MORNING BRIEFING: Seattle earthquake, meter madness and a Moscow "genius"

HERE

The Spokane Transit Authority heard a pitch from a South Carolina company that builds zero-emission electric buses as it considers how best to design a central city line to run from Browne's Addition to Spokane Community College. (S-R)

New parking meters installed near Lewis and Clark High School and Deaconess Hospital caught many by surprise, and the Spokane City Council is hearing about it. (KXLY)

The new Buffalo Wild Wings in Coeur d'Alene has a no-guns-allowed policy, and that doesn't sit well with some locals. (KHQ)

THERE

A 4.0 magnitude earthquake shook up the Puget Sound Wednesday morning, and was felt from Olympia to downtown Seattle to Everett. (AP)

Another round of Microsoft layoffs is expected on Thursday, part of the 18,000 jobs slated to be cut that the company announced in July. (Seattle Times)

Moscow native and playwright Samuel D. Hunter, who sets many of his plays in Idaho, was named as one of this year's recipients of the MacArthur "genius grants." (Idaho Statesman)

ELSEWHERE

A new New York Times/CBS News poll shows President Obama hovering around the same level his predecessor George W. Bush was as at this point in his presidency, and that should make Democrats nervous heading in the midterm elections. (New York Times)

In a quick about-face from their previous stance, team officials for the Minnesota Vikings decided to keep star running back Adrian Peterson, indicted on child abuse charges, off the field. (CNN)

A marijuana advocacy group in Colorado is launching a "consumer responsibly" ad campaign to counteract what it considers "fear-mongering" and misinformation from the likes of Maureen Dowd. (Washington Post)