Bloglander

AROUND HERE

Federal aid has been available to the scorched areas of central Washington, and now President Obama has authorized FEMA to oversee relief efforts. (KHQ)

The Spokane City Council may temporarily suspend fees for taxi drivers after drivers complained that ride-share services like Uber and Lyft don't have to pay the same fees. They'll also look at overhauling the city's taxi rules. (SR)

The Bonner County Sheriff's Department is looking for tips on a boat hit-and-run on Lake Pend Oreille last week. (CdA Press)

Washington Trust has purchased the Ridpath Annex to convert it into office space. (SR)

The South Hill Target is now open. (KXLY)

ELSEWHERE

A plane crash in Taiwan has killed at least 40 people. (BBC)

Ukraine says Russia has shot down two of its fighter jets. (ABC)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo established a commission last year to root out corruption in local politics. Then, when it started to investigate a firm he'd worked with, a senior Cuomo aid told investigators to "pull it back." And that's only the beginning. (NYT)

Some are accusing U.S.-supported militias in Afghanistan of human rights abuses. (Al Jazeera)

D.C. police are crafting risky sting operations to catch people they think might be criminals, prompting accusations that they're luring people into crimes they wouldn't otherwise commit. (WaPo)