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U.S. cancels planned tariffs on China
President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. has canceled plans to impose new tariffs on $160 billion worth of Chinese imports Sunday as part of a modest interim agreement that de-escalates a 17-month trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.
Washington attorney general, legislators pushing for stricter gun control laws
Attorney General Bob Ferguson and a group of Democratic legislators will try for more gun control legislation next year with a push for pending bills that would ban the sale of high-capacity magazines and semi-automatic rifles and that would tighten rules for the sale of ammunition.
Heavy snow hitting mountain passes. Here’s what to know before you go.
College students and holiday travelers may face difficult driving conditions while trekking across the state, as meteorologists predicted Thursday that as much as 2 feet of snow would fall on some of Washington’s mountain passes by this morning.
UK election exit poll suggests Conservatives majority
An exit poll in Britain’s election projects that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party likely will win a majority of seats in Parliament, an outcome that would allow Johnson to fulfill his plan to take the U.K. out of the European Union next month.
Most regional ski areas to open by Saturday, with heavy snow forecast
The snow expected to cover ski areas in the Inland Northwest during the latter part of this week has ski area managers excited for the impending season, as resorts prepare to open or expand access after a dry start to winter.
More workers to qualify for overtime under new state rules
More Washington workers would either get a raise or qualify for overtime starting in 2021 under new rules from the state Department of Labor and Industries.
As Navy works to keep flight paths clear for fighter jets, cities and counties plan for growth
A Navy representative has been meeting with county and city leaders throughout the state to show them route maps and areas used for training by the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island. On the map, the low-altitude zones resemble strands of colorful yarn strewn across Eastern Washington and Oregon.
British Columbia will no longer log in key Skagit headwaters
SEATTLE – British Columbia’s government announced Wednesday amid an international dispute that it will no longer allow timber sales in the Skagit River’s headwaters. The decision could intensify pressure over Canadian mining company Imperial Metals’ pending permit to start exploratory mining in the area, the Seattle Times reported, which conservationists see as a larger threat to the river’s ecology.
DNR adopts plan for marbled murrelet
The state Board of Natural Resources on Tuesday adopted a long-term conservation plan for the marbled murrelet, a threatened seabird that has been protected under a controversial interim plan for almost two decades.
Pullman Regional Hospital bond failure prompts retreat plan
The Pullman Regional Hospital Board of Commissioners will schedule a retreat soon to decide what to do next following the failure of a $29 million bond for hospital upgrades.
Gates Foundation CEO steps down after five years
SEATTLE – The CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is stepping down after more than five years in the role. Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellman on Thursday cited family and health as reasons for leaving the world’s richest philanthropy, calling it “the toughest decision” of her career. Desmond-Hellman, 62, was the third CEO in the organization’s 20-year history, the Seattle Times reported. With a background as a research scientist and physician, she was the first to come from outside Microsoft.
Car tab break set for today delayed, as Supreme Court continues block on lower fees
Hoping for a break on your license tab fees? It’s still in the courts.
Pullman hospital bond barely rejected; officials seek new path for expansion, residency program
Pullman voters narrowly rejected a bond measure that would have allowed Pullman Regional Hospital to expand its facilities, electronic records and prepare to apply for a residency program with the WSU College of Medicine.
Second challenge of order blocking I-976 filed with Supreme Court
A second legal maneuver to allow Initiative 976 to take effect this week and lower the cost of vehicle license tabs was filed Tuesday with the state Supreme Court.
Stores report brisk sales of WSU’s Cosmic Crisp apple. Here’s where to get them in Spokane.
After more than 20 years of research and development, the shiny, orange-red Cosmic Crisp apple debuted this week in grocery stores, including at all of the Rosauers, Safeway and Albertsons locations in Spokane.
Bad weather causes potato shortage everywhere, except in Washington
Washington potato growers could double what they earn from this year’s crop because of shortages in Idaho, the Upper Midwest and Canada caused by bad weather in October that forced some producers to leave their spuds in the field.
Washington state district settles sexual misconduct lawsuit
A Washington state school district has agreed to pay $5 million to the families of four students allegedly sexually assaulted by another student on school bus trips.
Hanford boosts contaminated groundwater cleanup to protect the Columbia River
The Hanford nuclear reservation is expanding its capacity to clean chemical and radioactive contamination from the groundwater. “That will reduce the time needed to clean up the groundwater,” said Mike Cline, the Department of Energy project director for cleanup of soil and groundwater at Hanford. “The more water we can treat, the quicker we can complete total cleanup.”
Wrongly delivered urine sample prompts theater evacuation in Western Washington
A movie theater in the small Washington city of North Bend was evacuated after authorities say a packaged labeled as containing a “highly contagious human substance” was sent there in error.
Long-awaited Cosmic Crisp apples to hit shelves
The Cosmic Crisp, a new, Washington State University-bred apple with astronomical implications, is set to hit shelves in less than a week, but some local grocers say it remains to be seen whether they will be readily available in time to serve cosmic apple pie for Christmas.