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Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy dies from coronavirus at 75

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy, the duo whose extraordinary magic tricks astonished millions until Horn was critically injured in 2003 by one of the act’s famed white tigers, has died. He was 75. Horn died of complications from the coronavirus on Friday in a Las Vegas hospital, according to a […]




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Asia Today: Seoul shuts down more than 2,100 nightclubs


SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s capital has shut down more than 2,100 nightclubs, hostess bars and discos after dozens of coronavirus infections were linked to club goers who went out last weekend as the country relaxed social distancing guidelines. The measures imposed Saturday by Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon came after the national government […]




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Two White House coronavirus cases raise question of if anyone is really safe


WASHINGTON — In his eagerness to reopen the country, President Donald Trump faces the challenge of convincing Americans that it would be safe to go back to the workplace. But the past few days have demonstrated that even his own workplace may not be safe from the coronavirus. Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary tested […]




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Reopenings bring new cases in S. Korea, virus fears in Italy


ROME (AP) — South Korea’s capital closed down more than 2,100 bars and other nightspots Saturday because of a new cluster of coronavirus infections, Germany scrambled to contain fresh outbreaks at slaughterhouses, and Italian authorities worried that people were getting too friendly at cocktail hour during the country’s first weekend of eased restrictions. The new […]




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Court halts ban on mass gatherings at Kentucky churches


FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A federal court halted the Kentucky governor’s temporary ban on mass gatherings from applying to in-person religious services, clearing the way for Sunday church services. U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove on Friday issued a temporary restraining order enjoining Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration from enforcing the ban on mass gatherings […]




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Being ostracized: Virus leaves its mark for UK’s elderly


LONDON (AP) — From resounding applause to ostracization and isolation. That’s essentially the journey Lt. Cmdr. Robert Embleton, who served 34 years in Britain’s Royal Navy, took by ambulance when discharged from Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, southwestern England, on April 8 following his near-month sickness with COVID-19. Arriving at his retirement home, he immediately went […]




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AP FACT CHECK: Trump is not credible on virus death tolls


WASHINGTON (AP) — Truth can be a casualty when President Donald Trump talks about deaths from the coronavirus in the United States. He’s claimed that the United States is on par with Germany in keeping down COVID-19 deaths, which is not the case in mortality reports. He’s brushed off projections that deaths in his country […]




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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."




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Clinical trial enrollment plummets as volunteers are scared off coronavirus drugs promoted by Trump


One of the hottest debates in the coronavirus pandemic is whether the malaria drugs promoted as possible treatments by President Donald Trump really work. But Americans don’t seem overly eager to help answer the question. Enrollment in several clinical trials of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — including two by the University of Washington — has been […]




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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.




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What’s bringing you joy amid the coronavirus crisis? Washingtonians share what’s getting them through the pandemic.


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. 




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Belarus holds Victory Day parade, disregarding coronavirus


MINSK, Belarus (AP) — The eastern European nation of Belarus held a full-fledged military parade Saturday to mark Victory Day, shrugging off safety concerns during the coronavirus pandemic that led Russia to curtail its own long-planned 75th anniversary observances. Tens of thousands of spectators lined the parade route as some 3,000 soldiers and 185 military […]




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Maldives sees rapid spike in coronavirus patients


MALE, Maldives (AP) — The Maldives, an Indian Ocean archipelago nation with one of the world’s most congested capitals, has seen a rapid rise in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks. Health officials predict that more than 77,000 people — or a fourth of those currently living in the country — could become infected, […]




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3 NY children die from syndrome possibly linked to COVID-19


NEW YORK (AP) — Three children have now died in New York state from a possible complication from the coronavirus involving swollen blood vessels and heart problems, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday. At least 73 children in New York have been diagnosed with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease — a rare inflammatory condition in children […]




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GOP in power grab to rein in Dem governors on virus response


MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican-controlled legislatures are increasingly trying to strip Democratic governors of their executive authority to close businesses and schools, a power grab by lawmakers that channels frustration over the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic but could come with long-term consequences for how their states fight disease. The efforts to undermine Democratic […]




