[Morning Briefs] Terrifying to Awwwww in Four Stories

This isn't the Pocatello Zoo's mountain lion cub, but I'm sure it looks something like this stupid cute one.

Today’s news goes from terrifying to awwww in just four stories. And yes, Ron Paul does make an appearance. Some days the headlines just can’t decide how upbeat to be ya know?

• A confrontation between two federal agents in Long Beach, Calif. yesterday ended in a gunfight that left one dead and another seriously injured. The dispute was between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the Glenn M. Anderson Federal Building. The dispute led to an agent opening fire on his supervisor shortly before 6 p.m. last night. With the supervisor wounded, a third agent jumped in and opened fire on the first agent, killing him. [LAT]

• The Idaho State Board of Education approved a small concession in a rule that requires two online classes be taken by all graduating high school students, starting with the class of 2016. While the rule still applies as is for the class of 2017 and on, the board approved a change that does not force class of 2016 students to take at least one class without a teacher present. The present rule mandates at least one asynchronous class (without a teacher), but incoming freshmen can now take both credits through either a synchronous class (with a teacher) or a blended class (some teacher guidance).

• More than 1,200 people attended an hour-long rally for Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul in Twin Falls yesterday, some there as spectators, but others as die-hard Paul supporters. Speaking at Twin Falls High School’s Roper Auditorium, Paul rallied hopeful March 6 caucus voters with his libertarian message of limited government and personal liberties—a message that resonates with many Idahoans. While both Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney planned stops in western Idaho this week, Paul, who won Idaho’s January straw poll with nearly 75 percent of the vote, might have more of an audience in the state. [TN]

• The Pocatello Zoo just got a lot more adorable. The small zoo added a few new animals, and yes, they’re all probably very cute. Two new red foxes, a male and a female, are now at the zoo, which leads me to believe there could be a lot of adorable red fox babies in the future. The zoo also added a new mountain lion cub. The cub, Stripe, was brought in from Montana as an orphan. With Stripe came a tundra swan, an all-white bird known to frequent colder climates, as its name suggests. Don’t even try to act like you don’t want to go see these little guys. [KPVI]

[Morning Briefs] Death, Arrest, Closure and Ron Paul in SE Idaho

On the left is Snake River Junior High School principal Christopher Cox, arrested for sexual abuse. On the right is the Chubbuck Post Office, which will close by the end of March. (Photos via Local News 8)

There’s some trouble in southeast Idaho, from a downed search and rescue helicopter to a post office closure to a principal arrested for sexual abuse. For some, there is hope in Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul, who is visiting Twin Falls today. If Idaho’s straw poll results hold, Paul could see a win in Idaho’s caucus on March 6.

• One person is dead after a search and rescue helicopter crashed near Togwotee Mountain Lodge in Jackson yesterday. Ray Schriver, 63, died when the helicopter went down as it was trying to rescue 53-year-old snowmobiler Steven Anderson, who also died. The accident happened between 1 and 2 p.m. Wednesday, about seven miles from the lodge. According to officials, the helicoter was out of contact for about 45 minutes, prompting the search and rescue team to mobilize another helicopter. The Teton County Sheriff’s Office said information is slow to come in since the area is so remote. [LN8]

• People were worried about area post offices closing, and that concern has become a reality. The Chubbuck Post Office was notified yesterday that it will be closing by the end of March. The post office is owned by a contracting company, not the U.S. Postal Service.  The USPS agreed to close down contracted offices before cutting union jobs. The closures have been affecting thousands of post offices around the country, but this is the first actual closure in the area. The P.O. boxes from that office will be transferred to the Gateway Station processing center in Pocatello. That center, along with the  post office in Old Town Pocatello, is also slated for a possible closure in the near future. [LN8]

• The principal of Blackfoot’s Snake River Junior High School was arrested yesterday on two counts of felony sexual abuse of a minor child. According to Bingham County Sheriff Dave Johnson, they arrested Christopher Cox, 38, after investigating a complaint from a student who now lives in Wyoming. Cox, who has been the principal of the junior high for four years, is now in jail and will be arraigned arraigned this morning. If convicted, he will face up to 25 years in prison on each count, as well as a fine of $50,000. [LN8]

• Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul will be in Twin Falls today, trying to court voters before the Super Tuesday caucus on March 6, in which Idaho will be participating. Paul CRUSHED the competition in Idaho’s straw poll back in January, winning 73.53 percent of the vote. While that vote didn’t mean anything and saw a small turnout, it still could mean that Paul could see a large audience in the state. Paul will speak at a public town hall meeting at Twin Falls High School today. Doors open at 10:45 a.m. and Paul is scheduled to speak at 12:12 p.m. [TN]

[Morning Briefs] Wolf Tracks and Robberies in Idaho Falls

A wolf like this could be on the loose in Idaho Falls. Hide your small animals, people.

Sorry, people of Idaho Falls, today’s not a great day for you. For one, there looks to be a wolf loose near your country club. It’s probably not dangerous to people, but hide your pets! There is also a string of car and home burglaries on the west side of town. It’s probably not the sleep watcher, but man, you guys are really getting hit hard over there! In Pocatello, meanwhile, there are a bunch of new businesses opening up! Cool!

• Some Idaho Falls residents might be praying for that wolf hunting bill to pass the state legislature sooner rather than later. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has confirmed wolf tracks have been discovered near the Idaho Falls Country Club. Department officials would like to remind everyone that the wolves don’t really pose much of a danger to people, but pets, on the other hand, should watch their backs. However, if you are approached by a wolf, you are allowed to defend yourself, as long as you can demonstrate that you were actually in immediate danger. [LN8]

• Wolves aside, Idaho Falls has also been experiencing a rash of vehicle and home burglaries lately. An Idaho Falls Police Department press release said the burglaries have been primarily on the west side of town, on Blue Canyon, Blue Ridge, Rendevous, Enell and Darah Streets. The burglaries happened around midnight, police said. Although this is the same area hit by the infamous sleep watcher, police don’t believe there is any connection.

• Forget the economy, Pocatello’s business community is actually looking up! Asian restaurant Sumisu recently expanded to take up half a block, giving them much more space for tables. In Old Town, two new shops are opening up. Castalia Chocolate Imports, an organic and natural chocolate shop, opened its doors Monday, while Mendel’s Pizzaria is looking to open by Feb. 16. The new businesses will also mean new jobs. Sumisu is looking to double its staff, Castalia wants to hire about five people and Mendel’s is looking for 15 employees. [LN8]

• Front runner no more! Mitt Romney, long thought to be a shoe-in for the Republican Presidential nomination, is now in a virtual tie with Rick Santorum. Santorum has been riding the momentum of his three primary wins in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota, and that momentum seems to be pretty hot, as new polls show him surging a few points ahead of Romney. Meanwhile Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich are far behind the pack, but staying resilient. [NYT]

[Morning Briefs] Three Bad Accidents and a Wolf-Hunting Bill

This wasn't really what happened in any of the accidents over the weekend, but the accidents were a dangerous reminder of what can happen on the roads!

The region saw a lot of bad car accidents over the weekend. Three accidents sent three to the hospital and killed one. While one was the result of an inattentive semi truck, the other two seem to be caused by the drivers themselves. One man was ejected after his car rolled while a woman was killed after speeding and crashing into a concrete box. All in all not a great weekend for roadways. In non-crash news, a new wolf-hunting bill has everybody up in arms. Of course it does.

• One woman is dead after a Bonneville County car crash just east of Ucon on 55th East. According to the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, the car, driven by 20-year-old Alexandra Kidd, veered off the the left-hand side of the road and crashed into a heavy concrete box. Kidd was pronounced dead on the scene. [LN8]

• On Saturday, a crash in Twin Falls County sent two people to the hospital with serious injuries. James D. Brawley, 73, and Margaret J. Brawley, 74, were driving a 2002 GMC pickup down U.S. 93 when a semi, for unknown reasons, crossed into their lane and sideswiped their truck, which then went off the road and rolled. Both were transported to St. Luke’s Magic Valley Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. Both were wearing their seatbelts.

• Saturday night, another crash sent another person to the hospital. This time, Jose Cuellar-Rios, 22, was driving north on I-15 in a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am when he swerved into the right lane, over-corrected and drove into the median, rolling the car several times. Cuellar-Rios was ejected from the car (he was not wearing a seatbelt) and was transported by air to the Portneuf Medical Center.

