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https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/down-the-rabbit-hole-seattle-cafe-nordo/281-6a189ffc-4204-4d6e-b65b-409195a09c5b
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SEATTLE — Don't be late and miss your chance to experience the latest production from Seattle's Cafe Nordo. Down the Rabbit Hole takes audience members inside the mad and colorful world of Alice in Wonderland. The interactive cabaret features art installations created by local artists, after-hours karaoke, and a seasonal four-course tasting menu.
"We are literally talking to the local foragers about what's in season this week," said Executive Chef Erin Brindley. "All the food is inspired by Alice but it's super local, super seasonal, and super fresh."
The entire evening is hosted by the White Rabbit and brings guests along for a musical and immersive ride. Terry Podgorski is one of the creators behind the show.
"We started with Alice in Wonderland which is iconic beautiful work and bring it to life in a new and modern way," Podgorski said. "We want to give people an opportunity for full escapism and letting their imaginations run wild."
You can let your imagination run wild now through the end of May. Tickets for Down the Rabbit Hole are on sale now. Cafe Nordo is located at 109 S. Main St. in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood.
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/former-washington-healthcare-ceo-illegal-grand-canyon-hike/281-f986cfb4-0b77-4ed7-aa33-99ac7839d111
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GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — A former Washington healthcare CEO pleaded guilty for violating the group size limitation of a rim-to-rim hike within the Grand Canyon National Park, according to the National Park Service.
Joseph Don Mount was ordered to two years of supervised probation and is banned from all national parks, monuments, and federal lands within Arizona, according to the park service.
In October of 2020, the park service investigated an allegation that Mount organized a 139-person hiking group through the inner canyon without a permit. Prior to the trip, Mount was told his group required a permit, according to the park service.
The group limit for such hikes is limited to 30. During the pandemic, group sizes were limited to 11.
Since 2014, any group of 12-30 participants, or any nonprofit group participating in a rim-to-rim hike or extended hikes in the inner canyon must obtain a Special Use Permit. Grand Canyon National Park implemented the regulation due to increased day use on inner canyon trails.
The NPS previously told KING 5 that large groups impact the wilderness character for other hikers and can harm the natural environment.
“When you have folks who are walking four, five or six people across, they often go outside the bounds of the trail,” Kait Thomas, Public Affairs specialist at Grand Canyon National Park, previously said. “They start stomping on the soils, the vegetation, causing some damage there.”
Mount, who was working as chief operations officer for Steck Medical Group in Chehalis at the time, was warned by rangers before the trip, according to the park service. Mount was no longer employed at Steck prior to news of the charges on May 4, 2021, a board member for the company previously said.
According to the park service, Mount charged $95 per person for the trip, and investigators learned of the plan after a tipster submitted screenshots from the organizing Facebook group, including a post from Mount, writing “112 COMMITTED HIKERS COMING FROM 12 DIFFERENT STATES!!!!”
A criminal complaint showed Mount denied planning any such hike to a park official before the trip and alleged participants were coached to avoid speaking with uniformed rangers or admitting their involvement with a larger group.
The same complaint claimed Mount later posted about the discussion with the official, writing a “park official telling me I can’t hike the R2R with more than 11 people isn’t going to prevent me from doing one of the greatest hikes on the planet.”
The Grand Canyon is the sixth most popular National Park in the U.S., with 2.9 million visitors in 2020. Still, officials said group size limits are important to preserve the space for all users.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/insulin-cap-35-dollars-month-bill/507-855508ee-6b9d-4ce8-9937-22fa115af232
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WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday passed a bill capping the monthly cost of insulin at $35 for insured patients, part of an election-year push by Democrats for price curbs on prescription drugs at a time of rising inflation.
Experts say the legislation, which passed 232-193, would provide significant relief for privately insured patients with skimpier plans and for Medicare enrollees facing rising out-of-pocket costs for their insulin. Some could save hundreds of dollars annually, and all insured patients would get the benefit of predictable monthly costs for insulin. The bill would not help the uninsured.
But the Affordable Insulin Now Act will serve as a political vehicle to rally Democrats and force Republicans who oppose it into uncomfortable votes ahead of the midterms. For the legislation to pass Congress, 10 Republican senators would have to vote in favor. Democrats acknowledge they don't have an answer for how that's going to happen.
“If 10 Republicans stand between the American people being able to get access to affordable insulin, that's a good question for 10 Republicans to answer,” said Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., a cosponsor of the House bill. “Republicans get diabetes, too. Republicans die from diabetes.”
Public opinion polls have consistently shown support across party lines for congressional action to limit drug costs.
But Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., complained the legislation is only “a small piece of a larger package around government price controls for prescription drugs." Critics say the bill would raise premiums and fails to target pharmaceutical middlemen seen as contributing to high list prices for insulin.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Democrats could have a deal on prescription drugs if they drop their bid to authorize Medicare to negotiate prices. “Do Democrats really want to help seniors, or would they rather have the campaign issue?" Grassley said.
The insulin bill, which would take effect in 2023, represents just one provision of a much broader prescription drug package in President Joe Biden's social and climate legislation.
In addition to a similar $35 cap on insulin, the Biden bill would authorize Medicare to negotiate prices for a range of drugs, including insulin. It would penalize drugmakers who raise prices faster than inflation and overhaul the Medicare prescription drug benefit to limit out-of-pocket costs for enrollees.
Biden's agenda passed the House only to stall in the Senate because Democrats could not reach consensus. Party leaders haven't abandoned hope of getting the legislation moving again, and preserving its drug pricing curbs largely intact.
The idea of a $35 monthly cost cap for insulin actually has a bipartisan pedigree. The Trump administration had created a voluntary option for Medicare enrollees to get insulin for $35, and the Biden administration continued it.
In the Senate, Republican Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire are working on a bipartisan insulin bill. Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock has introduced legislation similar to the House bill, with the support of Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
Stung by criticism that Biden's economic policies spur inflation, Democrats are redoubling efforts to show how they'd help people cope with costs. On Thursday, the Commerce Department reported a key inflation gauge jumped 6.4% in February compared with a year ago, the largest year-over-year rise since January 1982.
But experts say the House bill would not help uninsured people, who face the highest out-of-pocket costs for insulin. Also, people with diabetes often take other medications as well as insulin. That's done to treat the diabetes itself, along with other serious health conditions often associated with the disease. The House legislation would not help with those costs, either. Collins says she's looking for a way to help uninsured people through her bill.
About 37 million Americans have diabetes, and an estimated 6 million to 7 million use insulin to keep their blood sugars under control. It’s an old drug, refined and improved over the years, that has seen relentless price increases.
Steep list prices don't reflect the rates insurance plans negotiate with manufacturers. But those list prices are used to calculate cost-sharing amounts that patients owe. Patients who can’t afford their insulin reduce or skip doses, a strategy born of desperation, which can lead to serious complications and even death.
Economist Sherry Glied of New York University said the market for insulin is a “total disaster” for many patients, particularly those with skimpy insurance plans or no insurance.
“This will make private insurance for people with diabetes a much more attractive proposition,” said Glied.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/pandemic-teen-mental-health-cdc-study/507-9869ce38-e907-4784-ad84-1971f54eb7bb
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NEW YORK — More than 4 in 10 U.S. high school students said they felt persistently sad or hopeless during the pandemic, according to government findings released Thursday.
Several medical groups have warned that pandemic isolation from school closures and lack of social gatherings has taken a toll on young people's mental health.
“This really gives us the evidence to say with certainty that the pandemic was incredibly disruptive for young people and their families," said Kathleen Ethier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The reports are based on anonymous online surveys of about 7,700 public and private high school students from 128 schools during the first six months of 2021. It is based on a similar survey the CDC conducts every other year in schools.
Among the findings:
—44% reported feeling persistently sad of hopeless during the past year. A similar survey before COVID-19 hit put the figure at 37%.
—66% said they found it more difficult to complete their schoolwork.
—29% said a parent or other adult in their home lost a job and 11% said they experienced physical abuse by a parent or other adult at home.
—24% said they went hungry during the pandemic because there was not enough food at home.
There likely was some underreporting, especially for certain questions about emotional or physical abuse in the home. Teens might be afraid that an abusive parent or other adult might see their responses, said Ilan Cerna-Turoff, a Columbia University researcher who studies children’s mental health.
CDC officials said that the pandemic did not affect teens equally. LGBT youth reported poorer mental health and more suicide attempts than others. About 75% said they suffered emotional abuse in the home and 20% reported physical abuse. By comparison, half of heterosexual students reported emotional abuse and 10% reported physical abuse, the CDC said.
“These data echo a cry for help,” said CDC Acting Principal Deputy Director Debra Houry “The COVID-19 pandemic has created traumatic stressors that have the potential to further erode students’ mental wellbeing. Our research shows that surrounding youth with the proper support can reverse these trends and help our youth now and in the future.”
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time of day or night or chat online.
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The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/verify/money-verify/biden-projects-trillion-dollar-deficit-reduction-largest-ever/536-82b0158e-0851-49dd-a546-3dbef252c761
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On Monday, President Joe Biden unveiled his proposal for the next federal budget.
Though Congress has the final say in the annual budget, presidents create a proposal highlighting their fiscal priorities. Then, the president typically spends time advocating for their plan to the public, arguing for those priorities.
While promoting his latest proposal, Biden tweeted, “This year, my administration is on track to cut the deficit by more than $1.3 trillion… that would be the largest one-year reduction in the deficit in U.S. history.”
THE QUESTION
Would a $1.3 trillion reduction in the deficit be the largest single-year reduction ever?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, if the deficit shrinks by $1.3 trillion this year, that will be the largest single-year reduction in history.
WHAT WE FOUND
Both the Federal Reserve and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) track how much money the federal government takes in each year, and how much it spends. The Fed has records dating back to 1901, and the CBO dating to 1962.
If the government makes more than it spends, there’s a budget surplus. Since 1962, there have only been five years with a surplus, and none since 2001.
More commonly, the government spends more than it takes in. That’s a deficit, and it results in the U.S. borrowing money to make up the difference, which in turn adds to the federal debt.
According to the Fed and the CBO, the year in which the deficit shrank the most was 2013. In 2012, the budget was nearly $1.08 trillion in the hole, and in 2013, it was just under $679.8 billion. The deficit decreased by roughly $396.8 billion, more than in any other year in history.
If the deficit drops by $1.3 trillion in 2022 like Biden projected, it would indeed be the largest deficit reduction in American history, by a big margin.
The Fed and CBO track numbers on a fiscal-year basis, with the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30. So we won’t really know if Biden’s projections for 2022 are accurate until at least October.
But budget experts VERIFY spoke with agreed it’s likely the deficit reduction could wind up being more than a trillion dollars. However, they said that drop is mostly due to COVID-related spending programs expiring.
“It's not really due to any particularly aggressive policy action to, say, raise more revenue than we would have otherwise, or spend less. It's mostly just a factor of temporary things,” said Alex Muresianu, a federal policy analyst for the Tax Foundation.
“We had deficits that were over $3 trillion [in 2020], and one that was $2.8 trillion [in 2021]. That was as a result of a huge recession, and trillions of dollars that we were spending to fight COVID. So we will be dropping for sure. The deficit will be closer to a trillion dollars this year,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a non-profit group. “But that doesn't come from policies to reduce the deficit.”
More from VERIFY: No, Congress members did not give themselves a 21% pay raise in 2022
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https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/from-v-with-love/281-543093ca-5882-4ae9-ae39-e61a4838445a
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SEATTLE — Some desserts are beautiful and delicious — and the cakes that Valeria Koulikova makes fall into that category.
"Baking is always something that I love doing. And then I was scrolling through Instagram, and that's when these mousse cakes started popping up everywhere," said Val. "And I was like, oh my god, I have to know how to make them."
Four years later, Val went from a journalist to a baker with her very own business — From V with Love.
Val makes mousse cakes, which usually have four layers. Mousse, a jelly or creamy layer, something crunchy, and sponge cake. The cakes are layered, baked, and then frozen — that's how they keep their shape. On top is a mirror glaze, which Val pours on the cake to create incredible designs.
Val does custom cakes, but also sells sample boxes if you'd like to try different flavors. Head to her website to order, or check out her Instagram to see when sample boxes are available.
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.
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https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/make-a-stop-at-the-bellevue-truck-serving-pakistani-street-food/281-627c0c7d-366d-403c-8b97-9027c68e97a0
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BELLEVUE, Wash. — At bus stop 68594 in Bellevue, you get the sense some things are just meant to be.
Parked in the lot right behind the stop is a colorful food truck called Lari Adda.
"'Lari Adda’ means bus stop or truck stop,” said Sheraz Malik, who owns the business with Saira Bano.
They didn’t plan the literal proximity, in the same way they never planned on running a restaurant on wheels. They were simply two friends and foodies who loved cooking the kind of food they grew up eating in Pakistan.
"A majority of our friends would say, 'You should have a restaurant or you should have a food outlet, because you cook well,'” Malik said.
“And we never took them seriously,” Bano added.
Then, the pandemic hit, a truck went on the market, and they took a leap of faith.
Within two months of serving Pakistani street food, they were named one of Seattle’s 10 best food trucks by a local publication.
"It's our baby," Bano said. "It's a well-behaved baby."
It also fills a longtime void in the local food scene, according to regular customer Asad Faizi.
"I think too regular,” he said, laughing. "It was like love at first bite when we came here and ate it and said, 'This is exactly what's been missing.'"
The menu blends regional influences — Bano is from Karachi, Malik is from Lahore.
"The food scene is very different. They're hardcore meat-eaters,” Bano said. “So are we, but we still give respect to the vegetables. They would only eat it when they're sick.”
Best-sellers include the beef bahari rolls, crispy chicken burger that packs a punch of heat, and samosa chaat.
Customers also rave about the chai — but just don't order "chai tea."
"Every time someone comes we tell them, 'You're asking for two cups of tea, because chai means tea,’” Bano said, laughing.
For Malik, introducing people to a new flavor profile and cuisine is part of the joy.
"We do get a lot of customers who are not from South Asia and they get to try some things, they ask questions, I think that's part of our goal — to kind of introduce those flavors, which area they're from in Pakistan, so to get to know the country as a whole as well,” he said.
Both owners still maintain their day jobs and operate Lari Adda after hours. But for them, food isn't work — it's love.
"Working 9-5 was fun, it still is. But we come here after work and we cook and we do this and we go home late. Every day, we still look forward to it,” Malik said.
Lari Adda is located at 1624 145th Pl. S.E. in Bellevue and is open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Brunch is also available on Saturdays.
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.
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https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/olivia-rodrigo-album-tour-seattle-tacoma-rainers-shen-yun-tulip-festival/281-963e70b3-0f01-4c2d-a6db-db5ee166a292
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Olivia Rodrigo / April 6 / Wamu Theatre
She's the former Disney starlet-turned-pop powerhouse. Olivia Rodrigo is riding a massive wave of success, including seven nominations at next week's Grammy Awards. The teenage singing phenom will be performing at the WAMU Theater on April 6.
Tacoma Rainiers / April 6 / Cheney Stadium
It's time to play ball in Tacoma! The Tacoma Rainiers are kicking off the 2022 season with a five-game homestead against the Salt Lake Bees. The first game of the season is next Wednesday, April 6.
Shen Yun / April 2 - 10 / McCaw Hall
The once-yearly staple has returned. Shen Yun invites audiences to travel back to ancient China and experience the lost culture through classical Chinese dance and music. The troop will be performing at McCaw Hall from April 2 - 10.
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival / April 1 - 30 / Skagit County
It's finally tulip time again! The annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is back for the 2022 spring season. Tulip Mainstays Roozengaarde and Tulip Town will both welcome visitors to see their gorgeous colorful fields. Online tickets are on sale now. The festival runs seven days a week during the entire month of April in Skagit County.
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/education/lower-enrollment-seattle-public-schools/281-88a0083b-d2a1-43b3-b050-c936a58e0e89
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SEATTLE — At Wedgwood Elementary, a program that turns out big performances has received nothing but praise from parent Miranda Lu.
“Our multi-arts teacher actually stitched together little clips,” said Lu. “She basically made a virtual concert for every class, and each class had their own song.”
It meant the show went on even during remote learning. But parents are worried about what next year will bring.
“At the school level, parents have been really concerned,” said Lu.
It is an issue being felt districtwide.
Enrollment projections are used to determine the budget, and right now enrollment is down, according to Seattle Public Schools. On the district's website, it states the district budgeted for 52,165 students this school year, but actual enrollment was 1,915 fewer students. The difference resulted in a $28 million gap in revenue. The district anticipates the lower enrollment will continue, and that means staffing adjustments.
At Wedgwood Elementary, parents have been told about some of the possible reductions. For the art teacher, it would still be a full-time schedule, but that time would be split between Wedgwood Elementary and a second school, according to Tim Robinson, district spokesperson.
In an email, Robinson wrote, “the school is committed to maintaining the offering of multi-arts and visual arts."
“I realize these are hard decisions, but to us the arts are equally important,” said Erin Bowles, who added that the multi-arts class is one of her daughter's favorites.
“I would like to see the school district and the state contribute more funding and keep arts programs as a core source of education for our kids,” said Bowles.
Lu said investments need to be made in "our kids and their futures and the future of our community."
That's why parents say they are pushing for creative solutions to save the program from budget reductions.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/sammamish-high-school-senior-wins-national-math-and-science-competition/281-304aabb7-7c9e-455d-9fae-96f000de154f
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SAMMAMISH, Wash. — Christine Ye, a senior from Eastlake High School was crowned the winner of The Regeneron Science Talent Search, a prestigious math and science competition dating back to 1942.
The competition recognizes promising young scientists who are developing ideas that could solve society's most urgent challenges. Ye took home $250,000 in prize winnings.
Ye was chosen out of nearly 2,000 applicants and competed in the finals in Washington D.C. A panel of judges chose her project as the winner of the 2022 competition.
Ye is passionate about space and analyzed gravitational waves emitted from huge collisions between neutron stars and black holes.
