With no games being played, recent sports headlines have centered around hopes and dreams — namely, the uncharted path leagues and teams must navigate to return to competition in the wake of the pandemic. Virtually all leagues talk publicly about their desire to return before summer. But behind closed doors, they are hatching different potential […]

Wayne Gretzky sees a lot of himself in Alex Ovechkin, from the smile on his face each time he steps on the ice to his passion for scoring goals. There are also differences, like Gretzky’s sole focus on the NHL growing up in Brantford, Ontario, versus Ovechkin’s upbringing in Moscow. “The Great One” believes the […]

TORONTO (AP) — Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom is using a tennis ball machine as part of his training to stay sharp. Columbus Blue Jackets counterpart Joonas Korpisalo doesn’t have that technology at his disposal during the coronavirus pandemic, so a wall has had to do the trick. Toronto’s Frederik Andersen is self-isolating with teammate […]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks fired team president John McDonough on Monday, cutting ties with a key figure in the most successful decade in team history and raising questions about the direction of one of the NHL’s marquee franchises. The surprising move, coming with the season suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, could have […]

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.

Get used to the concept of pods and pucks if the NHL is going to have any chance of completing its season, with the most likely scenarios calling for games in empty, air-conditioned arenas during the dog days of summer. What is emerging as the leading plan involves bringing teams back in a few empty […]

The NFL’s successful virtual draft and uncertainty surrounding the resumption of hockey this season have raised the possibility of an NHL draft held before the Stanley Cup Final. After postponing its draft scheduled for June 26-27 in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL is considering having it earlier in June with the season in […]

RAVE to Hi-Liners Musical Theatre in Burien. My 5-year-old is like a whole different kid after her weekly Zoom theater class. The improv, imagination and fun teacher Allison brings to the group gives our daughter an important creative outlet, and big smiles to our whole family during quarantine. RANT to the woman at the West […]

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 all of the walkers who continue to complain about runners who pass “too close by.” It’s hard to go around you when you and your friends, or you and your dog, are taking up the entire path and leave no room for anyone else. If you and your friends, or you and your […]

With much of the country still under stay-home orders, skateboarders have been getting creative. Here’s how — and where — skaters are going about their grind while stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

RANT to whoever stole the face masks my sister has attempted to mail to her family and friends. The masks were made with love, care and the best of intentions. None of the masks reached their destinations. I am disgusted by the depths of your uncaring, self-centered behavior. RAVE to our beautiful, clear skies and […]

RAVE to the anonymous person in Mountlake Terrace who found my phone when it fell out of my pocket and left it where Robert could find it. Another huge rave to Robert, for taking the trouble to track me down and reunite me with my phone. RANT to grocery stores that don’t train their clerks […]

KEVIN AND KAREN had lots to look at when they were moving to Seattle from Bellevue. They looked in Madrona. They looked on Queen Anne. But Madison Park looked different. “We were drawn first and foremost to the neighborhood,” Kevin says. “Specifically, the Canterbury neighborhood. It’s really close to the lake, and has longtime residents. […]

A returned credit card, a social distancing foul, helpful Seattleites and more Rants & Raves submitted by Seattle Times readers.

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 […]

Coronavirus canceled their mountain climbing trips and adventure runs, so these Seattleites found creative ways to stay fit, stay sane and conquer their lofty goals — all while maintaining social distancing.

RANT AND RAVE Rant to the building security guard, who seemed to lack any empathy as he told a mother and son they couldn’t draw with chalk in the building courtyard. With things as they currently are, I look forward to seeing these ephemeral art displays. Rave to others in Bellevue leaving chalk flowers, cats and […]

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 person who found my credit card that fell out of my pocket at the Fourth Avenue Costco! I didn’t realize I had lost it until I got home. I called Costco and sure enough, they had it. Thank you for your honesty and thanks to the Costco staff who held on to […]

With social distancing efforts (or just distance) keeping many families apart for Mother's Day, our features staffers share how they'll be celebrating their moms this weekend. Happy Mother's Day!

