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AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Washington state's primaries
Read full article: AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Washington state's primariesFive months after holding its presidential primaries, Washington state is looking further down the ticket to select candidates to compete for federal and state offices in November.
Parts of Washington state parental rights law criticized as a ‘forced outing’ placed on hold
Read full article: Parts of Washington state parental rights law criticized as a ‘forced outing’ placed on holdA judge has paused parts of a new Washington state parental rights law derided by critics as a “forced outing” measure.
Despite weather glitch, the Paris Olympics flame is lit at the Greek cradle of ancient games
Read full article: Despite weather glitch, the Paris Olympics flame is lit at the Greek cradle of ancient gamesThe flame that is to burn at the Paris Olympics has been kindled at the site of the ancient games in southern Greece.
US judge rejects challenge to Washington state law that could hold gun makers liable for shootings
Read full article: US judge rejects challenge to Washington state law that could hold gun makers liable for shootingsA federal judge on Friday rejected a challenge to a Washington state law that cleared the way for lawsuits against the gun industry in certain cases.
Washington state to develop guidelines for agencies using generative AI
Read full article: Washington state to develop guidelines for agencies using generative AIWashington state's governor has called for the state to develop best practices on how agencies use generative artificial intelligence as it continues to incorporate the technology into government operations.
Help arrives to battle wildfire in Washington state near Columbia River Gorge
Read full article: Help arrives to battle wildfire in Washington state near Columbia River GorgeAuthorities have more than doubled the number of people battling a wildfire that has burned structures and forced the evacuation of homes in southwestern Washington near the Columbia River Gorge.
Washington lawmakers reach deal on drug policy, avoid automatic decriminalization
Read full article: Washington lawmakers reach deal on drug policy, avoid automatic decriminalizationDemocratic and Republican leaders in the Washington Statehouse have reached a tentative deal on a major new drug policy, one that would avoid making the state the second to decriminalize the possession of controlled substances.
Wisconsin Supreme Court won't order ivermectin use for COVID
Read full article: Wisconsin Supreme Court won't order ivermectin use for COVIDWisconsin’s conservative-controlled Supreme Court ruled a hospital couldn't be forced to give a deworming drug to a patient with COVID-19, saying a county judge did not cite a legal basis for ordering the facility to administer ivermectin.
Washington man indicted in fires at Jehovah's Witness halls
Read full article: Washington man indicted in fires at Jehovah's Witness hallsA Washington state man who is already in federal custody on weapons and hate crime charges has been indicted in a series of arsons at Jehovah’s Witness kingdom halls.
Washington reaches $518M settlement with opioid distributors
Read full article: Washington reaches $518M settlement with opioid distributorsMonths into a complex trial over their role in flooding Washington with highly addictive painkillers, the nation’s three largest opioid distributors have agreed to pay the state $518 million.
No ‘legal right’ to force use of ivermectin, court says
Read full article: No ‘legal right’ to force use of ivermectin, court saysA state appeals court Thursday said a family did not have a “legal right” to force Mayo Clinic Florida to administer the controversial drug ivermectin to try to keep alive a COVID-19 patient who was on a ventilator.
Bill targeting election lies mulled by Washington lawmakers
Read full article: Bill targeting election lies mulled by Washington lawmakersWashington Gov. Jay Inslee is urging state lawmakers to approve a bill that would make it a crime for elected officials or candidates to knowingly lie about election outcomes if those claims result in violence.
Seattle woman, 90, walks 6 miles through snow for vaccine
Read full article: Seattle woman, 90, walks 6 miles through snow for vaccineA person walks through the snow on the Capitol campus, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Winter weather is expected throughout the Seattle region through the weekend. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)SEATTLE – A rare winter storm that dumped a foot of snow on Seattle couldn’t keep a 90-year-old woman from her first appointment for the coronavirus vaccine. The Seattle Times reports that Fran Goldman walked six miles round trip to get her shot. Goldman dressed in fleece pants and a short-sleeved shirt so that the nurse could get to her arm easily. She then put on snow boots, took out her walking sticks and ventured onto the snowy streets.
Hundreds of thousands without power in Northwest ice storm
Read full article: Hundreds of thousands without power in Northwest ice storm(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. – A winter storm blanketed the Pacific Northwest with ice and snow Saturday, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power and disrupting travel across the region. Freezing rain left roads, power lines and trees coated in ice in the Portland, Oregon, region, and by Saturday morning more than 270,000 people were without power. The “unsettled winter conditions” would likely continue throughout the week, the National Weather Service said Saturday morning. Rain falling on accumulated snow raised the possibility of urban flooding happening Sunday night or Monday in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Idaho's neighbors to the east were blasted by brutally frigid weather, with the National Weather Service warning of dangerous wind chills in Montana and Wyoming.