“When you have these really massive and powerful objects colliding with each other they actually shake up the whole universe in a way that we can detect here, even billions of light-years away,” Ye said.
By analyzing data gathered at the LIGO gravitational wave observatory, where scientists use data from these waves to measure astronomical objects, she showed that a quickly spinning neutron star could be extra massive, even larger than a typical neutron star, but still smaller than a black hole.
Impressed? So were the judges.
“I can say from first-hand experience that this is only the beginning of a great path forward for our winners, finals and scholars," said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Co-founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/ukraine/kent-bakery-ukraine-fundraiser/281-32bc39cc-bfde-4492-9125-fb2834b1fe49
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This is a story about a little decision going a long way.
One of western Washington’s most popular bakeries, Macrina Bakery, partnered with bakers around the world in a fundraising effort called “Bake for Ukraine.”
They’re raising money for a prominent bakery in Kyiv - “Bakehouse” - which was running out of flour because it was giving away so much free bread to refugees who were literally starving.
As first reported in the Kent Reporter, Macrina joined in the worldwide effort by bakeries last week, decorating their Brown Sugar Shortbread cookies with blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
And they flew off the shelves.
“We sold out of the Ukrainian flag cookies almost every day - at almost all of the cafes,” President/CEO Scott France told KING. “We had other businesses saying, ‘Hey, can we participate?’ And we had to turn them down because we were maxed out at almost 2,000 cookies.”
That’s about seven times the number of cookies they usually make in a week.
France said the motivation was simple; he just imagined what would happen if Washington state was invaded.
"We would be using the flour that we have on hand to bake bread, to sell or to give away to help take care of our community,” he said. “So it's just a tragic situation that they're going through, and it's so impressive that (Bakehouse) is able to continue operating and give out bread to their local community.”
“I wish there was something else we could do to stop the situation,” he continued, “but we can't. So we're honored to be able to participate in this small way.”
Actually – it wasn’t small at all. Their one-week push, selling cookies at only four cafes, raised $11,000.
Macrina’s specialty is pastries, not cookies, so they’re not bringing the Ukraine cookies back, but their donation helped pushed the worldwide total of funds raised past $100,000.
If you'd like to donate, go to the “Bake for Ukraine” GoFundMe page.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/national/military-news/combat-engineering-jblm-training/281-d2d6836c-a3e1-4dbd-b35a-b203788851cb
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — A new train-up within the 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) is preparing soldiers for the US Army's elite Sapper Leader Course and helping increase trainees' readiness and combat engineering skills.
"The first goal is getting people to the school and getting people through the school, setting them up for success and doing the hard mental and physical training that leads up to it so they're best set up for success and they'll come back with a Sapper tab - that's one goal," said 1st Lt. Meghan Anderson. "The second goal is really to improve skills across the formation."
If they have 40 people in their train-up and five make it to Sapper school and come back with a tab, then they have another 35 that have learned all the skills and tested their limits, Anderson explained.
1st Lt. Camm Johnson, Staff Sgt. Dustin Sherwood and 1st Lt. Anderson organized and are leading the training, which includes techniques and skills such as land navigation, water, and air operations, mountaineering, and demolition. Though most of the skills are centered around combat engineering, many of them can be applied to other positions as well.
"It's essentially a course you want to go to, to increase your engineering skills, but it's pretty rigorous physically, too," Anderson said.
Anderson said she first joined the Army because of the education benefits but soon fell in love with constant opportunities to grow and test her limits.
"One, the challenge, every single day, testing your limits. And then, really, the teamwork was something that you don't find in every job. So, that's why I decided to make it a full-time job if that makes sense," Anderson said.
She commissioned at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, then went to the Engineer Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Leonard Wood before being stationed at JBLM. She is one of a growing number of female combat engineers in the US Army.
"One of the subtle but challenging things we forget about is that since there are only enlisted females since 2015, there's not like women that are higher in the ranks that can be mentors to a lot of junior enlisted females," Anderson said. "Mentorship and networking is super important in the Army just because you learn so much from people who have done it before and they have all the tools to help you, and a lot of junior enlisted don't have that woman in higher mentorship."
She hopes that as one of the leaders of this train-up, she can be a mentor and help set an example for soldiers junior to her.
"Whether it's pushing myself a little bit more or remembering it's OK to be assertive, and that it's OK to step in and say something, it's OK to be loud, I start to remember that I do that because people are watching," Anderson said.
Soldiers in the train-up say they hope to attend the Sapper Leader Course and use the skills they've learned, but can already apply many of those skills to their day-to-day work.
"Going to the school is like a stamp, you are now a certified combat engineer, you are a Sapper," 1st Lt. Amber Thompson said. "So from this train-up, I'm hoping to take away those valuable skills and apply them when I go to [Sapper] school."
Staff Sgt. Zach McCray echoed the importance of the school, both for personal readiness and for leadership.
"We would be able to instruct other engineers to be experts in that technical level - and also the fitness is very important," McCray said.
Soldiers say there are several components on which they've been improving as a result of the course.
"Endurance, strength training workouts, how to stay motivated," said Sgt. Jennifer Jaime.
From leaders like 1st Lt. Anderson, they get a firsthand sense of the experience.
"It's good to see us have a leader in the battalion go out... and have done the things to qualify to be a Sapper," Sgt. Shemik Strickland said. "She comes back and can give us not only good first-hand experience, technical things, and stories about the ins and outs of this, but she can also give us the mental and physical training we need, what we need to do on a day to day basis, in PT or classes that we need to learn."
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/inslee-signs-supplemental-budget/281-402815b2-e8f0-461d-bbae-abec8be48d85
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OLYMPIA, Wash — A $64.1 billion supplemental state budget that spends on statewide programs ranging from homelessness and behavioral health to the ongoing COVID-19 response was signed Thursday by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
The supplemental plan builds off of the $59 billion, two-year spending plan adopted by the Legislature last year, and benefited from the significant influx of revenues the state has seen over the past year. Additionally, lawmakers used more than $1 billion in remaining pandemic-related federal relief funds in the budget.
More than $800 million is allocated for homelessness and housing, including $50 million to transition unhoused people from unsanctioned camps to housing.
Inslee specifically called out the efforts on addressing homelessness, saying that lawmakers “gave us relief that is big, that is bold, and that is fast.”
While there are no general tax increases in the plan, there are also no across-the-board tax cuts, something Republicans had argued for throughout the legislative session that ended March 10.
A small business tax credit was included that would affect about 125,000 small businesses in the state, and was among the bills signed by Inslee Thursday.
Starting in January, businesses making less than $125,000 a year would pay no state business taxes, and those making up to $250,000 a year, business taxes will be cut in half.
The supplemental operating budget also spends state or federal money on things like adding more social supports like nurses and counselors for students, increasing rates to vendors providing services to people with developmental disabilities or long-term care needs and shoring up the state’s paid family leave program, which officials warned was nearing a deficit.
It also allots funding for raises for state workers. According to the Office of Financial Management, about 63,800 general government employees will get a 3.25% general wage increase, about 6,700 state corrections workers will get a 4% general wage increase and about 1,200 state patrol officers will get a 10% general wage increase. The last general wage increase for represented employees was July 1, 2020.
The operating budget also transfers more than $2 billion to the nearly $17 billion, 16-year transportation revenue package that Inslee signed last week. The plan leaves about $3 billion in total reserves.
Inslee had several full or partial vetoes of bills, including a section of a bill that would have expanded the state’s existing warehouse sales and use tax to include smaller warehouses of at least 100,000 square feet. In his veto notice, Inslee said that while he understood the importance of manufacturing and warehousing to rural economies, he said the tax incentives in the bill were overly broad.
Inslee on Thursday also signed a $1.5 billion state construction budget that spends on areas ranging from housing, homelessness, behavioral health facilities, and seismic upgrades at public schools.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/regional/native-america/inslee-signs-bills-increasing-protections-for-indigenous-people/281-3d96dd36-ee96-49a5-b013-e25cedef163f
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TULALIP, Wash. — A significant step forward for Native Americans across Washington came Thursday, as Governor Jay Inslee signed into law protections for missing and murdered Indigenous people.
At the signing ceremony on the Tulalip reservation, the tribe put their culture on full display and celebrated the new bill signing.
Among the faces in the crowd was Monie Ordonia, a member of the Tulalip Tribe and family friend of a missing Tulalip woman.
"Her family are still grieving and still struggling," said Ordonia.
Mary Johnson Davis disappeared from the reservation in December of 2020.
She became the face of a movement that is now law in Washington.
Governor Jay Inslee signed into law protections and services for Indigenous people who are missing, murdered or survivors of human trafficking.
Another new law also creates an alert system for missing Indigenous people -- similar to Amber Alerts for missing children.
Washington has the second-highest number of missing Indigenous people in the nation and there are four times more missing Native American women across the state as there are white women.
Washington State Rep. Debra Lekanoff sponsored the legislation. She is the only Indigenous person in the state legislature.
Lekanoff said Native women have suffered in silence for too long.
"The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Bill removes the hand from the mouths of the women who are screaming," said Lekanoff. "Now, you will hear the women who have been taken, the women who have yet to be taken, and we will tell the women in the future we will take care of them."
Governor Inslee said other states are now looking at Washington's landmark legislation to better protect their Native populations.
The new laws give people like Monie renewed hope that their loved ones will come home again.
"It means a lot so that there can be closure and so she can give the family the peace that she deserves, the peace that they deserve," she said.
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https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/events/oscars/will-smith-chris-rock-slap-oscars-producer/507-e82c77ed-4ba9-4087-b049-d69992a6a1a7
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LOS ANGELES — Oscars producer Will Packer said Los Angeles police were ready to arrest Will Smith after Smith slapped Chris Rock on the Academy Awards stage.
“They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment," Packer said in a clip released by ABC News Thursday night of an interview he gave to “Good Morning America.” “They said we will go get him. We are prepared. We’re prepared to get him right now. You can press charges, we can arrest him. They were laying out the options.”
But Packer said Rock was “very dismissive” of the idea.
“He was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m fine,” Packer said. "And even to the point where I said, ‘Rock, let them finish.’ The LAPD officers finished laying out what his options were and they said, ‘Would you like us to take any action?’ And he said no.”
The LAPD said in a statement after Sunday night's ceremony that they were aware of the incident, and that Rock had declined to file a police report. The department declined comment Thursday on Packer's interview, a longer version of which will air on Friday morning.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group’s standards of conduct. Smith could be suspended, expelled or otherwise sanctioned.
The academy said in a statement that “Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television."
Without giving specifics, the academy said Smith was asked to leave the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre, but refused to do so.
Smith strode from his front row seat on to the stage and slapped Rock after a joke Rock made about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, when he was on stage to present the Oscar for best documentary.
On Monday, Smith issued an apology to Rock, the academy and to viewers, saying “I was out of line and I was wrong.”
The academy said Smith has the opportunity to defend himself in a written response before the board meets again on April 18.
Rock publicly addressed the incident for the first time, but only briefly, at the beginning of a standup show Wednesday night in Boston, where he was greeted by a thunderous standing ovation. He said “I’m still kind of processing what happened.”
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/mother-of-shoreline-murder-victim-speaks-out/281-b27023da-7402-49df-b093-7cb0d638b607
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SEATTLE — The mother of a woman who was murdered in a Shoreline apartment said she wants people to remember her daughter as loving and always smiling.
"She would never hurt a flea, ever, ever, ever," Vicky Garcia said.
Garcia said she is still in shock over the loss of her daughter, Randee Leeann Rios.
Rios was killed in an apartment in Shoreline Saturday night. Charging documents on the arrest of the murder suspect, Tyrone Wells, said Rios was killed after being struck in the head multiple times.
Wells called 911 and confessed to killing her, according to the charging documents. Wells now faces a first-degree murder charge and is currently being held at the King County Jail on $5-million bail. He has yet to make a plea in his case.
Garcia said her daughter had known Wells for at least a couple of years.
"I just don't understand why he would do such a thing. It's just so horrible. I had no idea he was capable, or even that type of person, you know?" Garcia said.
Garcia spoke to KING 5 on Thursday, days after her daughter's murder, to show how she will be remembered.
"She was very loving and caring," Garcia said.
Garcia said her daughter was born in Redlands, California, grew up in Cortez, Colorado, and moved to Seattle, where she attended high school.
Garcia said Rios gave birth to a daughter who died of sudden infant death syndrome when she was three months old.
"I know now that she'll be with her daughter you know, in heaven," Garcia said.
Garcia said Rios also has a nine-year-old son, who is in foster care. Garcia said Rios sustained a traumatic brain injury in a car accident when she was six years old and grew up with a disability that prevented her from raising her son.
"I just give her all my love and I miss her so much. You know, I just miss her so much," Garcia said.
A friend of the victim's family has set up a fundraising page for memorial and funeral expenses.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/olympia-officers-stabbed-making-arrest/281-20f6a709-dc50-48e9-80fa-1fb90d617d32
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OLYMPIA, Wash. — Two Olympia police officers were stabbed while attempting to make an arrest Thursday evening.
One officer shot at the suspect, according to the Olympia Police Department. The suspect was airlifted to a hospital in Pierce County in critical condition.
One officer is in serious but stable condition. The other has a non-life-threatening wound.
According to preliminary information, the officers were attempting to arrest the suspect for allegedly lighting their neighbor's door on fire.
The location of the incident has not been released.
The Capital Metro Independent Investigative Team was called to the scene to conduct an independent investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington.
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https://www.king5.com/article/sports/homecoming-lb-bobby-wagner-agrees-to-5-year-deal-with-rams/281-042edaf0-d466-4f15-877b-48dd2b6a1988
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Linebacker Bobby Wagner agreed to a five-year deal Thursday to join his hometown Los Angeles Rams.
The Super Bowl champions outmaneuvered several suitors for Wagner, one of the NFL's top inside linebackers after his decade with the Seattle Seahawks. ESPN reported Wagner's deal contains $50 million and could be worth up to $65 million.
The Seahawks released the six-time All-Pro anchor of their defense on March 9. Just over three weeks later, Wagner agreed to join Seattle's NFC West rivals, providing the force at inside linebacker that the Rams have lacked for several seasons.
Wagner was born in Los Angeles, and he graduated from high school in suburban Ontario, California.
Wagner joins receiver Allen Robinson as the most prominent offseason additions to the Rams, who have once again proven their adeptness at fitting stars under the salary cap. Los Angeles lost a handful of starters and key contributors to free agency, retirement and a trade over the past month, but also managed to retain two key offensive linemen while adding Wagner and Robinson as veteran playmakers.
Although Wagner plays a markedly different linebacking role, his arrival will assuage some of the Rams' disappointment at losing midseason acquisition Von Miller, who took a slightly higher offer from the Buffalo Bills rather than running it back in Los Angeles.
Wagner has been selected to the past eight consecutive Pro Bowls, and he has racked up 1,383 total tackles — the most by any active player. He set a career high last season with 170 tackles for struggling Seattle.
The only active player with more first-team All-Pro selections than Wagner is Aaron Donald, Wagner’s new teammate.
Wagner was released by the rebuilding Seahawks because he would have cost them $20.6 million against the salary cap this year in the final season of his contract. He also turns 32 in June.
But Wagner had no shortage of teams eager to pick him up after his departure from Seattle. The Baltimore Ravens were the most prominent among the other teams who avidly pursued Wagner in free agency, but the Rams closed the deal a week after Wagner visited the team's training complex in Thousand Oaks.
Wagner should step in immediately to help a defense that has put together two outstanding years despite lacking a versatile, hard-hitting linebacker in the middle of its scheme. A linebacker hasn't led the Rams in tackles since 2019, when Cory Littleton parlayed his breakout play into a free-agent deal with the Raiders.
The Rams largely used unsung Troy Reeder and rookie Ernest Jones as inside linebackers last season. While both are respectable tacklers, the relative weakness of the duo's pass coverage skills was obvious to opponents with the patience to throw the ball regularly to the middle of the field.
Jones, whose late-season improvements were interrupted by injury, is likely to be alongside Wagner in the middle of LA's 3-4 scheme under defensive coordinator Raheem Morris this fall.
Rams general manager Les Snead has admired Wagner since the linebacker's college career at Utah State. Snead still regrets passing on Wagner in the 2012 draft when he elected to trade back for more picks rather than selecting a player he knew would be a star.
Snead no longer makes that mistake in drafts, calling it his “Bobby Wagner Rule.”
The Rams' offseason business also included a new contract for quarterback Matthew Stafford, and the team has confirmed it is working on a new deal for Donald.
Los Angeles hopes to re-sign midseason acquisition Odell Beckham Jr., but the receiver's upcoming lengthy recovery from knee surgery complicates any deal.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/march-2022-jobs-report/507-d52cce3e-6ffa-46a4-b2a4-eac083c02587
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Defying a pandemic and supply chain disruptions, the U.S. economy has cranked out more than 400,000 jobs every month for nearly a year — a blazing winning streak in wildly uncertain times.
And despite surging inflation, the hiring wave likely continued last month in the face of yet another jolt: Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has unsettled the economic outlook and catapulted gasoline prices to painful levels.
Economists surveyed by the data firm FactSet expect the Labor Department’s jobs report for March to show that employers added 478,000 jobs and that the unemployment rate dipped from 3.8% to 3.7%. That would mark the lowest unemployment rate since just before the pandemic struck two years ago, when joblessness reached a 50-year low of 3.5%.
The government will issue the March jobs report at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time Friday.
“With the war in Ukraine, economic uncertainty rising and surging energy prices, we may see a modest slowdown in hiring in March,’’ said Daniel Zhao, senior economist at the jobs website Glassdoor. “However, employer demand remains strong, which should sustain a healthy level of hiring.''
The booming U.S. job market reflects a robust rebound from the brief but devastating coronavirus recession, which wiped out 22 million jobs in March and April 2020 as businesses shut down or cut hours and Americans stayed home to avoid infection.