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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 […]




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NY’s Cuomo criticized over highest nursing home death toll


NEW YORK (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has won bipartisan praise for rallying supplies for his ravaged hospitals and helping slow the coronavirus, is coming under increasing criticism for not bringing that same level of commitment to a problem that has so far stymied him: nursing homes. In part-lecture, part-cheerleading briefings that […]




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Small tribes seal borders, push testing to keep out virus


PICURIS PUEBLO, N.M. (AP) — On a dusty plaza in a Native American village that dates back nearly a millennium, a steady trickle of vehicles inched through a pop-up coronavirus testing site. From the bed of a pickup truck and backseats of cars, wide-eyed children stared from behind hand-sewn masks and then sobbed as testing […]




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US approves new coronavirus antigen test with fast results


U.S. regulators have approved a new type of coronavirus test that administration officials have promoted as a key to opening up the country. The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday announced emergency authorization for antigen tests developed by Quidel Corp. of San Diego. The test can rapidly detect fragments of virus proteins in samples collected […]




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An epidemic of hardship and hunger


COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on workers. The economy has plunged so quickly that official statistics can’t keep up, but the available data suggest that tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, with more job losses to come and full recovery probably years away. But Republicans […]




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The U.S. and China are sliding into a Cold War nobody needs


The high-temperature argument over blame for the coronavirus is rapidly pushing the United States and China into a potentially dangerous new Cold War. President Donald Trump and other administration officials claim that the virus, which many scientists say originally came from a bat, emerged from a Chinese government laboratory in Wuhan. They have offered no […]




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Another resurrection story for the unsinkable Bibi Netanyahu


Before there was President Donald Trump there was Bibi Netanyahu. I first covered him in 1996 when he was running for prime minister of Israel. He was in his mid-40s then, a not-yet-proven leader, not considered in the same class with the grand old men of the nation, such as his opponent, Shimon Peres, or […]




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Mail carriers are essential — and so is a bailout of the Postal Service


As Congress bails out airlines, hotels, and cruise lines, it’s disgraceful that a critical public service like the Postal Service would be left out to die.




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Homelessness: No more ‘business as usual’


“Coronavirus pushed Seattle to treat homelessness differently. Will those changes last?” [May 3, Project Homeless]: Greater than the fear engendered by exposure to the coronavirus, we are facing our society’s unwillingness to address growing economic inequality. It has taken an extreme crisis for local government to take action that has long been in its grasp. […]




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Small-business boost: Don’t forsake LGBTQ community


Re: “King County Executive Dow Constantine proposes additional $57 million for coronavirus response” [April 23, Northwest]: While this proposal, expected to be voted on by the Metropolitan King County Council Tuesday, distributes $16 million among small businesses; tourism promotion; homeless-youth programs; and arts and culture groups, it designates no allocation for queer bars and nightclubs. […]




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Congress may want to learn from Canada before it tries to prop up local news with a COVID-19 ad campaign


Supporters of local journalism in Congress say a nationwide campaign of public service announcements about COVID-19 would both inform citizens and throw local news outlets a lifeline. But Canada tried the same thing 40 days ago and little of the money has reached news publishers.




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Sales pitch, meet reality


Trump claims victory against the virus, but casualties continue to pile up.




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Early learning: ‘Think both locally and globally’


Re: “Pandemic exposes our neglect of children, families” [April 26, Opinion]: Tim Burgess points out that “nowhere are our systemic failures more damaging and longer lasting than in the education of our children,” and he goes on to note research that early learning opportunities in child care and preschool can have a lifetime impact. As […]




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Why journalists at The Inlander didn’t jump for joy when a federal loan saved their jobs


Journalists at The Inlander, Spokane's alt-weekly, surprised their boss when they learned a federal loan would put their newsroom back together. Here's why.




