Holiday shoppers came out to spend in November

NEW YORK - Shoppers had retailers' registers ringing in November, getting the holiday season off to a roaring start.

Going too far?

Judge questions necessity in hospital lawsuit

Fakes are not fashionable: BBB shines light on counterfeit products sold online

We all shop online. Whether we’re loyal Amazon customers, Groupon groupies, or simply Google the goods and services we need, the Internet is one big network of boutiques and box stores selling everything you need and anything you don’t.

Hecla closes Monday up big on Reddit-driven trading

The online forum responsible for inflating GameStop shares by 1,700 percent turned its attention to silver commodities, driving Hecla's prices up 28 percent.

Does zinc shorten colds?

Head colds seem to be the bane of our existence. With a real cure continuing to elude us, we continue to try all variety of medications that will relieve head-cold symptoms and shorten the illness' duration. In this latter category of over-the-counter medications, it has been suggested that zinc lozenges or syrup would be effective. To find out, researchers recently analyzed data of 17 trials involving more than 2,000 individuals. They found that those taking zinc were able to reduce the duration of their colds by about a day and a half (compared with those taking placebos). Moreover, larger doses of zinc were found to work even better, especially among adults (compared with children).

Even nice kids get lice

When children get head lice, parents should remember that the presence of these tiny parasitic insects has nothing to do with dirt. Instead, lice infestations are related to the type of close contact that children are exposed to at school. In addition, children pose rather easy targets for lice because the little creatures are better able to cling to fine hair of thin diameter. Moreover, children often share combs, brushes, hats and other objects that spread lice. The first telltale sign of lice is usually itching behind the ears, on the scalp and at the nape of the neck. Treatment largely consists of an over-the-counter medicated shampoo or rinse containing permethrin or the recently FDA-approved comb-free shampoo ivermectin.

Super hunt deadline today, more elk tags available

For just $6 per entry or $20 for Super Hunt combo, enter to win the hunt of a lifetime.

Phoning it in

Amazon is about to jump into smartphones

Michigan bill would make ticket scalping legal

Post Falls man buys, then returns stolen iPhones to Oregon family

Tennen Brelin was convinced her family had seen the last of their iPhones, after a bag of electronics and personal items was swiped during a vacation trip this August at Silverwood.

Misleading or deceptive?

At least one reader is disgusted with looking at homes that she believes are deliberately pictured differently than what is seen at a showing. We have told you month after month that there is a real shortage of inventory in our market. This leads to fierce competition among buyers, sellers and agents. Buyers are competing to be the first in line with an offer and are taking care to make their offers agreeable to sellers of well-priced properties.

White wine trends

Consumer buying patterns in wine constantly change like they do for all goods, and while it will likely hold minimal influence over your own preferences, it is fun to expose yourself to new things. When we last wrote of wine trends there had been a definite move to stainless steel fermented Chardonnay, away from the traditional oak barreling. We have seen this trend abate for the most popular white varietal here in the States.

Consumer Gal: Don’t carry these things in your wallet

Some things are better left in a safety deposit box.

Coronavirus demand boosts retail potato prices

Oddly, consumers have recently found empty spaces where potato displays should be in produce departments throughout Idaho.

District approves Prairie purchase

COEUR d’ALENE — The school board met briefly Wednesday to formally approve purchase of 7.1 acres on Prairie Avenue to be used for a future school.

Udall swipes at opponent's birth-control plan

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. - Democratic Sen. Mark Udall went after his opponent's proposal for over-the-counter birth control Friday, bringing big names to a suburban Denver battleground to argue that Rep. Cory Gardner's plan doesn't make him the "new kind of Republican" he has been claiming to be in ads.

Good news for bargain hunters

Black Friday gets a little less frenzied

Internet help desks: They may offer too much help

This week, I contacted a company that offers technical assistance for internet users. These organizations can provide a valuable service, even for seasoned communications network professionals. After all, even a network pro cannot know the ins-and-outs of the operations of thousands of internet products.

What's PayPal's first solo move?

Stocks fall amid questions about Fed plan

NEW YORK - Stock prices fell Wednesday as concerns grew over whether the Federal Reserve's plans to buy Treasury bonds might be smaller and slower than anticipated.