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Local NewsForecasters say heavy rain, wind next for Washington
The Cascade Mountains and foothills will be drenched by 10 to 15 inches of rain and wet snow over the next two days, with major flooding forecast for many rivers in Western Washington.
Mystery solved: Gov. Gregoire visiting troops in Iraq
Gov. Christine Gregoire is in Iraq visiting Washington Army National Guard troops with a delegation including Governors John Corzine, D-New Jersey and Rick Perry, R-Texas.
Gregoire's help sought in Maury Island gravel battle
A group of state lawmakers are calling on Gov. Christine Gregoire to step into the fight over a gravel mine on Maury Island. Fourteen legislators sent a letter asking her to suspend and possibly overturn a state lease issued in early December that cleared the way for a major expansion of the mine.
In court, nightclub shooting suspect regained right to gun
An 18-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting a hip-hop performer at a Seattle nightclub last weekend successfully petitioned to have his right to own a firearm reinstated last year after his 2007 arrest for possessing a stolen handgun.
Iraq killing headed for court
Federal prosecutors in Seattle intend to charge a former Blackwater USA operative for fatally shooting the bodyguard of the Iraqi vice president after a drunken Christmas party in Baghdad's secure "Green Zone" in 2006, according to the man's attorney and sources within the U.S. Department of Justice.
Puyallup mom who attacked child molester with baseball bat pleads guilty to assault
A Puyallup woman who became an Internet hero after she beat a convicted child molester with a baseball bat pleaded guilty Monday to assault.
UPDATE - 09:12 PM
"Sno-maggedon" in Spokane
Spokane boy Bing Crosby may have sung about the joys of a "White Christmas," but 6-1/2 feet of snow in the past three weeks has residents begging for relief. This unusually harsh winter has disrupted schools, traffic, garbage pickup and mail service. Tempers are so frayed that a man was arrested for shooting at a snow-plow operator on Monday.
3 members of armed-robbery ring arrested in West Seattle
Three members of a suspected armed-robbery ring that has targeted convenience stores over the last month have been arrested.
Avalanche closes Highway 2, Stevens Pass ski area
The Stevens Pass ski area was evacuated early this afternoon because of an avalanche on U.S. Highway 2 about 2 miles west of the summit. There were no injuries, said Jeff Adamson, a spokesman for the state's Department of Transportation.
Body of newborn found at a dump site near Tacoma
The body of a baby boy was found Monday by authorities combing through 60 tons of trash at a dump site near Tacoma, and a teenager believed to be the mother was held on $500,000 bail.
Couple charged in Seattle with gay immigration fraud
A federal grand jury in Seattle has charged two people in an alleged immigration fraud conspiracy, saying they advised straight immigrants to claim homosexuality in applying for political asylum.
UPDATE - 09:22 PM
Glass leak shuts down Kalama bottle factory
A massive leak of molten glass, compared by firefighters to lava from a volcano, has shut down a new technologically advanced bottle factory...
Gov. Chris Gregoire out of Washington state
Gov. Chris Gregoire is out of the state, but her office won't say where she is.
Nicole Brodeur
Have gun, will seek power
What was the point of knocking on a side door of Seattle's Chop Suey nightclub early Sunday morning and opening fire? Of killing a hip-hop artist and injuring two others before scurrying away like a cockroach?
King County reaches deal with feds on improving jail
King County corrections officers, trained to restrain inmates by grabbing their hair, must learn more humane techniques, and inmates will get clean underwear every day if the County Council approves a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Lawsuit alleges Tukwila school officials didn't protect autistic boy from bullying
A discrimination suit has been filed on behalf of an autistic former student in the Tukwila School District, alleging district officials failed to protect him from bullying and tried to declare him a truant when his parents pulled him from classes.
Metro chief: Poor communication with Seattle DOT hurt bus service
King County Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond said today that communication between his agency and Seattle transportation officials was poor at the height of the recent snowstorms. When Metro officials requested roads be cleared, for example, there was no way to know the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) had actually cleared them.