But the recovery has been swift. Fueled by generous federal aid, savings amassed during the pandemic and ultra-low borrowing rates engineered by the Federal Reserve, U.S. consumers have spent so fast that many factories, warehouses, shipping companies and ports have failed to keep pace with their customer demand. Supply chains have snarled, forcing up prices.
As the pandemic has eased, consumers have been broadening their spending beyond goods to services, such as health care, travel and entertainment, which they had long avoided during the worst of the pandemic. The result: Inflation is running at 40-year highs, causing hardships for many lower-income households that face sharp increases for such necessities as food, gasoline and rent.
It’s unclear whether the economy can maintain its momentum of the past year. The government relief checks are gone. The Fed raised its benchmark short-term interest rate two weeks ago and will likely keep raising it well into next year. Those rate hikes will result in more expensive loans for many consumers and businesses.
Inflation has also eroded consumers’ spending power: Hourly pay, adjusted for higher consumer prices, fell 2.6% in February from a year earlier — the 11th straight month in which inflation has outpaced year-over-year wage growth. According to AAA, average gasoline prices, at $4.23 a gallon, are up a dizzying 47% from a year ago.
Squeezed by inflation, some consumers are paring their spending. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that consumer spending rose just 0.2%% in February — and fell 0.4% when adjusted for inflation — down from a 2.7% increase in January.
Still, the job market has kept hurtling ahead. Employers posted a near-record 11.3 million positions in February. Nearly 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs, a sign of confidence that they could find something better.
“We’re still seeing a very tight labor market,’’ said Karen Fichuk, CEO of the staffing company Randstad North America, who noted that the United States now has a record 1.7 job openings for every unemployed person.
Even so, so many jobs were lost in 2020 that the economy still remains more than 2 million shy of the number it had just before the pandemic struck. Over the past year, employers have added an average of 556,000 jobs a month. At that pace — no guarantee to continue — the nation would recover all the jobs lost to the pandemic by June. (That still wouldn't include all the additional hiring that would have been done over the past two years under normal circumstances.)
Brighter job prospects are beginning to draw back into the labor force people who had remained on the sidelines because of health concerns, difficulty finding or affording daycare, generous unemployment benefits that have now expired or other reasons.
Over the past year, 3.6 million people have joined the U.S. labor force, meaning they now either have a job or are looking for one. But their ranks are still nearly 600,000 short of where they stood in February 2020, just before the pandemic slammed into the economy.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/ukraine/russia-ukraine-war-friday/507-e4237a48-5cf6-434f-9115-5aa4e2dce25a
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KYIV, Ukraine — Russian troops left the heavily contaminated Chernobyl nuclear site early Friday after returning control to the Ukrainians, authorities said, as eastern parts of the country braced for renewed attacks and Russians blocked another aid mission to the besieged port city of Mariupol.
Ukraine’s state power company, Energoatom, said the pullout at Chernobyl came after soldiers received “significant doses” of radiation from digging trenches in the forest in the exclusion zone around the closed plant. But there was no independent confirmation of that.
The exchange of control happened amid growing indications the Kremlin is using talk of de-escalation in Ukraine as cover to regroup, resupply its forces and redeploy them for a stepped-up offensive in the eastern part of the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russian withdrawals from the north and center of the country were just a military tactic to build up forces for new powerful attacks in the southeast. A new round of talks between the countries was scheduled Friday, five weeks into a conflict that has left thousands dead and driven 4 million Ukrainians from the country.
“We know their intentions,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation. “We know that they are moving away from those areas where we hit them in order to focus on other, very important ones where it may be difficult for us.”
“There will be battles ahead,” he added.
Following a plea from Zelenskyy when he addressed Australian Parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that his country would send mine-resistant armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.
He said Friday the four-wheel drive “Bushmaster” vehicles, specifically requested by Zelenskyy, would be flown in to Europe but did not say how many would be delivered or when.
“We’re not just sending our prayers, we are sending our guns, we’re sending our munitions, we’re sending our humanitarian aid, we’re sending all of this, our body armor, all of these things and we’re going to be sending our armored vehicles, our Bushmasters, as well,” Morrison said.
In the encircled strategic port city of Mariupol, Russian forces blocked a convoy of 45 buses attempting to evacuate people after the Russian military agreed to a limited cease-fire in the area. Only 631 people were able to get out of the city in private cars, according to the Ukrainian government.
Russian forces also seized 14 tons of food and medical supplies in a dozen buses that were trying to make it to Mariupol, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
The city has been the scene of some of the worst suffering of the war. Tens of thousands have managed to get out in the past few weeks by way of humanitarian corridors, reducing the population from a prewar 430,000 to an estimated 100,000 by last week, but other relief efforts have been thwarted by continued Russian attacks.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had been informed by Ukraine that the Russian forces at the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster had transferred control of it in writing to the Ukrainians. The last Russian troops left Chernobyl early Friday, the Ukrainian government agency responsible for the exclusion zone said.
Energoatom gave no details on the condition of the soldiers it said were exposed to radiation and did not say how many were affected. There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin, and the IAEA said it had not been able to confirm the reports of Russian troops receiving high doses. It said it was seeking more information.
Russian forces seized the Chernobyl site in the opening stages of the Feb. 24 invasion, raising fears that they would cause damage or disruption that could spread radiation. The workforce at the site oversees the safe storage of spent fuel rods and the concrete-entombed ruins of the reactor that exploded in 1986.
Edwin Lyman, a nuclear expert with the U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said it “seems unlikely” a large number of troops would develop severe radiation illness, but it was impossible to know for sure without more details.
He said contaminated material was probably buried or covered with new topsoil during the cleanup of Chernobyl, and some soldiers may have been exposed to a “hot spot” of radiation while digging. Others may have assumed they were at risk too, he said.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi was in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad on Friday for talks with senior officials there about nuclear issues in Ukraine.
In addition to concerns about Chernobyl, nine of Ukraine's 15 operational reactors are currently in use, including two at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhya facility, the IAEA said.
Early this week, the Russians said they would significantly scale back military operations in areas around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv to increase trust between the two sides and help negotiations along.
But in the Kyiv suburbs, regional governor Oleksandr Palviuk said on social media Thursday that Russian forces shelled Irpin and Makariv and that there were battles around Hostomel. Pavliuk said there were Ukrainian counterattacks and some Russian withdrawals around the suburb of Brovary to the east.
At a Ukrainian military checkpoint outside Kyiv, soldiers and officers said they don’t believe Russian forces have given up on the capital.
“What does it mean, significantly scaling down combat actions in the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas?” asked Brig. Gen. Valeriy Embakov. “Does it mean there will be 100 missiles instead of 200 missiles launched on Kyiv or something else?”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said intelligence indicates Russia is not scaling back its military operations in Ukraine but is instead trying to regroup, resupply its forces and reinforce its offensive in the Donbas.
“Russia has repeatedly lied about its intentions,” Stoltenberg said. At the same time, he said, pressure is being kept up on Kyiv and other cities, and “we can expect additional offensive actions bringing even more suffering.”
The Donbas is the predominantly Russian-speaking industrial region where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014. In the past few days, the Kremlin, in a seeming shift in its war aims, said that its “main goal” now is gaining control of the Donbas, which consists of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including Mariupol.
The top rebel leader in Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, issued an order to set up a rival city government for Mariupol, according to Russian state news agencies, in a sign of Russian intent to hold and administer the city.
With talks set to resume between Ukraine and Russia via video, there seemed little faith that the two sides would resolve the conflict any time soon.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that conditions weren’t yet “ripe” for a cease-fire and that he wasn’t ready for a meeting with Zelenskyy until negotiators do more work, Italian Premier Mario Draghi said after a telephone conversation with the Russian leader.
As Western officials search for clues about what Russia’s next move might be, a top British intelligence official said demoralized Russian soldiers in Ukraine are refusing to carry out orders and sabotaging their equipment and had accidentally shot down their own aircraft.
U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the war is going because they are afraid to tell him the truth.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the U.S. is wrong and that “neither the State Department nor the Pentagon possesses the real information about what is happening in the Kremlin.”
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Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/alaska-airlines-flight-cancellations-pilot-picket/281-3e4abef9-8583-4d2f-b6e1-5297a61a6a19
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SEATTLE — Early Friday morning, more than 16% of Alaska Airlines flights in and out of Sea-Tac Airport were canceled.
The cancelations come amid a planned informational picket by some Alaska Airlines pilots up and down the west coast with others planned in Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The Air Line Pilots Association, International says there could be more than a hundred pilots as well as supporters lining International Boulevard Friday at noon.
Will McQuillen, a pilot and union chairman for Alaska Airlines' pilots said negotiations to reach a solution have been ongoing since 2019.
Negotiations were paused because of the pandemic, but Friday is the day the old contract, which employees have been operating as their current contract, becomes amendable.
McQuillen says the goal of this informational picket, which is not a strike, is to bring awareness to pilots' struggles.
Among the top priorities are better pay, more flexible schedules and more job protections.
"Attrition is a real concern. Pilots will leave for the career carrier of their choice that provides them the quality of life, the ability to be home with their family and the protections to know once they've invested their career that they will be with that carrier for life," said McQuillen.
He adds that conversations with the airline have been frustrating and slow.
In an email statement, Alaska Airlines said, "A new pilot contract remains a top priority for Alaska. We’ve put a package on the table that’s competitive and addresses the issues most important to our pilots."
The airline also noted the pause in negotiations was mutual as the industry faced the pandemic.
"It’s a significant financial investment in our pilot group while recognizing that we are still working to recover from $2.3 billion in losses from the COVID-19 pandemic," the statement continued.
The airline also acknowledged that some flights will be canceled Friday because of the picket and apologized for the inconvenience.
"We’re working as quickly as possible to make things right and get them to their destinations," the statement read.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/cockpit-windshield-cracks-delta-pilots-land-jet-safely-salt-lake-city-washington-dc/507-7ff062f3-03a9-4142-81f6-8876bd9d7cb9
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SALT LAKE CITY — The pilots on a Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City to Washington, D.C. decided to bring their jet down in Denver after the cockpit windshield shattered above 30,000 feet. The crew repeatedly told passengers to remain calm until they landed.
“They came on the loudspeaker saying that the windshield had shattered, and we were diverting to Denver in about 10 minutes," Rachel Wright, one of the 198 passengers on the plane, told KUTV.
A photo of the windshield taken by a passenger shows the glass, though lined with cracks, didn't fall from its frame. Commercial airline pilots said jetliner windshields can be two inches thick, with several layered panes of glass, the station reported.
The crew announced the diversion about 90 minutes into the flight, after the plane reached cruising altitude, which is above 30,000 feet, passengers said.
“They kept coming on saying for everyone to stay calm, to be calm, and we were calm so being told to stay calm while we were calm made us feel a little panicky,” Wright said.
Passengers were able to see the shattered glass once they landed in Denver.
“I’m really good at playing what-if? And so, my mind goes to kind of what could have happened, worst case scenario and I’m grateful,” Wright said. “It could have been really bad, it could have gone very differently."
Another passenger, Kirk Knowlton, snapped a picture and tweeted that the crew had announced that the windscreen appeared to crack spontaneously.
Delta gave a statement to KUTV calling it “a maintenance issue mid-flight.”
"Out of an abundance of caution, the flight crew diverted into Denver and the plane landed routinely. Our team worked quickly to accommodate customers on a new plane, and we sincerely apologize for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans,” the airline statement said.
Passengers boarded a new plane in Denver and continued on to Washington. Wright praised Delta for bringing the jet down safely, and said the airline was very accommodating.
“I’ve never been more grateful to spend an extra three hours in an airport,” Wright said.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/new-cars-40-mpg/507-7343e7db-7f4e-4707-bc2f-196ee88f4835
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DETROIT — New vehicles sold in the United States will have to travel an average of at least 40 miles per gallon of gasoline in 2026 under new rules unveiled Friday by the government.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said its fuel economy requirements will undo a rollback of standards enacted under President Donald Trump. The new requirements increase gas mileage by 8% per year for model years 2024 and 2025 and 10% in the 2026 model year.
For the current model year, standards enacted under Trump require the fleet of new vehicles to get just over 24 miles per gallon in real-world driving.
Agency officials say the requirements are the maximum that the industry can achieve over the time period and will reduce gasoline consumption by more than 220 billion gallons over the life of vehicles, compared with the Trump standards.
Trump's administration rolled back fuel economy requirements so they rose 1.5% per year, which environmental groups said was inadequate to limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change.
But the new standards won't immediately match those adopted through 2025 under President Barack Obama. NHTSA officials said they will equal the Obama standards by 2025 and slightly exceed them for the 2026 model year.
The Obama-era standards automatically adjusted for changes in the type of vehicles people are buying. When they were enacted in 2012, 51% of new vehicle sales were cars and 49% SUVs and trucks. Last year, 77% of new vehicle sales were SUVs and trucks, which generally are less efficient than cars.
Some environmental groups said the new requirements from NHTSA under President Joe Biden don't go far enough to fight global warming.
“Climate change has gotten much worse, but these rules only require automakers to reduce gas-guzzling slightly more than they agreed to cut nine years ago,” said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Center at the Center for Biological Diversity.
He said the final rule is about 2 mpg short of the strongest alternative that NHTSA considered.
Officials said that under the new standards, owners would save about $1,400 in gasoline costs during the lifetime of a 2029 model year vehicle. Carbon dioxide emissions would drop by 2.5 billion metric tons by 2050 under the standards, the NHTSA said.
The agency did not give figures for how much the standards would increase the cost of vehicles. Auto dealers say more stringent requirements drive up prices and push people out of an already expensive new-car market.
The NHTSA sets fuel economy requirements, while the Environmental Protection Agency develops limits on greenhouse gas emissions. NHTSA officials said their requirements nearly match rules adopted in December by the EPA, so automakers don't have to comply with two rules.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/us-march-job-report/507-ddcae4b1-b64a-43b9-9314-112cb6564db5
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America’s employers extended a streak of robust hiring in March, adding 431,000 jobs in a sign of the economy’s resilience in the face of a still-destructive pandemic and the highest inflation in 40 years.
The Labor Department’s report Friday showed that last month’s job growth helped shrink the unemployment rate to 3.6%, the lowest level since the pandemic erupted two years ago.
Despite the inflation surge, persistent supply bottlenecks, the damaging effects of COVID-19 and now a war in Europe, employers have added at least 400,000 jobs for 11 straight months. In its report Friday, the government also revised sharply up its estimate of hiring in January and February by a combined 95,000 jobs.
In an encouraging sign for the economy, 418,000 people began looking for a job in March, and many found one. Since the pandemic struck in 2020, many people have remained on the sidelines of the job market, a trend that has contributed to a chronic worker shortage in many industries.
Across the economy in March, hiring gains were widespread. Restaurants and bars added 61,000 jobs, retailers 49,000, manufacturers 38,000 and hotels 25,000.
Average hourly pay is up a strong 5.6% over the past 12 months. Though that is welcome news for employees, it is contributing to surging inflation pressures that have put the Federal Reserve on track to raise rates multiple times, perhaps aggressively, in the coming months. Those rate hikes will result in more expensive loans for many consumers and businesses.
For now, though, the job market has continued to rebound with unexpected speed from the coronavirus recession. Job openings are at a near-record level, and applications for unemployment benefits have dropped to near their lowest point since 1969.
The still-solid U.S. job market reflects a robust rebound from the brief but devastating coronavirus recession, which wiped out 22 million jobs in March and April 2020 as businesses shut down or cut hours and Americans stayed home to avoid infection.
But the recovery has been swift. Fueled by generous federal aid, savings amassed during the pandemic and ultra-low borrowing rates engineered by the Federal Reserve, U.S. consumers have spent so fast that many factories, warehouses, shipping companies and ports have failed to keep pace with their customer demand. Supply chains have snarled, forcing up prices.
As the pandemic has eased, consumers have been broadening their spending beyond goods to services, such as health care, travel and entertainment, which they had long avoided during the worst of the pandemic. The resulting high inflation is causing hardships for many lower-income households that face sharp price increases for such necessities as food, gasoline and rent.
It’s unclear how long the economy can maintain its momentum of the past year. The government relief checks are gone. The Fed raised its benchmark short-term interest rate two weeks ago and will likely keep raising it well into next year. Those rate hikes will result in more expensive loans for many consumers and businesses.
Inflation has also eroded consumers’ spending power: Hourly pay, adjusted for higher consumer prices, fell 2.6% in February from a year earlier — the 11th straight month in which inflation has outpaced year-over-year wage growth. According to AAA, average gasoline prices, at $4.23 a gallon, are up a dizzying 47% from a year ago.
Squeezed by inflation, some consumers are paring their spending. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that consumer spending rose just 0.2%% in February — and fell 0.4% when adjusted for inflation — down from a 2.7% increase in January.
Still, the job market has kept hurtling ahead. Employers posted a near-record 11.3 million positions in February. Nearly 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs, a sign of confidence that they could find something better.
Even so, so many jobs were lost in 2020 that the economy still remains 1.6 million shy of the number it had just before the pandemic struck. Over the past year, employers have added an average of 541,000 jobs a month. At that pace — no guarantee to continue — the nation would recover all the jobs lost to the pandemic by June. (That still wouldn’t include all the additional hiring that would have been done over the past two years under normal circumstances.)
Brighter job prospects are beginning to draw back into the labor force people who had remained on the sidelines because of health concerns, difficulty finding or affording daycare, generous unemployment benefits that have now expired or other reasons.
Over the past year, 3.6 million people have joined the U.S. labor force, meaning they now either have a job or are looking for one. But their ranks are still nearly 600,000 short of where they stood in February 2020, just before the pandemic slammed into the economy.
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https://www.king5.com/article/sports/ncaa/ncaab/march-madness/duke-unc-final-four-preview-who-has-the-matchup-edge-how-will-coach-k-affect-game/535-2ddf1c6a-65f4-405c-b315-d347a1ad9e83
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NEW ORLEANS — It's just about go time in New Orleans for one of the most anticipated Final Four matchups in the history of the NCAA Tournament as Duke and North Carolina meet for the first time in tournament history.
