Ranging in age from 17 to 27 years old, police saw the group near 2nd Avenue and Bell Street “splitting off from each other and talking with people who appeared to be transient,” according to a post on the .

SPD often refers to people living on the street as being “transient.”

“They (the group of four) were then seen exchanging a white, powdery substance or suspected crack rocks, from plastic baggies or containers for cash,” the post reads.

Seattle police arrest 4 in connection to drug deal

Police said three of the four — a 17-year-old, 22-year-old and 24-year-old — tried to run from the officers, but all four were ultimately arrested. The fourth man, a 27-year-old, was wanted for a felony charge “for dangerous drugs,” police said.

SPD said it seized more than 20 grams of cocaine, 3 grams of fentanyl, 0.8 grams of meth and $1,061 cash.

All four suspects were taken into custody — the adults to the King County Jail and the 17-year-old to youth detention — although it’s not clear when SPD will refer their cases to prosecutors and whether they will remain in custody pending any hearings.

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Just after midnight on March 2, the pair told dispatchers they found a notebook with photos of naked children in a dumpster on Queen Anne Avenue North. They directed officers to the dumpster, where police said they found loose papers and 14 more binders in total.

“It appeared to be meticulously catalogued, containing mostly pre-pubescent boys,” the investigating officer wrote in his report. “These papers appeared to have been printed off of websites, some with a ‘.RU’ address (indicating it was a Russian website) and seemed to be selling the children.”

Inside one of the same bags, police said they found doctor’s office paperwork linking to the 63-year-old suspect, Arthur Rickard. Over the course of nearly three weeks, investigators said they found usernames, a Yahoo account, fingerprints, and handwriting linking the materials to Rickard.

Suspected child sex offender admits previous crimes to police

On March 21, officers went to his apartment – just across from the same dumpsters where the materials were discovered – and arrested Rickard. During interviews with police, court documents said Rickard admitted to the binders being his – and having molested about 50 children before 1983.

“He stated that he started molesting children when he was a teenager and only stopped when two children reported him and he was arrested in 1983,” a detective wrote in the investigation report.

Police said the child pornography discovered, some printed off from a computer, ranged in dates from 1998 to 2013.

King County prosecutors charged Rickard on Monday with two counts of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

He’s scheduled to be in court on April 7.

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Prosecutors said Daud Mohamud reportedly ran from the scene. The crash killed one man, Abdiqadir Ahmed.

Daud Mohamud is accused in connection with a deadly crash off an overpass earlier this month in Tukwila. (Courtesy ����Xվ-7)

Another one of his passengers was seriously injured, with his neck and collarbone broken, court documents said. Two more people had minor injuries after they were driving and were hit by the Highlander plummeting from above.

The crash shut down the highway for hours and caused major disruptions to traffic in the area.

The documents showed Mohamud was allegedly driving his mother’s SUV without a license at the time of the crash off the overpass. Police said the car was supposed to have a lock over the ignition but did not.

Man suspected in deadly Tukwila crash has more than 35 traffic infractions

Mohamud has incurred more than 35 traffic infractions over the past 12 years, according to the documents. They include speeding, texting while driving, driving without insurance, driving without a license, tailgating, and HOV lane violations.

“This is an individual with previous criminal convictions, and prosecutors are highly concerned about community safety,” said Douglas Wagoner, a spokesperson with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. “That’s why they asked for bail in the amount of $150,000 at his first court appearance.”

The judge previously set his bail at $100,000 instead. Mohamud has since posted that bail and been released from jail, but he has been on house arrest and is, pending the trial, effectively banned from driving.

Wagoner said his office is busy at work preparing evidence to present to a jury.

His trial is scheduled for May 5.

Contributing: ����Xվ 7

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It’s one of several massive proposed budget reductions—including hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to the agricultural and education sectors—that House Republicans said is intended to reduce the deficit. In the same budget proposal, Defense and Homeland Security spending increases by $100 billion and $90 billion, respectively.

Despite multiple programs being on the chopping block, Cantwell estimated more than 90 percent of the $880 billion would have to come from massive cuts to Medicaid.

“You are talking about a tsunami of cuts that would hit Medicaid, and we can’t afford it,” she said.

Trump says he won’t hurt Medicaid recipients

The , passed by the GOP-controlled House of Representatives, last month, falls largely in line with President Donald Trump’s agenda, but Trump has promised that those relying on Medicaid would not see their benefits restricted.

Medicaid, which is funded through both federal and state governments, is one of the largest national spending items every year. Reuters reported numbers from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office which show the on the program last year.

“I can’t even believe they [Republicans] are proposing them,” she added.

