Inkwell dries up after 35 years in downtown Sandpoint

SANDPOINT - Another longtime downtown retailer is succumbing to a struggling economy and perceptions that buying locally is costlier compared to big box stores or online vendors.

Sky-high diesel prices squeeze truckers, farmers, consumers

Diesel fuel is averaging $5.50 a gallon nationally

US inflation reached a new 40-year high in June of 9.1%

Some economists have held out hope that inflation might be reaching a short-term peak

Medical bills grow, other expenses mount

Christmas For All

This father said he would rather be donating to Christmas for All, but that's not possible this year.

NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE WEEK: Economical home tours — saving money at the pump

As spring approaches, more and more people will be getting the “real estate bug.”

States scale back food stamp benefits even as prices soar

But the extra benefits also help out families in need at a time of skyrocketing prices for food

Oil soars 9.4% as Europe moves to tackle crisis

'We don’t deserve this': Inflation hits Turkish people hard

Many people in Turkey are facing increased hardship

Beef industry woes may mean poorer meat

Struggle to get competitive price is helping to push producers out of business

AINSWORTH, Neb. - In this Great Plains ranching town, cowboys still lasso steers as part of their daily routine and cattle producers like Bob Sears still take pride in the long tradition of raising American beef.

Featured in Forbes

Konrad Billetz sees his inclusion in Forbes magazine's top 30 manufacturing entrepreneurs nationwide who are younger than 30 as a "big responsibility."

New forms of health insurance discrimination

FTC sues DirecTV, alleges hidden fees, deceptive ads

WASHINGTON - The government is taking the nation's biggest satellite TV provider to court, accusing DirecTV of misleading millions of consumers about the cost of its programming.

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Kenneth

Random acts of green

Remember the joy of finding a penny on the sidewalk when you were a kid? Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck! Such a simple find, free for the taking. I had the good fortune to feel that girlish glee again recently. On a hectic business trip to the big city, I stopped by a cafe for lunch, and as I was leaving, I noticed a book lying on top of a trash bin just outside the door. Hardbound, clean dust jacket, popular fiction. Was it lost? I picked it up with the notion that I'd take it inside to the cashier. But a small yellow sticker on the spine of the book caught my eye. The sticker read, "Traveling Book! Look inside..."

Holiday shopping battle begins

NEW YORK - From free shipping from Walmart to Sears stores open on Thanksgiving for the first time, the battle for holiday shoppers' dollars has begun in earnest.

Getting great pork chops is all about the size

Everyone loves the idea of a grilled pork chop, but they often fall short of expectations. And I blame the butcher!

Free N95 face masks now available at some pharmacies in Washington

Up to three face masks are available for every person in the United States.

More and more, real estate is a global concern

Whether you agree or not, government plays a role in the housing market. From the Government Sponsored Enterprises, like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack to the loans insured by the Small Business Administration, Federal Housing Administration or United States Department of Agriculture, the government does have a hand in the market.

High-stakes soybeans fight reaches top court

Monsanto claims Indiana farmer violated patent laws

WASHINGTON - Vernon Hugh Bowman seems comfortable with the old way of doing things, right down to the rotary-dial telephone he said he was using in a conference call with reporters.

Avista's purchased gas cost adjustment proposed to decrease

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission will take comment through Oct. 11 on an Avista Utilities application to decrease the variable portion of natural gas rates by 7.8 percent effective Nov. 1.