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 […]

RANT to families that are not social distancing their kids from others. Including those families from Western Washington that come to weekend homes in Central and Eastern Washington and don’t wear masks or social distance. RAVE to the O’Reilly employee who not only helped me, but took the time to teach me how to change […]

A Seattle expert is estimating about 20,000 people in the U.S. are now infected with the new coronavirus, nearly 10 times more than the roughly 2,300 confirmed cases. Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, posted his estimates in a series of 13 tweets Friday night. “I could easily be […]

Staff at Bellevue's Institute for Disease Modeling estimate that social distancing measures aimed at cutting the transmission rate in half could reduce the number of infections in the Seattle area in early April by a factor of five — from roughly 25,000 to 4,800. Deaths would be reduced from 400 down to 100.

The study will add a "real-time" element to what UW researchers already know about social isolation, loneliness and their related health risks.

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.

"It's not insignificant," said Michael Simon, co-founder & CEO of Elucd, a Brooklyn-based public-sentiment polling firm that conducted the surveys over a 10-day period.

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.

The decision by Americans to hunker down during the coronavirus pandemic has been heavily influenced by pronouncements from national and local leaders, according to data released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report offers the most robust information to date showing the relationship between people’s behavior and official policies announced by […]

Seattle so far has the highest rate of census participation among the 50 largest cities in the United States, with 60.7% of Seattle households having returned their Census questionnaire. In some rural areas of the state, responses so far have been poor.

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. 

When asked what changes they anticipate making for the next year or longer after the lockdown is lifted, a majority of Seattle residents say they will continue to avoid social gatherings and physical contact — in other words, people.

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.

Hey, 49ers, did you remember to check under the couch cushions, too? Broc Rutter, the QB from North Carolina Central, got only a $279 signing bonus from San Francisco because that’s all the Niners had left after depleting their bonus pool for undrafted rookies. Gotta be the shoes Spotted in Lady Gaga’s bizarre shoe collection: […]

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.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have cut three-time Pro Bowl right guard Larry Warford, whose three-year run as a starter was cast into doubt by the club’s selection of interior lineman Cesar Ruiz in the first round of the NFL draft. Warford, whose termination was announced Friday by general manager Mickey Loomis, […]

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 […]

SYDNEY (AP) — Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates has predicted that next year’s coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Games “may ultimately be amongst the great games ever, if not the greatest.” The Sydney-born Coates, who oversees planning for the Tokyo Olympics for the International Olympic Committee, told the AOC’s annual general meeting on Saturday that he would […]

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 […]

PARIS (AP) — All players in Lyon men’s and women’s teams have tested negative for the coronavirus, club president Jean-Michel Aulas said. The French soccer club’s squads were tested by team doctors at Lyon’s training center. “The men’s and women’s squads were tested on Thursday on site. There were no positive cases,” Aulas told regional […]

ATLANTA (AP) — Ricardo Allen didn’t budge when Georgia was one of the first states to open businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta Falcons safety believes it is smart to stay home. He says he worries about the time when teams across the league open for practice. Restaurants, barber shops and other businesses were […]

The NFL’s successful virtual draft and uncertainty surrounding the resumption of hockey this season have raised the possibility of an NHL draft held before the Stanley Cup Final. After postponing its draft scheduled for June 26-27 in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL is considering having it earlier in June with the season in […]

For the auto industry, which saw U.S. sales plunge almost 40% in March, the crisis has left cars gathering dust on dealer lots, dealerships shuttered, auction prices slipping and tens of thousands of workers laid off or furloughed.

This series of charts provides weekly data on how the Seattle-area economy is doing during the coronavirus crisis.

The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Wednesday related to central governments, the work place and the spread of the virus. ________________________ JOB LOSSES: The pandemic jolted the global economy and millions of jobs have been lost. Those cuts continue daily. — A […]