SEATTLE (AP) -- Retail fireworks stands legally opened across Washington state on Monday as state and federal fire officials ramped up surveillance and prevention efforts in anticipation of Fourth of July celebrations.

A lawsuit against the Vatican that had been dismissed as a publicity stunt moved forward when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from the Holy See. Monday's development represents a significant advance for what many believed to be a long-shot claim that the Vatican bears legal responsibility for molester priests.

The 2010 National Newspaper Publishers Association Annual Summer Conference  loudly declare NNPA's Power to Influence Black America!

Last week, the Oregon Board of Pharmacy voted to downgrade marijuana's drug classification from Schedule I to a Schedule II drug, acknowledging that the plant does in fact have medicinal value. Members of the Pharmacy Board have not explained why they chose Schedule II. According to state law, cannabis is now in the same category as morphine, amphetamines, hydrocodone and opium, among others.

For the vast majority of his life, Emmett Wheatfall lived blissfully ignorant of what has now become his life's work.

When Ray Batista agreed to serve out a 20 day sentence instead of paying a hefty fine on a hunting-related firearms violation, he didn't realize what was in store. On Monday, June 7, about halfway through his sentence in the Columbia County Jail, Batista was stabbed several times in his left eye by a group of inmates armed with a pencil.

What's the 211?
No, that's not a misprint. You read it right -- 211. That's the number to call for help if you're struggling and you don't know where to turn for help. The 211 Helpline can offer referrals to agencies that help with anything from paying your electric bill to getting food stamps or housing.
More than 128,000 people called 211 last year, most of them having difficulties meeting basic needs. In the freezing, dark days of January, 16,000 people called. At 211, you might find resources you didn't even know existed.

SEATTLE (AP) -- A Seattle police officer is shown punching a young African American woman in the face in a witness video aired on several television stations. Police confirm that an officer punched a young woman Monday after a jaywalking stop escalated

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Overcrowding at Oregon's prison for women at Wilsonville has spurred a decision to reopen a women's facility at Salem.

To appeal to families ready to graduate from the Nintendo Wii, Seattle-based Microsoft Corp. wants to build on the success of the Wii's motion-capture wand - by getting rid of the wand entirely.