the risk.

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St. Bernard Parish is attracting more minorities to the largely white parish. Longtime residents want to bar low-income housing, saying it will destroy the neighborhood and discourage former residents from returning. Now a federal judge has weighed in.

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The Idaho Transportation Board on Thursday morning selected Brian Ness to serve as its next director beginning Jan. 11, 2010.

Ever wondered how long your turkey safely lasts in the fridge after

The grant comes from the John H. and Orah I Brandt foundation and will help provide “real-life patient care scenarios” for students in the new lab named in the Brandts’ honor, Northwest Nazarene University officials said.

Preservation Idaho is working on a proposed city ordinance to protect historic buildings in Boise.

Majority Leader Harry Reid added new taxes and modified major provisions from earlier Senate committee bills. The bill is expected to go to the Senate floor.

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Republicans are suggesting that the new guidelines for breast cancer screening reinforce their nightmare scenario about health care rationing under President Obama's proposed overhaul. The political brouhaha comes as the Senate is about to take up its health care overhaul bill.

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Teenagers will be asking their cohorts about "true love" at tonight's midnight premiere of "New Moon," using the vampire film's portrayal of self-destructive behavior to promote healthy relationships.

The Republican Governors Association is holding its annual meeting this week in Austin, Texas. Thanks to recent election victories in Virginia and New Jersey, Republicans are feeling good again. They plan to use those wins to help the party rebound in 2010.

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The U.S. Postal Service is dropping a popular national program begun in 1954 in the small Alaska town of North Pole, where volunteers open and respond to thousands of letters addressed to Santa each year. Replies come with North Pole postmarks.

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Caster Semenya will keep her 800-meter gold medal from the world championships in Berlin, but the results of her gender tests will be kept confidential, the South African sports ministry says.

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A forecast of economic activity for the next six months edged up less than expected in October, signaling slow growth next year. The Conference Board says its index of leading economic indicators rose 0.3 percent last month. Economists had expected a larger increase.

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Internet icon AOL plans to cut about a third of its staff, or about 2,500 jobs. Time Warner, the New York media conglomerate, said this week that it will spin AOL off to investors Dec. 9.

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai was inaugurated in Kabul on Thursday for a new term amid tight security and ceremonial flourishes. But his second term is already beset by severe doubts that he will be any more effective at tackling the country's rampant corruption.

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