If Medicaid is cut, what would that mean for Washington?

Medicaid cuts could have immense financial consequences for the almost one-in-five who rely on the low-income health coverage. Nearly 1.9 million Washingtonians are enrolled in Washington state’s Medicaid program, named Apple Health, according to Cantwell’s office.

A Western Washington mother invited to speak at a press conference to oppose potential cuts on Tuesday said her family could be right in the crosshairs.

Whitney Stohr’s son Malachi was born with spina bifida and has undergone multiple life-saving surgeries since birth.

“Honestly, we simply couldn’t do it financially,” Stohr said, estimating that her family would face $30,000 to $40,000 in out-of-pocket costs annually if Apple Health was severely restricted or forced to shut down from the cuts.

“It’s scary,” she said.

Julie Clark, a Medicaid recipient who relies on caregivers for basic needs like mobility, addressed reporters at a separate press conference with Sen. Patty Murray in Olympia on Monday.

“Staff take care of my physical needs because I can’t take care of myself due to my disability,” she said through a speech device.

Clark expressed fear at the possibility that her care could be restricted or cut entirely, saying “I would be forced to live in an institution.”

Efforts to spotlight potential cuts

Since Monday, Murray and Cantwell have each invited reporters to press conferences in Olympia and Seattle, but they pitched part of their messages across the mountains.

“Washington’s 4th and 5th Congressional Districts have the highest proportions of people who rely on Medicaid,” Murray said. “Those are the places that are really going to get hit the hardest.”

In largely Democratic-represented Western Washington, Cantwell said blue-collar families in Pierce and South King Counties would feel the brunt, too.

“In Federal Way, Burien, SeaTac, Kent areas, more than 70 percent of children get their health care coverage through Medicaid,” Cantwell said.

Lobbying against cuts

With enough support for the budget proposal in the House—but its fate uncertain among some key Republican votes in the Senate— the Democratic senators from Washington are turning to voters to try and sway their elected representatives.

“We need everyone to call their member of Congress and the White House,” Cantwell said.

Leadership from Harborview Medical Center—where Cantwell spoke alongside two health care CEOs, a pediatric cardiologist and the founder of a cancer support nonprofit—reported that 35 percent of its patients in 2024 were enrolled in Apple Health. At Seattle Children’s Hospital, numbers provided by Cantwell’s office show more than half of their patients in 2024 paid through Medicaid.

Medical professionals told ����Xվ Newsradio they have deep concerns about the cuts and health networks’ ability to absorb the cost if the federal government suddenly ceases reimbursements of care.

Unionized health care workers, including a member of the Washington State Hospital Association, said they expect any cuts to Medicaid to lead to significant layoffs at hospitals and clinics across the state.

So when will Washingtonians on Apple Health know if they can expect the federal government to slash its contribution to their coverage? It’s not entirely clear. Cantwell said she expects to know more about the 2026 budget when the chamber discusses it this spring.

The man, who ����Xվ Newsradio will not name until he is formally charged, skipped what would have been his first court appearance on Monday afternoon. Prosecutors said his attorney showed up instead.

Court documents state that the attack happened in broad daylight at Cambridge Apartments, a low-income housing complex on Union Street just across I-5 from the Seattle Convention Center. Police responded to reports of an assault around 2:37 p.m.

According to one of the Seattle police officers investigating the case, the man and the victim are friends. He “was upset” and grabbed his friend’s arm before cutting his neck, the officer wrote.

Police found the victim with a large cut “through which I could visibly see muscle tissue,” the officer wrote in the report. Medics rushed him to Harborview Medical Center, where his injuries were last reported as “life-threatening.”

Police called for backup, according to the documents, and officers arrested the suspect in his apartment. They reportedly found a hatchet under his mattress.

It’s not clear what happened leading up to the suspect becoming “upset,” as the officer wrote.

He had no other active warrants for his arrest by the time officers took him into custody, but prosecutors successfully pushed for the $2 million bail. The judge agreed. At the time of publication, he is being held in King County Jail awaiting trial.

Formal charges are expected to be filed by Wednesday, the said.

A spokesperson with Harborview Medical Center told ����Xվ Newsradio the victim has since been discharged from the hospital.

Related from MyNorthwest:�� Man recovering after being stabbed in the neck with hatchet

Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones and Washington Middle School Principal Adrian Manriquez released statements following the incident.

“My heart is heavy with sorrow as we face the devastating loss of a Washington Middle School student,” Jones said via his statement. “I am deeply saddened by this tragedy, and my thoughts and condolences are with the student’s family, friends and the entire Washington community during this incredibly difficult time.”

