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Elon Musk’s baby name isn’t just weird, it may be against California regulations


Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that he and his girlfriend have named their newborn boy X Æ A-12. But that might cross the line with state of California, which has limits on what parents can name their children.




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More than 250 people in Washington hospitalized last week with coronavirus symptoms; state data shows upward trend


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.




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Coronavirus flight: As the affluent head to Washington vacation homes, some year-rounders worry


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.




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King County has big racial disparities in coronavirus cases and deaths, according to public-health data


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. 




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Seattle residents will continue social distancing long after coronavirus stay-at-home order is lifted, survey shows


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.




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Coronavirus unemployment: Bartenders, dental assistants top list of Washington’s hardest-hit jobs


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.




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Sideline Chatter: 49ers also managed to get nearly full Subway punch card under salary cap


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: […]




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The Korean Baseball Organization is back from the coronavirus shutdown. Is this what Mariners games will look like?


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.




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Emmert: Unlikely all schools will start seasons at same time


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 […]




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Senior spotlight: With state javelin title in hand, Tahoma’s Gabriel Shouman has no regrets


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




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Hamilton gets empty feeling thinking about F1 without fans


PARIS (AP) — Driving around Formula One tracks without fans cheering at Silverstone and Monza would literally feel “very empty” for world champion Lewis Hamilton. The first 10 races this season have been postponed or canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the iconic Monaco Grand Prix scrapped for the first time in 66 years. F1 […]




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Mixed feelings around hockey about holding NHL draft early


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 […]




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Many businesses may follow Amazon in stretching out work-from-home policies, crimping downtown recovery


Business and government insiders say other companies and organizations are contemplating similarly extended time frames as they consider the new realities of the workplace in the COVID-19 era.




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Unofficial numbers show $7 billion hit to Washington state revenue through 2023 from coronavirus downturn


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.




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ADP: More than 20 million jobs vanished in April


BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. businesses cut an unprecedented 20.2 million jobs in April, an epic collapse with coronavirus outbreak closing the offices, factories, schools, construction sites and stores that propel the U.S. economy. The Wednesday report from payroll company ADP showed the tragic depth and scale of job losses that left no part of the […]




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Life in a pandemic: job cuts, Peloton sales, homemade bread


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 […]




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33 million have sought US unemployment aid since virus hit


WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 3.2 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the business shutdowns caused by the viral outbreak deepened the worst U.S. economic catastrophe in decades. Roughly 33.5 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the seven weeks since the coronavirus began forcing millions of companies to close […]




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SBA slashes disaster-loan cap to $150,000 from $2 million, shuts out nearly all new applicants


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.




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Coronavirus unemployment: Bartenders, dental assistants top list of Washington’s hardest-hit jobs


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.




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IRS sets Wednesday deadline for direct deposit stimulus payments


The Internal Revenue Service said it will accept bank account information until noon Wednesday for people who want to receive stimulus payments by direct deposit. After that, the IRS will send the money by check to the address on file, with those payments expected to arrive in late May and June, according to a statement […]




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Advertising adjusts for a new reality: sweatpants for staying home and toilet paper that cares


On the TV, a bearded man sits alone in an empty white room. He’s dressed like a military officer in a campy musical and is holding a giant bowl of popcorn that he touches only after using hand sanitizer. It’s a 15-second advertisement starring Captain Obvious, the spokesman for Hotels.com, urging everyone to keep their […]




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From ‘Jeopardy!’ to opera, our arts critic picks 6 of the best events to watch or listen to May 1-7


Here are a few arts-and-entertainment-y online diversions for the week, from near and far, including Seattle Opera on KING-FM and New York City Ballet.




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New on Netflix in May 2020: ‘Space Force,’ ‘Hollywood,’ ‘Uncut Gems’ and more


Here's what's coming and going on Netflix in May.




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Sunday Best: Finally, some relief in the form of parasols and bonnets from ‘Belgravia’


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.




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What’s in the water in Maple Valley? ‘The Voice’ contestant Zan Fiskum follows in musical footsteps of Brandi Carlile and Benicio Bryant


When Maple Valley's Zan Fiskum appears on “The Voice” Monday night, she'll be continuing a growing tradition started by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, and continued by wunderkind musician Benicio Bryant.




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TV broadcaster Sinclair fined $48 million over Tribune deal


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 […]




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The ‘woman in the red dress’ started a Mount St. Helens climbing tradition on Mother’s Day that endures today. Meet trailblazer Kathy Phibbs


Every Mother's Day, climbers flock to Mount St. Helens in festive dresses in the continuation of a tradition started by 'the woman in the red dress.' This Mother's Day, a new mini-documentary from OPB tells the story of Kathy Phibbs, a gifted alpinist who paved the way for a more inclusive outdoors community — and pink flamingos on mountain summits.