Snoqualmie Pass open again after avalanche work
HYAK — Traffic is moving again on I-90 through Snoqualmie Pass after an hour-and-a-half closure for avalanche control.
Washington state employee hiring freeze lifted
OLYMPIA — The hiring freeze ordered five months ago by Gov. Chris Gregoire is over.
Plum Creek drops forest-road request
A controversial U.S. Forest Service plan that would have made it easier to build houses in Western mountain forests was dropped Monday when the nation's largest private landowner — Seattle-based Plum Creek Timber — abruptly backed off the request that sparked the issue
Obituary
Dr. Eric Offenbacher, Mozart scholar, 96
Eric Offenbacher, renown Mozart scholar and retired dentist, died in Seattle on Monday, Jan. 5, at age 96.
Eyman begins state's '09 initiative drive with new plan to rein in property taxes
Professional initiative promoter Tim Eyman kicked off the 2009 ballot-measure campaigns Monday, introducing a plan that would cap government tax collections and use any excess money to reduce property taxes.
Obituary
Rep. Bill Grant, "shining example"
State Rep. Bill Grant died Sunday (Jan. 4) at a Walla Walla hospital, about a month after being diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer.
Philip Mote, UW climate expert, moving south
Normandy Park man dies in crash
A 57-year-old Normandy Park man died Monday evening after his car collided with a guardrail on Highway 509 and veered off the road.
Light-rail sessions to discuss parking
Port Townsend ferry service back
Superintendent to release closure recommendations
Third-runway meeting Thursday
Rain brings risk of floods, roof cave-ins in Wash.
Washington state residents who might have been eager for rain after a series of snowstorms were warned Tuesday that they might get their wish and then some.
Nation & WorldUPDATE - 08:35 PM
Gaza truce proposed after Israeli shell kills 30
France and Egypt announced an initiative to stop the fighting in Gaza late Tuesday, hours after Israeli mortar shells exploded near a U.N. school sheltering hundreds of people displaced by the onslaught on Hamas militants. At least 30 Palestinians died, staining streets with blood.
Tax cuts a big part of Obama's $775B plan
The president-elect is proposing a $775 billion, two-year package that includes about $300 billion in tax cuts or credits, with an emphasis on low- and middle-income earners.
Chew on this: We'll soon be able to grow replacement teeth
It turns out wisdom teeth are prolific sources of adult stem cells needed to grow new teeth for you. From scratch. In your adult life, as you need them. In the near future. According to the National Institutes of Health.
Health-care spending up in 2007, but at slower rate
U.S. health-care spending in 2007 grew at its lowest rate in nine years, due mainly to a slowdown in prescription-drug spending and lower administrative costs for the Medicare program, according to a new government report released Monday.
Marysville man pleads guilty to pharmacy burglaries in Washington and Oregon
The final defendant in a sophisticated burglary ring that involved thefts of narcotics and other drugs from dozens of West Coast pharmacies has pleaded guilty to conspiracy, burglary and drug distribution in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
New U.S. Embassy opens in Baghdad
The U.S. flag was raised Monday over the mammoth new American Embassy in Iraq, symbolizing a new era of restored Iraqi sovereignty and reduced U.S. power, even though it's the biggest U.S. mission on Earth.
Sept. 11 suspect goes on trial in Paris
Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-styled mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, went on trial in Paris on Monday on charges he helped organize a truck-bomb attack on an ancient Tunisian synagogue seven months later in which 21 people were killed.
Three Seattle schools off closure list for now
The list of which schools may close in Seattle shrank today, as Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson announced her final recommendations. Three no longer on her list are Alternative School No. 1 in North Seattle, Montlake Elementary just south of the Ship Canal, and Lowell Elementary on Capitol Hill. Thornton Creek Elementary in northeast Seattle would stay put rather than move.