Jones offered his support to families.

“My heart breaks for those who are grieving,” he added. “Please know we are here to support each other and will do everything we can to help heal and comfort those in need.”

Manriquez highlighted the gravity of the situation and provided more insight into what happened.

“Today is a sad day for our school and community as we suffered the tragic loss of one of our students,” he said via his statement. “One of our sixth graders was fatally struck by a vehicle while walking to recess. In response, our school went into a shelter-in-place shortly after second lunch. Because of heavy police activity in front of the school, we dismissed students early.”

Manriquez added that out of respect for the family, the school is not sharing the name of the student. He also said the district is working to provide resources for families.

“I know your student(s) may be experiencing feelings of fear, anxiety, and sadness about this tragedy,” Manriquez stated. “Please know we are doing everything we can to support our students and staff.”

He said the school would be open Friday with “safe spaces” provided. For mental health resources, visit .

The scene after a child was killed in a car crash outside a Seattle middle school. (Photo: Sam Campbell, ����Xվ Newsradio)

More from MyNorthwest: Renton police investigating after man found dead in apartment

More details on death of Seattle 12-year-old

The incident happened on the west side of the school around 1 p.m. The exact events leading up to the collision are unclear, with Patrol Operations Chief Todd Kibbee specifying only that “the driver having failed to completely place it in park.”

The school district told parents the girl was on recess, but when asked about how the girl was out on the street during the school day, Jones told Seattle Times reporters the district doesn’t know specifically how she was outside.

“It’s an active investigation, we don’t know specifically how this transpired,” he said. “But we do take safety protocols into place when our students are traveling on campus.”

Kibbee clarified the collision appeared to be on the street, 20th Place South, and not on school property.

Police also said the car was empty at the time, but officers have contacted the last driver. At the time of publication, that person is being evaluated for potential impairment, which police said is standard practice. Officers would not say whether any charges were being considered at the time of publication.

Washington Middle School let students out early on Thursday. News crews at the scene witnessed a woman collapse and wail after being informed by police officers. They helped her up and escorted her into the school.

Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Brent Jones said class was likely to resume Friday, but that mental health teams would be contacting students.

More from MyNorthwest: ‘High risk’ Skagit County sex offender pleads guilty to child porn

This story was originally published on March 6, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

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Inside the Bertha Knight Landes Room, visitors queued — first, passing informational stands on shelter operations, but soon after, reaching the promised centerpiece — three play tents, each filled with several curious kittens, ready to make their case for a forever home.

With a veritable blessing from Mayor Bruce Harrell, the Seattle Animal Shelter organizes the so-called “Kitty Hall” event yearly, complete with a mock election for “Kitty Council President.”

Visitors were asked to vote for which cat should win the race for “kitty council president.” (Photo: Sam Campbell, ����Xվ Newsradio)

Looking to adopt? Seattle’s City Hall is now “Kitty Hall” – The animal shelter is hosting an adoption event where dozens are now lining up to meet and greet some kittens.

Pictured: Ash and Craig, 2 “staff members” on the Seattle Kitty Council.

— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell)

“Seattle is a city that cares deeply for its animals, and this event highlights our commitment to finding loving homes for cats in need,” Harrell’s office wrote in a press release.

More from MyNorthwest: Washington democrats push to swap license suspensions for driving courses

Prospective owners limited to 2 minutes with each cat during Seattle adoption event

Because of the volume of people coming to see the kittens, shelter volunteers limited each person’s playtime with the cats to only two minutes — they had to decide then and there whether they’d be gaining a new furry roommate.

Alara was adopted at Wednesday’s “Kitty Hall” event. Despite a vigorous campaign, she did not win the election for “kitty council president.” (Photo: Sam Campbell, ����Xվ Newsradio)

“This is a little bit nerve-wracking,” said Theo Johnson of West Seattle. “I’ve never done speed dating. This is insane. You have two minutes to decide on a family member I’m going to have until I’m 80 (years old).”

He and his wife, Lisa Dodge-Johnson, came downtown to look for not one but two kittens – hoping to find one with black tuxedo coloring and a tabby. They found both.

“We have always had kitties, and we lost our last cat a year ago,” she said. “This is the right timing for us.”

They were just two of more than a hundred interested people to show up in the two hours the event ran.

A shelter volunteer holds Lorwyn, a kitten named after a character in the popular trading card game Magic: The Gathering. (Photo: Sam Campbell, ����Xվ Newsradio)

“Be ready to adopt if you are coming (to these),” Theo said. “We said, ‘maybe,’ but look — boom. There it is.”

