Washington news

• ‘Major, major change’: Gov. Inslee proposes new children and families state agency

  15-12-2016 23:58
  
  Gov. Jay Inslee wants to merge several state agencies and programs that provide services to kids into one Department of Children, Youth and Families, in the hopes of providing more efficient services.
  
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• Rare plant named after rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix

  15-12-2016 22:55
  
  SAN DIEGO (AP) — California researchers have named a newly discovered rare plant after Jimi Hendrix. The plant, found in Baja California, Mexico, has been christened Dudleya hendrixii , or “Hendrix’s liveforever.” Liveforevers are a kind of succulent with enormous lifespans. This one is a stalky plant less than a foot tall with pinkish-white flowers […]
  
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• More than 100 years ago, streetcars ran throughout Seattle. Here’s how they met their demise.

  15-12-2016 22:51
  
  Streetcars have long been a part of Seattle's transit history, and they used to be everywhere.
  
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• Stanwood man accused of threatening ‘shoot out’ with cops after assaulting wife

  15-12-2016 22:45
  
  The defendant was indicted on a charge of illegally possessing a semi-automatic rifle after allegedly assaulting his wife and threatening to shoot it out with police.
  
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• Stanwood man accused of assaulting wife, threatening ‘shoot out’ with cops

  15-12-2016 22:45
  
  The defendant was indicted on a charge of illegally possessing a semi-automatic rifle after allegedly assaulting his wife and threatening to shoot it out with police.
  
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• Study: Warming’s fingerprints seen on 24 weird weather cases

  15-12-2016 21:34
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A new scientific report finds man-made climate change played some role in two dozen extreme weather events around the world in 2015. But it also detected no global warming fingerprints in a handful of other weird weather instances. An annual report released Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration looks at […]
  
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• Global warming’s fingerprints seen in 24 weird weather cases

  15-12-2016 21:34
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A new scientific report finds man-made climate change played some role in two dozen extreme weather events last year but not in a few other weird weather instances around the world. An annual report released Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found climate change was a factor, however small or […]
  
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• $203 million Bellevue deal is Eastside’s biggest property sale of the year

  15-12-2016 21:11
  
  A real estate firm from New Mexico and an investor in Hong Kong purchased the campus, which was built in 2001 and has since soared in value.
  
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• Mexico plans to catch, protect last few vaquita porpoises

  15-12-2016 20:24
  
  MEXICO CITY (AP) — So few of Mexico’s vaquita porpoises remain that the international committee to protect the endangered species is preparing to catch and enclose as many as it can in a last-ditch effort to save them from extinction, experts said Thursday. According to rough estimates, only about three dozen of the world’s smallest […]
  
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• Mountain lion in wildlife study killed on California freeway

  15-12-2016 20:06
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A mountain lion that was part of a Southern California wildlife study has been struck and killed on a Los Angeles-area freeway. The National Park Service says the lion known as P-39 was an adult female with three 6-month-old kittens. The cat was struck on State Route 118 on Dec. 3 […]
  
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• Martin Sheen, celebrities join effort to block Trump from becoming president

  15-12-2016 19:52
  
  Martin Sheen and other celebrities have made a video urging the Electoral College to pick someone other than Donald Trump for president. The request is part of a larger movement to persuade electors to block Trump's election.
  
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• Ice hidden in shadowy craters on dwarf planet Ceres

  15-12-2016 19:34
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Several shadowy craters on the dwarf planet Ceres contain ice, scientists reported Thursday. Deposits of ice have previously been spied in craters on Mercury and our moon, also in regions that are permanently in the dark. The discovery comes from pictures taken by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, which has been in orbit […]
  
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• John Glenn to be 9th person to lie in state at Ohio capitol

  15-12-2016 19:33
  
  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — When John Glenn lies in state at the Ohio Statehouse, he will become the ninth person to do so and will join a list that includes Abraham Lincoln. The public viewing for Glenn, who died last week at 95, is Friday. Ohio History Connection, a statewide history organization, tells The Associated […]
  
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• Plenty of fun happening on ski slopes with prime conditions heading into the holidays

  15-12-2016 19:26
  
  The only struggle you’ll find on the Cascade hillsides in the days ahead is the extremely cold temperatures, but skiing and snowboarding conditions remain excellent at all ski areas from the recent snowfall. Light snow showers added to the already solid bases on Thursday, and will give way to mostly sunny skies through Saturday, which […]
  
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• Flying fish fries power for more than 170 Seattle City Light customers

  15-12-2016 19:00
  
  More than 170 utility customers lost power when a fish fell on power lines.
  
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• Bird drops salmon on Seattle power lines, knocks out power

  15-12-2016 19:00
  
  More than 170 utility customers lost power when a fish fell on power lines.
  
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• Seattle jury convicts Fijian of trying to sell aircraft, missile devices to China

  15-12-2016 18:52
  
  Federal prosecutors said the man sought the accelerometers and gyroscopes for a customer in China without a license from the State Department.
  
