The year was 1997. Andy Thompson had an idea. Adam Silver liked his plan. Neither had any clue what they concocted. The ESPN and Netflix documentary “The Last Dance” — the story based around Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls — premieres Sunday night with the first two episodes of the 10-part series. And […]

After more than a year of demolition and digging down, KeyArena will finally start building back up next week when the first wall begins to be erected in the venue's northeast quadrant. Workers inside have been diligently — and spaciously — going about their business during the coronavirus pandemic.

RANT to visitors who don’t clean up after themselves. It’s tulip time in Skagit Valley and while the numbers of tulip seekers are fewer than other years, there are still substantial numbers of people visiting the valley and the town of La Conner. There are about five restaurants and a couple of cafes open for takeout. Overflowing […]

RANT to the professional football players and their agents for quibbling over whether or not they should get $20 million a year instead of $18 million in their contracts. Especially now when there are so many people who don’t know if they can afford this month’s rent or next week’s groceries, for that matter. With all […]

RANT to people who don’t follow leash laws. Please keep your dog on a leash like all the other dogs! Leash laws pertain to ALL dogs! No one gets a pass on this. RAVE to Ridwell, a locally grown company, that picks up plastic film (Saran wrap, etc.), plastic bags, chip bags, plastic seal wraps from […]

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.

RAVE to the Washington State Employment Security Department. I had never submitted an unemployment claim before and wasn’t sure what to expect, particularly as I am self-employed. The process was explained clearly and took about 25 minutes. The money was in my account in two days. I am so grateful that I plan to contribute […]

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. 

COVID-19 has spread across Washington, the U.S. and the world at staggering speeds. Here's what we know so far about the spread of coronavirus and its global impacts.

Hospital admissions tracked by the state Department of Health offer a window into the pandemic's impact on the health care system. Right now, officials are not seeing a surge of patients, but worry one could still be coming.

Modeling from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) forecasts that hospitalizations will generally peak in mid-April, with 64,000 more patients than licensed beds nationwide.

In King and Snohomish counties, one in 10 households own a second home or real-estate property elsewhere. Many are fleeing to those vacation homes to hunker down during the coronavirus pandemic.

Among those 18 to 29 years old, more than one out of three say that they have, or someone in their household has, lost a job or been laid off because of the coronavirus outbreak. And nearly half have taken a pay cut or had their hours reduced.

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. 

As the nation’s overall death toll soared past historical averages, preliminary data shows a less dramatic trend in Washington during the first months of the novel coronavirus outbreak. 

For the week ending May 2, the state received 109,167 initial claims for unemployment insurance, down almost 22% from the prior week, according to U.S. Labor Department figures released Thursday morning.

About 14,800 initial unemployment claims by bartenders were filed from March 8 through April 25, which closely matches the number of people estimated to work as bartenders in Washington in the second quarter of 2020.

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.

American women’s soccer players want to delay a trial until after an appellate court reviews last week’s decision to throw out their claim of unequal pay while allowing allegations of discriminatory work conditions to move forward. Lawyers for the women filed a motion Friday night asking U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner in Los Angeles […]

NCAA President Mark Emmert says the coronavirus is making it unlikely all schools will be ready to begin competing in college sports at the same time. The goal, he said Friday night, is for every team to have an equal amount of preparation time before its season starts, and there could be some competitive inequities […]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Like a principal walking through a hushed hallway on the first day of school, Cheryl Nygaard felt the emotional surge of relief and pride last week as the Minnesota Vikings director of information technology peeked in on the video conference sessions set up for this most unusual NFL offseason. “We had all […]

The Washington State-bound senior won the Class 4A title with his last throw last year.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — This isn’t quite the way Anthony McFarland expected his NFL career to begin. Then again, the rookie running back knows he’s not the only one whose first taste of the pros is coming via conference calls with members of the coaching staff followed by self-administered tests in a nearby park to see […]

In the unofficial forecast numbers, Washington would lose $3.8 billion in revenue this current budget cycle. An additional $3.27 billion would be sheared off the 2021-23 budget cycle.

For the week ending May 2, the state received 109,167 initial claims for unemployment insurance, down almost 22% from the prior week, according to U.S. Labor Department figures released Thursday morning.