Twenty-two of the 26 cats up for adoption were taken home Wednesday, according to the shelter.

A cat named Squid won the election “in a landslide,” a shelter worker told ����Xվ Newsradio. While official ballot tallies have yet to be made public, there have been no demands for a recount, and there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

More from MyNorthwest: Washington joins lawsuit to help roughly 1,000 local federal workers from mass firings by Trump

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“We are hearing from literally hundreds of people … that they got this letter that said they were being fired for poor performance,” Murray said. “That has impacts beyond just the emotional ones you’re hearing and the fact that they’ve lost a job — but in many of those who are trying to collect unemployment, it is hampering them from collecting unemployment.”

Three recently laid-off federal workers local to Washington joined Murray in the Zoom call with reporters.

Katie Emerson, who worked for the Bonneville Power Administration in Southwest Washington, said she was abruptly fired Feb. 13 over email.

“We’d hear rumblings about probationary employees and things could happen, but I think that we also knew that there had to be a reason, there had to be a poor performance basis to move forward,” she said. “That, in my 11 years at BPA, had never been a concern, and I know that is true for the majority of my fellow terminated coworkers.”

BPA manages two hydroelectric dams in Washington — one along the Columbia River and another in Grand Coulee. Emerson said the layoffs have combined with a wave of resignations, leaving mounting workloads on the staff left behind. She warned that Washingtonians’ electricity may be impacted.

Related from MyNorthwest: Haphazardness of federal layoffs causes concern with Sen. Murray, Public Power Council

Former Eastern Washington park ranger speaks on recent layoffs

Sam Peterson, a former park ranger at Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area in Eastern Washington, said the decimated staffing will leave park visitors without basic services like road maintenance, wilderness patrols and help at campgrounds.

“There’s going to be fewer park rangers at entrance stations and visitor centers to warn you that ‘Hey, this trail that you were planning on going on is dangerous,'” he said. “There’s going to be fewer park rangers to rove around a campground and tell you, ‘By the way, we’ve seen a black bear or a Grizzly bear’ or whatever.”

Peterson warned that the national hiring freeze on staff comes at a time when parks normally bolster their ranks.

“If this proceeds into the summer, into our busy seasons at national parks, every person is going to have to walk around with a washcloth and a roll of toilet paper to restock the bathrooms,” he said.

Emily Conner managed grants at the region’s Federal Transit Administration office.

“These are real-life impacts on everyday people, regardless of political beliefs, affiliations, or how people voted,” Conner wrote in a press release from Murray’s office. “And the ultimate price for these sudden and chaotic staffing cuts is that the American people will pay for it literally with their time and their money – they just don’t realize it yet.”

Can laid-off federal workers receive unemployment?

Federal workers’ qualification for unemployment benefits relies on applicable unemployment laws in the states where they live “in general,” according to the Department of Labor. But the department’s carves out an exception, stating that its benefits are for workers who were laid off or fired “through no fault of their own.” The same language applies to criteria , where the Employment Security Department website also reads that any federal employee who worked or lived in Washington over the past year and a half “may be eligible.”

It remains unclear how many, if any, federal workers are having applications for unemployment outright denied through Washington state.

“This was not about poor performance,” Murray insisted. “This was just a line item (that) decided to use the word probationary, which impacted different agencies in dramatically different ways, but clearly was a huge blow to all of these people who have worked so hard for all of us.”

President Donald Trump and the White House have stated they are cutting employees in an effort to crack down on “waste” and “fraud” and reshape the federal government to Trump’s liking. It’s operating with guidance from the unofficial DOGE team — which Trump recently stated is led by billionaire Elon Musk, contradicting White House statements in court, according to .

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Ukrainian-Americans in Seattle are saddened, shocked and planning to protest after an apparent reversal of U.S. foreign policy on Ukraine by the Trump administration.

Over the past week, tensions between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have worsened, as Zelenskyy said Ukraine was not invited to American ceasefire talks with Russia and Trump labeled the Ukrainian leader a “dictator.”

Zelenskyy responded, saying Trump lives in a bubble of “disinformation.”

It marks a sudden and stark contrast from the Biden administration’s support, Ukrainian-Americans told ����Xվ Newsradio.

“It feels like a total betrayal by our country,” said Anna, a Ukrainian-American living in Seattle for more than 10 years and a volunteer with the Ukraine Defense Support nonprofit.

Anna fears retaliation for her criticism and has requested ����Xվ Newsradio not disclose her last name.

“Now, U.S. is giving up on Ukraine, betraying Ukraine,” she said, adding that her friends still in the war-torn nation worry over unsteady American support. “This is painful at least, but also I have to stay strong to provide hope to people in Ukraine.”