• A new bill in the state legislature has been raising eyebrows and pitting environmentalists against hunters (once again). This time, it’s a bill that would legalize hunting wolves using live bait and ultra-light aircraft. Sen. Jeff Siddoway, a Republican from Terreton, proposed the bill last week in an effort to make catching wolves easier. Ralph Maughan, president of the Wolf Recovery Foundation, said the bill is simply an archaic way to lure wolves to their deaths, all to save the few livestock that are actually at danger. Siddoway, however, said he’s seen his own livestock fall victim to wolves and is hoping his bill will pass. But really, what’s new here? [LN8]

[Morning Briefs] Volunteer Parents Bravely Boarding Buses

In this stock photo, they might as well put "bullying" under that "stop," because that's the new aim of Bonneville County Joint School District 93's buses.

Everybody is looking to the future this morning, and it looks a little shaky, to be honest! One school district wants to put parent volunteers on buses to help curb bullying, but will that really change the wild-west mentality of the bus? In Pocatello, the airport wants to make things a little less sad and a little more hopeful! Will solar panels and a business park help? Maybe! Meanwhile Obama is trying to do some damage control with his whole Catholic contraceptive thing. Yikes, Obama.

• Bonneville County Joint School District 93 is looking for volunteers to ride school buses to help supervise kids and try to curb bullying. Surveillance cameras have already been on the buses for about three years, but drivers are saying an extra set of adult eyes wouldn’t hurt. The parent volunteers would work as both enforcers and psychological deterrents to bullying, ideally. Along with the parents is a new system of “bus bucks” which would be given out to kids who behave properly. The bucks could be redeemed for prizes. Of course, all parent volunteers will be screened before being put in charge of your kids. [LN8]

• The Pocatello Airport unveiled its 20-year master plan to the public Thursday, showing off plans to increase flights, jets and business. Airport officials are hoping the changes will help make the airport more “vibrant.” Although these are, for now, mostly pie-in-the-sky ideas, they’re nonetheless very ambitious and seem to have the potential to bring the airport back up. An array of solar panels could fill the space between the runways, helping bring costs down, and businesses could begin to fill a new industrial park, bringing revenue up and create new jobs for the region. Who knows? Pocatello could be the next O’Hare! (I mean, probably not). [LN8]

• A Meridian man will spend at least four years in prison for his part of a failed Canyon County murder-for-hire plot. Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, 26, was sentenced Thursday to a 15-year prison sentence, after accepting a murder-for-hire deal from Lorenzo A. Corral, 45, of Nampa. Corral offered Rodriguez $5,000 to shoot a man dating Corral’s ex-girlfriend. Corrall bought a shotgun and test-fired it, and planned to have Rodriguez shoot the man after his ex-girlfriend lured him out of his residence with a vehicle repair ruse. Rodriguez reached a plea deal to help prosecute Corrall, whose trial is scheduled for April. [IDS]

• President Obama is adjusting his plan to require religious employers to provide women access to contraception, after a major backlash from Catholic leaders and religious conservatives. Obama is scheduled to release details of the change at 12:15 today, but it might be too little too late for some voters, who viewed the decision as an attack on religious morals. The measure initially required employers to provide female employees with a full-range of contraceptive coverage. While it exempted churches, it covered religiously-affiliated schools, charities, colleges and hospitals, meaning many Catholic organizations would have to offer insurance plans that violate church beliefs. [WP]

[Morning Briefs] It’s About the Children!

Bonneville High School is just one school in Idaho that is full of kids who are being affected by all these decisions! Parents, am I right?

It’s all about the children, you guys! In Idaho Falls, the children will begin to get one early-release day each week, but which day will it be? In the state, the children shouldn’t be using tanning beds, says one lawmaker! In Utah, another lawmaker is looking to ban schools from teaching about contraception! In non-children-related news, the gay-marriage bill in Washington state passed the House, meaning it’s basically approved, unless opponents get a referendum on the ballot. Controversy all around!