Travolta's son died of seizure, says undertaker
Jett Travolta's body showed no sign of head trauma and his death certificate says he was killed by a "seizure," an undertaker said Monday, as the 16-year-old's parents, actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston, prepared for a Florida funeral.
Alleged attic-squatter apologizes
A man who allegedly squatted in the attic of a Pennsylvania family's home over Christmas and helped himself to their belongings is "sorry and upset" it happened, his lawyer said Monday.
UPDATE - 09:25 PM
Democratic leaders seek to resolve Burris saga
Roland Burris failed to capture President-elect Barack Obama's old Senate seat Tuesday in a wild piece of political theater, but the Democrats' opposition cracked when a key chairwoman said seating him was simply the legal thing to do.
Engineer: Tenn. ash spill warning signs ignored
The nation's largest government-run utility ignored two small leaks that could have provided a warning years before a coal ash pond collapsed, flooding a neighborhood with a billion gallons of sludge, a former federal regulator contends.
Ex-Detroit mayoral aide gets 120-day jail sentence
The former top aide and ex-lover of disgraced ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick followed her old boss to jail Tuesday, the last step in a criminal case that shook up Detroit politics for a year after romantic text messages between the pair made headlines.
UPDATE - 08:20 PM
Gov. Schwarzenegger rejects latest budget proposal
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed an $18 billion deficit-cutting package Tuesday that legislative Democrats characterized as the only "game in town."
Teens warned to clean up online profiles
Adults can encourage safer Internet use by young people, who may not consider the consequences of posting drinking habits and sexual behavior, a study shows.
6-year-old takes family car after missing bus
A 6-year-old Virginia boy who missed his bus tried to drive to school in his family's sedan - and crashed. His parents were charged with child endangerment. State police said the boy suffered only minor injuries and authorities drove him to school after he was evaluated at a local hospital for a bump on his head. He arrived shortly after lunch, Sgt. Tom Cunningham said.
UPDATE - 09:30 PM
Coleman sues over Minnesota Senate recount result
Republican Norm Coleman filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging Democrat Al Franken's apparent recount victory in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, delaying a resolution of the contest for weeks or months.
Diplomats push Syria to pressure ally Hamas
France's president sought Syrian help Tuesday to bring a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, while Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice headed to the United Nations for meetings with Arab and European leaders.
Former Okla. sheriff on trial in jail sex case
A former sheriff in western Oklahoma used his influence over female jail inmates and drug court defendants to demand sex with them, a prosecutor said Tuesday as the ex-lawman's trial began. The defense said he never forced anyone to have sex.
Judge: Government hiding evidence in Gitmo case
A federal judge on Tuesday accused the Bush administration of hiding evidence in the case of a Yemen man who has been held as a terror suspect at Guantanamo Bay for six years.
Young Ariz. murder suspect's statement off-limits
Prosecutors in eastern Arizona have agreed not to use statements made by a 9-year-old boy as they pursue murder charges against him, according to court documents released Tuesday.
Japan wants anti-whalers barred from ports
Japan said Tuesday it plans to ask Australia and possibly New Zealand and Chile to ban an anti-whaling protest ship from using their ports to refuel, heightening a cat-and-mouse game in Antarctic waters between Japan's whaling fleet and the conservationists.
Another hearing sought in missing pants case
A former District of Columbia judge who unsuccessfully sued his dry cleaners for $54 million over a lost pair of pants isn't giving up.
Baby's corpse thrown out with NJ hospital's trash
Police searched garbage dumps in New Jersey and Pennsylvania on Tuesday for the body of a baby apparently thrown out with the trash at a Jersey City hospital sometime in the past two weeks.
German mogul kills self over financial meltdown
German billionaire Adolf Merckle threw himself in front of a train after his business empire, which included interests ranging from VW cars to pharmaceuticals to cement, ran into trouble in the global financial crisis, his family said Tuesday.
Islamic militants ridicule death of Bush cat
Islamic militants posted sarcastic comments on an extremist Web site Tuesday ridiculing a recent announcement by First Lady Laura Bush that the family's cat had died.
