Washington news

• Bill aims to ban wildlife killing contests in Oregon

  30-01-2019 23:49
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Animal rights activists have come out in support of a bill in the Oregon Legislature that would ban killing wildlife as part of a contest. The Humane Society of the United States cited several such contests, including the Harney County Coyote Classic, in eastern Oregon. Five contests cited by the group […]
  
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• Scaled-back Klamath groundwater regulation debated

  30-01-2019 23:05
  KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — Oregon water regulators may scale back the number of wells subject to pumping shutdowns in the Upper Klamath Basin but some irrigators remain uneasy about the proposal. The Capital Press reports that under existing rules, groundwater irrigators within one mile of surface waters can be “regulated off” by senior water […]
  
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• E-cigs outperform patches and gums in quit-smoking study

  30-01-2019 23:00
  "Anything which helps smokers to avoid heart disease and cancer and lung disease is a good thing and e-cigarettes can do that," said Peter Hajek, study co-author and an addiction specialist at Queen Mary University of London.
  
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• Rep. Bill Jenkins hospitalized after heart attack

  30-01-2019 22:54
  Jenkin, who is currently at a Richland-area hospital, is expected to return to the Legislature before the end of the session.
  
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• Idaho water legislation bill clears Senate committee

  30-01-2019 22:53
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Legislation to end years of litigation involving water rights in heavily populated southwestern Idaho cleared another hurdle on Wednesday. Lawmakers on the Senate Resources and Environment Committee voted 9-0 to send the bill presented by House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, to the full Senate for a vote. The bill sponsored by […]
  
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• Lisa Herbold will run for re-election to City Council as voters test Seattle’s district system

  30-01-2019 21:53
  Herbold has represented West Seattle, Delridge and South Park as the council's District 1 representative since 2015, when Seattle held elections by geographic district for the first time in over a century.
  
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• New Oregon council to examine wildfire-fighting strategies

  30-01-2019 21:30
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Plagued by wildfires in recent years, Oregon will now evaluate the effectiveness of its system to combat the blazes. Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday she’s issued an executive order establishing the Oregon Wildfire Response Council. It is to evaluate Oregon’s current system of response to large fires. The council must issue […]
  
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• Idaho pays $260,000 in legal fees in dairy spying lawsuit

  30-01-2019 21:01
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho officials have agreed to pay $260,000 to the attorneys for an animal welfare group following a federal court ruling that found the state’s law banning spying at farms, dairies and slaughterhouses violated free speech rights. The Idaho Press reports that the Constitutional Defense Council approved the payment to the Animal […]
  
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• Shutdown casts pall on effort to help Oregon winegrowers

  30-01-2019 20:37
  TURNER, Ore. (AP) — Winegrowers in southern Oregon faced financial ruin after a California winemaker claimed wildfire smoke tainted their grapes and refused to buy them. Now, the rejected fruit that was turned into wine by local vintners is facing another setback. Two Oregon wineries stepped in to buy the grapes, but getting the Oregon […]
  
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• Turkmenistan to cut state funding for science

  30-01-2019 20:28
  ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Turkmenistan authorities say the government will gradually end state funding of the ex-Soviet nation’s Academy of Sciences, another move in a series of efforts to trim spending. A decree by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov published Wednesday in the government daily Neutral Turkmenistan says government funding for the Academy will be phased out […]
  
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• Judge orders partial release of Idaho lethal injection docs

  30-01-2019 20:08
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A judge has ordered the Idaho Department of Corrections to release some of the information that was redacted from thousands of pages of documents detailing the state’s execution preparations and procedures — including the name of one lethal injection drug provider — but prison officials may appeal the ruling. Fourth District […]
  
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• West Coast’s biggest starfish vanishing amid disease, warming oceans, study finds

  30-01-2019 20:00
  A new study reveals the recent widespread die-off of starfish — linked to climate change, warming oceans and a disease epidemic — imperils the biggest starfish of all, the sunflower star.
  
