Seattle news

• Big switch: Health-exchange customers to pay insurers now

  22-09-2015 23:58
  
  Starting Thursday, the 164,000 people enrolled in the Washington Health Benefit Exchange must pay their insurers directly, a change aimed at simplifying a payment system previous plagued with problems.
  
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• I, Anonymous: I'm New. I'm Nice. Get Used To It.

  22-09-2015 23:05 via thestranger.com
  
  STEVEN WEISSMAN
  Dear lifelong Seattleites: You people are the true essence of cool with your desert boots, slouchy hats on a hot day, and ready-for-any-season couture. I admire your ability to interject words like "chill" and "start-up" into every story. I admire your ability to climb Mount Si before you come into work every morning. What I do not admire is the never-ending Seattle briskness—or dare I say "freeze." I've learned it's not quite a freeze because you'll let a new girl into th
  
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• Did You Know the Pope Has No Control Over the Wind?

  22-09-2015 22:55 via thestranger.com
  
  Of course you know that. But have you seen the pictures?[ Comment on this story ][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
  
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• What You Need to Know About the Chinese President's Visit to Seattle

  22-09-2015 22:54 via thestranger.com
  
  It's not every day that the president of China shows up in Seattle. Here's what you need to know. Kaliva / Shutterstock.com
  What's the Chinese president's name? His name is Xi Jinping, and here's how to pronounce his name correctly.
  So he gets his own "security zone" downtown? Yes, he does. Here's the Seattle Police Department explaining how you get in and out of his security zone, which surrounds the downtown Westin.
  Wait, so if I'm reading right there can be warrantless searches inside the sec
  
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• A mix of Chinese flags and protest signs welcome President Xi Jinping downtown

  22-09-2015 22:43
  Sketched Sept. 22, 2015 Mr. Xi Jinping’s visit messed a bit with my commute this morning (How did yours go?) My bus dropped me further away than usual because of the street closures. But the inconvenience had a bright side: I ran into a sketch-worthy scene across the Westin Hotel, where groups of pro and […]
  
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• Clinton opposes construction of Keystone XL pipeline

  22-09-2015 22:38
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton is breaking her longstanding silence over the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, saying at a campaign stop in Iowa that she opposes the controversial project. Clinton says the project has been a distraction and she doesn’t believe it’s in the best interests of “what we need […]
  
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• Clinton breaks Keystone silence, says she opposes pipeline

  22-09-2015 22:38
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday she opposes construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, breaking her longstanding silence over a project criticized by environmentalists as a threat to the planet’s climate. The Democratic presidential candidate said she decided to speak out after concluding the ongoing debate over whether the pipeline should […]
  
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• Annie Opens Tonight at the Paramount. But Here's the Cutest Version of "Tomorrow" Ever Recorded. (NSFW)

  22-09-2015 22:01 via thestranger.com
  
  Issie Swickle (R) as Annie in Annie, tonight through Saturday at the Paramount. Joan Marcus
  A touring production of the American musical theater chestnut Annie, which has been hard-knocking the lives of girls with curly red hair (or who are named Annie) for 39 years now, opens tonight at the Paramount and runs through Saturday. There are many reasons to avoid downtown Seattle today, and only some of them have anything to do with the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping is in town.I, however, w
  
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• In Washington, ranchers and sage grouse have coexisted for years

  22-09-2015 21:22
  
  Efforts have been under way for years to conserve sage grouse, which number fewer than 1,000 here.
  
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• Felony pot charges for teens being reduced in Asotin County

  22-09-2015 21:18
  The Asotin County prosecutor is reducing felony marijuana charges he filed against three teenagers because his office misinterpreted recent changes in state law.
  
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• State prisons head leaving for private corrections job

  22-09-2015 21:05
  
  Bernie Warner, the head of the state Department of Corrections, is stepping down for a job in the private sector.
  
