w

‘Tax Amazon’ group, Sawant announce ballot initiative for tax on big businesses


Boosters of a new Seattle tax on large corporations such as Amazon, including City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, have filed a petition to put an initiative on the ballot this year, they said Thursday. They’re aiming for the November ballot and say the tax could raise $300 million a year, though those calculations were made before coronavirus […]




w

Starbucks sees 6 months of pain, based on its China experience; announces worker grants


Starbucks' U.S. experience is similar to that of McDonald's, which Wednesday announced a dramatic contraction in March after what had been a healthy pace of sales.




w

Referendum-proof Seattle tax for coronavirus relief, housing, would impact multiple business sectors


The Seattle City Charter says legislation approved under a state of emergency can't be repealed by referendum. Council members can't name every business the new tax would cover, because the state discloses only aggregate payroll data.




w

Starbucks sales tumble as global shutdowns caused by coronavirus hit its stores


In the U.S., Starbucks has temporarily closed half its 8,000 company-owned stores. It's planning to reopen 90% of those with modifications by early June.




w

Starbucks will reopen 85% of its coffee shops, but with new protocols


Starbucks this week started reopening stores in Seattle that had been closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.




w

A team effort by Mariners, Bloodworks Northwest to donate blood


The Mariners teamed with Bloodworks Northwest for the appointment-only donor event to help ensure the region's blood supply is maintained during the coronavirus outbreak.




w

With MLB shut down due to coronavirus, Mariners host video roundtable on Jackie Robinson Day


The Mariners have 10 African-American players on the 40-man roster — the most in MLB.




w

Replay: Watch our writers’ roundtable chat on WNBA draft, MLB and Seahawks


Seattle Times writers Ryan Divish, Mike Vorel, Bob Condotta, Larry Stone, Jayda Evans and Matt Calkins got together for a roundtable discussion about the latest news in the Seattle sports world. Watch the replay here.





w

Where the major sports stand amid the coronavirus pandemic


Nearly every sporting event, major and minor, has been canceled, moved or postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s a look at where things stand with many of the top sports.




w

Charitable works earn Mariners infielder Dee Gordon the 55th Hutch Award


Gordon is active in a variety of charities and community work, including victims of domestic violence.




w

MLB teams expected to update ticket policies this week for games lost to coronavirus


Fans holding tickets for MLB games in 2020 could be notified as soon as Wednesday about options for exchanges or in some cases refunds, with specific ticket policies to be decided by individual teams.




w

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.




w

Ex-Mariners relive night they were on wrong side of history, 34 years after Roger Clemens’ 20-strikeout game


It was exactly 34 years ago Wednesday that Clemens, at the time a highly promising but still unproven Red Sox pitcher, put himself on the baseball map. On one cool, magical night at Boston's Fenway Park against the Mariners, he mowed down a Mariners lineup that had been struggling all season to make contact.




w

Arizona plan? 80 games? It doesn’t matter. The real news is that it looks like baseball will return in 2020.


What the baseball season will look like exactly remains to be seen, as a number of scenarios are being discussed. But if you've been yearning for live sports amid the coronavirus pandemic, it looks like you're (eventually) going to get your fix.




w

Mariners announce ticket-refund process for games impacted by coronavirus shutdown


Single-game ticket buyers will get a refund while season-ticket holders will get credit.




w

Kyle Russell is Washington’s top prep baseball player, but MLB draft may not be an option due to coronavirus shutdown


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.




w

Mariners players to face off against fans in MLB The Show video-game tournament


Sixteen players will face 16 fans in the first round of the video game tournament, which starts on Tuesday morning.




w

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.




w

With season in limbo amid coronavirus pandemic, Everett AquaSox prepare for different scenarios


While the focus of the sports world is on the possible relaunch of the major-league season, minor-league teams cling to the hope of competing in 2020 while girding for the increasing likelihood that the season will be dormant.





w

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.




w

Former UW Husky Nick Taylor leads AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by 1 entering final round


Taylor is seeking his second PGA Tour victory. Phil Mickelson, who is in second place, has won five Pebble Beach tournaments.




w

Former Washington Husky Nick Taylor wins AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by 4 strokes


Taylor, 31, led after each round in his second PGA Tour victory.




w

Woods unsure whether to repeat as Presidents Cup captain


LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ernie Els has made it clear he will not be returning as International captain for the Presidents Cup next year. Tiger Woods was a little more vague. Woods, captain of the U.S. team that won at Royal Melbourne for the eighth straight time, says he spoke with Els while boarding the […]




w

Teeing off: Topgolf’s indoor facility comes to Kirkland. So is virtual golf worth the price?