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• Virginia late-term abortion debate erupts over viral video

  30-01-2019 19:06
  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A push by Virginia Democrats to loosen restrictions on late-term abortions is erupting into a fierce partisan clash as video of a legislative hearing goes viral. Democrats back legislation to reduce the number of doctors required to certify late-term abortions from three to one. It also would delete the words “substantially […]
  
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• Virginia abortion feud erupts; governor blasted for comments

  30-01-2019 19:06
  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A push by Virginia Democrats to loosen restrictions on late-term abortions is erupting into a fierce partisan clash because of a viral video in which a lawmaker acknowledges her legislation would allow abortions up until moments before birth. Gov. Ralph Northam added gas to the fire Wednesday by describing a hypothetical […]
  
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• Investigation report released in Wyoming grizzly bear attack

  30-01-2019 18:55
  JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A hunting guide mauled to death in a grizzly bear attack last year in northwest Wyoming initially waved his arms and yelled at the bears charging him and his client. Outfitter Mark Uptain eventually was able to deploy bear spray to stop the attack but his wounds were so severe that […]
  
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• Dunleavy proposes constitutional changes amid budget debate

  30-01-2019 18:55
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday proposed constitutional changes that would limit legislative authority and give voters a say on taxes and any changes to the annual check residents receive from the state’s oil-wealth fund. One of the proposed amendments is aimed at ensuring the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend is not changed […]
  
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• Alaska governor to propose constitutional amendments

  30-01-2019 18:55
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Mike Dunleavy is proposing constitutional amendments dealing with taxes, spending and the annual check residents receive from Alaska’s oil-wealth fund. Details on the proposals are expected to be released later Wednesday. Dunleavy says one of the proposed amendments would ensure the Permanent Fund dividend is not changed without a vote […]
  
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• Group that maintains Statehouse requests $2.3 million

  30-01-2019 18:15
  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The chairman of the Idaho Capitol Commission that maintains the Statehouse says the building that opened in 1912 has amazing bones but needs some occasional upkeep. Andrew Erstad on Wednesday requested authorization from the Legislature’s budget-setting Joint Finance-Appropriations Commission to spend $2.3 million in fiscal year 2020. That’s the same amount […]
  
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• Report: Eastern Washington residents have higher mortality

  30-01-2019 17:41
  Of the 11 leading causes of death in the state from 2011-2015, Eastern Washington had higher mortality rates in 10 of them, including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease, according to the study.
  
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• Fairbanks man sentenced to 30 years for fatal shooting

  30-01-2019 17:34
  FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — A 20-year-old Fairbanks man who shot and killed a woman in 2016 has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Fairbanks television station KTVF reports Lewis Tyshawn Harvin pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder as part of a plea arrangement. Prosecutors say Harvin in 2016 fired into a crowd of people […]
  
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• Police investigate suspicious death in Anchorage apartment

  30-01-2019 17:15
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Anchorage police are investigating the suspicious death of a man inside an apartment. Police shortly after 4 a.m. Tuesday took a report of a body in an apartment complex on west 34th Avenue. The report said the body had been there several days. Police say they detained multiple people for questioning. […]
  
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• Man goes to prison for pretending to be disabled in DHS scam

  30-01-2019 17:06
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A Salem man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to his role in scamming more than $175,000 from the Oregon Department of Human Services by pretending to be disabled. The Statesman Journal reports that 53-year-old Eddie Wagner admitted to working with Dustin Hensley, 23, of Salem, […]
  
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• Offshore drilling ban poised to pass Oregon Legislature

  30-01-2019 16:54
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon is poised to permanently ban offshore drilling, and to prohibit any drilling infrastructure from crossing state waters. The Statesman Journal reports a Senate committee heard testimony Tuesday on Senate Bill 256, which would make permanent an existing 10-year drilling moratorium, which is set to expire next year. “We don’t want […]
  
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• The end is near for emissions testing in Washington state

  30-01-2019 16:01
  After Dec. 31, you will no longer need to run your vehicle through emissions testing to renew its registration.
  
