The city council, however, rejected a proposal to exempt landlords with four or fewer housing units.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bitterly partisan debate unfolding on whether more Americans should cast their votes through the mail during a pandemic is provoking online disinformation and conspiracy theories that could undermine trust in the results, even if there are no major problems. With social distancing guidelines possibly curtailing in-person voting at the polls in […]

The new Fire Station 31 will replace an existing station that shut down last June, due to concerns about unhealthful conditions, including mold.

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.

The lawsuit echoed allegations made by other former employees claiming Mark Roe spoke and acted inappropriately while serving as the county’s top prosecutor from 2009 until his retirement in 2018.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim Gov. Inslee has not adequately considered targeted measures to protect that population, while allowing others to return to work and school.

Tribes operate their facilities on their lands, where they retain decision-making authority -- despite Gov. Jay Inslee's stay-home order, in place until the end of May.

Amid a national frenzy to buy medical supplies for use in the COVID-19 outbreak, Washington state suspended competitive bidding and recruited help from the private sector. Gov. Inslee connected personal contacts with state buyers.

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.

Brown said that on May 15 she will loosen restrictions statewide on day cares and on retail shops that were previously closed, including furniture stores, boutiques, jewelry stores and art galleries.

The decision by Council President M. Lorena González and Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda will stall the big-business tax championed by Councilmembers Kshama Sawant and Tammy Morales, which already faced opposition from Mayor Jenny Durkan.

Gov. Jay Inslee this week continued lifting restrictions included in his stay-home order meant to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, part of phase one in his four-phase plan to reopen the state. Some outdoor recreation opened earlier this week.

Phase two is expected to begin for most areas on June 1, provided public-health data still looks favorable.

Inslee's stay-home order, initially issued in March, bans church and religious services, but permits one-on-one "religious counseling," state lawyers argued.

In the middle of a pandemic, the subject of the public's health never came up during a 90-minute GOP candidates for governor forum. It's like a metaphor for the alternate realities of our politics — and also why the GOP may be in more trouble than usual in the local elections this year.

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.

Prosecutor Adam Cornell likened the decision by Sheriff Adam Fortney to publicly question and refuse to enforce the stay-home order "to yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater."

Will private equity boost the Northwest's most important shipbuilder or look for a fast buck? Behind the question is the long and dangerous decline of a vital industry.

The rich are employing more people to cater to their desires. But that's only part of a tidal wave of change coming to the workforce.

If a downturn comes, the Seattle area benefits from a diverse economy. But it still has a few weak spots that would ripple out.

One of the most powerful business lobbies says it wants to change the calculus that is giving capitalism a bad name. It's a good idea, but faces tremendous resistance.

Jon Talton | No single source can explain the big decline in union membership. Rebuilding organized labor, and worker bargaining power and rights, will be a hard battle.

The most recent Census numbers show some major metropolitan areas that shone during the post-recession years now are losing population. But that doesn’t mean an equitable spreading of economic assets, much less a halt to the “back to the city” era. At least not yet.

Seattle real estate is expected to be a hotspot next year, continuing a long trend of investing and building. But the prospects for housebuilding are more muted.

Jon Talton, The Seattle Times economics and business columnist for the past 12 years, says goodbye and offers some parting thoughts.

The pandemic's effects are putting us in unknown territory, but we're already in a recession. It could be the worst of our lifetimes. Columnist Jon Talton explains why.

Behind shortages of masks and ventilators is a staggering disruption of the global system of making, assembling and delivering critical products.

Even President Trump now realizes the need for a prolonged shutdown. But when the economy finally restarts, we have no guarantee it will bounce back quickly. The danger is a "Greater Depression."

Globalization was already unpopular among many Americans. Now it's one of the suspects in the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus. But trashing the world order will make us sicker.

Federal red ink was exploding even before the pandemic required a historic rescue stimulus. But the national debt only becomes dangerous if the United States is seen as an untrustworthy borrower.

Superstar cities bounced back stronger than ever after the Great Recession. But the COVID-19 shutdown is different and the way back will be a challenge unlike any other.

What used to be an annual May Day march for workers’ and immigration rights has taken on a different look this year due to coronavirus stay-at-home restrictions. This year, the march from Judkins Park to downtown Seattle has been canceled. Instead, march sponsors El Comité and the May 1st Action Coalition have scheduled a vehicle […]

The driver told police he accelerated toward the skateboarder, intending to “scare him.” But when the driver swerved away, the skateboarder jumped in the same direction.

Seattle police released portions of a frantic 911 call and a clip from an officer's body camera showing officers chasing and shooting the suspect at a Columbia City construction site. The 1-year-old infant the man had purportedly kidnapped at gunpoint was recovered unharmed from the scene.

Detectives do not believe the women involved are nurses, and posted photos of the suspects and a vehicle in hopes someone could identify them.

King County sheriff's detectives began investigating Bryan Neyers after two boys, ages 7 and 9, reported that the Maple Valley paraeducator had molested them at the child-care center set up to look after the children of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neyers has since been charged with child rape and molestation involving a third child.

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.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The parents of a black man slain in a pursuit by two white men armed with guns called for immediate arrests Wednesday as they faced the prospect of waiting a month or longer before a Georgia grand jury could consider bringing charges. A swelling outcry over the Feb. 23 shooting of […]

The list of events that have been canceled in the Seattle area continues to grow as we head into the third week of the novel coronavirus outbreak. We'll keep this list updated throughout the week.

On Tuesday, the City of Seattle announced a $1.1 million, arts-specific recovery package and rent suspension for cultural organizations, designed to help an arts sector heavily hit by the coronavirus shutdowns.

Due to restrictions on gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19, many organizations are canceling public gatherings and social events around the city, and are, instead, holding their events, concerts, classes, activities and more online. Submit your events and we will add them to our updating list. Loading…

In the face of ever-tightening restrictions on gatherings, wave of Seattle musicians and artists are taking their shows online.

ArtsFund, along with a coalition of arts organizations, is working to launch an emergency relief fund for arts organizations in King County. Artist Trust is launching a relief fund to help individual artists who have immediate needs.

Here in Seattle — and everywhere else — live arts events have been put on pause. But we can still immerse ourselves in the arts, from rebroadcasts to livestreams, podcasts to social media. Here’s just a tiny sampling.

From baking a Japanese-style souffle cheesecake to making trivets out of wine corks, here's what our features staffers recently learned from YouTube videos.

Pacific Northwest Ballet, after canceling two programs and closing both branches of its school due to the coronavirus pandemic, stands to lose approximately $3 million through the end of April

Artists and arts groups say money they expected from Seattle-based Brown Paper Tickets either didn’t arrive, or the checks bounced, or money was deposited, then got sucked back out of bank accounts. BPT says it and its bank lost control of which payments were able to clear and which weren’t.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russians from many walks of life, including Bolshoi Ballet dancers, musicians and a mixed martial arts trainer, are struggling to adapt to self-isolation because of the coronavirus outbreak. As the coronavirus outbreak has engulfed Russia, President Vladimir Putin has ordered a partial economic shutdown and authorities across the vast country have introduced […]

The coronavirus-shutdown crisis has ripped through Seattle’s arts and culture scene, guillotining income for individual artists and organizations while they scramble to cut expenses.

The emergency-spending package is expected to get a council vote on May 12.