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• ‘Very cold days’ ahead for Puget Sound area

  15-12-2016 16:14
  
  Some parts of the Puget Sound region could see subfreezing temperatures this weekend, forecasters said.
  
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• Watch: Bobcat catches big salmon in Hoh Rainforest stream

  15-12-2016 15:53
  
  A ranger's video went viral on Facebook.
  
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• Mercer Island fighting to keep special I-90 HOV access for drivers

  15-12-2016 15:30
  
  Mercer Island residents have enjoyed direct access to Interstate 90 HOV lanes under a longstanding agreement. Upcoming light-rail construction could end that access, and island leaders are predicting backups and pressing for relief.
  
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• Mercer Island fighting to keep special I-90 HOV access ahead of light-rail construction

  15-12-2016 15:30
  
  Mercer Island residents have enjoyed direct access to Interstate 90 HOV lanes under a longstanding agreement. Upcoming light-rail construction could end that access, and island leaders are predicting backups and pressing for relief.
  
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• Earthquake insurance in Washington: What you need to know

  15-12-2016 15:00
  
  If you’ve wondered about getting earthquake insurance, here are a few things you should know first.
  
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• Bellevue picked for federal program that helps low-income residents get high-tech jobs

  15-12-2016 15:00
  
  A new federal designation for Bellevue will bring financial aid to students who want to learn coding skills at Bellevue College.
  
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• Obama environmental legacy at stake as GOP, industry align

  15-12-2016 14:59
  
  BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Obama administration will leave behind a host of disputed recent actions and unfinished business on the environment — from shelved energy leases and blocked mining projects to pollution restrictions and decisions on hundreds of potentially imperiled species. Republicans and business groups emboldened by Donald Trump’s victory are gearing up to […]
  
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• NASA launches 8 mini-satellites for hurricane forecasting

  15-12-2016 14:39
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA launched eight mini-satellites Thursday morning to measure surface wind deep in the heart of hurricanes. The plane carrying the satellites took off shortly after sunrise Thursday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. An hour later, the co-pilot pushed the button that released the Pegasus rocket and attached satellites from […]
  
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• Galileo, Europe’s rival to GPS satnav system, starts service

  15-12-2016 13:49
  
  BERLIN (AP) — Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system, designed to rival the U.S.-made GPS service, has begun formal operations. Like GPS, the European satnav system is designed to provide an exact location to commercial and government customers around the world. The European Space Agency said Thursday that 18 Galileo satellites already in orbit will be […]
  
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• Britain OKs making babies from DNA of 3 people in some cases

  15-12-2016 12:53
  
  LONDON (AP) — Britain’s fertility regulator has approved controversial techniques allowing doctors to create babies using DNA from three people — what it called a “historic” decision to help prevent a small number of children from inheriting potentially fatal diseases from their mothers. The regulator’s chair, Sally Chesire, on Thursday described it as a “life-changing” […]
  
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• Offshore oil disaster in Azerbaijan leaves 1 dead, 9 missing

  15-12-2016 10:32
  
  BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Azerbaijani oil officials say one worker has been killed and nine others are missing after part of their offshore oil installation broke off in strong winds. The state oil company, known as SOCAR, reported that a 150-meter (490-foot) section of walkway fell into the Caspian Sea amid 90 mph (145 kph) […]
  
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• 1 dead, 9 missing in Azerbaijan offshore oil rig accident

  15-12-2016 10:32
  
  BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — One oil worker has been reported killed and nine more are missing in Azerbaijan after part of their offshore oil platform broke off in strong winds. Oil industry workers’ rights activist Mirvari Gahramanli says one body was retrieved from the Caspian Sea during searches following the accident early Thursday morning. The […]
  
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• 1 dead, 9 missing in Azerbaijan offshore oil accident

  15-12-2016 10:32
  
  BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — One oil worker has been reported killed and nine more are missing in Azerbaijan after part of their offshore oil installation broke off in strong winds Thursday. Oil industry workers’ rights activist Mirvari Gahramanli said one body was retrieved from the Caspian Sea during searches following the accident early Thursday morning […]
  
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• Colorado school district to allow teachers to arm themselves

  15-12-2016 10:29
  
  DENVER (AP) — A rural Colorado school district decided to allow its teachers and other school staff to carry guns on campus to protect students. The Hanover School District 28 board voted 3-2 Wednesday night to allow school employees to volunteer to be armed on the job after undergoing training. The district’s two schools serve […]
  
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• Thousands stranded as winter storm slams Portland, snarls traffic

  15-12-2016 10:26
  
  PORTLAND — Forecasters said a bit more snow was possible in the Portland area Thursday, a day after a rare snow storm brought Oregon’s largest city to a halt with thousands of vehicles barely able to move along numerous roadways. Many commuters left work early Wednesday, hoping to beat the storm, but they quickly found […]
  
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• Abandoned vehicles abound after rare snow storm in Portland

  15-12-2016 10:26
  
  Portland commuters found themselves on streets that were clogged with traffic that was inching along on snow-slick streets. Cars fish-tailed, spun out and collided. Semi-trucks littered Interstate 5, some of them unable to move to the side before getting stuck.
  