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Hunt is on for giant, bee-killing hornet in Washington state


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. […]




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Trump Announces a $19 Billion Bailout for Ailing Farmers


(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump announced a $19 billion bailout package for farmers hurt financially by the coronavirus crisis. The aid plan includes $16 billion in direct payments to farmers to boost their incomes, along with $3 billion in government purchases of meat, dairy products and other foods, the president said Friday at a White […]




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As coronavirus cases in Yakima Valley agriculture spike, advocates for growers and workers react differently to new state guidelines


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.




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Through coronavirus pandemic and two world wars, this Des Moines nursery keeps people planting and believing


Zenith Holland Nursery has seen times like this before — and survived. The Des Moines nursery opened in 1907, survived two world wars and remains open during the coronavirus shutdown.




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Mariners’ Manny Acta remains mindful of Latin minor-leaguers’ plight amid coronavirus outbreak


Acta spoke candidly is issues in Dominican Republic and MLB players complaining about the proposed restart plan.




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NFC West roundup from Day 2 of the draft: Cardinals and Rams improve, while 49ers watch from the sidelines


Here's a look at how Day 2 of the NFL draft shook out for the rest of the NFC West.




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NFC West Day 3 roundup: Division gets scarier for Seahawks as 49ers trade for star tackle Trent Williams


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.




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Coronavirus shutdown feels ‘kind of like the start of a lousy retirement’ for Mariners’ Tom Murphy


Murphy was supposed to be a month into an important season, his first as the Mariners' main catcher. Instead, he waits in a sort of baseball purgatory. “Yeah, I'm definitely struggling with it,” he said.




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MLB reportedly is finalizing proposal to start season in early July after coronavirus shutdown


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




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The Korean Baseball Organization is back from the coronavirus shutdown. Is this what Mariners games will look like?


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.




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All-State Basketball: Mount Si’s Jabe Mullins, Cashmere’s Hailey Van Lith named top players by Associated Press


Garfield sweeps the Class 3A state players of the year with Tari Eason and Meghan Fiso.




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WIAA readjusts, sets May 4 as deadline for spring championships


Even if school returns after May 4, the WIAA may allow some competition.




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Sideline Chatter: And he insisted on running the four-corners offense to finish every win


A satirical look back at some of the quirkiest, most eyebrow-raising things that happened in the sports world this week.




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Stanford withdraws scholarship for four-star Eastside Catholic football recruit Ayden Hector after seeking police records


The withdrawal came after the school sought details about his involvement in a months-long police investigation two years ago.




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Eastside Catholic football players, a girl and a declined prosecution: A case that continues to haunt


Police spent months investigating allegations by a 16-year-old girl who said she was sexually assaulted in 2018 by four Eastside Catholic High School football players, but prosecutors said they didn't have enough evidence to prosecute. Lawyers for the players' say they are innocent.




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UW, Cal open investigations after report on football recruits involved in Eastside Catholic police case


The University of Washington and University of California say they are gathering additional information on a 2018 police investigation into alleged sexual assault by football players at Eastside Catholic School that did not result in criminal charges. The Seattle Times reported Saturday that two players were offered scholarships to play for UW and Cal, respectively, starting this fall.




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After coaching sports at Kennedy Catholic for 31 years, Don Hoffman decides to direct them


The longtime boys and girls basketball coach was named the athletic director.




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Senior spotlight: Bellevue golfer Ian Siebers was hoping for state-title repeat


Siebers hasn't played competitive golf since the Junior Presidents Cup in December in Melbourne.




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Senior spotlight: Archbishop Murphy’s Brooke Jordan left her name in record book


The lefty slugger broke the Wildcats' home-run record, but she was hoping for more.




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As Eastside Catholic rolled to second state football title last winter, three players were under investigation for assault


Three Eastside Catholic players were under investigation for a parking-lot brawl as the team headed toward a second state championship. Prosecutors ultimately declined to pursue charges.




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Senior spotlight: With state javelin title in hand, Tahoma’s Gabriel Shouman has no regrets


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




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Sideline Chatter: And a smirking emoji text from Bill Belichick lands on Bruce Arians’ cellphone


Rob Gronkowski probably won’t be guest-speaking at a Tampa Bay Mensa meeting anytime soon. Not after the fun-loving tight end, traded to the Buccaneers on April 21, posted a picture of himself holding his new playbook — a team-issued Microsoft Surface tablet. “It’s still in the package and hoping it is all pictures and drawings,” […]




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Jadeveon Clowney not ruling out a return to Seahawks and GM John Schneider says ‘he knows the door is not closed’


In his first public comments since the end of last season, free agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney said in a TV interview he has not ruled out that he could still return to the Seahawks.