Moving out: William and Harry set up own office
Princes William and Harry said Tuesday they have been granted their own royal household by their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Pakistan calls for foreign support, not troops
Pakistan's president called Tuesday for foreign allies to provide more support - not more troops - to help win the battle against extremist militias along its volatile border with Afghanistan.
Sri Lanka seizes key rebel defense line in north
Sri Lankan troops broke through the Tamil Tigers' northern defense lines Tuesday, the military said, opening another active front in their war against the beleaguered guerrillas.
Stranded sea cow saved by Filipino fishermen
Filipino fishermen rescued an endangered sea cow, pushing it back into open water after it was stranded off a beach in the western Philippines, conservationists said Tuesday.
UPDATE - 11:10 PM
Transcript: Mumbai gunmen were commanded by phone
The gunman said into the phone, "We have three foreigners, including women." The response was plain and brutal: "Kill them," the man said. Gunshots rang out inside the Mumbai hotel, followed by a round of cheering.
Woman accused in fatal burning of sleeping husband
An Australian woman accused of setting her husband's genitals on fire because she thought he was having an affair has been charged with murder.
Mother of Palin's future son-in-law enters drug plea
Business & TechnologyMedian home price in King County tops $400,000 again in December
Median prices for single family homes and condominiums continued to decline in December compared to a year ago, according to figures released by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.
Apple cutting prices, copy protection on iTunes
Apple closed its final appearance at the Macworld trade show today by cutting the price of some songs in its market-leading iTunes online...
Microsoft Server and Tools boss Muglia given president title
Microsoft has promoted Bob Muglia, a long-serving executive, to president of the company's Server and Tools Business, a unit that has turned 25 consecutive quarters of double-digit growth. The promotion, announced Monday, makes Muglia one of four presidents at the company.
KB Toys stores to stop accepting gift cards
KB Toys no longer will accept gift cards in stores after Sunday as the Pittsfield, Mass., retailer pursues bankruptcy. KB Toys has stores...
Alcoa cuts 106 jobs at Washington smelters
Aluminum producer Alcoa will cut 106 jobs at its smelters in Ferndale and Wenatchee as it eliminates 13,500 jobs, or 13 percent of its global work force to cope with the economic slowdown.
Fed: Economic woes will last despite radical moves
Even as Federal Reserve officials slashed their key interest rate to a record low and pledged to use other unconventional tools to fight the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, they still feared the economy would be stuck in a painful rut for some time.
Stocks close higher, despite bad economic news
Wall Street dismissed more bad economic news and closed today's session with a moderate advance that leaves stocks at their highest levels...
Alaska Airlines December traffic falls 5.2 percent
Alaska Air Group Inc. said Tuesday its December passenger traffic fell 5. 2 percent on its main carrier, Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines flew 1...
Madoff should be in jail, says prosecutor
A prosecutor on Monday asked that Bernard Madoff be jailed pending trial, saying the disgraced financier violated an agreement with the court by mailing watches, jewelry, cufflinks and mittens worth more than $1 million to relatives and friends.
New York Times runs front-page display ad
The New York Times, facing falling ad revenue like other newspapers, on Monday became the latest paper to run graphical advertising on its front page.
Starbucks plans to settle another labor complaint
Starbucks has reached a settlement in principle over a Michigan barista whom the National Labor Relations Board said was fired in June because...
SportsUPDATE - 08:37 PM
New UW defensive coordinator Nick Holt calls Huskies job an awesome opportunity
Holt, former USC defensive coordinator, says he wanted to be part of coach Steve Sarkisian's rebuilding effort with Huskies.
Gymnastics state champions still feel painful loss
As they cope with moving up a classification and the pressure of winning three consecutive state gymnastics titles, the Newport Knights are dealing with something much bigger than their sport — the loss of a teammate.
Keeper Chris Eylander joins FC
Chris Eylander, former goalkeeper for the United Soccer Leagues First Division Sounders, has signed a multiyear contract with Sounders FC...