She said she messages her friends there regularly. They sent her photos when her hometown was shelled.

“My dad is in Ukraine, my aunt and uncles are in Ukraine,” she said. “Every time the [air raid] siren alert is happening in Ukraine, I know about that. My friends will tell me about that.”

Trump falsely claimed this week that Ukraine was to blame for starting the nearly-three-year-old war with Russia. It is a narrative commonly spread by the Russian government.

“It was shocking,” said Oleg Pynda, executive director of the Ukrainian Community Center of Washington, which assists refugees in immigration. “I couldn’t believe what I heard.”

The UCCW serves about 3,000 Ukrainian refugees per year from its office in Skyway, Pynda said. He estimates 23,000 Ukrainians have resettled in Washington State since the beginning of the war.

“Many of those people, they have lost their homes – everything,” he said. “So now, this administration not providing assistance to Ukraine and putting in jeopardy the legal stay of those Ukrainians who are here temporarily – what is going to happen then? Are they going to lose their immigration status? Where should they go? Deport them to what country?”

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, initially calling it a “special military operation.” Eight years earlier, the Russian government annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea.

(Photo: Oleksandr Pshenychnyy)

More from Sam Campbell: Everett homeless center allowed to stay open past winter, city says

Ukrainian-Americans in Seattle Plan Protest Over U.S. Policy Shift

Pynda said he is just as worried now as he was then, but that from thousands of miles away and 35 months of war later, he still approves of Zelenskyy’s leadership.

“He does everything possible to do to support his country,” he said. “Hearing statements like he is a dictator, like he started the war – this is absurd.”

Conflicting reports surfaced Thursday in Ukrainian newspapers that U.S. weapons deliveries had been halted. One Ukrainian lawmaker told an interviewer companies involved in the sales were waiting on “political decisions,” the Kyiv Post reported. Another lawmaker posted to Facebook denying that any deliveries had been stopped.

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, said he could not confirm the rumors.

“I’m relying on headlines,” he told ����Xվ Newsradio before criticizing Trump’s remarks as “embarrassing.”

“I travel around the world, I meet with presidents and foreign ministers and defense ministers,” he said. “It makes us look like clowns. It’s a real problem for the credibility of the United States on the national stage just in general. Specifically, it’s devastating to the fight to stop Putin – not just in Ukraine but in threatening Europe beyond Ukraine.”

Smith said he is concerned Trump may follow through with previous suggestions he would pull the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO.

“It creates layers of confusion,” Smith said.

Some of Trump’s supporters have cheered his recent tone toward Ukraine, pointing toward campaign promises to end the war. His critics, including some members of the Republican party, said his negotiations have surrendered too many demands to Russia but produced too few concessions.

Ukrainian-Americans like Pynda and Anna, meanwhile, grow more nervous for their family and friends still in Ukraine. They are both planning to join a Ukrainian support rally Sunday, marching from Pike Place Market to the Space Needle, in hopes to turn discontent into awareness.

“Showing that we are going to fight and do what’s in our power to help them,” Anna said.

Smith told ����Xվ Newsradio he agrees with their feelings of betrayal. He also plans to join the march.

Monday marks the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

More from Sam Campbell: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center ends DEI programs

Sam Campbell is a reporter, anchor and editor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of his stories��here. Follow Sam on��, or��email him here.����

Hope N’ Wellness had been ordered to shut down by February 28, with the city accusing it of violating a land-use law that prohibits homeless services from being run out of downtown storefronts.

But now, the day center has been given an extra two months. Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin has given the center until April 30 to close up shop, Hope ‘N Wellness It’s well past the winter, but doubtfully enough time for its owner, Jasmine Donahue, to find a replacement spot.

“We are very grateful for this extension and it is the original date we asked for over 2 months ago, that the city declined at that time,” Donahue said.

She added that she has “no concrete idea” why the city made the decision.

“We are grateful for it and hope that it shows some good faith on their intentions to work in resolving this with us on permitting us to stay permanently and continue the essential work we do,” she told ����Xվ Newsradio over email. “ Not closing the doors during the coldest part of the year without an alternative place to send folks means a lot, potentially life or death for the folks utilizing our services, so we remain grateful.”

Donahue previously told ����Xվ Newsradio she could not relocate the cafe-turned-services-center.

“Unfortunately, many of our services will be shutting down,” she said in January. “Trying to regroup and keep it going as much as we can. Ultimately, the people that it’s hurting is the people out here needing the services.”

Everett homeless center blamed for crime

Some in Everett have blamed Hope N’ Wellness for attracting crime along Rucker Avenue, but the Seattle Times reports only three 911 calls were associated with the day center in 2024.

