Pacific NW

Three tufted puffins died recently at Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, causing the zoo to close the habitat as they investigate for suspected avian disease. The outdoor puffin aviary and the pathway to it are temporarily closed. One of the puffins was confirmed to be infected with avian psittacosis — also known as avian chlamydiosis, parrot fever or ornithosis — which is an infectious ...

The arrest of a landscaper last week comes in an apparent surge in arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement across Western Washington, advocates say, which is part of a national increase that critics have blamed for shooting deaths in Texas and Maine.

Craving an island getaway? Island vacations offer surf, sun, sand and countless opportunities for fun, from quiet walks on pristine beaches to kayaking and wildlife watching. Travel + Leisure readers recently voted on the best islands in the continental United States — and one destination in Washington state made the list. Here’s to know: What’s the best island destination in Washington state? ...

Homeowners all over the country are feeling the crush of rising insurance costs. But that burden isn’t distributed evenly. Property owners in predominantly Black and Hispanic corners of the country pay higher home insurance premiums than those in mostly white areas, even when factoring for environmental risk, the Consumer Federation of America found in a report released this week.

Initiative 645, which would repeal Washington's new high-earners income tax, has qualified for the Nov. 3 ballot. Stefanie Randolph, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, confirmed Wednesday that the measure received enough valid signatures to go before voters. The certification was expected. Supporters of I-645 earlier this month submitted more than 500,000 signatures from ...

The Democrats in Washington state's congressional delegation split Wednesday on a vote to cut U.S. military aid to Israel for the next fiscal year, mirroring a growing national rift within the Democratic Party over its long-standing support for the Jewish state.

Time to get your body paint ready . The first of Portland’s two World Naked Bike Rides is set to take place next weekend.

A harbor seal pup is receiving treatment after it was discovered with a gunshot wound in the Smith Gardens tidal flats north of downtown Bellingham.

The Claremont Fire in the Boise Foothills had scorched 6,800 acres of terrain by Tuesday afternoon, torching sagebrush and shrubs, wildflowers and weeds, and narrowly avoiding homes. One thing it has almost certainly burned is a vast portion of a newly recognized plant species endemic to the Foothills, according to Barbara Ertter, a self-described “quasi-retired botanist” and research ...

Tacoma city leaders are reviving conversations about raising the city’s minimum wage to $20 an hour. A ballot initiative seeking to do so last year, in addition to outlining stronger protections for the city’s workers, has been held up at the state Court of Appeals amid allegations that local leaders deliberately stood in the way of putting it on the ballot. In the meantime, Deputy Mayor Joe ...