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Meat and dairy: ‘Unsustainable’


Re: “The business of burps: Scientists smell profit in cow emissions” [May 2, Business]: The lengths to which humans will go to subdue and tweak nature and animals for their own whims and profit boggles my mind. When I read that scientist are lending their names and investors money to studies about how to make […]




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State crisis demands prompt budget fix


Gov. Jay Inslee and lawmakers must quickly and transparently cut state spending to get through the virus-induced economic crisis. The urgency of their task is driven home by a new forecast estimating a $7 billion drop in state revenue through 2023. Washington’s chief economist, Steve Lerch, emphasized that’s a preliminary, unofficial prediction, but it should […]




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A chance to change our harmful habits of eating and abusing animals


There are no more excuses to use and abuse animals when humankind’s collective minds have conjured up every possible alternative.




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Lockdown order: Where’s the ‘practicality and common sense’?


Gov. Jay Inslee’s continued lockdown is not giving us transparency on metrics for reopening the state. Even with the so-called “phased approach,” there’s nothing that the public can look for to know whether the next phase is in sight. The governor keeps talking about “data.” The Seattle Times publishes graphs of the daily number of […]




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A catalyst for bridging the digital divide


Could this spring be the kick in the pants that finally gets it done?




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‘Fractured politics’: Educate yourself


Re: “How we got here: One country, several nations” [May 3, Opinion]: Thank you to David Horsey for an excellent column that summarized the book “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America” by Colin Woodard (and also provided a colorful map). It is a book I have shared over […]




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Remember less fortunate: ‘We’re all in this together’


Tim Burgess’ Op-Ed “Pandemic exposes our neglect of children, families” [Opinion, April 24] and the letter to the editor “Inequities: Don’t waste opportunity” [May 1, Opinion] demonstrate how low-income people suffer more during a crisis. I agree that a moratorium on evictions and a 15% increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits would help […]




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Where would you cut Washington’s budget?


Tell us how you would cut Washington state’s budget, in 200 words or less, at letters@seattletimes.com with “State Budget Cuts” in the subject line. Please include your full name, telephone number and address for verification only.




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Seattle opens 11 more miles of streets to pedestrians, cyclists during the coronavirus pandemic


The closures include streets in Lake City beginning Friday and in Aurora-Licton Springs, Ballard and Delridge/Highland Park.




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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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Coronavirus daily news updates, May 2: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the nation


Editor’s note: This is a live account of COVID-19 updates from Saturday, May 2, as the day unfolded. Click here to see updates from Sunday, May 3. And click here to find resources and the latest extended coverage of the pandemic. Gov. Jay Inslee officially announced Friday that Washington’s stay-at-home order will be extended until May 31, as he and […]




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Esther Bryant Kyles and Pastor Edwin Kyles Jr., who helped those in need, die within days of each other from coronavirus disease


The couple, who were married for 23 years, are among the hundreds of people in Washington state who have died after testing positive for coronavirus.




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Coronavirus daily news updates, May 3: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the nation


Throughout Sunday, 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.




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Do you work in a long-term care facility in Washington? We want to hear about your experiences during the coronavirus pandemic.


If you work in a senior or long-term care facility in Washington, we want to hear from you and learn how you have navigated the challenges of your job both before and during the pandemic.




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Coronavirus daily news updates, May 4: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the nation


Throughout Sunday, 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.




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Seattle-area temperatures could soon hit the 80s; here’s your forecast for the week


The early part of the week will seem like more of the same, but an approaching high-pressure ridge could really heat things up for the weekend.




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King County agrees to $2.25M settlement with family of teen killed in misguided sheriff’s sting operation


The high school senior was killed as he tried to flee from three plainclothes sheriff's detectives who sprang from the back of an unmarked van on a darkened Des Moines street the night of Jan. 27, 2017.




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Coronavirus daily news updates, May 5: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the nation


Throughout Tuesday, 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.




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Coronavirus daily news updates, May 6: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the nation


Throughout Wednesday, 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.




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Hundreds of lightning strikes put on a show over Western Washington


The National Weather Service in Seattle counted about 250 reports of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. "It made for a pretty good show for us," meteorologist Dana Felton said.




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As they brace for budget strain, Washington state school districts will receive some coronavirus aid


State officials are now deciding how best to spend the money this summer, which is part of a $2.2 trillion aid package approved by Congress through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) last month.