• Bonneville County School District 93 is locked in an intense battle, not over whether or not to schedule one early release day next year, but over which day that will be. To the arguments! The recommendation to the board is Monday, which teachers agree with. After all nobody wants to be in school on Mondays. But no, said parents! Make it Friday, because, you know, vacations or something! But teachers, fairly, argue that making Fridays basically half-days will increase absences. The decision to schedule about 28 early releases next year was approved 3-2 at last night’s board meeting, while the specific day will be voted on at next week’s meeting. [LN8]

• Idaho legislators proposed a new bill yesterday that would ban anyone under 18 from using tanning beds in the state. In the bill, Rep. John Rusche said the use of tanning beds by minors has led to an epidemic of skin cancer, a statement any dermatologist would probable agree with. Local tanning salons naturally disagree, claiming the beds don’t cause an “epidemic” and that minors rarely come into their stores (we’ll see if that’s still true come prom season). The proposed bill would carry a $500 fine. [LN8]

• In Utah, a state legislator is planning on presenting a bill that would ban schools from teaching about contraception. Rep. Bill Wright wrote the bill, which would do away with Utah’s current system of teaching without advocacy  to no teaching at all, forcing schools to pick between abstinence-only sex education classes or no sex education classes. Planned Parenthood of Utah is already jumping on the bill, citing recent data that shows about half of Utah teen moms don’t use contraception, and are more likely than any other in the nation to be uneducated or unable to get some form of birth control. The ACLU, also already jumping on the bill, pointed out the fact that schools can already choose to teach abstinence-only classes and parents can already pull kids from sex education if they wish. The bill, they argue, would strip parents of the option of having their kids go through sex education in school. Wright argues that teaching contraception promotes that very same promiscuous behavior. [SLT]

• Washington state’s gay-marriage bill passed the House 55-43 yesterday, meaning it only needs the signature of Gov. Chris Gregoire, who has already pledged approval. The measure will take effect on June 7, a solid 90 days after the end of the legislative session. Opponents have promised to take the issue to the ballot, and need at least 120,577 signatures by June 6 to put a referendum on November’s ballot. [ST]

[Morning Briefs] A Murder-Suicide and a Bone-Breaking Boise Beating

At left is former Bellevue Mayor Jon Anderson, who was found dead in an apparent murder-suicide. At right is Goyo Hilaria Ayllon, who beat his wife's ex-husband badly enough to break bones in his face.

More downers today, both out of Idaho. In Bellevue, the former Mayor of the city was found dead next to his wife in an apparent murder-suicide. In Boise, a man was arrested after beating his wife’s ex-husband so badly he broke bones in his face. While he’s in hot water, the Pocatello City Council is trying to avoid it with a decision on their support of a new state bill that would eliminate franchise fees cities collect on cable companies. In the presidential race, Rick Santorum has a lot more to smile about today, after three impressive primary wins Tuesday night. What, is it just Idaho that has problems?

• The former Mayor of Bellevue, Idaho was found dead Tuesday, along with his wife, in what local police are calling a murder-suicide. Hailey Police responded to a home at 320 Walnut St. in Bellevue around 9 a.m. Tuesday, where they found the body of 58-year-old Linda Vaughn, the victim of an apparent homicide. Lying next to her body was the body of 55-year-old Jon Anderson, the former Mayor of the town, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There was a note left, but police aren’t releasing the details. However, Vaughn was in advanced stages of multiple sclerosis while Anderson was struggling to become sober, two factors that could have played into the deaths. [KTVB]

• The state legislature is finally looking to adopt a bill that would change the ways franchise fees work, and it could be bad for some Idaho cities. Cities currently collect a five percent franchise fee on general revenues of cable companies, amounting to about $80,000 in Pocatello, but a new bill aims to take those fees from cities and give them to the state. Cities would also lose the ability to regulate cable companies when they do things like dig up the streets to lay new lines. Pocatello City Council member Steve Brown said the city could go against the measure, but would miss out on any potential deals with the state and cable companies. The bill is being pushed by CenturyLink, who said they won’t bring their new TV service to Idaho with the franchise fee in place. [LN8]