For weeks, Donahue and supporters of Hope N’ Wellness have petitioned the city to reconsider its order, including in public comments at city council meetings. It’s not clear why Franklin and the City of Everett have recently delayed the day center’s deadline to close.

Adam Rice, a social services worker, told ����Xվ Newsradio in January that Donahue’s day center has proven a reliable meeting spot for finding people in need of help. He criticized the city’s decision to close it down.

Crime: Six years later police continue efforts to solve a homicide in Marysville

“To shut a place [down] that’s been serving the community for free,” he said. “It’s incredibly fiscally irresponsible.”

He asserted that the city’s action would only serve to worsen tensions between those with and without homes.

“Instead of using this opportunity in a place like this, to help people come in, get treatment, be safe, the city has instead pushed them from the downtown core into peoples’ neighborhoods and backyards,” Rice said.

����Xվ Newsradio has reached out to Franklin to ask about the delayed deadline.

Sam Campbell is a reporter, anchor and editor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Sam on , or email him here.����

An internal email obtained by ����Xվ Newsradio shows leadership at the cancer center told its staff Thursday to expect changes in “programs, policies, practices and educational opportunities” as it moves ahead with slashing all DEI efforts that could impact its eligibility for grants.

At stake is $400 million in federal funding, which the email said��constitutes 70 percent of its yearly research budget.

“Without these funds now or in the future, it would create a significant and unsustainable impact on our programs and our people,” the email read. “Simply put, without federal funding, we can’t fulfill our mission.”

The email specifically cites President Donald Trump’s President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14173, which instructed his administration to cancel government contracts given for “equity-related” programs. While multiple lawsuits challenge Trump’s executive order and his broader push to withhold Congressionally approved funding on ideological grounds, cancer center leadership wrote it cannot wait for a legal resolution.

“We must take action now due to several significant federal grant applications that must be submitted to agencies that provide our sources of funding,” the email read.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is the latest entity to reverse course on D-E-I following the executive orders.

reports her firing was “at the direction of President Donald Trump” specifically, but it’s not entirely clear why Gorman was removed so quickly.

According to a report by the Gorman was fired “immediately,” breaking with past practice of new presidential administrations giving federal prosecutors time to resign and leave the posts on their own.

Crime: Mount Vernon police arrest man linked to fatal overdose, illegal firearms

The Department of Justice website for the U.S. Attorney’s office shows Teal Luthy Miller is now acting in her position.

Gorman served more than 15 years in the federal prosecutor’s office in Seattle. Gorman was the first woman to lead the office’s criminal division and first assistant under Nick Brown, former U.S. Attorney.

Crime: King County sees first decline in gun violence since 2018, report shows

“No reason (for the dismissal) was given as far as I know,” a spokesperson told ����Xվ Newsradio over email.

Gorman replaced Nick Brown when he announced his candidacy for Washington state’s attorney general. She prosecuted suspected human traffickers and large drug running operations up the West Coast.

����Xվ Newsradio has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for comment.

Sam Campbell is a reporter, anchor and editor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Sam on , or email him here.����

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs��called a press conference at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia.

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He rang the alarm bells, saying President Donald Trump’s decision to put cybersecurity members on leave may mean federal support may get pulled.

“Is what overseas actors want,” Hobbs said. “This is what our adversaries want. They want Republicans and Democrats, they want Americans to tear each other apart, to take their eye off the ball while they do their national security goals.”

Attacks on Washington elections have included robocalls and deepfake videos — Hobbs said federal officials helped the state defend against it.

More on MyNW: WA Democrats debating ‘tax the rich’ property plan as alternative to cap increase

Now, he wants the state legislature to fill in funding gaps as he expects the White House to walk away.

“The federal backs away from any of this stuff, we’re gonna have to backfill it, just we’re gonna have to do,” Hobbs said.

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories��here. Follow Sam on��, or��email him here.

The levy would fund parks, trails and more than 32,000 acres of “open space” from 2026 to 2031, according to the county.

The proposal would increase the average King County homeowner’s property tax by an estimated $3.44 per month to a total of $17.18, King County Executive Dow Constantine’s office said.

“We will increase our capacity to keep parks and trails clean, safe and open,” Constantine said at a press conference from the Pathways Park in Seattle. “We will enhance ballfields and playgrounds, build skyways, First Community Center, upgrade Marymoor Park in Redmond and the aquatic center in Federal Way.”