When it's miserable outside, you can still hit shots inside the recently opened Lounge by Topgolf in Kirkland, where plenty of virtual golf opportunities await.




w

Woman, 84, sinks putt across basketball court to win new car


OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — All that 84-year-old Mary Ann Wakfield needed to do to win a new car was sink a putt across the entire length of the court at the University of Mississippi’s basketball stadium. Wakfield did just that during a promotional segment at Saturday’s game between Ole Miss men’s basketball team and Alabama. […]




w

British Open returns to Troon as Trump-owned Turnberry waits


The British Open is returning to Royal Troon in 2023 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Open on the western Scottish links and to stoke memories of Henrik Stenson’s magnificent duel he won against Phil Mickelson. Some 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the south, President Donald Trump’s course at Turnberry will have to […]




w

22nd annual Seattle Golf Show set to take place this weekend


The 22nd annual Seattle Golf Show will be held this weekend at the CenturyLink Field Event Center from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.




w

Seattle University’s Nathan Cogswell holds share of lead in Bandon Dunes Invitational


Nathan Cogswell, a junior out of Kentwood High, opened with a 6-under 65 in the first round Sunday on the 6,577-yard Pacific Dunes course. He slipped to a 72 in the second round Monday for a 5-under 137 total.




w

Washington golfers, officials cling to hope that Gov. Inslee will lift coronavirus shutdown order in May


Under normal circumstances, this would be a perfect time to sneak in a round or two (or four), but of course, that’s impossible. All courses in the state have been shut down by virtue of Gov. Inslee’s shelter-at-home order March 23.




w

Masters heartaches walk the fairways with green jackets


For every fist pump from Tiger Woods, there are images of Greg Norman’s lonely walk across Hogan Bridge as he loses the last of his six-shot lead and heads for more heartache at the Masters. Jack Nicklaus had his famous charge on the back nine. Ed Sneed infamously lost a three-shot lead with bogeys on […]




w

Sideline Chatter: ESPN2 immediately reached out to see if he’d be interested in developing new show


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





w

Here’s what golfers should know as Washington courses prepare to reopen after coronavirus shutdown


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.




w

‘Like I was getting Taylor Swift tickets’: Washington golfers thrilled to be back on links after coronavirus shutdown


Folks were teeming with joy Tuesday at Bellevue Golf Course, which booked out within minutes of Gov. Jay Inslee's announcement last week that it was OK to play golf after a two-month shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.




w

Teeing off: Venturing into a new world of golf with trip to Nile Shrine course


Scott and Craig found a good course for a couple of duffers who hadn’t swung a club in weeks.




w

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.




w

Coronavirus daily news updates, May 8: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the nation


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.




w

Churches sue Gov. Brown over Oregon coronavirus restrictions


The suit argues that emergency powers only last for 30 days and after that Brown would have needed legislative approval.




w

The Alaska Supreme Court rules an effort to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy can move forward.


JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Supreme Court rules an effort to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy can move forward.




w

TSA employees at Sea-Tac, other airports must now wear masks to slow spread of coronavirus


Five TSA employees nationwide have died of COVID-19, and 516 employees have tested positive, including seven at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.




w

From 760 miles away, a mother’s agonizing wait for a death or a recovery


A 70-year-old mother in Portland, Ore., thought she was most at risk in her family for the coronavirus. Her fears became real for her adult son in Utah — and all she could do was stand by for word.




w

Detainees sue; Tacoma’s Northwest immigration jail has positive coronavirus test


More than 750 immigration detainees at more than 40 detention facilities around the country have tested positive for the disease, a number that activists say may be an undercount given a paucity of testing at some facilities.




w

GOP’s Freed withdraws request for court order; lawsuit over coronavirus ban on religious gatherings continues


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




w

Police investigate whether man was injured during altercation with Snohomish County deputies


The man, who was taken into custody on Wednesday night, is in "critical, but medically stable" condition at an Everett hospital.




w

Not giving it up cold turkey: Bird hunters just winging it


FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic has canceled dozens of spring traditions, from college basketball’s Final Four to Easter Sunday services, but there’s one rite that’s going on largely unfettered — turkey hunting. Every state except Alaska, which is the only state with no turkeys, hosts a spring turkey hunt each year. The birds, […]




w

Snohomish County will not pay for sheriff’s legal defense in recall effort over his refusal to enforce state’s stay-home order during pandemic


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."




w

Alan Lund, who taught and directed music throughout the Seattle area, dies at 81 from coronavirus complications


Alan Lund taught music in the Bellevue and Highline School Districts, and directed music for the Seattle Opera Chorus, the Eastside’s Cascadian Chorale, the Boeing Chorale and, most notably, the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society.




w

Coronavirus daily news updates, May 9: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the nation


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 […]