ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A metal mine in southeast Alaska has reached its highest level of silver production since an Idaho-based company took full ownership of the property in 2008. Hecla Mining Co. released its 2016 results last week for the Greens Creek mine west of Juneau, The Alaska Journal of Commerce reported (http://bit.ly/2jm23O2). The
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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter says he will create a new task force designed to study ways to improve Idaho’s workforce. Otter made his announcement Tuesday, nearly two weeks after he unveiled a separate task force that would be in charge of reviewing ways to improve higher education. In 2013, Otter spearheaded
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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A bipartisan lawmaker panel Tuesday backed a proposal for a 3 percent pay increase for Idaho’s state workers in fiscal year 2018, aligning with Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s recommendation he made earlier this year. The 18-member Change in Employee Compensation Committee narrowly agreed Tuesday that the pay should be awarded on
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By Kimberlee Kruesi/Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho’s health insurance exchange would lose $220 million in tax subsidies if President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul is repealed, Your Health Idaho Director Pat Kelly said Wednesday. “Depending on what the repeal would look like, that would be the cost to Idaho,” said Kelly, during a
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By Keith Ridler/Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two federal agencies have approved a 2.4-mile-long open pit phosphate mine proposed by a Canadian company in southeastern Idaho. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service late last week issued separate records of decisions approving the plan by Calgary-based Agrium. The BLM manages the
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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — The U.S. Department of Energy is likely to miss another deadline under its 1995 agreement to remove nuclear waste stored in Idaho, according to information from agency and state officials. The DOE committed in the 1995 settlement to clean up some 65,000 cubic meters of waste by the end of
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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho’s few Democratic lawmakers want to grant student loan forgiveness for teachers working in rural areas. However, Democratic Reps. Sally Toone, of Gooding, and Paulette Jordan, of Plummer, said Wednesday their proposal hasn’t yet been promised a hearing by Republican leaders. The legislation is co-sponsored by all 17 Democratic lawmakers in
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By Mary Clare Jalonick/Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Organic meat and egg producers will have to abide by stricter animal welfare standards under a new rule announced Wednesday by the Agriculture Department. The rule is a victory for animal rights groups two days before President Barack Obama leaves office. The regulations will ensure that organically
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By Marcy Gordon/AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators have sued Navient, accusing the biggest U.S. student loan company of making it harder for borrowers to repay loans by giving them bad information, processing payments incorrectly and failing to act on complaints. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed the federal lawsuit against Navient Corp.
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NEW YORK (AP) — The Labor Department is suing Oracle, claiming that the technology giant pays white male workers more than their non-white and female counterparts with the same job titles. The lawsuit also says that the company has a systemic practice of favoring Asian workers in its recruiting and hiring practices for product development
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