May 2, 2016 First government-owned pot store opens in Washington state The city of North Bonneville, Wash. -- population 1,000 -- sits along the Columbia River a stone’s throw from one of the world’s largest hydroelectric dams. On the other side of the Columbia River Gorge is the state of Oregon. It may seem an unlikely place for the nation’s first city-owned marijuana shop, which opened Saturday.
May 2, 2016 Study: 'Small business' gov't loans going to luxury retailers, resorts The Small Business Administration is the federal agency that helps "little guy" businesses get loans they couldn't get through traditional lenders. Or so the story goes.
May 2, 2016 Sportsmen group accused of being ‘green decoy’ for environmentalists A D.C.-based policy group contends BHA -- a grassroots organization that's waded into Minnesota energy, land use and mining issues -- not only fails the duck test, but functions as a "green decoy" on behalf of hard-core environmentalists.
May 2, 2016 New Jersey mayor decides public cannot ask questions at council meetings A southern New Jersey mayor has banned its residents from asking questions at meetings after getting into a confrontation with a man.
May 2, 2016 Ringling Bros. Circus retiring its elephants after local law crackdown Elephants are about to put on their last act as the iconic image of the Ringling Bros. Circus.
May 2, 2016 Hundreds of confessions, interviews lost in Milwaukee PD video malfunction Hundreds, maybe thousands, of Milwaukee criminal cases could be compromised due to a malfunction in January of a contracted video system used for capturing interviews and confessions of suspects, multiple sources tell Wisconsin Watchdog.
May 2, 2016 Aide to California AG, 2 others accused of running 'masonic' police force An aide to California Attorney General Kamala Harris has been arrested along with two others for allegedly operating an illegitimate "police department" that traces its origins to the Knights Templar.
May 2, 2016 ‘Green Tea Coalition’: Strange bedfellows fight for solar power in Sunshine State In the science fiction series "Star Trek," if matter and anti-matter ever came together, there would be a huge explosion and the universe would cease to exist. In Florida, a diverse coalition of groups will put that theory to the test, all in the name of expanding the use of solar power.
May 2, 2016 North Dakota may lose $5.5 billion in revenue as oil plunges North Dakota lawmakers are now expecting billions less in tax revenue during the next two and a half years. Blame falling oil prices.
May 2, 2016 DC issues first gun-carry permits The District of Columbia has issued its first concealed handgun carry permits. As of January 26, there are eight civilians who can legally carry a firearm in the nation's capital. Currently, more permit applicants have been denied than approved.