Mariners waiting out slow-moving market
Jack Zduriencik was chatting with a fellow general manager on Monday morning about the slow-moving free-agent market. By the end of the...
Seahawks | Rod Marinelli interviews to be an assistant under Jim Mora
Jim Mora conducted his first meeting of the Seahawks staff Monday. What that coaching staff will ultimately look like next season, however...
College football | Sooners score points in a hurry
No time to celebrate. Oklahoma's incomparable no-huddle offense is always in a rush. Not until the high-scoring Sooners reach the end zone...
Fiesta Bowl | Longhorns make case for shared title
Left out of the national-title game, Colt McCoy and Texas made the most of their trip to the Fiesta Bowl. McCoy hit Quan Cosby for a 26-yard...
Fishing | Where they're biting, where they're not
Milton Bradley agrees to deal with Cubs
The Chicago Cubs and switch-hitting Milton Bradley reached a preliminary agreement Monday on a $30 million, three-year contract, according...
Stars of the week
Ruben Navejas, Kentwood wrestling Navejas, a sophomore, had an impressive run through the 103-pound bracket at the Pacific Coast Championships...
LaDainian Tomlinson might miss Steelers' game
A groin injury is hurting LaDainian Tomlinson to the point that he might have to sit out the San Diego Chargers' playoff game at Pittsburgh...
Luke Harangody lifts Irish
Luke Harangody didn't let being in foul trouble against Georgetown bother him. Neither did Notre Dame coach Mike Brey.
LeBron James' dribble gets jeers from Wizards
Add LeBron James' "crab dribble" to the lengthy list of talking points in the Cavaliers-Wizards rivalry.
Gonzaga men's basketball has lost its zip
The effects of the loss to Connecticut have lingered, and things won't be getting any easier as Tennessee looms.
NW Briefs | Cougars football to play the Irish
The Washington State football team will play Hawaii, Southern Methodist and Notre Dame in nonconference games in 2009, it was announced...
Briefs | Soccer: Galaxy's Landon Donovan, on loan, joins German team
Soccer Donovan, who led MLS in goals, is with Bayern Munich: Landon Donovan, a forward for the Los Angeles Galaxy who led Major League Soccer...
Monday's state basketball scores
EntertainmentBooks, paintings become video art in two exhibitions
Video installations, including the Henry Art Gallery's "Adaptation" and Jack Straw's "Still Point," explore possibilities of adaptation from an odd assortment of media.
ACT Theatre adds Judd Hirsch to season
Noted TV, film and stage actor Judd Hirsch will star in the ACT Theatre production of "Below the Belt," the Richard Dresser play that Hirsh first starred in Off Broadway.
Rare Seattle performance of Dadaist sound poem
All together now!: "Fümms bö wö tää zää Uu, pögiff, kwii Ee. " That's the opening of "U.S.nata,"...
A&E Dispatch | Free performances from Maureen Whiting Co. on tap at ACT Theatre
ACT Theatre will present free shows of the Maureen Whiting Company "Myth of Me and You" on Jan. 16 and 17.
Kingsley leads wacky parade
"The Wackness" and "Ping Pong Playa" arrive on DVD this week.
Previews of Seattle Opera's "The Pearl Fishers" at Seattle Public Library branches
It's like a free humanities class with a live performance to boot: Several branches of the Seattle Public Library will host previews of...
Prince to release three new albums in 2009
Prince will release three new albums in 2009.
Report: "Catch Me If You Can" set for 5th Avenue Theatre
"Catch Me If You Can," the hit Tom Hanks-Leonardo DiCaprio film, is the latest movie to get the Broadway-stage treatment, with a pre-Broadway run reportedly set for Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre this summer.
The return of "Scrubs" is a Tuesday TV pick
The consistently funny medical comedy is back for its eighth season, on a new network and with back-to-back episodes. Courteney Cox guest stars...