And how fitting, of course, that it all comes with the back drop of Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski's impending retirement.
On Friday's Locked On Today podcast, the full episode is dedicated to a Duke-North Carolina preview as Locked On ACC podcast host Candace Cooper, Locked On Tar Heels podcast host Isaac Schade and Locked On Blue Devils podcast host JJ Jackson all join the show to give their perspective on this monumental matchup.
Saturday's matchup between Duke and North Carolina tips off at 8:49 p.m. ET on CBS.
SUBSCRIBE: The Locked On Today podcast hosted by Peter Bukowski gets you caught up every morning on the biggest stories in sports without taking up your free time.
How can Duke win over UNC?
Candace Cooper of the Locked On ACC podcast joined the show to discuss how Duke can defeat UNC, and which matchups will be the biggest key.
“Truly in this tournament it’s been Jeremy Roach for Duke, I think he’s had a great run just from the way he's been a floor general for this offense and how he’s facilitated well and taken it to the rim," Cooper said. "I think his confidence has grown and he’s been called upon in moments and he’s delivered so I think he’s the X factor.”
Who has the biggest matchup advantage that Duke can exploit?
“You’ve seen these teams play each other twice now and I think AJ Griffin is certainly a factor in how well he can shoot and if he can match Brady Manek’s energy, I think he has a slight edge," Cooper said. "Not only is Griffin a great shooter, he’s also a great point man. I think if he’s going to be hot, it’s going to be a long night for Carolina."
Who wins the matchup inside?
“I think it’s about even," she said. "Armando Bacot getting double doubles whenever he wants and Mark Williams being defensive player of the year in the ACC. Everyone’s going to have to play their part and feed them, on either side of the floor. I think Mark Williams is the most NBA-ready person on the floor, but Armando is proving to me that he wants this just as bad as anyone else.”
What are the biggest concerns for North Carolina?
This UNC team has shown resilience, they’ve coalesced at the right time. If there is something to worry about for North Carolina, what is it? Isaac Schade from Locked On Tar Heels gave his thoughts.
“It’s matchups," he said. "The biggest problem for Carolina in this game is that Leaky Black is only one person. The problem for Carolina is they have to find a way to stop both AJ Griffin and Paolo Banchero. In their last game, Leaky Black was on AJ Griffin while Brady Manek guarded Banchero. There’s really no good way for the Tar Heels to matchup. There’s no help coming off the bench that can do that so that’s what bothers me most. I’m concerned that Manek can’t stop Banchero. The only way Carolina can win this game is if he can limit him.”
If you’re Carolina and you start losing these matchups, what can they throw at Duke?
“Since Carolina lost to Pittsburgh six weeks ago, they’re 10-1 and they rate as the No. 1 team in the nation during that time period. In fact, Duke’s defense in that span is 171st. The way Carolina was able to exploit that at Cameron Indoor Stadium is pick and rolls against Mark Williams. RJ Davis uses ball screen action with either Bacot or Manek and RJ Davis is able to exploit that matchup by driving or take a shot if Williams backs off, or finding Bacot rolling, or finding Manek for a quick three.”
Schade also offered his prediction on the game.
“This game is going to be close," he said. "I think there’s going to be nerves on both sides. I think Duke has more pressure on them because a loss means you let your coach end his career without a national championship. Carolina, to me is still playing with house money at this point…I think they ride that lack of stress that Duke has and I think Carolina wins a close game."
What will Coach K's impact be?
It's the thirteenth trip to the Final Four for Coach K and his final one. What will his impact on the game be? JJ Jackson of the Locked On Blue Devils breaks it down.
“I think it’s going to be business as usual for Coach K. He’s been in this position before…This is the 13th trip to the Final Four. Anytime a teacher can lend that message to students, I think Coach K is going to be prepared for this moment and he understands that at most, he’s got two games left in his career and he’s going to be ready," Jackson said.
It’s not like Coach K needs more to add to his resume. The legacy and all of the lives he’s affected over his career, but what would getting another national title mean in the grand scheme of his career?
“It would be quite the way to exit," Jackson said. "We’ve seen so many athletes and sports figures over the course of the years have amazing moments at their exit whether it be the 60-point game for Kobe Bryant, I think about Derek Jeter with the walk off hits he had. I think it would be the perfect exit for Coach K.”
What is the biggest concern for Duke in this matchup?
“Getting out in transition and shots from the outside are the concerning areas for Duke,” Jackson said. “The fact that in the NCAA Tournament, this Duke team has not taken a lot of threes…Duke is not getting a lot of point from the three point line where North Carolina, particularly in their matchups with Duke over the past few seasons, they knock down shots from the outside, Brady Manek being a key. Any time you’re trading twos for threes, that could be deadly for Duke if they’re not able to keep up.”
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https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/music/grammys/2022-grammy-predictions-ap-writers-debate/507-286ae94f-53d7-41fe-8af0-9bf4071b1117
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The number of nominees for the Grammys' top awards keeps growing, up to 10 this year, making the competition stronger, but predictions a lot trickier. Are too many pop artists going to split the vote, making an upset more likely? Can we even count on past wins as a guide?
Associated Press Entertainment Writers Jonathan Landrum Jr. and Kristin M. Hall break down the Grammy nominees, agreeing at the very least that Olivia Rodrigo is going to pick up gold trophies. But the writers (and likely Grammy voters, too) are conflicted when there is so much stiff competition between artists like Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Billie Eilish and Rodrigo.
The 64th annual Grammy Awards will air on Sunday, April 3 on CBS and Paramount+.
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ALBUM OF THE YEAR: “We Are,” Jon Batiste; “Love For Sale,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga; “Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe),” Justin Bieber; “Planet Her (Deluxe Edition),” Doja Cat; “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish; “Back of My Mind,” H.E.R.; “MONTERO,” Lil Nas X; “Sour,” Olivia Rodrigo; “Evermore,” Taylor Swift; “Donda,” Kanye West.
LANDRUM: Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga are a perfect match to win album of the year against some stiff competition. It’ll be a tight race between the dynamic duo along with Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, but I think Bennett and Gaga will reign supreme above the rest of the well-respected pack with their unmatched chemistry displayed by the legendary crooners on “Love for Sale.” True, there’s a lifelong bond and synergy between the sister-brother combo of Eilish and Finneas. Rodrigo has one of the biggest early career splashes of success too. But the magic created by Bennett and Gaga is a rare occurrence — especially for Bennett, who showed in his 90s that he can still vocally hold his own and flourish with Gaga in their collection of masterful duets.
HALL: Aww, Jonathan, I had no idea you were such a romantic! Even a hard-hearted cynic like me has a hard time arguing against a duo who has 30 Grammys (and a lifetime achievement award) between them. This category has such variety from debut albums and pop and rap stars evolving through various levels of fame all the way to musical icons. But I am gonna go with my gut, not my heart, and say that Rodrigo ekes out a tight contest that is likely to split among pop fans. Her inescapable fun pop rock hits have turned the young artist into a household name, giving her a slight edge over Grammy favs Eilish and Swift.
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RECORD OF THE YEAR: “I Still Have Faith in You,” ABBA; “FREEDOM," Jon Batiste; “I Get a Kick Out of You,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga; “Peaches,” Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon; “Right on Time,” Brandi Carlile; “Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat featuring SZA; “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish; “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” Lil Nas X; “Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo; “Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic.
HALL: I know I’m not supposed to, but I am talking about Bruno. As in Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak creating a lush soundscape with their Silk Sonic collaboration. “Leave the Door Open” is an smooth ’70s era R&B throwback that just hits the right notes, from the tinkling keys to the first lines of the song: “What you doin’? Where you at? Oh you got plans? Don’t say that.” Mars and .Paak made some nostalgic 24K magic here that is my jam.
LANDRUM: I think Eilish will completely shut Silk Sonic’s door. She's too much of a force for the other competitors here. And through “Happier Than Ever,” she’ll make history by becoming the first artist to win three straight years in the category and join Paul Simon as the only artist with three record of the year victories.
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SONG OF THE YEAR (songwriter’s award): “Bad Habits,” “A Beautiful Noise,” “Drivers License,” “Fight For You,” “Happier Than Ever,” “Kiss Me More,” “Leave The Door Open,” “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” “Peaches,” “Right On Time.”
LANDRUM: I probably played Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon more than the other nominee’s tracks. I was captured by the song’s feel-good melody and Bieber’s catchy hook — which oftentimes still plays in my head. But after my soliloquy, I’m predicting that H.E.R. will go back-to-back in this category for “Fight for You,” a soulful song with poignant lyrics from the “Judas and the Black Messiah” soundtrack. The song — written by H.E.R., producer D’Mile and singer Tiara Thomas — won an Academy Award for best original song last year. It offers a powerful message just like last year's winner “I Can’t Breathe” and I think ”Fight for You” will win this bout for the trio at the Grammys too.
HALL: The Recording Academy clearly LOVES Eilish and has anointed the star with seven Grammys already, so she looks like a good shoo-in. “Happier Than Ever” is a cinematic melodramatic story song, showing the different sides of the alternative pop singer-songwriter, even if it wasn’t one of the bigger songs from her album. Although part of me really would love for Lil Nas X to surprise everyone with a win here.
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BEST NEW ARTIST: Arooj Aftab; Jimmie Allen; Baby Keem; Finneas; Glass Animals; Japanese Breakfast; The Kid Laroi; Arlo Parks; Olivia Rodrigo; Saweetie.
HALL: So many deserving names in this category (and I think Jimmie Allen is the hardest working artist in country music right now), but there's no doubt this award is reserved for Rodrigo. Just go ahead and engrave her name on it.
LANDRUM: This award should be signed, sealed and delivered to Rodrigo. Sorry Saweetie, but there’s a bona fide sleeper in this category: Finneas. Yep, Eilish’s brother who has already won eight Grammys through his producer and co-writer work on his sister’s projects. Do I honestly think Finneas will upset Rodrigo? No. She's had too big of a year to lose. But there’s a small part of me that believes Finneas has a sliver of a chance. Sometimes, that's all you need.
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BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE: “Anyone,” Justin Bieber; “Right on Time,” Brandi Carlile; “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish; “Positions,” Ariana Grande; “Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo.
LANDRUM: Eilish or the Biebs could derail, but Rodrigo's “drivers license” should be coasting down the road in the winner's seat with no detours.
HALL: You know what is even better than finally earning your driver's license? A Grammy trophy. I hope she drives it around in her passenger seat to gloat over that ex.
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BEST RAP PERFORMANCE: “Thot S(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)," Megan The Stallion; “M Y. L I F E," J. Cole feat. 21 Savage and Morray; “Up," Cardi B; “Family Ties," Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar.
HALL: Megan and Cardi are still on fire even when they are dropping singles between albums, but there's no match for the lyrical one-two punch from cousins Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar. The family affair is a two-part song, pairing up Keem, the rising star who arrives to fanfare with a blare of horns and a drum line, with Lamar, one of the most acclaimed rappers of our time, who declares “I am the Omega." The Pulitzer Prize winner, who has been mostly quiet musically since the “Black Panther” soundtrack, drops plenty of hints that more is coming from him.
LANDRUM: Lamar and Keem’s family ties to this category will be broken. For me, this is a toss up between the “WAP” duo — Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B. It’ll be close, but I believe Cardi’s crossover hit “Up” will entice voters enough to literally send her up on stage to claim this award and become the first woman to win this category as a solo artist.
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BEST R&B PERFORMANCE: “Pick Up Your Feelings," Jazmine Sullivan; “Leave The Door Open," Silk Sonic; “Damage,” H.E.R.; “Peaches," Justin Beiber feat. Daniel Caesar and Giveon; “Lost You," Snoh Aalegra.
LANDRUM: Flip flop my choice about H.E.R. and Bieber in the song of the year category for this one. I love H.E.R.'s “Damage," but I think “Peaches” by Bieber is satisfying my sweet tooth for best R&B performance.
HALL: I love both “Pick Up Your Feelings” and “Damage” for their smart and sexy lyrics, so I am torn. But I think Silk Sonic will skate away with the win in this category.
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BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE: “You Should Probably Leave,” Chris Stapleton; “camera roll,” Kacey Musgraves; “All I Do Is Drive," Jason Isbell; “Remember Her Name,” Mickey Guyton; “Forever After All,” Luke Combs.
HALL: This is a singer's category, so you've got to have the pipes and Stapleton could easily win this award again. Combs' time is coming soon, but I think Guyton's performance of a song so personal gives her an advantage. Guyton's voice is supple and strong on “Remember Her Name” and I think Grammy voters will remember her positively.
LANDRUM: Last year, Guyton showed up. This year, she’ll show out. Just like the name of her album and song, you’ll absolutely remember her name when Guyton prevails in this category.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/mercer-high-school-macys-parade/281-13ec90aa-b0f4-45a0-a6a8-7737db56a464
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MERCER ISLAND, Wash. — Members of the Mercer High School marching band were treated to the surprise of a lifetime Friday morning when the school announced they would be performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2023.
The school’s nearly 300-member band program is the largest in the state, involving nearly 25% of the student body.
The full band performs at every one of the school’s home football games and the Homecoming Parade in the fall.
The band has also performed at other major events, including The Tournament of Roses, Seattle Seahawks half-time shows and the London New Year's Parade.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be yet another national stage for the young musicians.
A spokesperson for the parade told the band members that they were chosen after a nationwide search for the best marching bands in the country.
"I am very excited," said alto saxophone player Moa Valentin." I think it's going to be an amazing experience for all of us, especially the seventh and eighth graders who are coming into high school in a few years."
The parade itself is a U.S. staple, occurring on the morning of Thanksgiving through the streets of Manhattan in New York City, marked by the massive balloons depicting characters from pop culture.
In 2020, the parade was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The parade returned in 2021 with numerous health precautions. Next year's Thanksgiving will mark the 97th annual Macy’s celebration.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/jen-psaki-leaving-white-house/507-1700da97-25cf-4c05-b119-ac71f0749dd2
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WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki will leave the Biden Administration in May for a position with MSNBC, multiple media outlets confirmed Friday.
Psaki has been a key public face of the administration since Biden took office in 2021, giving daily briefings to the White House press corps and pushing the president's policy plans.
The news was first reported by Axios and confirmed by CNBC.
The outlets reported that Psaki's on-air deal with MSNBC isn't finalized yet, but she has informed senior officials at the White House about her plans. MSNBC has reportedly been working with ethics and compliance lawyers to make sure she isn't stepping on any of the federal rules for how public employees can pursue private-sector job opportunities while working for the government.
The Axios report added that she will host a show on Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming platform, and will be part of the network's live programming schedule. She will not take over for Rachel Maddow in the 9 p.m. timeslot, according to Axios, which some people had been speculating.
There has been speculation that Psaki has been planning to leave the White House for weeks, and the news isn't a complete shock.
In May 2021, Psaki said during an interview with CNN that she planned to give up the position in about a year to spend more time with her family.
Her expected May 2022 resignation would be in line with that timetable.
Psaki was unable to travel with President Joe Biden to Europe for his meeting with NATO leaders last month because she tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time.
She tweeted that a laboratory test in preparation for the Europe trip came back positive, and that she would follow the CDC guidelines for quarantining.
It is the second time a positive COVID test has kept Psaki from accompanying the president abroad. She also sat out a 2021 trip to Rome and Glasgow, Scotland, after learning at the last minute that she had tested positive.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/new-york-amazon-workers-vote-unionize/281-ef32e17e-e79c-4a80-b8a6-dd9a1fcebce9
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NEW YORK — Amazon workers in Staten Island, New York, voted to unionize on Friday, marking the first successful U.S. organizing effort in the retail giant’s history and handing an unexpected win to a nascent group that fueled the union drive.
Warehouse workers cast 2,654 votes in favor of a union, giving the fledgling Amazon Labor Union enough support to pull off a victory. According to the National Labor Relations Board, which is overseeing the process, 2,131 workers rejected the union bid.
The 67 ballots that were challenged by either Amazon or the ALU were not enough to sway the outcome. About 57% of the more than 8,300 workers on the voter list cast their ballots.
Federal labor officials said the results of the count won’t be verified until they process any objections that both parties may file. Any objections are due by April 8.
"The Labor Movement congratulates the workers in Staten Island for winning the first union at Amazon,” MLK Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Katie Garrow said in a statement. “This is a historic moment in time and has the power to shape America’s future.”
The victory was an uphill battle for the independent group, made up of former and current workers who lacked official backing from an established union and were out-gunned by the deep-pocketed retail giant. Despite obstacles, organizers believed their grassroots approach was more relatable to workers and could help them overcome where established unions have failed in the past.
Tristan Dutchin, who began working for the online retailer about a year ago, is hopeful that the new union will improve working conditions at his workplace.
“I’m excited that we’re making history,” Dutchin said. “We’re about to unionize a multibillion, trillion-dollar company. This will be a fantastic time for workers to be surrounded in a better, safer working environment.”
Chris Smalls, a fired Amazon employee who has been leading the ALU in its fight on Staten Island, bounded out the NLRB building in Brooklyn on Friday with other union organizers, pumping their fists and jumping, chanting “ALU.” They uncorked a bottle of Champagne.
Meanwhile, Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, appear to have rejected a union bid but outstanding challenged ballots could change the outcome. The votes were 993-to-875 against the union. A hearing to review 416 challenged ballots is expected to begin in the next few days.
The union campaigns come at a time of widespread labor unrest at many corporations. Workers at more than 140 Starbucks locations around the country, for instance, have requested union elections and several of them have already been successful.
John Logan, director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University, said the early vote counts in New York have been “shocking.” The nascent Amazon Labor Union, which is leading the charge on Staten Island, has no backing from an established union and is powered by former and current warehouse workers.
“I don’t think that many people thought that the Amazon Labor Union had much of a chance of winning at all,” Logan said. “And I think we’re likely to see more of those (approaches) going forward.”
After a crushing defeat last year in Bessemer, when a majority of workers voted against forming a union, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union got a second chance to organize another campaign when the NLRB ordered a do-over after determining that Amazon tainted the first election.
