Labour insiders believe the SNP's commitment to freezing council tax is one area from which money could be freed. Brankin told Scotland on Sunday: "We're throwing down the gauntlet to the SNP. We have been talking to the other parties about this and we believe there is widespread dismay about the level of funding for universities. Last week, John Swinney went to Glasgow University to launch his economic strategy in the full knowledge that he was then going to cut the university funding which is so vital to our economic future." A Scottish Lib Dems spokesman said: "Universities are vital to our economy and we are deeply disturbed at the inadequate settlement. There's a lot in this motion that we are sympathetic to, and we would want to amend the funding for universities in any case. There is scope for working together." Murdo Fraser, the Tory education spokesman and deputy leader, said: "We are certainly prepared to talk to Labour about a move to amend the Budget on this issue, but we're still studying the budget and we can't make any firm commitment at this stage." If either the Lib Dems or Tories back out and abstain, it may be theoretically possible for Labour to form a majority with the help of the Scottish Green Party.

New poll shows another jump in nationalist support: SNP 51 seats ...

The LibDems came third on 13%, the Tories fourth on 11%, with the Scottish Greens trailing on 6%. The SSP, which had broken through four years ago, languished on 3% A seat projection by Professor Bill Miller at Glasgow University placed the SNP at 51, up by around 24 since the 2003 Holyrood election, while Labour dropped back to 44, a loss of six seats compared with four years ago.

Thepoll,whichwillbeunveiled tomorrow by STV ahead of their leaders' debate, is broadly in line with other snapshots that found large leads for the Nationalists.Insidersinallparties agreed the poll was significant, as TNS System 3 has tended to find Labour leads in its recent surveys.

Crime Report for 2/26

1901 N. 16th St. Window broken on a 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier between 10 p.m. Feb. 17 and 7 a.m. Feb. 18. Nothing reported missing.

Feb. 19 1606 N. 15th St. Student reported an unknown person damaged the passenger side mirror to his 1993 Mazda between 12 p.m. Feb. 18 and 12 a.m.

Branding the magazine world

H&M Magazine has bagged Corinne Day, the photographer who discovered Kate Moss, and a Sienna Miller interview, while Abercrombie & Fitch has returned to form with the fashion photographer Bruce Weber (so expensive that U.S. Vogue is said to afford him only twice a year) and no "product" shots in the 200-page hardbound publication.

Councilman MikeK Recalls Knievel Action Figure

I have been a customer for over 25 years and am a bit upset that we are not receiving official records for Kootenai County anymore, but instead for Spokane County. My interest is in Kootenai County and what is happening in our neighborhoods and at our courts. It seems that there is very little coverage of our area by your paper anymore, not what I am wanting to purchase daily. I have conferred with others and they are upset also. Please advise if this is a permanent change and if it is, all I have spoken with will be canceling their subscriptions too.
Sad for all/Jacqui.

Answer: In response to complaints about the disappearance of the Idaho public records in our newspaper, we're working on a solution. We believe we'll be able to publish them in our weekly zoned editions -- the Handle Extra and the Post Falls Voice.

Air in state casinos is clearing up

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Rogers-to-Denver rumors are premature

The club had planned to pay that bonus whether trade talks were white-hot or ice-cold. Head coach Rod Marinelli has said repeatedly the Lions will not release Rogers. If the Lions can't deal Rogers within the next week or so, they'll wait until the draft in April to see if interest is rekindled. If not, the Lions will continue to hang on to Rogers into training camp before making any decisions about his future.

Apart From Used Chip Fat, There Is No Such Thing as a Sustainable ...

Now they might start sitting up. They wouldn't listen to the environmentalists or even the geologists. Can governments ignore the capitalists? A report published last week by Citibank, and so far unremarked on by the media, proposes "genuine difficulties" in increasing the production of crude oil, "particularly after 2012″. Though 175 big drilling projects will start in the next four years, "the fear remains that most of this supply will be offset by high levels of decline". The oil industry has scoffed at the notion that oil supplies might peak, but "recent evidence of failed production growth would tend to shift the burden of proof on to the producers", as they have been unable to respond to the massive rise in prices. "Total global liquid hydrocarbon production has essentially flatlined since mid 2005 at just north of 85m barrels per day."

The issue is complicated, as ever, by the refusal of the Opec cartel to raise production.