Alan Colmes plays Colbert's sidekick for a day
Divorced from his longtime co-host Sean Hannity, Alan Colmes was adopted by Stephen Colbert - for a day, at least. On Monday's "The Colbert Report," Colbert introduced the Fox News commentator as his new co-host.
Attorney: Charge against Brolin to be dropped
It's not exactly a presidential pardon, but prosecutors have agreed to drop charges filed against "W." actors Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright after an incident a Louisiana bar last year.
Broadway grosses, attendance were a bit higher in '08
An industry trade association says overall Broadway grosses and attendance in 2008 were a bit higher than the box-office take and attendance of the previous year.
New `Idol' judge says male contestants hold edge
Kara DioGuardi was fretting about being the new face of "American Idol," and she put the blame on hungry mosquitoes.
Oscars 2.0: The film academy revamps its Web site
Want to hear Cameron Crowe's thoughts on winning an Oscar or see how king-sized movie posters are assembled? How about a sneak peek at some of the exclusive exhibitions held at the film academy's Beverly Hills headquarters?
Pixar Animation pioneer Catmull earns Oscar
One of the digital wizards behind such cartoon smashes as "WALL-E," "Ratatouille" and "Finding Nemo" is getting an Academy Award.
Small Fla. town embraces Travolta during tragedy
This small central Florida town is about as far from Hollywood as you can get. Maybe that's why actor John Travolta moved his family here.
Swayze faces cancer (and a new TV series) bravely
Patrick Swayze says his yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer put him "through hell" while he pushed ahead on his new TV series. "I've never been one to run from a challenge," Swayze tells ABC's Barbara Walters in an exclusive interview.
The Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton found dead at 60
Ron Asheton, the guitarist for the Stooges whose raw sound helped inspire the first generation of punk musicians, has died. He was 60.
Winfrey Web site adds Holocaust story disclaimer
Oprah Winfrey has yet to comment on Herman Rosenblat and his debunked story of meeting his future wife in a Nazi concentration camp. But a brief disclaimer has been added to her Web site, http://www.oprah.com, which still devotes substantial space to the Rosenblat romance.
`Dark Knight,' `Iron Man' battle for effects Oscar
Superheroes Batman, Iron Man and Hellboy are mixing it up with Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman and an ancient mummy for the visual-effects Academy Award.
`Medium' star Patricia Arquette files for divorce
Patricia Arquette has filed for divorce from her actor-husband.
LivingSolution for cleaning laminate wood floors
How to clean laminate wood floors and make your own cleaner.
Travel & OutdoorsBig-time skiing in Montana
Big Sky and Whitefish (also called Big Mountain) offer uncrowded skiing in Montana
Hotels' makeup-removal towelettes recalled because of bacteria
Makeup-removal towelettes — called "simplySmart Remove" — are recalled from Holiday Inn Express hotels because of contamination that could cause eye infections
Indian airline fires 9 overweight flight attendants
Air India fires 9 overweight flight attendants
U.S. airlines launch fare sales for winter and spring travel
Airlines launch a wave of fare sales to fill seats as weak economy keeps travelers home
Travel Troubleshooter
Getting a refund for rental-car snafu
Travel ombudsman Christopher Elliott helps a traveler get a refund for rental car booked through Hotwire
OpinionEditorial
No closure on Seattle Public Schools closures
The Seattle Public Schools plan for closing unneeded schools is anything but a done deal. The plan continues to change as school district residents and school board members wrestle with a plan that is budget smart and politically viable.
I take umbrage at "um"
The word "um" is sneaking into common usage as a word meaning, "I'm making fun of what follows." Seattle Times columnist Bruce Ramsey argues its use "is a barbarian thing, the grunted equivalent of a sitcom laugh track."
Rep. Bill Grant was strong voice for rural Washington
Washington state Rep. Bill Grant of Walla Walla, who represented the 16th Legislative District for 22 years in the state House, died Monday. Respected by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, House majority caucus chairman Grant, 71, was the lone Democrat representing rural Washington.