If you bought a 2019-2020 season pass but didn't use it — or didn't use it as much as you'd hoped to — you may have a credit waiting.

Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday announced the easing of restrictions on outdoor recreation in Washington state, starting May 5 with the opening of golf courses, state parks, fishing and hunting. Here’s some of what will be different as our state reopens the outdoors.

Good news amid the coronavirus gloom: More than 100 Washington state parks will reopen for day use on Tuesday.

More than 100 Washington state parks will reopen for day use on Tuesday. But this doesn't mean you should abandon social distancing practices. Here's what you need to know before you go.

In the first phase of the state's reopening, hunting and fishing were reintroduced statewide, municipal golf courses began operating again, and more than 100 state parks reopened for day-use recreation only.

The National Weather Service in Seattle counted about 250 reports of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. "It made for a pretty good show for us," meteorologist Dana Felton said.

Gov. Kate Brown announced earlier this week that some outdoor recreation activities can resume as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

From an unexpected friendship across species, to a cluster of clay llamas, to finding a way to remotely produce a song featuring multiple collaborators, people across Washington state have found ways to stay connected to their artistic communities, their jobs and their routines — or to find beauty in the changes themselves. 

My Grandpa pulled away late to win the Muckleshoot Derby, and No Talking Back won the Emerald Distaff during Championship Sunday at Emerald Downs.

An overflow field of 13 juveniles was entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Gottstein Futurity at 1 1/16 miles, the last of three stakes scheduled on closing day at Emerald Downs in Auburn.

Track president Phil Ziegler says overall handle increased this season despite 11 fewer races. But he says attendance, the number of horses per race and on-track betting declined.  

The opening day of racing this year at Emerald Downs is scheduled for April 18, but no one knows when or if the track will open for racing.

Phil Ziegler, president of Emerald Downs, is confident there will be horse racing this season at the Auburn racetrack -- it's just a matter of when.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Preakness will remain a fixture at timeworn Pimlico Race Course, which will receive a much-needed facelift following the passing of a bill to redevelop Maryland tracks. Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday permitted a bill to become law that would enable the Maryland Stadium Authority to issue up to $375 million in […]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Celebrities including Daniel Radcliffe, David Beckham and Dakota Fanning will take part in chapter-by-chapter readings of J.K. Rowling’s first “Harry Potter” book. Rowling’s Wizarding World announced Tuesday on Twitter that all 17 chapters of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” will be read in a series of free videos and audio […]

Mark Few called Corey Kispert Gonzaga’s ‘player of the game’ in their win against Baylor. Here's why the former King's High star is winning over his coach and teammates, and how he's fueling another tournament run for the Bulldogs.

The Zags lead the country by scoring 88.8 points per game. The Red Raiders have one of the best defenses in the country. Something has to give Saturday.

The No. 1 seed Bulldogs took a two-point lead over third-seeded Texas Tech into halftime of their NCAA tournament West Region final. But with 16 turnovers, Gonzaga couldn't hold on and fell just short of its second Final Four in school history.

Texas Tech’s Tariq Owens made a huge block late in the game that symbolized this NCAA tournament's Elite Eight game.

The third-ranked Zags roll past San Diego 94-59 to clinch their eighth straight regular-season title on a night Adam Morrison's No. 3 is raised to the rafters.

As we face a unique health-care crisis with the proliferation of the coronavirus, the ramifications for sports are just one piece in a giant, complicated puzzle. But I can’t remember an event in my lifetime with the potential to have a greater impact on the world of athletics.

Before the NCAA tournament started, the website fivethirtyeight.com gave Washington a 0.2 percent chance of making it to the national semifinals.

The quality of the games, which include a handful of former big-league players, isn’t great. But it’s real, live baseball being broadcast by ESPN. Beyond the joy of watching baseball, these games provide a glimpse of what Mariners games and other MLB matchups might look like if/when they return.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s capital has shut down more than 2,100 nightclubs, hostess bars and discos after dozens of coronavirus infections were linked to club goers who went out last weekend as the country relaxed social distancing guidelines. The measures imposed Saturday by Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon came after the national government […]

WASHINGTON — In his eagerness to reopen the country, President Donald Trump faces the challenge of convincing Americans that it would be safe to go back to the workplace. But the past few days have demonstrated that even his own workplace may not be safe from the coronavirus. Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary tested […]

ROME (AP) — South Korea’s capital closed down more than 2,100 bars and other nightspots Saturday because of a new cluster of coronavirus infections, Germany scrambled to contain fresh outbreaks at slaughterhouses, and Italian authorities worried that people were getting too friendly at cocktail hour during the country’s first weekend of eased restrictions. The new […]

