Bits ’n’ Pieces

From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling: ing a gag order.

Following a recent downturn in inflation, a surprise announcement from Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries — that they are cutting output of crude oil — will impact prices at the gas pump and likely push inflation upward again, according to CBS News. Gas pump prices are expected to rise 5 to 15 cents per gallon soon; by summer the national price for regular gas is expected to be $4 a gallon.

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

The General Counsel for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office informed three Congressional Republicans that their requests and attacks on the office about the Trump case are “unlawful political interference,” Talking Points Memo reported. It was further stated that attempting to subpoena the DA for info about an ongoing state criminal prosecution is “unprecedented and unconstitutional.”

By Reader Staff

On April 1, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials at Albeni Falls Dam began summer refill operations for Lake Pend Oreille, limiting outflows and allowing for the lake to take on snowmelt in the lead-up to the warmer months ahead.

The lake will refill from its winter pool of 2,051-2,052 feet above sea level to approximately 2,062.5 feet at the targeted summer pool, with levels measured from the Hope gage. The journey to summer pool is never linear, as temperatures and precipitation affect the rate of runoff through spring and early summer. Right now, USACE officials predict a lake elevation of approximately 2,055 feet by the end of April.

To track lake level yourself, visit the Northwest River Forecast Center website at nwrfc.noaa.gov and click on the icon over Lake Pend Oreille, titled “HOPI1.”

As for other USACE operations going into summer, the Corps has shared its opening dates for several local recreation areas, starting with the Trestle Creek Recreation Area on April 1. Coming up, the Riley Creek Recreation Area opens Saturday, May 6 while Albeni Cove, Priest River “The Mudhole” and Springy Point Recreation Areas will open for the season Saturday, May 13.

As for camping, sites at Albeni Cove, Priest River, Riley Creek and Springy Point Recreation Areas are available by reservation only, online or by phone, at recreation.gov or 1-877444-6777.

Public tours of Albeni Falls Dam are available by appointment by calling 208-437-4617, and the Albeni Falls Dam Visitor Center will be open seven days a week starting Memorial Day weekend.

In a pre-trial ruling in Delaware Superior Court regarding Dominion Voting Systems in their defamation case against Fox News, the judge stated that evidence demonstrates it is “CRYSTAL clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion [made by Fox News] about the 2020 election are true.” Fox attorneys had argued that statements made were “opinions,” but the judge combed through statements and cited 20 occasions where lies were stated as facts, and other occasions when material was deliberately omitted by Fox to change the meaning of what was presented. Fox has claimed that the case could damage press freedoms, but analysts say Fox knowingly lied on air and there will be no threat to “objective journalists” who do not lie. Dominion has extensively used emails and private messages from Fox media personalities to shore up their case, which goes to a jury trial in mid-April. Dominion seeks $1.6 billion in damages.

All Donald Trump indictment info that follows is from a variety of media sources:

A Manhattan District citizens’ grand jury voted last week to indict former President Donald Trump over allegations of bribery and corruption going back as far as 2016. He pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 34 counts of falsifying business records. There are at least three other investigations of Trump over allegations of conspiring to defraud governments while attempting to overturn an election, and mishandling of classified documents.

This is the first time in U.S. history that a president has been criminally charged. Mayors and governors have been indicted and convicted, and a past president has been pardoned.

Trump will likely face a gag order to prevent influencing the Manhattan case; New York law allows fines and jail or both for criminal contempt, such as defy-

Trump denies DA allegations about an affair with a porn star and paying her to be quiet. But an attorney who arranged the payment pleaded guilty to breaking campaign finance rules in 2018, and stated that Trump had directed him to make the hush money payment.

Trump used the Manhattan charges to raise funds, and reported $4 million raised within days.

Starting in 2033, without intervention, Social Security recipients will not receive full benefits, according to the recent report from the Board of Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds. It was noted that lawmakers can change that. The funds impact more than 60 million people. Lawmakers who fail to act are endorsing a 20% cut to SS benefits, according to the D.C. think tank The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The Biden Administration proposed a fix for SS and Medicare: raise taxes on incomes over $400,000, and reduce what Medicare pays for prescription drugs.

Using snatches of your voice from online sources, imposter scammers can now convincingly portray callers as friends or relatives urgently in need of funds, to be handed over to the scammers, The Washington Post reported. In 2022 The FTC said there were 36,000 reports of such swindles.

Pandemic-era emergency medical coverage ended April 1, stranding 383,000 in 10 states that have refused to expand Medicaid, according to CNBC.com.

Blast from the past: “Sometimes in politics one must duel with skunks, but no one should be fool enough to allow the skunks to choose the weapon.” — Republican lawmaker Joe Cannon, who served 46 years in Congress, with eight years as Speaker of the House, and retired in 1923. Born 1836, died 1926.

And another blast: “Love is a serious mental disease.” — Plato, Greek philosopher, 427-347 BCE.