Washington state

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US Glaciers Shrinking Fast
 US Glaciers Shrinking Fast  

US Glaciers Shrinking Fast

(Newser) - Three major glaciers in Alaska and Washington state have rapidly shrunk over the last 50 years due to global warming—and the melting is accelerating as the climate changes, notes a government study released yesterday. The glaciers, chosen as "benchmarks" because their conditions closely parallel those of thousands of...

Northwest Busts All-Time Sizzle Record

(Newser) - Fans, ice cream, and AC were in short supply yesterday as Seattle recorded the hottest temperature in its history, a sizzling 103 degrees, and heat records melted across the region, reports the Seattle Times. Relief is still a sweaty few days away as a heat warning remains in effect for...

'Brutal' Heat Wave Bakes Pacific Northwest

(Newser) - A heat wave continues to pummel the Pacific Northwest, the AP reports, though tomorrow will likely bring some relief. Temperatures at Seattle’s airport could easily break the 1994 record of 100 degrees today; yesterday, temps in Portland came within 1 degree of the 1984 record of 107. The region...

Woman First to Use Washington Suicide Law

Cancer patient, 66, takes lethal dose under Death with Dignity Act

(Newser) - A 66-year-old woman became the first to opt for physician-assisted suicide under Washington state’s new death-with-dignity law, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Suffering from stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Linda Fleming took a lethal dose of medication last night, surrounded by her family, doctor and dog.

Women, 56, Discover They Were Switched at Birth

'Swisters' become friends after Oregon hospital's mix-up revealed

(Newser) - Two women's lives have been turned upside down since they discovered they were switched at birth 56 years ago, the East Oregonian reports. Kay Qualls and DeeAnn Shafer—whose parents are now deceased—decided to go for DNA testing last summer after an elderly former neighbor contacted one of the...

Flu Spreads, Kills US Man
 Flu Spreads, Kills US Man 

Flu Spreads, Kills US Man

Australia, Japan see cases

(Newser) - Health officials have confimed that a 30-year-old Washington state man died last week of the H1N1 flu strain, raising its US death toll to  three, Reuters reports. He had suffered from heart problems. The disease has now been found in some 2,200 Americans and has spread to Japan and...

Washington State Boosts Rights for Same-Sex Partners

Domestic partners given all the rights of married couples

(Newser) - Lawmakers in Washington state have voted to give same-sex domestic partners all the same rights as married couples, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Republicans, fearing the move would lead to legalized same-sex marriage in the state, unsuccessfully tried to add amendments to the bill to keep a clear distinction between domestic...

Dad Killed 5 Kids After Wife Dumped Him

He was going to kill her, too: cops

(Newser) - The dad who killed his five children and himself near Tacoma, Wash., did so after discovering his wife was leaving him for another man, reports the Seattle Times reports. James Harrison, 34, confronted his wife at a convenience store Saturday before returning home to shoot each child multiple times. Four...

5 Children Found Slain in Home
 5 Children Found Slain in Home 

5 Children Found Slain in Home

Tacoma police think father killed them, then himself

(Newser) - Five children ages 7 to 16 were found dead today in their home near Tacoma, Wash., the Seattle Times reports. Investigators say they might have been killed by their father, whose body was found at a different location after an apparent suicide. The youngest child was a boy and the...

Suds-Smugglers Thwart Eco-Friendly Law

Residents say only outlaw high-phosphate detergents get their dishes clean enough

(Newser) - Spokane, Washington's pioneering ban on high-phosphorus dishwasher detergents has led some residents to pioneer detergent-smuggling, reports the AP.  People complaining that the eco-friendly detergents don't get their dishes as clean as the old kind regularly cross over into Idaho to stock up. Retailers near the border say their detergent...

Senate Approves Locke as Commerce Secretary

(Newser) - The Senate today confirmed former Washington Gov. Gary Locke as commerce secretary, handing President Obama an easy victory after his first two nominees for the post withdrew. Locke, 59, was America's first Chinese-American governor, serving two terms from 1997 to 2005. He has promised to focus on job creation and...

Commerce Nom Locke a Rock Star in China

As Washington state governor, he cultivated deep trade ties

(Newser) - The third time was the charm for China—at least in terms of President Obama's picks to head the Commerce Department, reports the New York Times. Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke, to be introduced today as the administration's latest nominee, brings a reputation for pragmatism, a scandal-free resume, and deep...

Dead Girl, 16, Found in Army Barracks

Fort Lewis investigating after 1 civilian teen found dead, another unconscious

(Newser) - A 16-year-old girl was found dead and another girl the same age was found unconscious in an Army barracks at Fort Lewis, Wash., early Sunday, the Tacoma News-Tribune reports. The girls were found by emergency personnel responding to a 911 call. A soldier who allegedly knew at least one of...

Rising Star: Washington Syrah
 Rising Star: Washington Syrah 

Rising Star: Washington Syrah

Syrah hailed the new American ZInfandel

(Newser) - Heavy-handed treatment of Zinfandel has left American palates lusting for big wines that don't blow you away, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher write in the Wall Street Journal. Syrahs from Washington state—which has more than 550 wineries—have replaced Zins as "the most exciting red wines being made...

Northwest Floods Wreak Havoc
 Northwest Floods Wreak Havoc  

Northwest Floods Wreak Havoc

(Newser) - Floods, mudslides, and avalanches in the Pacific Northwest kept tens of thousands of people from their homes today, brought freight trains to a standstill, and stranded hundreds of trucks along the major highways that link Seattle's busy ports with markets around the country. The flooding was touched off by a...

Pro-Impeachment Ornament Won't Grace Bush Tree

(Newser) - A Seattle artist who created a Christmas tree ornament advocating the impeachment of President Bush will not see it hanging on the White House after all, the Washington Post reports. The first lady ordered that it be yanked down. “Oh, dear,” said Deborah Lawrence. “This doesn’t...

Twilight Fans Flock to Gloomy Town

Thousands flock to Forks, Wash., to seek out subjects of best-selling books, movie

(Newser) - A vampire and a werewolf are helping to revive the flagging economy of a Washington timber town, the LA Times reports. This year alone, more than 7,000 giggling, eager teens have visited Forks, Wash., to see locations from Stephenie Meyer's best-selling Twilight series. Most locals are playing along, and...

Dems Gain a State With Nixon Win in Missouri
 Dems Gain a State With Nixon Win in Missouri
governors races

Dems Gain a State With Nixon Win in Missouri

They take 7 of 11 governor contests

(Newser) - Democrats captured a Republican governor's seat last in Missouri, where state Attorney General Jay Nixon defeated Rep. Kenny Hulshof, AP reports. And in the night's closest races, Democrats Bev Purdue won in North Carolina and Christine Gregoire beat her opponent in Washington. With all 11 races in, Democrats now control...

Robber Flees Wash. Cops on Inner Tube

Craigslist may have been used to solicit decoys

(Newser) - A crafty robber escaped on an inner-tube this morning after pepper-spraying an armored-car guard outside a bank in Monroe, Wash., the Seattle Times reports. The thief may also have used Craigslist to solicit unwitting decoys, asking them to show up near the scene in attire like his. It was a...

Mom: Accused Wash. Killer 'Desperately Mentally Ill'

Isaac Zamora, 28, recently finished jail time for drug possession

(Newser) - Authorities in Washington are still piecing together what triggered Isaac Zamora’s murderous rampage yesterday, the AP reports, in which the 28-year-old described by his mother as "desperately mentally ill" killed 6 people, including a sheriff's deputy. Zamora recently completed 6 months in jail for drug possession; the deputy...

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