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A federal court halted the Kentucky governor’s temporary ban on mass gatherings from applying to in-person religious services, clearing the way for Sunday church services. U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove on Friday issued a temporary restraining order enjoining Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration from enforcing the ban on mass gatherings […]

One of the hottest debates in the coronavirus pandemic is whether the malaria drugs promoted as possible treatments by President Donald Trump really work. But Americans don’t seem overly eager to help answer the question. Enrollment in several clinical trials of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — including two by the University of Washington — has been […]

From an unexpected friendship across species, to a cluster of clay llamas, to finding a way to remotely produce a song featuring multiple collaborators, people across Washington state have found ways to stay connected to their artistic communities, their jobs and their routines — or to find beauty in the changes themselves. 

While this year’s Mother’s Day weekend promises warm weather, Seattle officials are restricting hours in city parks out of fears that large crowds hoping to enjoy the sun could further spread the novel coronavirus. A recent report shows the COVID-19 transmission rate in Western Washington may be steadily increasing, suggesting that the number of virus cases […]

U.S. regulators have approved a new type of coronavirus test that administration officials have promoted as a key to opening up the country. The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday announced emergency authorization for antigen tests developed by Quidel Corp. of San Diego. The test can rapidly detect fragments of virus proteins in samples collected […]

“Coronavirus pushed Seattle to treat homelessness differently. Will those changes last?” [May 3, Project Homeless]: Greater than the fear engendered by exposure to the coronavirus, we are facing our society’s unwillingness to address growing economic inequality. It has taken an extreme crisis for local government to take action that has long been in its grasp. […]

Tell us how you would cut Washington state’s budget, in 200 words or less, at letters@seattletimes.com with “State Budget Cuts” in the subject line. Please include your full name, telephone number and address for verification only.

Hispanic people in King County are dying from COVID-19 at much higher rates than white people, according to a new study. The insight into the coronavirus’ uneven impact in King County comes into focus as people of color represent an increasing percentage of the county's COVID-19 cases. 

Editor’s note: This is a live account of COVID-19 updates from Saturday, May 2, as the day unfolded. Click here to see updates from Sunday, May 3. And click here to find resources and the latest extended coverage of the pandemic. Gov. Jay Inslee officially announced Friday that Washington’s stay-at-home order will be extended until May 31, as he and […]

The couple, who were married for 23 years, are among the hundreds of people in Washington state who have died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Throughout Sunday, on this page, we’ll be posting updates from Seattle Times journalists and others on the pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the Pacific Northwest and the world.

If you work in a senior or long-term care facility in Washington, we want to hear from you and learn how you have navigated the challenges of your job both before and during the pandemic.

Throughout Sunday, on this page, we’ll be posting updates from Seattle Times journalists and others on the pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the Pacific Northwest and the world.

The early part of the week will seem like more of the same, but an approaching high-pressure ridge could really heat things up for the weekend.

Throughout Tuesday, on this page, we’ll be posting updates from Seattle Times journalists and others on the pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the Pacific Northwest and the world.

Throughout Wednesday, on this page, we’ll be posting updates from Seattle Times journalists and others on the pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the Pacific Northwest and the world.

The National Weather Service in Seattle counted about 250 reports of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. "It made for a pretty good show for us," meteorologist Dana Felton said.

State officials are now deciding how best to spend the money this summer, which is part of a $2.2 trillion aid package approved by Congress through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) last month.

Since health officials began recommending (but not requiring) that everyone cover their faces in public to reduce the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a new divide has emerged over who wears a mask and who doesn't.

Throughout Thursday, on this page, we’ll be posting updates from Seattle Times journalists and others on the pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the Pacific Northwest and the world.

Lime has expressed interest in bringing rentable electric scooters to Seattle, but the rollout of a scooter program is awaiting a decision from the city hearing examiner.

Throughout Friday, on this page, we’ll be posting updates from Seattle Times journalists and others on the pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the Pacific Northwest and the world.

While this year’s Mother’s Day weekend promises warm weather, Seattle officials are restricting hours in city parks out of fears that large crowds hoping to enjoy the sun could further spread the novel coronavirus. A recent report shows the COVID-19 transmission rate in Western Washington may be steadily increasing, suggesting that the number of virus cases […]

Meet your new but shy galactic neighbor: A black hole left over from the death of a fleeting young star. European astronomers have found the closest black hole to Earth yet, so near that the two stars dancing with it can be seen by the naked eye. Of course, close is relative on the galactic […]