Washington state eyes 'billionaire tax' on the ultra rich
Read full article: Washington state eyes 'billionaire tax' on the ultra richAdAbout 100 taxpayers in the state have wealth in excess of $1 billion, according to the state Department of Revenue. The bill's sponsor, Democratic Rep. Noel Frame of Seattle, said the measure isn't an attack on the state's richest residents. The Washington state measure “would be the first of its kind if it passes,” he said. Frame said Washington — one of just a few states without an income tax — leans too heavily on its sales tax, disproportionately affecting those with less income. In a blog post in late 2019, Gates wrote about inequality and his push for changes in the tax code, including his support of an unsuccessful voter initiative that would have created a state income tax.
Social media crackdown continues after siege of US Capitol
Read full article: Social media crackdown continues after siege of US CapitolThe social media company Twitter said Tuesday Jan. 12, 2021, it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts associated with the far right QAnon conspiracy theory following last week's U.S. Capitol insurrection. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)LONDON – Social media platforms are continuing to crack down on fringe groups and conspiracy theories following last week’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Twitter’s sweeping purge of QAnon accounts, which began Friday, is part of a crackdown that also includes its decision to ban President Donald Trump from the service over worries about further incitement to violence. Twitter has been trying to rein in QAnon for months, removing more than 7,000 accounts in July. Twitter's suspensions followed a flurry of actions by tech giants that silenced rival social media platform Parler, a magnet for the far right.
Twitter blocks 70,000 QAnon accounts after US Capitol riot
Read full article: Twitter blocks 70,000 QAnon accounts after US Capitol riotThe social media company Twitter said Tuesday Jan. 12, 2021, it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts associated with the far right QAnon conspiracy theory following last week's U.S. Capitol insurrection. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)LONDON – Twitter says it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts associated with the far right QAnon conspiracy theory following last week's U.S. Capitol riot. In many cases, a single individual operated numerous accounts, driving up the total number of affected accounts, the company said in a blog post. The QAnon conspiracy theory is centered on the baseless belief that Trump is waging a secret campaign against “deep state” enemies and a child sex trafficking ring run by satanic pedophiles and cannibals. Twitter has previously tried to crack down on QAnon, removing more than 7,000 accounts in July.
State capitols step up security amid new safety concerns
Read full article: State capitols step up security amid new safety concerns(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)State capitols across the nation stepped up security Monday, deploying National Guard units, SWAT teams and extra police officers while several legislatures convened amid heightened safety concerns following last week's violence at the U.S. Capitol. Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee activated hundreds of National Guard troops to help state police keep order at the state Capitol. Oregon state police will conduct building security training for those who work at the state Capitol, including journalists, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Michigan lawmakers are to return to session Wednesday.
VIRUS TODAY: State legislatures to convene amid pandemic
Read full article: VIRUS TODAY: State legislatures to convene amid pandemicJay Inslee talks to reporters at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. State lawmakers across the country will be convening in 2021 with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic rippling through much of their work and even affecting the way they work. — Coronavirus hospitalizations are stabilizing in parts of California, but patients are still overwhelming hospitals in a large swath of the state, leading Gov. 4 Notre Dame had to go a combined 37-2 on the field and keep the virus at bay. QUOTABLE: “COVID will frame everything,” Tim Storey, executive director of the National Conference of State Legislatures, said about state legislatures across the country that will convene in 2021. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
2 states announce new coronavirus restrictions as US cases hit 11 million
Read full article: 2 states announce new coronavirus restrictions as US cases hit 11 millionJay Inslee announced new restrictions on businesses and social gatherings Sunday for the next four weeks as the state continues to combat a rising number of coronavirus cases. The order also restricts indoor and outdoor residential gatherings, closes some entertainment facilities and bans gyms from hosting group exercise classes. The restrictions announced by Inslee, a Democrat, temporarily rolls back all counties and places them under the same guidelines. As of Sunday, Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker has reached 11 million after topping 10 million cases Nov. 9 — with the most recent million coming in just six days. It took 300 days for the U.S. to hit the 11 million mark since the first case was diagnosed in Washington state Jan. 20.
Wildfire smoke brings worst air quality to Portland, Seattle
Read full article: Wildfire smoke brings worst air quality to Portland, SeattleOlympia is among the places facing unhealthy air quality due to wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. “The same population that is most vulnerable to the virus is also most vulnerable to the smoke,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan noted during a news conference. San Francisco also continued to suffer from smoke pollution; those four cities topped the list of major cities with the worst air quality Friday, according to IQAir.com, which tracks air quality around the world. In San Francisco, the gray air smelled of burned wood and visibility was clouded by “very unhealthy” air, according to the Bay Area Air Quality District. Residents were also asked to avoid activities that could further degrade the air quality, including unnecessary driving, lawn mowing and barbecuing.
Olympia Titans slip past Winter Park Wildcats
Read full article: Olympia Titans slip past Winter Park WildcatsORLANDO, Fla. – In a back-and-forth battle, Olympia emerged victorious, defeating Winter Park 27-24. [VIDEO: 6-Yard Line]With the score knotted at 10 in the third quarter, Titans' senior wide receiver Jeff James took matters into his own hands, hauling in a short pass, then shaking off a helmet to helmet hit to not only stay on his feet, but go almost 70 yards to the end zone in a thrilling touchdown play. Both Olympia and Winter Park finish the season with 5-5 records.