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• SL Letter of the Day: Take a Lover or Two

  22-09-2015 21:04 via thestranger.com
  
  Originally posted on January 22, 2014.
  I'm 45, female, and married to a smart, funny, intelligent 50-year-old man. We've been together nine years, married seven. The sex was good for the first year and then dropped off to nothing. He says, "I've had plenty of sex in my life. I'm just not interested anymore." During my first marriage, the sex was so bad that I thought, "If I could find a man who loved to cuddle, I could go the rest of my life without sex." Perfectly describes husband number two!
  
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• Climate change deniers are in denial over Pope Francis’ teaching on climate

  22-09-2015 20:55
  
  In his new book, “The Way of St. Francis,” retired Seattle Methodist parson (and City Council candidate) Sandy Brown notes that the 13th-century saint has been called “the first environmentalist” for his love of nature, as well as patron saint of economic justice because of his love for the poor. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, when elected to the papacy in 2013, took the name of Pope Francis, and took the role of a “servant leader” saying the church sh
  
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• Rent control: Does it help or hurt?

  22-09-2015 20:31
  
  Rent control has been a hot topic in debates about Seattle's housing crisis, and the City Council on Monday asked state legislators to allow for changes to the state's ban on local rent control. But one look at San Francisco suggests that rent controls on that scale may have little impact.
  
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• Attorney: Father of Marysville school shooter believed he could legally possess guns

  22-09-2015 20:25
  
  A federal prosecutor says Raymond Lee Fryberg Jr. “slipped under the screen” when he purchased firearms despite a court order barring him from gun ownership. One of the weapons was used in the shootings at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.
  
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• New York City's Pizza Rat Had a Profound Effect on Me

  22-09-2015 20:23 via thestranger.com
  
  Watching the New York City rat make its way down the steps of a subway station with a big slice of pizza really had an unexpected effect on me. I found myself not feeling an ounce of disgust at the sight of the animal. Somehow, carrying a pizza profoundly defamiliarized it. The rat was now as cute as a cat or a puppy. How was this possible?Without that pizza, all I would have seen is an animal I want dead right now; with the pizza, I see a potential pet. Without the pizza, I'd see those awful l
  
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• 2 half-brothers shot by Olympia officer plead not guilty

  22-09-2015 19:59
  
  Two half-brothers shot by an Olympia police officer after a suspected robbery have pleaded not guilty.
  
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• Man sets fire to Seattle patrol car, several other vehicles

  22-09-2015 19:46
  
  Seattle police say a man used some type of flammable liquid to set fire to a patrol car and several other vehicles Monday night.
  
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• Thought Balloons, or, Getting Purposefully Lost in Martin Creed's Art at the Henry

  22-09-2015 19:45 via thestranger.com
  
  This is a view from above, of the two-story, skylit gallery at the Henry, which is filled with balloons you walk through, in a work of art by Martin Creed called Work No. 360 (half the air in a given space). JG
  Martin Creed is the contemporary artist who became famous in 2001 when his art was egged and declared blasphemous by some while being elevated and celebrated by others, because it was only an empty gallery where the lights turned on and off every five seconds.In 2010, when the now-defunct
  
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• Just Announced: ACT's 2016 Season

  22-09-2015 19:25 via thestranger.com
  
  Single tickets for Assassins are on sale now. 5th Avenue Theatre
  ACT Theatre just announced their 2016 season, and all of the shows are now on our theater calendar.On the heels of ACT's 50th anniversary season, this marks the debut of incoming Artistic Director John Langs. Under his direction, ACT will put on eight shows next year that "reflect the current conversation in our city and the world," starting with Buzzer, a play about gentrification that opens in February. Another highlight: next su
  
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• Bros: Let's Talk About Planned Parenthood (Non-Bros Are Allowed to Read This, Too)

  22-09-2015 19:25 via thestranger.com
  
  Why would the guy on the left—the one with the premium 'stache—march for Planned Parenthood? EPG_EuroPhotoGraphics / Shutterstock.com
  My dudes,If you're anything like me, you think of Planned Parenthood as a giant women's restroom. No boyz allowed. It's some kind of sacred vagina temple where mystic labia wizards lay their hands upon pregnant women and pass on the ancient tales of womanhood.But it turns out that's all crazytalk. Planned Parenthood is for men, too. They do dude stuff.
  