• Police arrested a 30-year-old Boise man after Ada County Sheriff’s deputies say he beat his wife’s ex-husband so severely he broke several bones in his face. Deputies say Goyo Hilaria Ayllon found his wife at her ex-husband’s house just after 7:30 p.m. Monday. He started pounding on the door and eventually began punching the man in the face. An ambulance transported the victim to the hospital while deputies arrested Ayllon for aggravated battery, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. [IDS]

• Rick Santorum met his high polling numbers and then some in yesterday’s Republican Presidential primaries in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado. The former Pennsylvania Senator bested frontrunner Mitt Romney by nearly six percentage points in Colorado, 28 in Minnesota and 30 in Missouri. Although no delegates were awarded in Tuesday night’s primaries, the victories will likely give Santorum a boost in both his confidence and the polls, helping solidify him as the true anti-Romney candidate.

[Morning Briefs] A Rapist Goes to Prison

Isaah A-Jalil Kappah, a BYU-Idaho student from Ghana, was sentenced to two to 10 years in prison for a 2011 rape of a teenage girl. (Photo via Local News 8)

Sorry, folks, today’s news continues to be a little harrowing, albeit not without a bit of hope for some. A former BYU-Idaho student is fresh out of hope after was convicted of rape and promptly sentenced to prison yesterday. Occupy Pocatello protesters are hoping for some support from the City Council on a national resolution, while Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is hoping to surge his way to the nomination. The sad news comes out of Washington again, as more terrifying details come out about the Josh Powell double murder/suicide from this past weekend.

• A Brigham Young University-Idaho student from Ghana was sentenced Monday to two to 10 years in prison for the rape of a teenage girl last year. Isaah A-Jalil Kappah, 21, raped the girl at about 12:30 a.m. on June 1, 2011 in Rexburg. After his arrest, he was charged with the rape of a woman under the age of 16 and forcible sexual penetration by use of a foreign object, both felonies. The victim was acquainted with the man. [LN8]

• The double murder/suicide over the weekend, involving Josh Powell and his two young sons, got even more gruesome after preliminary autopsy results. The Pierce County medical examiner announced yesterday that the two boys, ages 7 and 5, suffered “chop” injuries to the neck and head, likely with a hatchet. Despite his efforts, the boys survived the initial attack and died instead of smoke inhalation from the massive blaze Powell set to the home. [ABC]

• Occupy Pocatello protesters presented a petition to the City Council last night, urging them to support a resolution that says the city supports an amendment to reverse the Supreme Court ruling Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission. The controversial ruling allows political candidates to align with so-called “super PACs” that are free to take donations of any amount, leading to a massive surplus of political spending. Council member Steve Brown said it’s up to the mayor whether or not the resolution appears on the agenda, but said it could potentially split the council in a vote. [LN8]

• It’s not over just yet—Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum has suddenly surged in polling in three primary states, Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri, and it could be enough to give him a win in each. Although no delegates will be awarded in the states, wins could help relaunch Santorum’s campaign, which has slumped since his close win over Mitt Romney in Iowa. The Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling results show Santorum with a 17-percentage-point lead over Romney in Missouri and an 11-percentage-point lead in Minnesota. He still has some ground to make up in Colorado, where he is down by 10 percentage points. [USA]

[Morning Briefs] An Answer, an Explosion and a Middle Finger

In this screengrab from NBC's telecast of the Super Bowl, you can clearly see M.I.A.'s offensive gesture. How horrible.

It was a weekend of surprises, wasn’t it? While the Bannock County coroner’s conclusion on the death of those twin infants from Pocatello was about what pretty much what we all knew all along, the death of two more kids in Washington state was a bit more shocking, after their father practically exploded the house, killing all three of them. And at the Super Bowl halftime show, where everybody expected Madonna to give a lackluster performance, M.I.A. stole the show by flipping off the camera. Good grief.

• The two 3-week-old twins that died back in November, have been officially determined to be victims of accidental suffocation. Gabriel R. and Tryce E. Medrano were found not breathing in their Pocatello home, and rushed to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead. On Friday, Bannock County coroner Kim Quick said the two died of accidental suffocation, presumably a result of their sharing a bed with their mother, a practice Quick said is completely unsafe. [LN8]

• A 41-year-old Pocatello man is dead after a fatal crash on Old Highway 91 on Saturday morning. Cory Burk, 41, was driving north in a 1991 Chevrolet pickup truck when, for unknown reasons, he drove off the right side of the road. The truck swerved back onto the road when it rolled, ejecting Burk, who was not wearing a seatbelt. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police don’t believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.