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• Newer, cleaner cars mean end to emissions testing in Washington state next year

  30-01-2019 16:01
  After Dec. 31, you will no longer need to run your vehicle through emissions testing to renew its registration.
  
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• Working from home in Seattle on the rise — even before Viadoom

  30-01-2019 15:00
  The number of people working from home has grown at an even faster rate than that of transit ridership.
  
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• Seattle weighing future of Camp Second Chance as homeless site approaches end of its permit

  30-01-2019 15:00
  Camp Second Chance, a city-sanctioned homeless encampment in southwest Seattle, is nearing the end of a two-year permit The city is weighing options for the camp, which could include staying in place or relocating.
  
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• Mary Randlett, whose photographs chronicled Northwest artists and landscapes, dies at 94

  30-01-2019 15:00
  Mary Randlett produced iconic, black-and-white portraits of the leading lights of the Northwest cultural scene, including painters Mark Tobey and Morris Graves and writers Theodore Roethke and Tom Robbins, and her landscape photography was celebrated in books and exhibitions.
  
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• Howard Schultz is above the political fray — so high above he often doesn’t vote

  30-01-2019 15:00
  Like a lot of outsider business execs who want to come in and fix politics, Howard Schultz has kept some distance from the mess of democracy in the past. By not voting.
  
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• Tyson recalls some chicken nuggets, contamination possible

  30-01-2019 13:02
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Tyson Foods is recalling more than 36,000 pounds (16,329 kilograms) of chicken nuggets because they may be contaminated with rubber. The U.S. Agriculture Department says there were consumer complaints about extraneous material in 5-pound (2 kilogram) packages of Tyson White Meat Panko Chicken Nuggets. There are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions. […]
  
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• Tyson recalls chicken nuggets over reports of rubber inside

  30-01-2019 13:02
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Tyson Foods is recalling some chicken nuggets after customers said they found pieces of “soft, blue rubber” inside. The U.S. Agriculture Department said the 5-pound (2-kilogram) bags should be thrown away or returned. The agency says there are no confirmed reports of anyone getting sick from the rubber. The recall is for […]
  
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• Coast Guard searches for overdue medical flight in Alaska

  30-01-2019 12:44
  KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — The Coast Guard in Alaska is searching for an overdue medical flight with three people aboard. The Coast Guard says the King Air 200, operated by Guardian Flight, had taken off from Anchorage on Tuesday and was expected to land in Kake at 6:19 p.m., but never arrived. A pilot, a […]
  
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• Brown U criticized for using live pigs in medical training

  30-01-2019 11:46
  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A prominent physicians’ group has asked federal regulators to investigate Brown University’s medical school, arguing it is violating the law by using live pigs for training in emergency medicine. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine on Tuesday asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to investigate […]
  
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• Bangkok schools closed over air pollution concerns

  30-01-2019 09:58
  BANGKOK (AP) — More than 400 schools in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, have been shut as several weeks of dangerously unhealthy air pollution causes increasing concern. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha directed Bangkok’s governor to order the closure of 437 schools from noon Wednesday through the end of the week after officials said the pollution would continue […]
  
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• CEOs of Seattle area’s biggest companies: We need more housing for the middle class

  30-01-2019 09:01
  A group made up of CEOs of 17 local employers is advocating for policy changes to create more housing aimed at the middle class, but outside of Microsoft, they have yet to invest any of their financial resources into the problem.
  
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• Flights canceled, offices close amid frigid Midwest weather

  30-01-2019 06:42
  Governors in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan declared emergencies as the worst of the cold threatened. In Chicago, major attractions closed because of the bitter cold, including the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Art Institute and the Field Museum.
  