Though RWDSU is currently lagging in the latest election, Logan said the early results were still remarkable because the union has made a good effort narrowing its margin from last year.
Amazon has pushed back hard in the lead-up to both elections. The retail giant held mandatory meetings, where workers were told unions are a bad idea. The company also launched an anti-union website targeting workers and placed English and Spanish posters across the Staten Island facility urging them to reject the union. In Bessemer, Amazon has made some changes to but still kept a controversial U.S. Postal Service mailbox that was key in the NLRB’s decision to invalidate last year’s vote.
In a filing released on Thursday, Amazon disclosed it spent about $4.2 million last year on labor consultants, which organizers say the retailer routinely solicits to persuade workers not to unionize. It’s unclear how much it spent on such services in 2022.
Both labor fights faced unique challenges. Alabama, for instance, is a right-to-work state that prohibits a company and a union from signing a contract that requires workers to pay dues to the union that represents them.
The union landscape in Alabama is also starkly different from New York. Last year, union members accounted for 22.2% of wage and salary workers in New York, ranked only behind Hawaii, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s more than double the national average of 10.3%. In Alabama, it’s 5.9%.
The mostly Black workforce at the Amazon facility, which opened in 2020, mirrors the Bessemer population of more than 70% Black residents, according to the latest U.S. Census data.
Pro-union workers say they want better working conditions, longer breaks and higher wages. Regular full-time employees at the Bessemer facility earn at least $15.80 an hour, higher than the estimated $14.55 per hour on average in the city. That figure is based on an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual median household income for Bessemer of $30,284, which could include more than one worker.
The ALU said they don’t have a demographic breakdown of the warehouse workers on Staten Island and Amazon declined to provide the information to The Associated Press, citing the union vote. Internal records leaked to The New York Times from 2019 showed more than 60% of the hourly associates at the facility were Black or Latino, while most of the managers were white or Asian.
Amazon workers there are seeking longer breaks, paid time off for injured employees and an hourly wage of $30, up from a minimum of just over $18 per hour offered by the company. The estimated average wage for the borough is $41 per hour, according to a similar U.S. Census Bureau analysis of Staten Island’s $85,381 median household income.
A spokesperson for Amazon said the company invests in wages and benefits, such as health care, 401(k) plans and a prepaid college tuition program to help grow workers’ careers.
“As a company, we don’t think unions are the best answer for our employees,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Our focus remains on working directly with our team to continue making Amazon a great place to work.”
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https://www.king5.com/article/sports/locked-on/mlb-podcast/mlb-umpires-to-announce-replay-decisions-to-fans-for-1st-time-baseball-umpire-mlb-rules-baseball-rules/535-72f923db-b22d-4950-9d2a-84e6e8f7d8dd
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NEW YORK — In addition to “Play ball!” and “Yer Out!", big league umpires will be heard saying “Overturned!” and “Upheld!” for the first time this season.
“Major league umpires will conduct in-park announcements during the replay review process,” Major League Baseball announced Friday. “We’re pleased to launch this enhancement to the ballpark and broadcast experiences. Training has been held in Arizona and Florida this spring.”
MLB was the last major pro sport in North America to institute replay when it began late in the 2008 season for home run calls. Video reviews were vastly expanded for the 2014 season.
Until now, umpires had revealed their decisions such as safe and out with hand signals.
Of 1,305 calls challenged by clubs last year, 655 calls were overturned (50.2%), 221 were confirmed (16.9%) and 429 were allowed to stand (32.9%) when there was insufficient evidence to overturn or confirm. There were 159 additional crew chief reviews initiated by an umpire.
NFL referees were given wireless microphones in 1975 to explain penalty decisions. The NFL had an initial replay system from 1986-91, abandoned it, then reinstalled it for the 1999 season. The NHL added a replay system in 1991 and the NBA in 2002.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/house-passes-bill-decriminalizing-marijuana-nationwide/507-d4f156bf-68e7-4ee7-8c2b-b939f07a83b4
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WASHINGTON — Marijuana would be decriminalized at the federal level under legislation the House approved Friday as Democrats made the case for allowing states to set their own policies on pot.
The bill is unlikely to become law since it is expected to die in the Senate. That would mirror what happened when a similar House-passed measure removing marijuana from the list of federally-controlled substances went nowhere in the Senate two years ago.
Still, Friday's vote gave lawmakers the chance to state their view on a decriminalization push that appears to have broad support with voters across the country.
The 2020 election showed how broadly accepted marijuana has become, with measures to legalize recreational pot breezing to victory in progressive New Jersey, moderate Arizona and conservative Montana and South Dakota.
The House approved the bill Friday with a mostly party-line vote of 220-204. All but two voting Democrats backed the measure, while only three Republicans did.
The measure would require federal courts to expunge prior marijuana convictions and conduct resentencing hearings for those completing their sentences. It also authorizes a 5% sales tax on marijuana and marijuana products that would be used for grant programs focused on job training, substance abuse treatment and loans to help disadvantaged small businesses get into the marijuana industry.
Democrats said the nation's federal prohibition on marijuana has had particularly devastating consequences for minority communities. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., cited statistics that showed Black Americans were four times more likely than white Americans to be arrested for marijuana possession, even though they use it at similar rates.
“Those criminal records can haunt people of color and impact the trajectory of their lives indefinitely," Hoyer said. “I regret that there are some members of our Congress who apparently think that's not worthy of attention."
“Make no mistake, yes, it is a racial justice bill," said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.
Republicans who opposed the measure said marijuana is a gateway drug that would lead to greater use of opioids and other dangerous substances. They also said the pot sold today is far more potent than what was sold decades ago, leading to greater impairment for those who use it. They said decriminalization is not the priority that lawmakers should be focused on now, with the war in Ukraine and inflation driving up the cost of gas, food and other essential items.
“Yet the priority of this Congress now turns to expanding access to addictive, behavior-altering recreational drugs at a time when our country is also experiencing increased addiction, depression and suicide," said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va.
Thirty-seven states and District of Columbia allow the medical use of cannabis products while 18 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“If states are the laboratories of democracy, it is long past time for the federal government to recognize that legalization has been a resounding success and that the conflict with federal law has become untenable," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
In the Senate, Democrats including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York asked colleagues in early February for their input on a marijuana decriminalization bill that they would be introducing later this year.
“This is an issue of individual freedom and basic fairness that clearly transcends party lines," the Democrats said in their letter to colleagues.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/verify/national-verify/strategic-petroleum-reserve-not-full-trump-presidency-fact-check/536-2fee187d-3992-4444-a55a-efd5b5ebec5a
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President Joe Biden announced on March 31 that the U.S. will release 1 million barrels of oil per day, or 180 million barrels total, from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) over the next six months, an action aimed at combating rising gas prices resulting in large part from the war in Ukraine.
In response to the Biden administration’s decision, former President Donald Trump claimed in a statement that he “built up” the country’s oil reserves during his administration to “100% full.” He also claimed that U.S. oil reserves had been “virtually empty” for 50 years.
THE QUESTION
Did former President Donald Trump build up U.S. oil reserves to “100% full” during his presidency?
THE SOURCES
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates
THE ANSWER
No, former President Donald Trump did not build up U.S. oil reserves to “100% full” during his presidency.
WHAT WE FOUND
The SPR was created in December 1975 when former President Gerald Ford signed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act into law. It was meant to counter disruption in commercial oil supplies that could “threaten the U.S. economy” following an energy crisis that began in 1973, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2017. On that date, the SPR inventory was approximately 695.1 million barrels, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) show.
The SPR could hold 727 million barrels of oil when Trump took office, Andy Lipow, president of Texas-based consulting firm Lipow Oil Associates, told VERIFY. The maximum storage capacity has since dropped to 714 million barrels of oil, according to the (DOE).
That means the SPR was about 95% full when Trump took office.
By the end of December 2017, the SPR had about 663.7 million barrels of oil, compared to the 695.1 million barrels when Trump took office – and EIA data show the volume continued to decline throughout his presidency.
The SPR inventory was about 638.1 million barrels on Jan. 15, 2021, less than one week before Biden’s inauguration. That means the SPR was more full when Trump became president than it was when he left office.
In March 2020, Trump did propose purchasing 77 million barrels of oil in order to fill the SPR to its maximum capacity, according to the DOE. But Congressional Democrats blocked the measure, calling it an “estimated $3 billion bailout for big oil.”
Trump’s claim about U.S. oil reserves being “virtually empty” for 50 years is also false. In December 2009, the SPR was nearly filled to its then-authorized capacity of 727 million barrels, according to the DOE. That’s the highest inventory ever held in the SPR.
EIA data also show that the SPR has never been close to empty in the past four decades. The lowest amount on record was in August 1982 when there were over 270 million barrels of oil in the reserve.
U.S. oil reserves have continued to decline since Biden took office. As of March 25, there were 568.3 million barrels of oil in the SPR, according to the DOE.
With Biden’s promise to release 180 million more barrels over the next six months, the SPR inventory will still be well above the lows of 1982.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/will-smith-deepfake-reaction-videos-fact-check/536-229cd1f1-0a97-4b71-a5ad-8138f4a8d60f
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During the March 27 Academy Awards, Will Smith marched on stage and hit presenter Chris Rock. The altercation came after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
Since then, some celebrities have weighed in on the encounter. Actor Mia Farrow tweeted about it, as did actor Sophia Bush. Filmmaker Rob Reiner also tweeted, and Wanda Sykes went on “The Ellen [DeGeneres] Show” to give her account of the Oscars.
Even though there are several celebrities offering their real opinion of the so-called “slap heard around the world,” there are some videos of celebrity reactions on social media that many are claiming are fake, like this one of Clint Eastwood or this one of Morgan Freeman.
THE QUESTION
Are the videos showing actors Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman reacting to the Oscars controversy real?
THE SOURCES
- AP Images
- @themanofmanyvoices TikTok account
- MIT Media Lab
THE ANSWER
No, the videos aren’t real. They are deepfake videos created by a celebrity impressionist who originally posted the videos on TikTok.
WHAT WE FOUND
The videos shared to Twitter claiming to show actors Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman reacting to the Oscars controversy are deepfakes. A deepfake is made using artificial intelligence technologies, like programs that can be used to replace or synthesize faces, speech or expressions of emotions.
These videos were posted to Twitter, but originally came from the TikTok account of @themanofmanyvoices who, according to their account, is a celebrity impressionist. The account regularly posts deepfake videos of different celebrities, many of them with the same background – a bookshelf loaded with CDs.
In addition to Eastwood and Freeman, the account also posted videos claiming to show reactions to the Oscars controversy from Sylvester Stallone, Muhammad Ali and the Cowardly Lion from “The Wizard of Oz.”
If you watch these videos you might think they look like deepfakes, but here are tips for how you can prove they are not real.
- Check the source. The TiKTok user handle can be seen in the videos. By researching the original source of the footage, VERIFY was able to confirm they are from a celebrity impressionist that posts manipulated content like this regularly.
- Look at the surroundings. The background is the same in the Stallone, Freeman and Ali videos – a picture featuring a logo for “The Sopranos” can be seen in each. While these celebrities could run in the same circles, it’s unlikely they were in the same room recording themselves condemning Smith’s actions.
- Ask yourself - who is in the video? Ali died in 2016, so we know he couldn’t have had an opinion about the 2022 Oscars.
- Noting facial features or oddities is also helpful. In both the Eastwood and Freeman videos, there was slight discoloration across the jawbone.
- Check for image enhancements. The characters in these videos do appear digitally altered, making them both appear younger. This is what Eastwood looked like on Feb. 6.
The MIT Media Lab, a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, offers these additional tips to help detect deepfakes:
- Pay attention to the eyes and eyebrows. Do shadows appear in places that you would expect?
- Pay attention to the glasses. Is there any glare? Is there too much glare? Does the angle of the glare change when the person moves?
- Pay attention to the facial hair or lack thereof. Does this facial hair look real? Deepfakes might add or remove a mustache, sideburns, or beard
- Pay attention to blinking. Does the person blink enough or too much?
- Pay attention to the size and color of the lips. Does the size and color match the rest of the person's face?
And don’t forget, if you have questions or want something confirmed, that is what the VERIFY team is here for. Send your questions to questions@verifythis.com if you want the team to fact-check any claims you see online or hear in person.
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https://www.king5.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-national/locked-on-nfl-draft/ranking-the-top-five-quarterbacks-and-running-backs-in-the-2022-nfl-draft/535-a8d75816-b502-40d0-b2ba-420f1b69c88b
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LAS VEGAS — The NFL Draft is officially less than a month away as prospects continue to go through their pro days as coaches, evaluators and executives are trying to find the best fit for their teams.
So, let's take a closer look at the top prospects from the quarterback and running back positions.
While some have called this a "weaker" class for both positions, on the Locked On NFL Draft podcast, hosts Eric Crocker and Ryan Tracy discuss why the position classes are stronger than you may think, and who stands out the most from both.
SUBSCRIBE: The Locked On NFL Draft podcast hosted by former NFL cornerback Eric Crocker and Ryan Tracy, founder of Rogue Analytics and Personnel Consulting, is your DAILY podcast covering all things NFL Draft. Available on all platforms including YouTube.
In doing so, Crocker and Tracy both put out their top fives from the quarterback and running back position groups.
Let's take a look at who they have. Starting off, their top fives at QB are very different...
Eric Crocker's top five quarterback prospects
1. Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
2. Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
3. Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
4. Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
5. Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
Ryan Tracy's top five quarterback prospects
1. Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
2. Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
3. Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
4. Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
5. Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky
Catch the full reasoning and analysis on Crocker and Tracy's quarterback prospect rankings for the 2022 NFL Draft on Locked On NFL Draft podcast episode below!
Eric Crocker's top five running back prospects
1. Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
2. Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M
3. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
4. James Cook, RB, Georgia
5. Zamir White, RB, Georgia
Ryan Tracy's top five running back prospects
1. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
2. Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
3. Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M
4. Zamir White, RB, Georgia
5. Kyren Williams, RB, Notre Dame
Catch the full reasoning and analysis on Crocker and Tracy's running back prospect rankings for the 2022 NFL Draft on Locked On NFL Draft podcast episode below!
Tune into the daily Locked On NFL Draft podcast, wherever you find your favorite shows, to get yourself fully prepared for the 2022 NFL Draft.
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https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/orcas/70-biggs-whale-salish-sea/281-2ee7580a-a42a-498f-90dd-fbb3accb758a
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SEATTLE — While it may sound like some April Fools’ prank, the Pacific Whale Watch Association confirmed Friday that there were more than 70 Bigg’s killer whales seen throughout the Salish Sea on Thursday.
The number is a new record, according to the group, and comes after a record-breaking year in 2021 when more than 790 sightings were reported.
Mark Malleson of the Center for Whale Research, who has also been a long-time guide for Prince of Whales in Victoria, B.C., said that there have been some days in the last 10 years or so when there have been about 60 Bigg’s killer whales spotted, but never more than 70.
Overall, the association said at least 72 Bigg’s killer whales were seen from Puget Sound up through the southern parts of British Columbia.
Over the course of Thursday, 10 groups of whales were reported.
They were seen as far south as Hood Canal and as far north as Vancouver Island’s Campbell River region, with the largest group being seen by the association’s own operators near the northern part of the San Juan Islands. The group contained 18 whales.
“We were watching a group of four whales when, out of nowhere, 14 more materialized. It was magical,” said naturalist Sam Murphy of Island Adventures Whale Watching in Anacortes.
Among the whales spotted on Thursday was the popular “Chainsaw,” an adult male whale over 40 years old whose dorsal fin is distinctly jagged.
Bigg’s killer whales feed on marine mammals and are thriving due to the large number of seals and sea lions in the area.
Last year also saw a baby boom for the whales with 11 calves being born. Experts said it bodes well for the future of the species in the region.
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https://www.king5.com/article/traffic/seattle-i5-expansion-joint-repairs-spokane-street-bridge/281-05699384-bd53-430d-9ef7-6364837664ad
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SEATTLE — All lanes of southbound Interstate 5 are now open near the Spokane Street Bridge in Seattle after crews made repairs to an expansion joint that came loose.
Up to 10 vehicles hit the broken expansion joint Thursday night into Friday morning, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
One of the vehicles that hit the expansion joint rolled over in a crash, the WSDOT said. The driver of the vehicle suffered minor injuries.
The WSDOT first tweeted about the closure and repairs just before 3:15 a.m. All lanes reopened by 11 a.m.
Expansion joints run across the width of the highway and allow sections of the roadway to “expand and contract with weather and to flex under the weight of heavy vehicles,” according to the WSDOT website.
The lane closures caused backups and delays for drivers during the Friday morning commute.
“We thank you for your patience, and for driving slowly and carefully around our work zone,” the WSDOT tweeted.
A project is currently underway to replace 56 expansion joints and repave over a mile of southbound I-5 between I-90 and Spokane Street. According to the WSDOT, the project began in May 2021, received $25.7 million in funding and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2022.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington.
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https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/tacoma-art-museum-exhibit-celebrates-grassroots-program-that-turned-at-risk-students-into-artists/281-91994794-5b72-40bc-bef6-506a3a522833
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TACOMA, Wash. — At the Tacoma Art Museum exhibit, Gather: 27 Years of Hilltop Artists, there are works made entirely of glass, colorful paintings that celebrate heritage, even sculptures made with neon.
What could they, and these artists we met at the exhibit, all possibly have in common?
"The common thread here is that all of us came up from Tacoma," said curator Trenton Quiocho. "And we all went through the Hilltop Artists program."
Co-founded in 1994 by Tacoma's Dale Chihuly, the most famous glass artist of our time, the program's original purpose was to keep at-risk kids from dropping out of school.
"It's probably the only youth program in the country, if not the world, that uses glass art to connect with youth," Quiocho said.
Over the years some of those youth have grown up to be full-fledged artists. David Rios was 13 when he joined the program. At the exhibit you'll see an ofrenda, an offering, he created to remember friends and family members who've recently passed away.
"This piece really brought me to a place where I am a lot better mentally," Rios said. "It brought me hope."
