People who live or work in King, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston and Wahkiakum counties may be eligible for disaster unemployment benefits if they lost their jobs or cannot work because of the storms and flooding that struck the region in January.
They have until March 6, 2009, to apply for the benefits...

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe's parliament passed a key constitutional amendment Thursday opening the way for a unity government after years of deadly political conflict.
The amendment was passed by acclamation in the assembly dominated -- but only just -- by the opposition. It creates a prime minister's post, which main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will hold in the proposed coalition government. Robert Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, will remain president.
Tsvangirai and the rest of the unity Cabinet will be sworn in next week.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Elwin Wilson was an unabashed racist, the sort who once hung a Black doll from a noose outside his home. John Lewis was a young civil rights leader bent on changing laws, if not hearts and minds, even if it cost him his life.
They faced each other at a South Carolina bus station during a protest in 1961. Wilson joined a white gang that jeered Lewis, attacked him and left him bloodied on the ground.
Forty-eight years later, the men met again -- this time so Wilson could apologize to Lewis and express regret for his hatred

As client after client slash budgets and drop services, Don Wilson, marketing consultant with his own Washington-based firm, is increasingly the odd man out. Wilson, 45, is losing money, and he's also losing sleep from the stress of trying to keep his company afloat.
Wilson's insomnia is the same that is affecting millions of Americans being buffeted by the current financial crisis.  The fear of losing jobs, homes, retirement savings and their financial footing is causing millions of people to lose sleep, according to a recent study by the American Psychological Association. 

Oregon and Washington lawmakers this week kicked off a public-private partnership aimed at helping lower and moderate income Washington and Oregon taxpayers – including those eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, active-duty military, students, and seniors – to electronically prepare and e-file their taxes for free.

Portland-native Bosko is holding an exclusive listening party for his new album "The Good Life Movement" on Feb. 10 at Berbati's Bar in Portland from 8 to 11 p.m.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu says he doubts Zimbabwe's unity government can work and he still thinks President Robert Mugabe should step down.
Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will be prime minister and Mugabe president ...

Oakland, CA- On Tuesday, leadership and members of ColorOfChange.org will confront Tom Orloff, the Alameda County District Attorney responsible for prosecuting crimes related to the police killing of Oscar Grant in Oakland, California....

Last year, Karanja Crews was face to face with a teacher's worst nightmare: Most of his students lacked basic literacy skills, and to top it off, they didn't have any motivation to learn ... With the help of a graphic designer and his own resources, he created "Journey to Freedom: The Power to Read and Write," a board game that follows the story of a Southern slave on his quest to freedom....

ST. LOUIS (NNPA) – Responding to an inquiry by the editor of The St. Louis American newspaper, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood last week outlined portions of the $827 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that he says will specifically impact the Black community....