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• Alaska Raptor Center recovers 5 dead eagles, 1 alive

  30-01-2019 06:26
  SITKA, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Raptor Center officials have found six eagles that were dead or dying in the Sitka area over the weekend. Avian director Jen Cedarleaf tells the Daily Sitka Sentinel that eagles found recently have been thin and in poor condition, noting that food is scarce this time of year. One eagle […]
  
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• Federal investigators join probe of Anchorage hotel fire

  30-01-2019 06:24
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Federal authorities have joined the investigation into the massive blaze that razed a hotel under construction in Anchorage. The Anchorage Daily News reports fire investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrived in Anchorage on Monday to investigate the early Saturday fire that destroyed the Courtyard by Marriott […]
  
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• Indonesia’s Merapi volcano unleashes river of lava

  30-01-2019 06:12
  YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s volatile Mount Merapi volcano has unleashed a river of lava that flowed 1,400 meters (4,590 feet) down its slopes. Merapi, on the island of Java, has entered an “effusive eruption phase,” Kasbani, head of the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center, said Wednesday. Kasbani, who goes by a single name, […]
  
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• James Ingram, a hitmaking voice of ’80s R&B, is dead at 66

  30-01-2019 04:03
  In romantic duets with other stars and as a solo act, he sang his way onto the music charts, won Grammys and performed on movie soundtracks.
  
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• Prosecutors: Confrontation over a street robbery led to deadly shooting in White Center

  30-01-2019 03:50
  Martin "Tony" Burton, 53, died from a gunshot wound early on Jan. 16. King County prosecutors have charged Samuel Chhin, 24, with second-degree murder, accusing him of shooting Burton with a .40-caliber handgun.
  
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• Political rift over who will lead Seattle homeless response

  30-01-2019 03:46
  Mayor Jenny Durkan's nominee to head the city Human Services department is being blocked in the Seattle City Council after employees, a union and neighborhood group raised concerns.
  
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• Alaska attorney general says he can set aside personal views

  30-01-2019 03:43
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska’s attorney general says he can set aside his personal views on issues like abortion in performing his duties. During a confirmation hearing Tuesday, Kevin Clarkson said the attorney general’s job is to respect the law, not bring personal views to work. The longtime attorney has handled an array of cases. […]
  
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• Child, man killed in Everett crash identified

  30-01-2019 03:05
  Detectives believe speed was a factor in the crash and are investigating whether drugs or alcohol were involved, according to Everett police.
  
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• Kim Bok-dong, wartime sex slave who sought reparations for Koreans, dies at 92

  30-01-2019 02:50
  Kim Bok-dong, one of the thousands of women forced to work in Japanese brothels during World War II, was among the first to break decades of silence about their ordeal.
  
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• Oregon Health Authority says $42M in overpayments recovered

  30-01-2019 02:21
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Health Authority officials said Tuesday they have recovered about $42 million the agency overpaid to organizations that coordinate Medicaid benefits for as many as 1 million Oregon residents. Officials repaid the money owed to the federal government, Health Authority spokesman Robb Cowie said, the Salem Statesman Journal reported Tuesday. This […]
  
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• Former Rep. Dave Sawyer fined $1,000 over ethics violation over harassment allegations

  30-01-2019 02:05
  The review by the Legislative Ethics Board stemmed from an investigation that concluded that David Sawyer violated workplace rules by making inappropriate and offensive comments that were sexual in nature toward some legislative staffers on the basis of their gender or sexual orientation.
  
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• Paccar stock surges on better-than-expected 4Q results

  30-01-2019 02:03
  The Bellevue truck maker’s profit and revenue exceeded Wall Street expectations.
  
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• Anchorage police identify driver in fatal crash of pickup

  30-01-2019 01:45
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Anchorage police have released the name of a woman killed Monday morning in a rollover crash on Anchorage’s south side. Police say the driver was 34-year-old Julie Attina. Police say Attina was driving north in the center lane of Minnesota Drive when she lost control of the pickup. The truck crossed […]
  
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• On both sides of Capitol, Big Pharma warned about drug prices

  30-01-2019 00:42
  Lawmakers are far from agreement on legislative solutions. Price restraints are sure to face resistance from a small army of pharmaceutical lobbyists.
  
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