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• What Temperature Is Your Seahawks Take?

  22-09-2015 18:55 via thestranger.com
  
  We're now 0-2.Seattle Seahawks
  I usually refrain from spending this blog space dropping hot Seahawks takes, but now that the they are 0-2, I see little other choice. The only way to analyze where we’re at after two dispiriting losses is with a series of takes. IT’S TAKE TIME.Some of these will be scorchers, some will be cool and rational. Feel free to assemble your own version of where the Seahawks are at after two games based on your preferred temperature of take.A lukewarm rational
  
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• New duck-billed dinosaur found in Alaska, researchers say

  22-09-2015 18:45
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Researchers have uncovered a new species of plant-eating dinosaur in Alaska, according to a report published Tuesday. The animal was a variety of hadrosaur, a duck-billed dinosaur that roamed in herds, said Pat Druckenmiller, earth sciences curator at the University of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks. Northern Alaska likely was once covered […]
  
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• Study: Diagnosis wrong too often, urgent improvement needed

  22-09-2015 18:28
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Most people will experience at least one wrong or delayed diagnosis over their lifetime, a report predicts, calling diagnostic errors a blind spot in modern medicine that sometimes causes devastating consequences. Getting the right diagnosis, at the right time, is key to good health care. But despite lots of focus on health […]
  
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• Rachel Zoe: Seattle fashion ‘classic and traditional yet bohemian’

  22-09-2015 18:00
  
  The designer will be in Bellevue for fashion week.
  
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• The Morning News: Chinese President Xi Jinping's Internet Censorship Edition

  22-09-2015 17:56 via thestranger.com
  
  President Xi is in Seattle today and all anyone can think about is traffic. Kaliva / Shutterstock.com
  The President of China, Xi Jinping, Is in Seattle Today: He's meeting Governor Jay Inslee and Ambassador Gary Locke in Everett this morning before meeting with more politicians (and Mayor Ed Murray) this afternoon. He'll be speaking at a banquet tonight, too, before heading to the US-China Internet Industry Forum in Redmond, Boeing's Everett factory, Tacoma's Lincoln High School, and dinner with
  
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• Clinton adds details to plans on prescription drug costs

  22-09-2015 17:56
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Vowing to build upon President Barack Obama’s signature health law, Hillary Rodham Clinton is unveiling a sweeping plan to hold down the rising cost of prescription drugs and target pharmaceutical companies that flood the airwaves with ads. The Democratic presidential candidate’s proposal would place a monthly cap of $250 on […]
  
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• Lynnwood death ruled homicide

  22-09-2015 17:10
  
  Medical Examiner says Lynnwood man's death a homicide
  
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• Study shows employers shifting more medical costs to workers

  22-09-2015 17:04
  
  Employers are leaving a bigger chunk of the bill for care to workers who use their health insurance, and benefits experts see few signs of this trend slowing. Most companies now offer health coverage that requires employees to pay an annual deductible before insurance kicks in, and the size of that deductible has soared in […]
  
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• 17-year-old hiker rescued after fall in North Cascades

  22-09-2015 15:41
  
  A personal locator beam helped crews find the girl near the White Chuck Glacier.
  
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• Arlington adopts tethering restrictions over well-known dog

  22-09-2015 15:39
  
  The new rules were prompted by what many believe is the mistreatment of a black Labrador named Blaze.
  
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• Arlington adopts tethering restrictions aimed at Blaze the black Lab

  22-09-2015 15:39
  The new rules were prompted by what many believe is the mistreatment of a black Labrador named Blaze.
  
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• Man gets 5 years for having sex with teen runaway in Tumwater

  22-09-2015 15:38
  
  Prosecutors say the man also was having the girl solicit other men for sex.
  
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• U.S. rejects protections for greater sage grouse across West

  22-09-2015 15:37
  
  Tuesday's announcement signaled that the Obama administration believes it has struck a delicate balance to save the birds from extinction without crippling the West's economy.
  