After initially telling businesses that individual disaster loans could be as high as $2 million, the Small Business Administration has now imposed a $150,000 limit without publicly announcing the change, people familiar with the situation said.

About 14,800 initial unemployment claims by bartenders were filed from March 8 through April 25, which closely matches the number of people estimated to work as bartenders in Washington in the second quarter of 2020.

As Washington grapples with a tsunami of legitimate unemployment claims — more than 100,000 last week — the state also is seeing a rise in attempts by fraudsters to siphon off a portion of the benefits.

These costumes, from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes’ new EPIX miniseries “Belgravia,” are made by their details — and are the perfect relief, in photo form, for the day/week/month/year’s stresses.

The federal government has fined Sinclair Broadcasting Corp. $48 million, largely because of actions the TV broadcaster took in its failed attempt to acquire smaller rival Tribune Media. Sinclair in 2017 proposed a $3.9 billion deal for Tribune’s TV stations, attempting to extend its reach into new markets. The deal fell apart that August, and […]

The Asian giant hornet, the world’s largest hornet and an invasive species first documented in the state late last year, can attack and kill a honey bee colony in a few hours. The Washington Department of Agriculture confirmed the first two sightings of the predator in December, and also reported two unconfirmed but probable sightings. […]

The $300,000 effort could take place between now and June depending on weather conditions and the moths' hatching season, officials said.

The suit, filed Thursday in Skagit County Superior Court, seeks an injunction requiring state agencies to expedite and toughen their oversight through emergency rulemaking.

Yakima County health officials said they have identified 70 COVID-19 cases among farm and fruit-packing workers. Growers consider new state safety guidelines reasonable but unions say they give employers an easy out.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Tyson Foods suspended operations Wednesday at an Iowa plant that is critical to the nation’s pork supply but was blamed for fueling a massive coronavirus outbreak in the region. The Arkansas-based company said the closure of the plant in Waterloo would deny a vital market to hog farmers and further […]

The toll on the meat processing industry has stunned some of industry's biggest players, and prompted an urgent push to redefine workplace protections needed to keep products flowing into grocery stores amid the global pandemic.

Gov. Inslee announced Monday that golf and recreational fishing could resume on May 5 and many state parks and public lands will reopen as well.

The plant, located in Walla Walla County, largely shut down last week amid a major outbreak that already had resulted in more than 125 workers sickened, including one who died. Since then, 56 more have tested positive, with more test results to come.

As global demand for french fries has slumped, potato farmers in Washington state are trying to figure out what to do with millions of pounds of tubers and avoid financial disaster.

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The highest rate of coronavirus cases of any county on the U.S. West Coast is in Washington state’s Yakima County. Health experts point to a large number of essential workers, a large number of cases in long-term care facilities and a large agricultural workforce living and working in close quarters as […]

In the mountains of rural Japan, “murder hornets” are known for more than their aggression and excruciating sting. They are seen as a pleasant snack and an invigorating ingredient in drinks.

Sitting at his home in Florida, new Mariners pitching coach Pete Woodworth can only wait, like everyone else, for a return to normalcy while monitoring pitchers that are spread out across the country.

Instead of trading down to add more picks, the Seahawks selected linebacker Jordyn Brooks out of Texas Tech with the No. 27 overall pick. Wait, who? Allow us to explain.

It wasn't going to be easy for the Seahawks. The NFC West was already considered the toughest in the NFL in terms of balance and strength. And Thursday's NFL first round made winning a division title just a little more difficult for Seattle.

The San Francisco 49ers didn't have a draft pick on Day 2 of the NFL draft, but general manager John Lynch made up for it on Day 3 by acquiring Washington Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams in a trade.

Any course planning to reopen must comply to guidelines developed by the governor's office. The most notable will be the limit of two people per group instead of threesomes or foursomes in groups. The only exception: If all the people are from the same household, a foursome is acceptable.

As one of the Northwest's top high-school players, he’s accepted a scholarship to play for Washington State. But under a normal circumstances, Russell and his family would be weighing another option more closely — the 2020 Major League Baseball amateur draft.

Money will be the motivation to return but if anyone tells you they know what's going to happen or when the season will start, they are just guessing. Flexibility remains the best option for Major League Baseball right now.

Major League Baseball is reportedly considering a plan of restarting spring training in early June with the season starting in early July.