Rios works at the Museum of Glass and teaches at Hilltop.
"I always tell my students to have confidence with every step that you take," he said.
Emily Martin dedicated a piece called "Lola's Rosary" to her mother. She has been creating glass art since she was 11.
"What I love about working with glass is that it's alive," Martin said. "I can manipulate it. I can move it. It bends the way that I want it to bend. And nothing is one in the same."
Quiocho joined the Hilltop Artists program as a student in high school and has been teaching there since 2013.
"Once I worked with the material I was highly addicted to it," he said. "I could not get enough of it. And it led me to where I am at today."
He's been an artist in residence at the Museum Of Glass where he made these pieces called "Trapped."
"I'm paying homage to my Filipino heritage," Quiocho said. "And then I am using these very Venetian techniques to create these patterns."
Every piece in the exhibit represents hundreds of kids who've had a chance to forge a new path in 21-hundred degree heat. They may not all be artists, but they've all had an opportunity to create.
"I think the beauty of Hilltop is that it empowers everyone," Rios said. "That we are artists, that you are special and that you are important."
"Gather: 27 Years of Hilltop Artists" runs through September 4, 2022 at the Tacoma Art Museum.
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/washington-man-sentenced-3-years-probation-capitol-riot/281-58e6a823-eae3-4ca0-a049-f63c0f382cee
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EVERETT, Wash. — A Washington man was sentenced to three years probation and 200 hours of community service Friday for his role in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.
Joseph Zlab, arrested by the FBI in Everett in May 2021, was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Zlab pleaded guilty to the charges in January.
In addition to probation and community service, Zlab was ordered to pay a $500 fine and $500 restitution.
A man matching Zlab's description was captured on video taken at the riot wearing a red baseball cap and a red jacket holding a yellow "Don't Tread on Me" flag, according to charging documents.
On Jan. 16, 2021, an anonymous tipster contacted the FBI stating they knew Zlab was in Washington, D.C. on the day of the riot. The tipster identified Zlab from a photograph taken inside the Capitol building, according to documents.
An investigator found the website for Zlab's business based in Everett, which included a picture of him. An FBI agent called Zlab, who confirmed he was in Washington D.C. for Trump's speech and participated in the march to the U.S. Capitol. Zlab told the FBI agent he circled the Capitol building taking pictures, according to documents.
When he was asked if he entered the Capitol building on Jan. 6 while Congress was certifying the election results, Zlab said he thought he "needed an attorney because he did not want to say anything incriminating," according to charging documents.
On April 8, the FBI obtained a search warrant for Zlab's Gmail account, which was linked to a phone number Zlab gave the FBI. Agents found pictures in a folder titled "January 6, 2021" of the inside of the U.S. Capitol. The FBI also found a picture stored on the account of the door to the House Appropriations Room.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/i-5-puyallup-river-bridge-lanes-reopen/281-33b74ca3-8dc0-4b54-8b17-11e49702ea99
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TACOMA, Wash. — Five out of the six southbound Interstate 5 lanes on the reconstructed Puyallup River bridge in Tacoma opened Friday as a 20-year construction program nears completion.
The program included replacing the northbound and southbound I-5 Puyallup River bridge, which was originally constructed in 1965, bringing it up to current seismic standards, among other improvements, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The southbound high-occupancy-vehicle lane will remain closed until summer as crews use it as a work zone to finish the new East L Street bridge over I-5.
During construction, both directions shared the northbound bridge and I-5 was reduced to three southbound lanes. The northbound bridge opened to drivers in late 2018 after four years of construction.
“Drivers are going to immediately notice they are no longer sharing a bridge with the northbound traffic,” said Fife Project Engineer Tom Slimak. “We are excited to be opening lanes and providing some relief for commuters.”
With the southbound I-5 lanes moving off the northbound bridge, Washington State Department of Transportation crews will remove the temporary barriers and restripe the northbound lanes into their final positions. The Washington State Department of Transportation said drivers should expect to see overnight lane and ramp closures as this work takes place in the coming weeks.
The Puyallup River bridge reconstruction was a part of a two-decade program that began in 2000. The program was a series of projects to build HOV lanes on I-5, SR 16 and SR 167 in Pierce County.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/parents-sue-king-county-krikland-homeless-hotel/281-f0f58ebc-e096-4f5d-a893-2f661e4d9b6d
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KIRKLAND, Wash. — Some Kirkland residents are taking legal action over what was already a somewhat controversial plan to turn La Quinta Inn & Suites into permanent supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness.
The project has been organized over recent months through a partnership between the city and King County for its Health Through Housing program, a plan to acquire hotels and other housing properties to quickly stand up permanent housing for those living unsheltered.
A group of parents, under the name Keep Kids Safe, filed a lawsuit in Snohomish County against Kirkland and King County “challenging the lack of public process and transparency” in the proposed facility.
“This lawsuit is about King County and the City of Kirkland violating their own rules and processes and hiding things from citizens,” said Mark Lamb, the attorney for Keep Kids Safe, in a statement.
In early March, members of the Kirkland City Council voiced their concern over how the county was handling the project and passed Resolution 5522 in response.
The city stated that the resolution set the “terms and conditions necessary to maintain support of the La Quinta Inn as a King County Health Through Housing site,” which the city said was drafted based on community input.
Within the resolution were five main conditions, including that the city be able to review and approve the county’s selection process for the facility’s operator and that there be a community relations plan developed to address possible impacts on nearby schools, businesses and residences.
Before the council passed the resolution, Kirkland City Manager Kirk Triplett sought to address "numerous questions" about the then-proposal in a Facebook post in early February. He said that the city and county would initiate a community engagement process that would involve “key stakeholders” near the site.
However, the lawsuit claims that there was no public meeting held prior to the purchase of the property.
While the lawsuit is directed at the process through which the county and city finalized the housing project, another key complaint from parents is that the site is a short distance away from numerous schools, including Eastside Preparatory School just one street over from the hotel.
“We are absolutely supportive of finding solutions for the homeless crisis but feel the risks of locating so close to all of these schools and a daycare need to be carefully considered in an open public process by both King County and the City of Kirkland prior to approval," parent Susie Kupferman said. "That did not happen.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Executive Dow Constantine said the county is aware of the lawsuit and is reviewing it but offered no additional comments.
The Kirkland property is the 10th Health Through Housing site the county has purchased, bringing the program's housing unit total to nearly 1,000.
When the purchase was announced on March 3, the county said it planned to improve the building and develop a “Good Neighbor Agreement” with the city and surrounding community.
The building would feature 24/7 onsite support staff and serve those who are experiencing chronic homelessness in the county.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/verify/money-verify/fico-first-universal-general-purpose-credit-scores-invented-1989/536-56164106-e439-461e-b0fc-728e24d1135a
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A credit score is a mathematical formula designed to tell a company how likely a person is to pay off a loan completely and on-time. Companies use them to make decisions on whether a person should be offered a mortgage, credit card, auto loan or other credit product.
Credit scores are frequently a source of frustration for many social media users, and people’s complaints about the reliability of this widely used credit scoring system have been shared hundreds of thousands of times.
One recurring claim about credit scores is that the universal credit score used today wasn't invented until 1989.
THE QUESTION
Were credit scores as we know them today invented in 1989?
THE SOURCES
- FICO
- Equifax
- Fair Credit Reporting Act
- Equal Credit Opportunity Act
- John Ulzheimer, a credit expert who writes for badcredit.org
THE ANSWER
Yes, Fair, Isaac and Company, now known as FICO, created its universal credit score in 1989; the FICO score is used in the majority of lending decisions today. However, credit reporting and more industry-specific credit scoring existed before the universal credit score.
WHAT WE FOUND
Credit bureaus have existed in the United States since the 1800s. These bureaus put together reports on a consumer’s lending history, and until government regulations in the 1970s, included personal information like marital status, race and gender. Companies began developing and using scores specific to certain credit industries, such as credit cards, in the mid-to-late 1900s, but there wasn’t a universal score that was uniformly applied to all lending situations until 1989.
The first universal, personal credit score was created by Fair, Isaac and Company, now known as FICO, in 1989. FICO was unique because its credit score was universal — one score that could be applied to all credit offers regardless of industry. The FICO score, which ranges between 300 and 850, is used today in the vast majority of lending decisions.
“We launched the FICO Score in 1989 as a universal and impartial tool for evaluating credit risk, and in 1991, it became available from all three major U.S. credit reporting agencies,” a FICO employee said in a company blog post. “We weren’t the first or only scoring option available at all three major credit bureaus, but we were the first with a common design blueprint.”
Credit reporting, and even industry specific credit scoring, had existed long before then, but credit scores were often individualized for certain industries and would be based on different criteria from company to company.
Credit-reporting bureaus were first established in the mid-1800s to collect information on consumers’ lending histories, although they were often small and locally based, said credit expert John Ulzheimer in an article on badcredit.org. One such bureau, founded in Atlanta in 1899 as Retail Credit Company, later became Equifax, one of today’s three major credit-reporting bureaus.
But businesses often made decisions on whether to grant a person loans based on subjective character judgments and biases throughout much of America’s history, even through the late 1900s.
“Early credit reporting wasn’t without its problems,” Ulzheimer said. “It was often subjective, unfair, and didn’t lend itself to consistent credit decisions. In response to these problems, Congress passed a series of laws designed with consumer protection in mind.”
The first of those laws was the Fair Credit Reporting Act in 1970, which required credit reports to be accessible to the people they apply to, put time limits on negative information included in credit reports and limit who can look at a person’s credit report. The second was the 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which is a civil rights law to prevent lenders from discriminating by race, religion, gender and a host of other personal characteristics that are irrelevant to a person’s lending history. These laws also worked to limit what information on consumers credit-reporting bureaus could keep.
At this time, the company that is now FICO had been working on developing automated credit scoring in an attempt to reduce or remove the subjectivity in lending decisions. It built its first credit scoring system for the American investment industry back in 1958, just two years after its founding. Their early scores were for specific industries or companies, such as scores for credit card lenders to base decisions on.
In 1989, FICO built the BEACON score for Equifax; Equifax still calls its version of the FICO score BEACON to this day. All three major credit bureaus began using FICO scores by 1991. FICO claims its scores are used by 90% of top lenders today.
But today’s credit scores are still plagued by many of the problems that have long existed in credit reporting. Although each credit bureau uses the same formula or very similar formulas, the data they keep in their reports can be different — and sometimes inaccurate. Credit scores can also continue reinforcing the biases it was meant to eliminate.
“A FICO score is probably a more impartial way to handle credit approval than just having some bank representative make a superficial judgment about potential applicants,” said the writers at financial management education blog OppU. “But algorithms can actually reinforce racial disparities that already exist.”
People without credit scores, estimated to be 45 million Americans, tend to be low-income, younger, and minorities, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in Jan. 2022. That’s led the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to explore more widespread inclusion of alternative data, such as rent and utility payments, in credit reporting.
More from VERIFY: Yes, crude oil prices fell significantly but gas prices did not
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https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/events/oscars/motion-picture-academy-history-oscars/507-96e05fde-536d-4cfb-963b-f3151c99df73
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Will Smith resigned Friday from the motion picture academy following his Oscars night slap of Chris Rock and said he would accept any further punishment the organization imposed. That led people searching Google to ask the question, "What is the motion picture academy?"
Typically just referred to as "the academy," the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAAS) is usually not one that most movie fans think about except for once a year when it puts on the Oscars.
According to the Oscars website, the academy was formed in 1927 after MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer and his guests discussed creating an organization to benefit the film industry.
"A week later, 36 invitees from all the creative branches of the film industry dined at Los Angeles's Ambassador Hotel to hear a proposal to found the International Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences," the Oscars site reads.
Not long after, the Academy was formed with Douglas Fairbanks named its first president.
The first Oscars ceremony was held in 1929 at a banquet. There was not nearly the drama there is today as the winners were announced three months earlier.
A year later, newspapers were given the list of winners to allow them to put it in the morning papers. But in 1940, the Los Angeles Times published the winners ahead of the ceremony. That prompted what we see now -- the sealed envelopes that are opened on stage.
After years on the radio, the first televised Oscar ceremony came in 1953. The first color telecast was in 1966.
In 1968, the ceremony was postponed two days out of respect for the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was postponed again for 24 hours in 1981 due to the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan.
Over the years, the academy has steadily added awards for specific elements of movie-making. The organization itself has also expanded to include the awarding of grants, scholarships and the opening of a museum.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/star-hope-solo-charged-dwi-child-abuse/281-d29e06d4-21bb-41b1-9c22-326844e223e2
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NORTH CAROLINA, USA — Former Seattle star goalkeeper and two-time Olympic gold medalist Hope Solo was arrested Thursday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Solo was arrested in a Walmart parking lot. She was charged with impaired driving, resisting arrest, and misdemeanor child abuse, according to district court documents.
Solo was arrested after someone told police she had been "passed out behind the wheel for over an hour," according to court documents. An officer had to wake her up. The "odor of alcohol" was on Solo's breath, and she had "glassy/red eyes," according to court documents.
According to police, Solo's two children were in the car at the time of her arrest.
She refused to take a sobriety test, according to court documents.
Solo was released from Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center with a written promise to return to court.
Rich Nichols, a Texas-based attorney who represents Solo, released a statement Friday but didn't respond to specific questions on the charges and said his client wouldn't respond, either.
“On the advice of counsel, Hope can’t speak about this situation, but she wants everyone to know that her kids are her life, that she was released immediately and is now at home with her family, that the story is more sympathetic than the initial charges suggest, and that she looks forward to her opportunity to defend these charges,” Nichols said.
This isn't the first time Solo has faced criminal charges. In 2014, she was charged with two counts of fourth-degree assault after Kirkland police alleged she assaulted two family members. Those charges were dropped in 2018.
Solo, who played for the Washington Huskies, left Washington with the school record of shutouts, saves, and goals against average.
Solo left the Seattle Reign FC and her contract with the U.S. Women’s National Team was terminated in August 2016 after Solo came under fire for comments she made during the Olympics in Rio. Solo called the team "cowards" for not pressing and dropping off near the end of the game.
Solo made 202 international appearances from 2000-16 and won championships at the 2011 Women's World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/ukraine/seattle-mental-health-workers-ukrainian-refugees/281-d6b3c01d-704a-4346-ab19-66cfee474f95
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SEATTLE — A team of mental health workers from Seattle are helping Ukrainian refugees heal from the unseen wounds of war.
The team has worked near the Ukrainian border in Poland for the past week, helping those fleeing war-torn Ukraine as Russia's invasion continues.
The vast majority of those fleeing right now are children - approximately 70,000 every day. Almost all of them are carrying a heavy burden.
"We're seeing various levels of exposure to pretty horrific trauma," said team member Dr. Kira Mauseth, a psychiatrist at Seattle University.
University of Washington School of Medicine's Eric Bruns recalled the story of a mother who was so fearful she didn't believe she had arrived at a refugee center.
"Because she had been ferried across the border by a well-meaning person who did not speak Ukrainian, she had no idea where they were going," Bruns said. "She saw the barbed wire on top of a fence and she jumped out of the van with her children fearing it might be something like a concentration camp. That's even though the inside was a very welcoming place with very caring people."
The team spent time inside a 17th Century monastery training volunteers who will teach mothers and children skills about how to deal with stress and trauma. They're working with the Polish equivalent of the Red Cross, helping children process their feelings.
Drawings from the children read, "Ukraine is my homeland," and, "I came with my mom and 2 sisters. My dad is in Ukraine."
Most of the children don't speak Polish, so communicating with teachers and aid workers is difficult and frustrating.
The stress is taking a toll.
"Many of the children would spend a long part of the day simply with their heads on their desks," Bruns said.
While many will likely face ongoing mental health issues because of the war, research proves most will be OK, and even emerge stronger, more resilient, according to the team.
"Resilience is the most common outcome for any sort of adversity like this, even a war. We suspect and would like to believe that will be the case here, as well," Mauseth said.
As far as what we can do here at home, Mauseth said it's easy.
"It's hug your kids. Pay attention to compassion and look for opportunities to help other people. That is something all of us can do."
The team plans to return to Seattle next Monday after training about 400 people to continue to care for the flood of refugees.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/will-smith-resigns-motion-picture-academy/507-99606233-9199-4a00-8082-792a6c116495
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LOS ANGELES — Will Smith resigned Friday from the motion picture academy following his Oscars night slap of Chris Rock and said he would accept any further punishment the organization imposed.
Smith in a statement released Friday afternoon he would "accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate. I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable.
Film academy president David Rubin said Smith's resignation was accepted. "We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18.”
“I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work,” his statement said. “I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.
“Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason,” Smith concluded in the statement.
The resignation came two days after the academy's leadership board met to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group’s standards of conduct.
Had he been expelled, Smith would have joined a small group of men removed from the academy: Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby and the actor Carmine Caridi, who was kicked out for sharing awards screeners.
On Sunday, Smith strode from his front-row Dolby Theatre seat on to the stage and smacked Rock, who had made a joke at the expense of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Moments later, he went on to win the best actor award for his role in “King Richard.”
Rock, who was about to present Oscar for best documentary, declined to file charges when asked by police. He has only briefly addressed the attack publicly, saying at one comedy concert in Boston this week that he was still "kind of processing what happened.”
Smith shocked the theater crowd and viewers at home when he took the stage after Rock joked: “Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it.”
Pinkett Smith, who suffers from the hair loss condition alopecia, had a closely shaved head similar to that of Demi Moore in the original movie.
After Smith's attack, he returned to his seat and angrily twice shouted at Rock to “get my wife’s name out your (expletive) mouth.” When Smith took the stage again less than hour later to accept his Oscar, he tearfully apologized to the academy but notably omitted any mention of Rock.
The fallout was immediate and intense. Smith had supporters for coming to his wife's defense, but he was widely condemned for responding with violence and for marring both his long-sought Oscar victory and overshadowing the night's other winners.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/report-released-shooting-death-off-duty-officer/283-b3a5e8fb-52d1-4523-a094-69a8510ed608
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VANCOUVER, Wash. — The full investigative report has been released into the death of an off-duty Vancouver police officer who was shot by a Clark County Sheriff’s deputy on Jan. 29 after being mistaken for a fleeing robbery suspect.