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• From Trump and his new team, mixed signals on climate change

  15-12-2016 10:17
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — He brushed off it off as a Chinese hoax, then called it the real deal and finally declared that “nobody really knows.” When it comes to climate change, Donald Trump is sending mixed signals on whether or how he will try to slow Earth’s warming temperatures and rising sea levels. Since he […]
  
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• Earthquake-insurance prices soar in Washington, and companies hold all the power

  15-12-2016 09:00
  
  In negotiations over earthquake-insurance rates, companies come armed with the threat of walking away, leaving owners of homes and businesses with fewer options. Washington’s insurance commissioner has a strategy for that: Give the insurance companies what they want.
  
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• Seattle-based ice-busting ship preps for trip amid push to replace fleet

  15-12-2016 08:19
  
  PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The only U.S. ship capable of breaking through Antarctica’s thick ice is getting scrubbed down, fixed up and loaded with goods in balmy Hawaii this week as it prepares to head to the frigid south. The voyage by Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star comes as the U.S. looks to replace […]
  
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• Dangerous wind chills, snow in Midwest; cold grips Northeast

  15-12-2016 07:42
  
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dangerously cold temperatures gripped the Upper Midwest in advance of a storm that’s expected to bring several inches of snow in coming days, while schools and officials in the Northeast braced for their own blast of wintry weather. A wind chill advisory enveloped North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Wednesday and stretched […]
  
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• Dangerous wind chills on their way to Northeast

  15-12-2016 07:42
  
  CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Plunging temperatures and gusty winds are making their way to the Northeast, the next victim in the path of dangerously cold temperatures that have gripped the Upper Midwest. The National Weather Service said Thursday a strong arctic cold front was moving across the region with temperatures falling throughout the day. The […]
  
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• Study says abortion has little effect on women’s mental health

  15-12-2016 06:13
  
  Some states require women seeking abortions to be counseled that they might develop mental-health problems. Now a new study, considered to be the most rigorous to look at the question in the United States, undermines that claim.
  
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• Carousel is a holiday tradition, rain or shine

  15-12-2016 05:13
  
  Families don’t let the weather keep them from a whirling tradition on the Holiday Carousel at Westlake Park.
  
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• Navigation Center for homeless won’t open as planned by end of year

  15-12-2016 03:58
  
  Seattle’s San Francisco-style Navigation Center for the homeless won’t open by the end of the year, as planned.
  
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• Winter storm snarls traffic in Portland, stranding thousands

  15-12-2016 03:20
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A rare snow storm brought Oregon’s largest city to a halt on Wednesday, with thousands of vehicles barely able to move on Portland streets and on one of its main highways. Commuters began leaving work early, hoping to beat the storm, but they quickly found themselves on streets that were clogged […]
  
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• Winter storm snarls traffic in Oregon, stranding thousands

  15-12-2016 03:20
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A rare snow storm brought Oregon’s largest city to a halt, with thousands of vehicles barely able to move on Portland streets and on one of its main highways. Commuters began leaving work early, hoping to beat the storm, but they quickly found themselves on streets that were clogged with traffic […]
  
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• Different Seattle agency to take over monitoring of homeless-camp sweeps

  15-12-2016 03:15
  
  Cleanups of unauthorized homeless encampments in Seattle will no longer be monitored by the city’s civil rights office, starting Jan. 1.
  
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• Different city agency to take over monitoring of homeless-camp sweeps

  15-12-2016 03:15
  
  Cleanups of unauthorized homeless encampments in Seattle will no longer be monitored by the city’s civil rights office, starting Jan. 1.
  
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• Race matters in our elected representatives … but not always the most

  15-12-2016 03:10
  
  In the diverse 37th Legislative District, another woman of color is headed to the state Senate, and that’s good. But it could have gone another way.
  
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• Seattle cop injured during Sounders celebration remains at Harborview

  15-12-2016 03:08
  
  The police bicycle officer pinned under the tire of a trolley during the Sounders FC championship celebration Tuesday was in satisfactory condition as of Wednesday evening.
  
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• Seafood plant scrapped for former Weyerhaeuser campus in Federal Way

  15-12-2016 01:25
  
  Residents of the single-family neighborhoods surrounding the Federal Way site feared the plant would create excess traffic, noise and stink. The news came ahead of a city council meeting where a six-month delay to any development on the site was to be considered.
  
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• Judge rejects anti-Trump electors’ attempt to avoid fine

  15-12-2016 00:59
  
  In a blow to a last-ditch movement to deny Donald Trump the presidency, a federal judge in Seattle rejected an attempt by two Washington state electors to avoid fines if they don’t follow the state’s popular vote.
  
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• New Mexico finds no ‘red flags’ in nuclear dump inspection

  15-12-2016 00:35
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico inspectors did not uncover any red flags in their recent review of the federal government’s underground nuclear waste repository as the facility prepares to reopen after a radiation leak, regulators said Wednesday. The state Environment Department’s team of inspectors focused on issues dating back to a 2014 fire involving […]
  
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