• Josh Powell, a man under suspicion for the 2009 disappearance of his wife from their home in West Valley City, Utah, killed himself and his two sons by setting fire to his home in Washington state. Powell had been fighting for custody of his sons, ages 5 and 7, after his wife’s disappearance, and exploded the home on a scheduled visitation after locking out the social worker who brought the boys over. Police said everything Powell did was intentional, ruling the case a “double murder/suicide.” The house burned with such a ferocious magnitude that witnesses thought it had exploded. [SLT]

• The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, but the news has been abuzz over the game’s halftime show, and the talk isn’t even about headliner Madonna. During the performance of Madonna’s new single, “Give Me All Your Luvin,” collaberator M.I.A., known for her 2007 hit “Paper Planes,” flipped off a camera, bringing back the horrors of Janet Jackson’s infamous 2004 “wardrobe malfunction.” The NBC crew tried to blur the offending finger, but was a few seconds too late, exposing the world to the singer’s middle digit. NBC is pretty furious, but Madonna, who was probably relying on the publicity to re-energize her career, is likely to be pretty pissed as well. [ABC]

[Morning Briefs] Political Cat Fight Distracts Us From Real News

Idaho's Rep. Raul Labrador sparred with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday in the cattiest of fights in D.C.

Political news really has a way of making you realize how unimportant politics is compared to just about everything else in the world. Case in point: While an Idaho Representative had some mean words for the U.S. Attorney General, a woman in Twin Falls was on her way to the hospital after a car crashed into a Rolberto’s Mexican Food restaurant. Which got more attention? Even we put up a picture of the politicians (copyright issues bar us from using other papers’ photos of the crash, but feel free to view them at the link provided)! Come on, politicians! People are unemployed (less so now!) and the people of Pocatello are just now being introduced to fiber optic cables. We really shouldn’t care about your cat fight, yet we find ourselves attracted to it, like watching a horrible train wreck! Let’s just get this over with.

• A least one woman is injured after a car crashed into a Rolberto’s Mexican Food restaurant in Twin Falls Thursday afternoon. Police aren’t positive about the circumstances, but it looks like the car, a red Scion, was rear-ended by a black Jeep Grand Cherokee, somehow causing it to drive into the restaurant. The driver of the Scion, Heather Borlase, might have stepped on the gas instead of the brakes when hit, said police. The injured woman was sitting inside the restaurant as the car crashed through a wall, and is recovering. [TN]

• The Pocatello City Council approved a right of way application Thursday night for Syringa Wireless to run a 4-inch fiber optic conduit along the Gould Street Bridge, over the railroad tracks. The conduit is part of Syringa’s giant fiber optic ring being built throughout the Gate City, which is already known to have the nation’s slowest internet speeds. Syringa will primarily cater to businesses, and could even attract more high-tech businesses to town. Construction has already started on the fiber optic cables for the ring. [LN8]

• Idaho U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador made waves during Thursday’s “Fast and Furious” gun trafficking hearing. Labrador, a freshman Republican, continually launched attacks at Attorney General Eric Holder, telling him he was incompetent and should resign. Holder, not one to take guff from some newbie, launched back with an attack of his own, saying the comments were out of line: “Maybe this is the way you do things in Idaho or wherever you’re from,” he said. OUCH. Now, Holder, I know Labrador was kind of being a jerk about this (let’s be honest here), but don’t go hating on Idaho!  In the end, Republicans congratulated Labrador on his move, while Democrats probably congratulated Holder on his response. And, as usual, politics continued to be terrible. [IDS]

• The nation’s unemployment dropped to 8.3 percent, marking the fifth straight month of decline, after employers added 243,000 jobs in January. The boost came largely from record job gains in the restaurant business, accounting, health care and retail stores. Still, the number of unemployed is staggering to look at. With January’s decrease, the number drops from 13.1 million to 12.8 million jobless. [WP]