The report lays out what investigators say happened the night Officer Donald Sahota was shot at his home in rural Battle Ground. It includes several hundred pages of investigative materials, including witness interview transcripts, photos of evidence from the scene and aerial footage.
Investigators said Julio Segura, 20, robbed a Chevron convenience store in the Orchards area before fleeing from deputies in a stolen car. He drove into the Battle Ground area before ditching the car and running away on foot.
Drone footage shows Segura outside of Sahota's home in a secluded spot down a long driveway. It then shows Sahota, armed with a handgun, trying to subdue the suspect. During the struggle, Segura stabbed the off-duty officer three times, causing Sahota to drop his gun.
As Segura runs for the front door of the Sahota home, Sahota’s wife can be heard in 911 audio describing the chaos and telling officers to hurry. Aerial video shows Sahota retrieving his gun and running toward the front door as well.
That's when Clark County Deputy John Feller, the first law enforcement officer to arrive on scene, shot his patrol rifle and killed Sahota.
In a tearful investigative interview, Feller recounts that Sahota seemed to match the description of the suspect, so he thought in those few seconds that he was firing on a dangerous suspect.
“I believed if that person got in that house, they'd kill them and I had to stop that person from getting in and hurting those innocent people,” Feller said through emotional sobs.
Outside prosecutors will review the report made public on Friday, to determine the shooting was justified. Feller currently does not face any charges.
Meanwhile, the suspect, Segura, faces multiple felony charges, including murder. Prosecutors believe the stab wounds Segura allegedly inflicted on Sahota could have ended his life if the deputy’s bullets hadn’t.
Donald Sahota is survived by his wife and two children.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-storm-dance-troupe-auditions/281-ced3f69e-6086-4934-996a-7555ec3e1936
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SEATTLE — Seattle’s most decorated professional sports franchise is looking for a little backup: dancers.
The Seattle Storm Dance Troupe is hiring. Auditions are being held on Sunday.
“Come have some fun dancing with us, worst thing that could happen is that you make new friend,” Troupe Director Shay Levine said.
The dance troupe is for anyone ages 5 to 15 years old.
The squad has many spots to fill.
“The awesome news is that because we haven’t had tryouts in three years, most of the dancers - except for one - have aged out, so this is a perfect year,” Levine said.
Dancers will perform at special events and all Seattle Storm home games this season. Experienced dancers are encouraged to audition, but Levine said passion and confidence are key characteristics the troupe is looking for.
“It’s such a great experience getting to work with choreographers and this is a paid gig, so for many people this could be your first job,” Levine said.
Seattle Storm Dance Troupe auditions are set for Sunday April 3 at the Seattle Pacific University Royal Brougham Pavilion from 1-5:30 p.m. Dancers need to bring a headshot, signed waiver, and COVID-19 vaccination card along with a birth certificate.
Applications and schedule details are available at www.StormBasketball.com.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/sexual-assault-survivors-cases-solved-decades-later/281-620f3228-c88e-4af1-a287-05f10ece8cd4
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SEATTLE — Laura Schafer and Ronda Deline Guzman met face to face for the first time on Friday. They are coming together to shine a spotlight on an underreported crime. Two of three sexual assaults go unreported, according to RAINN.
"My husband was away. I was home alone, and an intruder broke into my house in the middle of the night,” said Deline Guzman.
It happened in Chandler, Arizona in 1986. A little more than a decade later in the same city, Schafer survived an attack at a park.
"I had a guy come up behind me on a bike,” said Schafer.
The two women, who didn't know each other back then, share similar stories.
"I had no peace at home even, you know, because it happened in my home,” said Deline Guzman.
She moved from Arizona to Washington state, and it just so happens Schafer did too.
"Because of the things that I had been through there I didn't want to be there anymore,” Schafer explained.
Both of their cases remained unsolved until their files received another look using preserved evidence and forensic genealogy.
"I did a composite sketch, and it was pretty close to the person,” said Deline Guzman.
In her case, police say the person who committed the sexual assault had already passed away.
In Schafer's case, the evidence led police to Adan Lopez-Perez, who is still in prison today.
Both women remember when the call came.
"April 4, 2019,” said Schafer.
"In January of 2019,” said Deline Guzman.
Not only were their cases solved the same year, but they were also solved by the same person, someone who thought the two women should meet. Detective Ashley Nolan with the Chandler Police Department connected the pair.
"So they can be a support system for each other,” Nolan explained.
Now the survivors want to help others.
"I think it's amazing that both Ronda and Laura are using their voice to talk about their story and getting the information out there, and hopefully, getting people to come forward,” said Nolan.
Deline Guzman and Schafer say that thanks to technology, cases are being solved more often. They are encouraging all sexual assault survivors to report the crimes.
“Be strong and tell your story,” Schafer said.
They are telling their stories so other survivors with cold cases know there is hope.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/5-things-to-know-this-weekend/281-459dd4e1-b7c3-4f80-aaca-8798c16c8ae8
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Alaska Airlines warned of the potential for more cancellations through the weekend after more than 120 West Coast flights were cancelled Friday due to off-duty pilots picketing.
Canceled flights included 66 in Seattle; 20 in Portland, Oregon; 10 in Los Angeles; and seven in San Francisco, according to the flight tracking website flightaware.com. Thousands of passengers were affected by the cancellations on Friday, according to the airline.
The cancelations came amid a planned informational picket by some Alaska Airlines pilots up and down the West Coast with others planned in Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Pilots have been in contract negotiations with the airline for nearly three years and the two sides are at an impasse.
“It takes everyone at Alaska to run a successful and reliable operation. Today, we fell short.," the airline said in a statement. Read more
A strong late-season storm system will bring big impacts to western Washington beginning Sunday, continuing through Tuesday morning.
The system will be a bit of a one-two-punch with impacts arriving as early as Sunday morning for our coastal communities before overspreading the entire Olympic Peninsula late Sunday morning followed by Puget Sound and the Cascades by the early afternoon hours on Sunday along with another round of impacts Monday into Tuesday morning. Read more
Some Kirkland residents are taking legal action over what was already a somewhat controversial plan to turn La Quinta Inn & Suites into permanent supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness.
The project has been organized over recent months through a partnership between the city and King County for its Health Through Housing program, a plan to acquire hotels and other housing properties to quickly stand up permanent housing for those living unsheltered.
A group of parents, under the name Keep Kids Safe, filed a lawsuit in Snohomish County against Kirkland and King County “challenging the lack of public process and transparency” in the proposed facility. Read more
The mother of a woman who was murdered in a Shoreline apartment said she wants people to remember her daughter as loving and always smiling.
"She would never hurt a flea, ever, ever, ever," Vicky Garcia said.
Garcia said she is still in shock over the loss of her daughter, Randee Leeann Rios. Read more
A team of mental health workers from Seattle are helping Ukrainian refugees heal from the unseen wounds of war.
The team has worked near the Ukrainian border in Poland for the past week, helping those fleeing war-torn Ukraine as Russia's invasion continues.
The vast majority of those fleeing right now are children - approximately 70,000 every day. Almost all of them are carrying a heavy burden.
"We're seeing various levels of exposure to pretty horrific trauma," said team member Dr. Kira Mauseth, a psychiatrist at Seattle University. Read more
Also see: Western Washington forecast
Have the "5 things you need to know" delivered to your inbox. Sign up for the daily morning email here.
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https://www.king5.com/article/sports/ncaa/ncaab/march-madness/uconn-south-carolina-advance-national-title-game/507-3ce08d4d-6916-4537-a424-15c7808f165e
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The Connecticut Huskies will face the South Carolina Gamecocks Sunday for the NCAA women's basketball national championship. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. ET.
Here's a recap of how both teams advanced in the Final Four.
South Carolina 72, Louisville 59
This time, Aliyah Boston and the South Carolina Gamecocks were smiling as they strutted off the court at the Final Four.
The only crying came from relief and joy, one year after a painfully opposite finish in the national semifinals.
Boston took over after halftime and finished with 23 points and 18 rebounds to back up her AP National Player of the Year award, carrying South Carolina to the NCAA championship game with a 72-59 victory over Louisville on Friday night.
“You see happy tears, happy tears, right now,” Boston said in her postgame TV interview. “I’m just thanking God we have one more game.”
Brea Beal matched her season high with 12 points and helped hold Cardinals star Hailey Van Lith to nine points on 4-for-11 shooting as the Gamecocks (34-2) delivered another stifling defensive performance.
Destanni Henderson scored 11 points with 3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range for South Carolina, which had a 19-5 assists advantage and improved to 13-0 this season against AP-ranked opponents.
Emily Engstler led Louisville with 18 points and nine rebounds as the Cardinals went 1 for 8 from 3-point range and were never able to find a rhythm in the half court against the No. 1 overall seed in this tournament.
South Carolina, which won it all in 2017, was ousted in the semifinals last season by one point to eventual champion Stanford when Boston’s put-back attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer. The 6-foot-5 junior from the U.S. Virgin Islands has bounced right back a year later, and the Gamecocks have followed her lead.
UConn 63, Stanford 58
Paige Bueckers scored 14 points and UConn advanced to the national championship game with a 63-58 win over defending champion Stanford on Friday night.
It's UConn's first trip to the championship game since 2016, when the Huskies won the last of four straight championships. Since then, the team has suffered heartbreaking defeats in the national semifinals, losing twice in overtime.
UConn (30-5) will be seeking its 12th national championship, and the Huskies have never lost in an NCAA title game.
They had to work to get to the finals. Leading by 52-44 with 1:26 left, Stanford made a furious rally thanks to a few costly UConn turnovers.
Cameron Brink's layup with 18.4 seconds left got the Cardinal within 60-58. UConn was able to work seven seconds off the clock before Christyn Williams was fouled with 11 seconds left. The senior guard calmly swished both free throws to restore a two-possession lead.
Ashten Prechtel completely missed a tough contested 3-pointer from the wing with 5.4 seconds left and the Huskies held on for the win.
Haley Jones led the Cardinal with 20 points.
Travis Pittman contributed to this report.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/ukraine/russia-ukraine-war-saturday/507-6f25ae6e-dfcc-4d95-8132-5186a1066eba
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KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned his people early Saturday that retreating Russian forces were creating “a complete disaster” outside the capital as they leave mines across “the whole territory,” including around homes and corpses.
He issued the warning as the humanitarian crisis in the encircled city of Mariupol deepened, with Russian forces blocking evacuation operations for the second day in a row. Meanwhile, the Kremlin accused the Ukrainians of launching a helicopter attack on a fuel depot on Russian soil.
Ukraine denied responsibility for the fiery blast, but if Moscow’s claim is confirmed, it would be the war’s first known attack in which Ukrainian aircraft penetrated Russian airspace.
“Certainly, this is not something that can be perceived as creating comfortable conditions for the continuation of the talks,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, five weeks after Moscow began sending upwards of 150,000 of its own troops across Ukraine’s border.
Russia continued withdrawing some of its ground forces from areas around Kyiv after saying earlier this week it would reduce military activity near the Ukrainian capital and the northern city of Chernihiv.
“They are mining the whole territory. They are mining homes, mining equipment, even the bodies of people who were killed,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation. “There are a lot of trip wires, a lot of other dangers.”
Ukraine’s military said it had retaken 29 settlements in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.
Still, Ukraine and its allies warned that the Kremlin is not de-escalating to promote trust at the bargaining table, as it claimed, but instead resupplying and shifting its troops to the country’s east. Those movements appear to be preparation for an intensified assault on the mostly Russian-speaking Donbas region in the country's east, which includes Mariupol.
Zelenskyy warned of difficult battles ahead as Russia redeploys troops. “We are preparing for an even more active defense,” he said.
He did not say anything about the latest round of talks, which took place Friday by video. At a round of talks earlier in the week, Ukraine said it would be willing to abandon a bid to join NATO and declare itself neutral — Moscow’s chief demand — in return for security guarantees from several other countries.
The invasion has left thousands dead and driven more than 4 million refugees from Ukraine.
Mariupol, the shattered and besieged southern port city, has seen some of the worst suffering of the war. Its capture would be a major prize for Russian President Vladimir Putin, giving his country an unbroken land bridge to Crimea, seized from Ukraine in 2014.
On Friday, the International Committee for the Red Cross said it was unable to carry out an operation to bring civilians out of Mariupol by bus. City authorities said the Russians were blocking access to the city.
“We do not see a real desire on the part of the Russians and their satellites to provide an opportunity for Mariupol residents to evacuate to territory controlled by Ukraine,” Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol's mayor, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
He said Russian forces “are categorically not allowing any humanitarian cargo, even in small amounts, into the city.”
Around 100,000 people are believed to remain in the city, down from a prewar 430,000. Weeks of Russian bombardment and street fighting have caused severe shortages of water, food, fuel and medicine.
“We are running out of adjectives to describe the horrors that residents in Mariupol have suffered,” Red Cross spokesperson Ewan Watson said.
On Thursday, Russian forces blocked a 45-bus convoy attempting to evacuate people from Mariupol and seized 14 tons of food and medical supplies bound for the city, Ukrainian authorities said.
Zelenskyy said more than 3,000 people were able to leave Mariupol on Friday.
He said he discussed the humanitarian disaster with French President Emmanuel Macron by telephone and with the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, during her visit to Kyiv.
“Europe doesn’t have the right to be silent about what is happening in our Mariupol,” Zelenskyy said. “The whole world should respond to this humanitarian catastrophe.”
Elsewhere, at least three Russian ballistic missiles were fired late Friday at the Odesa region on the Black Sea, regional leader Maksim Marchenko said. The Ukrainian military said the Iskander missiles did not hit the critical infrastructure they targeted.
Odesa is Ukraine’s largest port and the headquarters of its navy.
As for the fuel depot explosion, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said two Ukrainian helicopter gunships flew in extremely low and attacked the civilian oil storage facility on the outskirts of the city of Belgorod, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the Ukraine border.
The regional governor said two workers at the depot were wounded, but the Rosneft state oil company denied anyone was hurt.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s national security council, said on Ukrainian television: “For some reason they say that we did it, but in fact this does not correspond with reality."
Later, in an interview with Fox, Zelenskyy refused to say whether Ukraine was behind the attack.
On the outskirts of Kyiv, where Russian troops have withdrawn, damaged cars lined the streets of Irpin, a suburban area popular with young families, now in ruins. Emergency workers carried elderly people on stretchers over a wrecked bridge to safety.
Three wooden crosses next to a residential building that was damaged in a shelling marked the graves of a mother and son and an unknown man. A resident who gave her name only as Lila said she helped hurriedly bury them on March 5, just before Russian troops moved in.
“They were hit with artillery and they were burned alive,” she said.
An Irpin resident who gave his name only as Andriy said the Russians packed up their equipment and left on Tuesday. The next day, they shelled the town for close to an hour before Ukrainian soldiers retook it.
“I don’t think this is over,” Andriy said. “They will be back.”
___
Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Andrea Rosa in Irpin, Ukraine, and Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/washington-racial-covenants-ruling-law/293-8284106f-8c2b-4e5d-9eaa-8aad5817f909
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OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Supreme court ruled Thursday that county auditors cannot remove racial covenants from a home's title and deed from the public record.
The ruling comes from a case in Spokane County in which property owner Alex May sought to have racial covenants, language in home titles that made it illegal for people of color to live there, removed from the title to his property and from public records.
According to a unanimous opinion from the Washington state Supreme Court, May and his wife bought the property in 2017 “subject to covenants, conditions, restrictions and easements, if any, affecting title, which may appear in public record." May then filed a complaint for declaratory relief against Spokane County in 2018 seeking to have the racial covenant voided from the title of the property and public records.
The covenant, which dates back to declarations filed in 1953, reads, "No race or nationality other than the white race shall use or occupy any building on any lot."
Both the Spokane County trial court and the Court of Appeals found that the statute does not allow the covenant to be removed, but does allow for an order voiding the covenant to be filed with the title.
“We must ensure that future generations have access to these documents because, although the covenants are morally repugnant, they are part of a documented history of disenfranchisement of a people,” Justice G. Helen Whitener wrote in the Supreme Court's unanimous opinion. ”It is our history.”
Before May's case reached the state Supreme Court, the Washington state Legislature amended a law surrounding racial covenants. Under the new law, property owners are allowed to seek "judicial remedy" to remove the covenants from the title.
The amended law also states that removing the language should not prevent preservation of the law for "historical or archival purposes."
Whitener wrote that the Legislature's amendments allow a physical record of racial covenants to be maintained while also allowing property owners to remove the covenants from their chains of title.
She added that removing all evidence of the racial covenants would not follow the state Legislature's intent to eradicate discrimination, but would instead destroy physical evidence that discrimination existed.
“It would be all too easy for future generations to look back at these property records with no physical evidence of the discriminatory covenants and conclude that the covenants never existed at all," she wrote in the collective opinion.
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https://www.king5.com/article/sports/jack-eichel-nets-a-pair-as-golden-knights-sink-kraken-5-2/281-2c9761ec-db9a-4597-8196-f7016bf5c558
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SEATTLE (AP) — Jack Eichel getting hot and continued solid play in net from Logan Thompson could be the perfect combination for the Vegas Golden Knights in their push for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Eichel scored twice in his first multigoal game since being traded to Vegas, Thompson made 26 saves in winning his fourth straight game, and the Golden Knights beat the Seattle Kraken 5-2 on Friday night.
The Golden Knights, the previous NHL expansion team, swept the season series against the newest expansion team. Vegas beat Seattle in the season opener in October and shut out the Kraken 3-0 on Wednesday night.
“Every game is competitive in this league. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing,” Eichel said. “They got a lot of good players over there. ... You just got to take care of business every night. And like I said before, we know the position that we’re in, but we can only control so much and just get two points every night.”
