Who’s that algorithm in the mirror?

There’s a lot of stink about social media algorithms which dictate what content we see online. Computer code pays attention to what we click and how long we linger, then feeds us more until we gorge ourselves on sameness. It’s no coincidence we begin to see narrowed themes in ads, videos, and auto-generated news (whether real or dubious).

MY GARDEN PATH: Things are going to be cooling off

Believe it or not, the official first day of autumn is almost here … Sept. 22.

EU to force banks to raise $148 billion

BRUSSELS - Big banks across Europe will have to raise $148 billion to better withstand the turmoil of the debt crisis, preliminary figures showed, while eurozone leaders neared a deal to boost their bailout fund to over $1.4 trillion, a senior official said Wednesday.

The name game

Tom Fisher seeks to use 'TW Fisher' moniker for business

Tom Fisher wants his name back.

Beavan pitches M's past Twins

Homebuilder sentiment index unchanged

LOS ANGELES - U.S. homebuilders remain discouraged over the prospects for improved home sales in the months ahead, unconvinced as yet that the economy will spur the kind of job growth needed to coax more buyers into the market.

Idaho National Guard prepares for mission

BOISE (AP) - Wind whipped across sand-colored tents, diesel fuel fumes filled nostrils and camouflage-covered bodies bowed over battlefield keyboards Wednesday at Boise's Gowen Field.

U.S. wholesale prices up 0.8 percent in June

Powerball payout increases to $1.4 billion

COEUR d’ALENE — The world-record Powerball jackpot continued climbing Monday when lottery officials announced the payout had increased to $1.4 billion.

What's up with WhatsApp?

Another headache

Eurozone faces dangers of deflation as prices fall

LONDON- The eurozone has a new economic headache to contend with.

Early voting alters campaigns' strategies, costs

Home sales expected to remain strong

All the news from our industry tells us our current level of activity is expected to sustain itself through next year. For the fifth consecutive week, mortgage interest rates have hovered around 4 percent. This provides some security to those buyers who have qualified for home loans but are having difficulty finding the home they want to invest in. Many fear a spike in interest rates could put them in a position where they would qualify for less house.

Hopeful sellers flock to roadshow

COEUR d'ALENE - Heads turned as an obviously old, shiny, metal contraption was rolled into the room and over to a buyers' table Wednesday at the Treasure Hunters Roadshow.

Ryan, Abraham guide Falcons

Second surge from the writers corner

We had no idea so many of you were out there tapping away on keyboards, whipping up creative storms of verse and prose.

ELECTION: Blame it on Hagadone

Can you manage to print the truth? To all those non-voters out there, I guess you got just what you deserve. Four more years of the same self interest, high rollers, and shady people running this city. Yes, you have now the best city council Hagadone’s money can buy. Instead of Gridley investigating Tom Wold and anything to do with Souza’s campaign, he needs to focus in on how Hagadone has intimidated his employees with letters sent home requesting them to vote in a certain way, and that they should know who signs their pay check.

Energy contracts put on hold

HEALTHCARE: A painful gap

Don’t we all just love it when the well-to-do (Republicans) rave on about how good it is to be able to get the best health care? Do they ever think that the average American can barely afford the cost of even moderately affordable health care?

ANIMALS: Stop inhumane testing

Each year approximately 80,000 dogs, 20,000 cats, and 300,000 bunnies and hundreds of thousands of other animals are used to test cosmetics, household products, cleaners, and more for non-medical reasons. The dogs are tattooed, debarked, kept in cages and subjected to painful procedures and experiments — repeatedly. Their lives are devoid of sunlight, fresh air, fun and freedom. Seventy thousand of the dogs used are beagles because of their friendly, docile, trusting and forgiving personalities.