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• Scientists identify new duck-billed dinosaur species in Alaska

  22-09-2015 15:26
  
  The species, dubbed Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis, was a variety of hadrosaur, a plant-eater that roamed in herds.
  
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• 5 years after Facebook pledge, Newark schools struggle

  22-09-2015 15:24
  
  NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — When Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s show five years ago this week to announce a $100 million donation to remake education in Newark, it was presented as an effort to make a struggling city a national model for turning around urban schools. Advocates see success in the most […]
  
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• How it feels to be a ‘tween, as told by Seattle fifth-graders

  22-09-2015 14:03
  
  “Before,” a documentary about children on the cusp of adolescence, is growing up. It is graduating from its online home on Vimeo to a screening at the Northwest Film Forum. The half-hour film by Seattle filmmaker Terence Brown features interviews with students from Loyal Heights Elementary School in Ballard in the final days of fifth grade. […]
  
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• Police, protestors prepare for Xi’s visit

  22-09-2015 14:00
  
  The scene around Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle this morning ahead of President Xi’s arrival: At 5th and Virginia, a police bus barricade has been built ahead of the #ChinesePresident visit. pic.twitter.com/DoIqnbozyM — Evan Bush (@evanbush) September 22, 2015 Protesters outside the Westin hotel are supporters of Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual practice. #ChinesePresident pic.twitter.com/frZOENgRZm […]
  
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• China’s President Xi arriving this morning, with a delegation of up to 1,000

  22-09-2015 14:00
  
  President Xi Jinping of China arrives this morning in China’s equivalent of Air Force One — also a Boeing 747, by the way — for a two-day whirlwind of political and business meetings, accompanied by a massive delegation of Chinese officials and top corporate executives. He’ll land at Paine Field in Everett after 9 a.m. […]
  
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• At least one person injured in Seattle apartment fire late Monday

  22-09-2015 07:18
  
  Medics have sent one woman to receive medical help for inhaling smoke, according to tweets from the department.
  
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• Seattle IRS agent charged with bribing pot-shop owner

  22-09-2015 06:56
  
  The offenses are punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.
  
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• Wolf-petting wildlife attraction fights state restrictions

  22-09-2015 06:03
  
  Wolf People’s owner is asking the Idaho Supreme Court for the right to operate her visitor facility as she sees fit.
  
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• Explore this: Where do King County’s Chinese-born residents live?

  22-09-2015 06:00
  An interactive map by census tract.
  
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• Seattle seeks authority to enact rent laws

  22-09-2015 05:56
  
  The Seattle City Council on Monday passed a resolution to ask the state to end its ban on cities regulating rents.
  
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• Xi’s visit to ‘Sleepless’ Seattle may update city’s profile in China

  22-09-2015 05:54
  Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Seattle this week gives officials opportunity to shore up business relations and Chinese citizens a chance to learn more about the city and region.
  
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• Reston, Virginia, founder Robert E. Simon dies at 101

  22-09-2015 05:42
  
  RESTON, Va. (AP) — Robert E. Simon Jr., who lent his initials to the northern Virginia community he founded more than 50 years ago, has died. He was 101. The Reston Association reported Simon died Monday in his home. A cause of death was not given. Simon, who ran his family’s real estate business in […]
  
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• Local Chinese feeling pride, also misgivings over Xi visit

  22-09-2015 05:32
  
  Many Chinese Americans and immigrants see President Xi as a new kind of leader, both strong and modern. But some also worry about where his consolidation of power is headed.
  
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• Tacoma students prepare to welcome China’s president

  22-09-2015 05:08
  With nervous anticipation students at Lincoln High gear up for a quick visit by Xi Jinping, leader of China’s 1.4 billion people.
  
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• Critics want to put plan for Ore. water-bottling plant on ballot

  22-09-2015 04:52
  
  Critics want voters to decide whether a bottled-water plant in Cascade Locks should be built.
  
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• Restriping behind, but 405 toll lanes expected to open as planned

  22-09-2015 04:49
  
  Rain and a mechanical breakdown slowed the Interstate 405 re-striping project, but the state still intends to open its new Express Toll Lanes by noon Sunday.
  
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