Eichel scored his eighth and ninth goals of the season in his 22nd game for the Golden Knights. Shea Theodore scored his 10th of the season midway through the second period.
Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson added empty-net goals in the final 2 1/2 minutes for Vegas. Marchessault's was his 27th of the season and Karlsson's his 10th.
The victory pushed Vegas back into a playoff spot in the Western Conference, one point ahead of Dallas for the second wild-card spot.
“It was just a matter of time time with Jack Eichel,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said. “We sat and looked at some tape on the off day yesterday. He could have had two or three last game, too. So he’s getting great looks, he’s working for good looks, he’s playing a good 200-foot game for us. And now they’re going in.”
Evgenii Dadonov added two assists and has seven points for Vegas since the NHL voided the attempted trade by the Golden Knights that would have sent Dadonov to Anaheim at the trade deadline last month.
Alex Wennberg pulled Seattle within 3-1 at 10:44 of the third period with his ninth goal of the season off a great pass from Jared McCann. Kole Lind scored his first career NHL goal with 1:38 left following Marchessault's empty-net goal.
McCann also found himself in a fight in the second period, just the sixth of his career.
“Frustration is the easiest way to put it. Things haven't really been going our way this year with bounces or anything like that,” McCann said. “I just feel like it kind of boiled over tonight. Obviously I don't do that very often.”
Making his eighth straight start, Thompson was terrific when called upon, but great scoring chances were rare for the Kraken. Karson Kuhlman had two excellent chances for Seattle, missing the net open in front of the net in the first period and hitting the crossbar in the second period.
Thompson has started eight straight games for the Golden Knights and is 6-2 during that span.
"I’m kind of like a broken record. I just keep getting confident every day," Thompson said. “Like I said, Pete’s letting me run with it. And I’m just having a lot of fun and guys are playing really well.”
Eichel’s first came at 10:28 of the first after a bad defensive rotation allowed Alec Martinez to skate in and feed Eichel in front of net.
Just seconds after Kuhlman hit the crossbar in the second, Eichel scored his second of the game, finding himself alone in front of the net off a pass from Dadonov. Later in the second, Theodore was left unmarked racing down the center of the ice and beat Grubauer on the blocker side.
Eichel’s last multigoal game came more than two years ago while still with Buffalo in February 2020 against Pittsburgh. Eichel has four goals in his past four.
NOTES: McCann got the better of Vegas’ Michael Amadio in their fight. McCann had 12 penalty minutes on the season entering the night. Seattle’s Yanni Gourde and Vegas’ Ben Hutton also had fighting majors. ... Vegas F Keegan Kolesar was scratched. Kolesar was in a fight with Seattle D Jamie Oleksiak in Wednesday’s game. DeBoer said Kolesar was day-to-day. ... Seattle scratched D Haydn Fleury (upper body) and F Jaden Schwartz (upper body). Both missed their fourth straight game.
UP NEXT
Golden Knights: at Vancouver on Sunday.
Kraken: Host Dallas on Sunday.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle-sara-little-turnbull-center-for-design-institute/281-8ef87413-06d2-4e27-98dc-a7b8c66d291a
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SEATTLE, Wash. — Along busy 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle is a one-of-a-kind collection linked to many inventions and the evolution of numerous consumer products. You just have to look up to find it, 19 stories up.
The Sara Little Turnbull Center for Design Institute is now welcoming tour groups.
A world traveler, Little landed in the Pacific Northwest first in 1971 in Tacoma.
Little established the Sara Little Center for Design Research at the Tacoma Art Museum in Washington to archive and display her collection of more than 3,500 artifacts gathered during her travels.
Currently, the collection along with a replicated workspace and living space are on display in downtown Seattle.
The collection includes body coverings and accessories, food preparation and dining implements, textiles, fine and folk art, much of which had influenced her concepts for domestic product design.
"We've had lots of visitors from around the world. Some scholars are just shocked to finally see her collection that they've heard about throughout their careers," said Paula Rees, president of the Center for Design Institute.
Little's colleagues often commented on how her name could be used to describe her. She stood at just 4 feet 11 inches, but her presence was anything but little.
Working alongside Little in the '70s as the former Tacoma Art Museum assistant curator was Lori Tsugawa Whaley, who said Little's presence was huge.
"Just working with Sara changed my life," Whaley said. "Now, all my choices, she influenced the way I think and what I have around me."
Because of Little's love of world travel, Whaley said her friend and mentor was always encouraging her to learn more about her Japanese heritage.
The inspiration worked. Because of Little, Whaley finally visited Japan and even published a book inspired by her newfound knowledge of her heritage, "Let the Samurai Be Your Guide."
"She always wanted to know and take everything to the next level," Whaley said about Little, who took that advice.
Whaley is not only a published author, but she is also a life coach, public speaker and artist.
Little's inspiring way of thinking beyond the surface is expected to turn some heads, according to Paula Rees, president of the Center for Design Institute.
Rees said people may be surprised to learn how much influence she had on products we all use, including one that became part of our everyday lives during the pandemic.
"One of the stories I remember her talking about was the mask," Rees said. "She saw the form she was working on in the bra and realized that this molded shape would work really well with a metal clip and then elastic band and that would be a better mask in the flap masks."
Finding the beauty and function in everything was what inspired Little's collection.
Her understanding of design is being celebrated in a new children's book by the Center for Design Books. It's launching a children's book series called Sara Little Trouble Maker, which is based on Little and her design work. The first book, Lettuce Get in Trouble, is available on May 17. Pre-orders of the book are available now.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/medical-students-fill-primary-care-positions-washington/281-23e8a698-d00b-4778-89fe-7de7fcd29aea
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SEATTLE — If you're having trouble finding a family doctor accepting new patients, you're not alone. Demand for primary care physicians is greater than ever, according to medical professionals.
The UW Medicine network of healthcare providers is working to grow its primary care team, according to Dr. Victoria Fang, who serves as Medical Director of UW Medicine Primary Care and Population Health.
The group currently has 165 providers with 12 more joining UW Medicine in the next couple of months. A third of the group's primary care providers are advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants, according to Fang.
The high demand has resulted from a combination of pandemic-related strains, healthcare professionals who have left the industry, and population growth in King County.
Some current medical students are deciding to meet that demand and stay in the very region where they were trained.
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"You know, family medicine, primary care, was front-line for people," said Anna May, a fourth-year University of Washington School of Medicine student.
May, who is Navajo and Laguna Pueblo, said she was inspired to become a doctor when she was a kid.
"Growing up, I had a physician who was a woman of color and so for me, it was never a question of if that could be the type of life I live," May said.
May grew up in Maple Valley, attended Gonzaga University for undergraduate studies, and enrolled at the University of Washington for medical school.
"It makes me excited that I do get to stay around and continue to learn from such amazing mentors as well as mentor the next," May said.
She plans on entering a career in primary care, upon graduating from her program that was top-ranked again in 2023's U.S. News & World Report.
May will stay in the Seattle area and will do her family medicine residency at Swedish Hospital Cherry Hill. Students who graduate from UW School of Medicine do not necessarily enter careers at the UW Medicine clinics.
"A big part of it is, I wanted to stay close to my family, close to my home," May said.
Dr. Tomoko Sairenji, an associate professor at UW Medicine's Family Medicine Department, is one of May's mentors and said recruiting for the next generation of primary care physicians is as important as ever.
Students at UW medical school serve a five-state network for its WWAMI program, which includes the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.
"Between 60 to 75 percent of our students stay in residency programs within the five-state region, which is a pretty high retention rate," Sairenji said.
Sairenji said there is also a need for underserved areas.
"There's communities that are more rural that really need more healthcare professionals, so I would say we're pretty lucky here in Seattle, in the area, that people want to be here," Sairenji said.
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https://www.king5.com/article/life/animals/bear-cubs-spotted-redmond-neighborhood/281-768e4f6e-1f3c-4945-a205-a06bd4135444
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REDMOND, Wash — A bear and two cubs were spotted strolling through the front yard of a Redmond home on Friday.
The bears were caught on video on a home camera in the Union Hill neighborhood.
Some bear species typically emerge from their dens in early April, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). When they come out, natural food sources may be scarce, forcing bears to look for other sources of food, including garbage, bird feeders and fruit trees, the department said in a blog from last spring.
Washington state is home to both black bears and grizzly bears, according to WDFW. Because human populations are encroaching on bear habitat, people and humans have a greater chance of encountering each other, according to the department.
Bears usually avoid coming into contact with people, however, some "human habituated" bears have lost their natural wariness of humans, according to the WDFW.
The best way to avoid conflict with bears around your home is to manage garbage, put cans out only shortly before pickup service, choose cans with tight-fitting lids, or keep them in a shed, garage, or a fenced area.
People are also discouraged from leaving food out for bears, which is the cause of over 90% of human-bear conflicts, according to the WDFW.
The department also provided these tips on what to do if you ever come into contact with a bear:
- Remain calm. If the bear doesn't notice you're there, move away quietly when the bear isn't looking your way. Keep an eye on the animal as you leave to watch for changes in behavior.
- If a bear walks toward you, stand up and wave your hands above your head and speak in a low voice.
- If the bear continues toward you, scare it away by clapping your hands and stomping your feet, yelling and staring the bear in the eyes.
For more information head to the WDFW's website.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/businesses-seek-treasury-help-with-coin-supply/507-714f1cd4-a2e2-4ce0-ba08-4ddec8497ddf
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WASHINGTON — Got a dime you can spare? Coins are in short supply — again.
Retailers, laundromats and other businesses that rely on coins want Americans to empty their piggy banks and look under couch cushions for extra change and “get coin moving.”
A group of trade associations that represent individual businesses including banks, retail outlets, truck stops, grocery stores and more is asking the Treasury Department for more help convincing Americans to get coins back in circulation.
The consequences of the circulation slowdown hit people who don't have an ability to pay for items electronically, they say.
“If retailers are not able to offer change for cash purchases consumers who rely on cash will be vulnerable,” the associations said in a letter to Treasury.
For example, people who do their laundry at coin laundry mats could have a harder time finding change to wash their clothes. And on a larger scale, people who don’t have cash access aren’t able to patronize certain card-only businesses.
It's not a coin shortage America faces, but a lack of circulation.
“We can’t print our way out of this problem,” said Austen Jensen, a senior vice president for government affairs at the Retail Industry Leaders Association.
Jensen's group, along with the American Bankers Association, National Association of Convenience Stores, and National Grocers Association, is trying to meet consumer demand and wants a new public campaign to increase coin circulation.
Jensen said his group is also encouraging member retailers to find creative ways to deal with the shortage of coins, including rounding-up purchases for charity promotions. And he says businesses with multiple locations could send coins from one store to another.
This is not the first time during the pandemic that the issue of low coin circulation has arisen.
The coronavirus disrupted consumers’ buying habits and shifted purchases largely to plastic cards to such an extent that in July 2020, the Federal Reserve restricted coin orders by financial institutions.
The Fed also convened a U.S. Coin Task Force, made up of representatives from various federal agencies, which led to a campaign encouraging the public to get coins into circulation.
This February, the task force issued a State of Coin report, which said pandemic lockdowns slowed small transactions that generated change and there was a temporary aversion to cash for perceived hygienic reasons. The report also said the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Mint contracted with a third party consultant to review the coin supply chain.
Coin deposit volumes began to increase gradually starting in the summer of 2020, but businesses say the problem has come up again as people have stopped using coins and have stuck to plastic cards.
The issue has had the biggest impact on people who don't have bank accounts. An estimated 22 percent of U.S. Americans were “unbanked” or “underbanked” in 2019, according to the Federal Reserve.
The Treasury Department has yet to respond to the letter. The government encourages people to help get coin moving by spending it with retailers, taking it to their banks and credit unions, or using a coin recycling kiosk like the ones found at grocery stores.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/southwest-delays-cancellations-website-issue/507-2950a155-dc8a-4939-a967-c552bfe5872a
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Travelers nationwide were met with delays and cancellations Saturday morning as Southwest Airlines reported a system outage related to scheduled maintenance.
As of around 6:30 a.m., nearly 200 Southwest flights were canceled and nearly 400 were delayed nationwide, according to FlightAware.com. The airline replied to frustrated customers on Twitter that its website was having an outage, which was fixed by 8 a.m. EDT.
In a statement, Southwest said the problems were caused by technical issues after routine maintenance. While the issue affected airports nationwide, the airline added that customers in the eastern and central time zones had the most trouble.
“Some of our earliest departing flights were delayed this morning, and a handful of them canceled, after we experienced intermittent technology issues following routine overnight maintenance," Southwest said. "We offer heartfelt apologies to our Customers for any inconvenience, and gratitude to our employees who are working diligently to make it up to them."
Southwest said it will keep providing updates to customers whose Saturday flights were still delayed because of the resolved issue.
“Things just get changed and you have to roll with the punches, but we did drive for two and a half hours to have a direct flight and they had already changed our flight on the way back," a Columbus traveler told WBNS. "Now, we have to stop with six kids and that’s just frustrating."
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https://www.king5.com/article/sports/uconn-south-carolina-matchup/507-93655569-ba4c-470b-ac7a-3d6a106c8baf
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MINNEAPOLIS — The South Carolina Gamecocks held the top spot in the Associated Press Top 25 women's poll all season about as tightly as they play defense every night.
The last test for the No. 1 overall seed in this year's NCAA Tournament will be the Connecticut Huskies, who produced a lockdown defensive performance of their own against Stanford to reach the national championship.
Aliyah Boston showing who's the boss in the paint, and Paige Bueckers slithering around the perimeter. Dawn Staley on one bench, and Geno Auriemma on the other. South against North.
Women's college basketball gets the greats of the game together on the biggest stage as consistently as any sport, and this South Carolina-UConn matchup will be no different.
The Gamecocks (34-2) toppled Louisville 72-59 in the first semifinal at Target Center on Friday night, behind 23 points and 18 rebounds from Boston, the newly minted AP Player of the Year.
“With the awards, I’m really blessed, but my main focus is bringing home a national championship,” Boston said. “I’m just really locked in on that.”
After missing a close-range putback at the buzzer in a one-point loss to Stanford in the Final Four last season, Boston bounced right back this year.
“We knew this was a new team," Boston said. “We have a lot more depth.”
The Gamecocks have been a team on a mission.
“It’s a relief right now, and it feels great. But we’re going to take in this moment, and we’re not done yet, so we still have unfinished business,” said Destanni Henderson, who hit three 3-pointers on Friday.
UConn (30-5) took care of the Cardinal, outlasting Stanford 63-58 in the second game. Bueckers had 14 points, five assists and two steals in her hometown to help get Auriemma back to the title game for the first time since 2016.
“Points are hard to come by in this tournament, and today was certainly no different,” Auriemma said. “We’re going to have to win some other way.”
Bueckers and her teammates huddled at midcourt in celebration once the buzzer sounded, most of them holding up index fingers as they shouted, “One more!” at each other in anticipation of the next — and last game — of this nothing-comes-easy season. Eight UConn players had to miss at least two games this season with injury or illness.
These Huskies, the only No. 2 seed in this Final Four, might have overachieved a little, as strange as that sounds for such a dynastic program.
“Coming in, I don’t think we’re the best team there. I don’t think we can win even if we play our ‘A’ game. We need help. We need Stanford to not play their best game. We need them to miss shots they normally make,” Auriemma said.
UConn has never lost in the NCAA final, sporting a staggering 11-0 record in national championships. The four straight titles the Huskies won from 2013-16 was a streak interrupted by none other than South Carolina in 2017, when UConn lost to Mississippi State on an overtime buzzer-beater in the Final Four.
The Gamecocks' only championship came five years ago.
However, South Carolina beat UConn in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas in November, pulling away from the Huskies in the fourth quarter with that stifling defense.
And nobody will have more of the spotlight Sunday than Bueckers, the smooth-shooting, lightning-quick sophomore guard. She grew up in a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis and grew her game at Hopkins High School, just 10 miles west of the arena that's sold out this weekend with crowds of more than 18,000.
“It doesn't really matter the location,” said Bueckers, who missed nearly three months this season to a left knee injury. “We're just trying to win and keep playing with this team.”
For Bueckers, who last year became the first freshman to win the Player of the Year award, this stretch run has been all about getting back up to speed after a long layoff. Twice in the fourth quarter, she grimaced and gingerly walked around after hard landings, but there's no way that knee — even if it's not 100% — will keep her from going all out for the title.
“Everybody is going to lay it on the line,” Bueckers said, “and that’s just basketball."
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/community/seattle-charities-seeing-need-for-food-fuel-assistance-rise/281-8201580f-17c1-44fa-9141-9e2909c7515b
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BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Salvation Army's food bank in Bellingham was popular from the moment it opened. But while they expected they might see a decrease in need as coronavirus cases decreased and workplaces physically re-opened, they have found the opposite -- an increase in clients, needing food, fuel and other forms of help. They're committed to continuing to help, and welcome donations and volunteers.
An hour into the food bank's hours, once-full shelves of produce, meat and milk are emptied, with families stocking up on the week's needed groceries. Robyn Rose, a client and volunteer, says the Salvation Army's food bank has been a much-needed resource in a time when many other options were cut off.
"Before COVID they had- you could go five days a week and find somewhere offering a meal," Rose said. "But then everything hit and it's just changed, but because of the Salvation Army, they started a drive up- it was an awesome thing, awesome thing."
The Salvation Army in Bellingham said it's seen a huge influx of people in need of help.
"At the start of COVID we were serving 500 people, three months ago we were around the 800 number, just last week we served 1025 people and that was just in one week," Salvation Army Lt. Chase Green said.
While Green said there may be many contributing factors, one is obvious to anyone who spends money.
"The cost of living is increasing every day," Green said.
The most recent Consumer Price Index showed a 7.9% increase in food costs from 2021 to 2022. Gas, too, has seen a recent spike.
"That's a huge thing," Green said. "Every day we get asked by someone, can we help them out with gas. Because it's something- they just can't get from their house to work, or their house to here- so that's something we're currently working on."
To donate to the Salvation Army in Bellingham, click here.
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