K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For October 25th, 2017 – Morning

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE'S THE VICTIM. THAT'S HIS TAKE ON REPORTING THAT SAYS HILLARY CLINTON'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AND THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE HELPED PAY FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH THAT ULTIMATELY PRODUCED A DOSSIER OF ALLEGATIONS ABOUT TRUMP'S TIES TO RUSSIA. THAT CONFIRMATION COMES FROM A PERSON FAMILIAR WITH THE MATTER, WHO SPOKE TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ON CONDITION OF ANONYMITY IN ORDER TO DISCUSS CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT MATTERS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS LASHING OUT AT TWO REPUBLICAN SENATORS WHO SEARED HIM WITH CRITICISM. TRUMP COMMENTED ON TWITTER WEDNESDAY ABOUT SENATORS JEFF FLAKE OF ARIZONA AND BOB CORKER OF TENNESSEE. TRUMP SAYS BOTH ARE NOT RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION BECAUSE "THEY HAD ZERO CHANCE OF BEING ELECTED."

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - FATS DOMINO, THE AMIABLE ROCK 'N' ROLL PIONEER WHOSE STEADY, POUNDING PIANO AND EASY BARITONE HELPED CHANGE POPULAR MUSIC EVEN AS IT HONORED THE GRAND, GOOD-HUMORED TRADITION OF THE CRESCENT CITY, HAS DIED. HE WAS 89. MARK BONE, CHIEF INVESTIGATOR WITH THE JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA, CORONER'S OFFICE, SAID DOMINO DIED TUESDAY.

BILLINGS, MONT. (AP) - FIREFIGHTERS AND CONSTRUCTION WORKERS SAY A MOVE BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION JEOPARDIZES THEIR HEALTH. THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAD PROPOSED REVIEWING SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS CHEMICALS ALREADY IN PUBLIC USE, SUCH AS MILLIONS OF TONS OF ASBESTOS, FLAME RETARDANTS AND OTHER TOXINS IN HOMES, OFFICES AND INDUSTRIAL PLANTS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION INSTEAD WANTS TO LIMIT THE REVIEW TO PRODUCTS STILL BEING MANUFACTURED AND ENTERING THE MARKETPLACE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - AN ASSOCIATED PRESS-NORC POLL FINDS THAT 6 IN 10 AMERICANS SAY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S TAX PLAN WOULD FAVOR THE WEALTHY AND CORPORATIONS DESPITE HIS MESSAGE THAT IT'LL HELP MIDDLE-CLASS WORKERS. THE SURVEY COULD SERVE AS A WARNING SIGN FOR TRUMP AS HE PUSHES REPUBLICANS TO SUPPORT HIS PROPOSAL. THE PRESIDENT AND GOP LAWMAKERS ARE SEEKING A MAJOR LEGISLATIVE VICTORY BEFORE THE 2018 ELECTIONS. THE POLL SHOWS A BIPARTISAN APPETITE FOR TAX CUTS FOR MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES.
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CASPER CITY COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR GAVE A MANDATE TO NEW CITY MANAGER CARTER NAPIER TO FIX THE BUDGET CRISIS, AND NAPIER RESPONDED TUESDAY WITH A REQUEST TO AMEND THE BUDGET APPROVED IN JULY THAT TAPPED $4.5 MILLION OF THE CITY'S RESERVES.

NAPIER SAID AFTER A COUNCIL WORK SESSION THE AMENDMENT WOULD FORMALLY REISSUE THE BUDGET CONTRACT WITH THE COMMUNITY.

IF THE COUNCIL PASSES THE AMENDMENT, WITH ITS STILL-UNSPECIFIED BUDGET CHANGES, HE SAID THE CITY COULD BE IN THE BLACK BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2019.

BUT WITHOUT A CHANGE IN COURSE, CASPER WILL BE BROKE BY DECEMBER 2020.

NAPIER REVIEWD THE CITY'S BOOKS AND FOUND THE CITY WAS BURNING THROUGH ITS RESERVES AT AN UNSUSTAINABLE RATE OF 30 PERCENT A YEAR.

HE HEARD THE CITY'S RESERVES WERE ABOUT $20 MILLION, BUT THEY'RE CLOSER TO $15 MILLION.

THE FUND FOR EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE IS MUCH LOWER THAN IT SHOULD BE, AND THE CITY NEEDS TO DOUBLE ITS 60-DAY RESERVES.

HOWEVER, THE CITY DOES HAVE RESERVES, AND IT HAS RESISTED USING OPTIONAL 1 PERCENT SALES TAX REVENUES FOR OPERATING EXPENSES, AND IT HAS SHED 73 POSITIONS THROUGH ATTRITION AND NOT LAYOFFS.

NAPIER STILL WANTS THE COUNCIL TO RAISE FEES FOR SERVICES SUCH AS BUILDING PERMITS THAT HAVE NOT CHANGED IN DECADES.

COUNCIL MEMBERS GENERALLY WELCOMED THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT, BUT CHRIS WALSH WANTED TO SEE DETAILS BEFORE HE COULD VOTE FOR IT.
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THE STATE GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT KEPT BUSY DURING THE OPENING DAYS OF THE HUNTING SEASON AS THEY RESPONDED TO REPORTS OF ELK HUNTING VIOLATIONS IN SOUTHWEST WYOMING.
COKEVILLE GAME WARDEN NEIL HYMAS SAYS GAME AND FISH HAS RECEIVED THREE REPORTS OF WASTED ELK IN THE HUNT AREA DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE SEASON.

HYMAS IS INVESTIGATING AN INCIDENT WHERE TWO ELK WERE SHOT AND KILLED, AND ONE WAS LEFT TO WASTE.

DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS THINK THE INCIDENT OCCURED LAST SATURDAY IN THE BRIDGER BASIN AREA OF ELK HUNT AREA 105.

THE AGENCY ALSO IS INVESTIGATING TWO OTHER CASES OF WASTED BIG GAME IN UINTA COUNTY THAT WERE REPORTED LAST WEEK INVOLVING A MULE DEER AND AN ELK.