The billion-dollar estimate in generated revenue is about an 85% increase from the previously passed $810 million levy, which was passed in 2019 and is set to expire at the end of 2024. If approved by voters in August, the new levy would set the rate at 24 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The rate from the previous levy was $18.32 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Other news: How much will new Seattle Transportation Levy cost homeowners?

Why is more money needed for King County parks?

Constantine told ����Xվ Newsradio the increase is due to several factors, including inflation, rising population in the county, high housing prices and planned expansions to the parks system.

“Particularly rising land costs,” he clarified. “But it’s also our need to provide more opportunities for the people who live here. The park we’re in today is a park that is accessible to all – that is something that did not exist when I was a kid growing up in Seattle.”

He emphasized the need to implement more accessibility features, pitching the need to protect the county’s greenspace.

“With more people moving here, with more money flowing in to develop more property – all of which is critical — we have to set aside those lands, or they will be lost for all time,” he said.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell addressed the crowd at Pathways Park, echoing the need to include ways for disabled people to enjoy the region’s parks and trails.

“As the executive noticed, here in Seattle, here in King County, we’re not afraid to use words like inclusivity,” Harrell said in what could be a jab at the White House after President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI executive order.

Reducing traffic stops: Bill proposes warnings by mail, targeted enforcement for safer roads

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories��here. Follow Sam on��, or��email him here.

He replaces Tammy Morales to serve a large area of South Seattle until the November election decides a new permanent council member.

“I want to express my deep gratitude to this Council for their trust,” Seattle City Council member Mark Solomon��said in issued Monday. “I’m really all about serving this community, getting things done, and working with the Council to make life better for the City of Seattle and the residents of District 2.”

Morales resigned in January citing ethical disagreements with the rest of the council.

Solomon already has said he doesn’t plan to run in the November election to keep the seat on the council.

“I want to get in, do the work and not be distracted by trying to campaign at the same time,” Solomon said Monday.

It took five rounds of voting to get a majority of council members to sign off on the same person. When it was all said and done, five of the eight chose to appoint Solomon.

“I want to congratulate and welcome Councilmember Mark Soloman to the City Council,” Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson in the release. “We came to this difficult and important decision based on our interviews with the candidates and District 2 community members. We’ve now completed the process and we’re ready to get to work.”

BREAKING: Mark Solomon, a career crime prevention coordinator with SPD, just got appointed to District 2.

He replaces Tammy Morales to serve a large area of South Seattle – until the November election decides a new perm councilmember.

— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell)

Tammy Morales’ departure from the Seattle City Council

Morales announced early last month she was resigning from the Seattle City Council, effective Jan. 6, despite her term in office not ending until 2027. Her departure, as noted in , came with plenty of allegations that the current city council is not operating in good faith with the rest of the city.

“I am worried about the future of this institution, and my place in it,” Morales said in her statement. “For the last 11 months, this council has eroded our checks and balances as a Legislative department and undermined my work as a policymaker.”

‘Absolutely lame:’������Xվ hosts discuss, debate the resignation of Tammy Morales

In her departing address, Morales cited the council interfered with staff providing objective policy analysis, stifled First Amendment rights during public comment through arrests and intimidated commenters by having an established police presence when any controversial legislation was considered. She claimed the council “suppressed the will of voters” through alternative ballot initiatives, and that the newly voted-in council had an overall lack of foundational, institutional knowledge.

Morales’ criticisms of the current city council continued, stating they attempted to defund a critical program for people of color, while also passing 11 separate bills that “increased the punitive nature of our criminal legal system.”

She has also been vocally against the council’s pitches for budget reduction, which has affected social services primarily, while the council simultaneously increases funding for jails, police departments and sweeps.

Morales was re-elected to the Seattle City Council, representing District 2, in 2023, defeating challenger Tanya Woo by just 403 votes. She had been a member of the council since 2019 after running and losing to future Mayor Bruce Harrell in 2015.

This story is developing. Check back for details.

Contributing: Frank Sumrall and Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories here. Follow Sam on , or email him here.

Descending through a low-hanging blanket of grey skies around 2 p.m., the Blue Angel No. 7 jet landed at Boeing Field with a small crowd of Seafair executives and news crews gathered to greet them. One photographer jokingly asked the two pilots if they’d done any barrel rolls on their flight from Oakland, Calif.

“You can get in trouble doing some of that stuff, so we don’t do that,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Scott Laux through a smile. “But admittedly, it’s the greatest window seat that you’ll ever get. We were admiring the mountains all the way up, the beautiful snow-capped mountains all the way up the coast.”

One of the Blue Angels has landed at Boeing Field in Seattle.

The pilots are here to prep for Seafair this summer.

— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell)

U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Lilly Montana sat in the cockpit seat behind Laux. She told ����Xվ Newsradio Washingtonians can expect a much more exciting entrance at Seafair than she and Laux had to resort to Monday.

“The type of flying is certainly going to be different,” Montana said, adding that the low cloud cover meant they couldn’t follow through on some preplanned theatrics Monday.

Just interviewed the pilots, Lt. Commander Lilly Montana and Maj. Scott Laux.

I’ll have more on 97.3FM

— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell)

“Not as exciting of an arrival as you’ll see out of the six-plane delta here at the end of July,” she said. “They’ll come in for what’s known as the pitch-up break. That is an overhead maneuver with all six jets flying very close together, smoke on – very exciting to see.”

Montana and Laux will spend about a day in Seattle coordinating with airshow and Seafair planners for the demonstration.

The 2025 Boeing Air Show at Seafair is scheduled to take place between Aug. 1 and 3.

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories��here. Follow Sam on��, or��email him here.

The surge far outpaced the national trend, which still saw a year-over-year increase of 401%.

By Dec. 28, corresponding data from the state shows Washington saw 2,040 cases of whooping cough in 2024 – the fifth most cases among any state in the nation. In 2023, the state recorded 87. (A PDF of the state’s report can be viewed .)

Clark, Spokane and King Counties recorded the most cases, but prevalence was highest in Whitman and Chelan Counties, where the rate of illness reached about 169 and 180 people of every 100,000, respectively. The disease was spotted within at least 33 of Washington’s 39 counties.

State health officials previously warned the public, telling Washingtonians in a Nov. 7 press release it was “closely monitoring the situation,” while federal health officials explained the increase as a “return to more typical trends” after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previous coverage: Washington hit with steep hike in whooping cough cases

No official cause revealed, but vaccines are urged

No direct cause was specified in the state’s release, but officials urged the public to renew their vaccinations.

“The surge in pertussis cases is a stark reminder of how critical vaccinations are in protecting our most vulnerable, especially infants for whom it can be life threatening,” said Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, chief science officer at the Washington State Department of Health. “To protect babies from whooping cough, people of all ages should get up to date on pertussis vaccination, and anyone with symptoms should see a health care provider to see if testing and antibiotic treatment are needed.”

Nationally, the U.S. recorded 35,435 cases in 2024 – its highest amount since 2012.

While it’s a significant increase from the country’s 2023 total of 7,063 cases, officials likened last year’s spread to those of pre-pandemic levels, which were normally more than 10,000 cases per year.

A piece on the CDC website cited the pandemic specifically as to why numbers dropped in recent years ahead of 2024.

“It’s likely mitigation measures used during the pandemic (e.g., masking, remote learning) lowered transmission of pertussis,” .

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories here. Follow Sam on , or email him here.

Amazon’s in-office policy now requires workers to be physically present five days a week for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

While workers’ rights advocates and some inside the company fought back against the return to the office, others — like those who stand to make a profit — are celebrating the resurgence of foot traffic.

Expect traffic: Amazon employees in Washington begin return to office full time

Café workers, food truck owners and more, all surrounding the corporate offices in South Lake Union, told ����Xվ Newsradio they’d noticed a higher number of people walking the sidewalks than any Monday in recent memory.

And not just on foot, the roads appear to be taking a hit, too. That’s a price business owners like Edgar Mendoza are willing to pay if it means his taco stand Barriga Llena brings in more hungry workers on break.

“Extra income for everyone, not just me,” he said through a smile.

He admitted his commute from Burien was an extra 20 minutes, which he believes, is due to the sheer number of Amazon’s employees headed back to the office. Amazon employs about 50,000 people in the Seattle area and about 10,000 more across the lake in Bellevue.

“The off-ramp off of (Mercer Way) was much, much busier this morning, but we’re definitely seeing a lot more people down here before we even open up,” said Chris McClendon, who works in a Venezuelan food truck.

More on the company: Activists call on Amazon to speed up climate goals amid Prime Day

Flanked by three more of his competitors’ trucks, he prepared the Paparepas truck for what he anticipated would be a lively Monday.

“We’re definitely looking forward to seeing more people down here on Mondays and Fridays,” he said, adding that he feels a particular gratitude for Amazon employees who came downtown when they didn’t have to and supported the vendors anyway.

But not everyone is happy. Some Amazon workers have protested being forced back to the office, arguing their productivity was just as high, if not higher, whilst working from home.

The company has moved forward with its policy despite the criticisms, with CEO Andy Jassy to “disagree and commit” or that their jobs were “probably not going to work out.”

It’s not clear how many, if any, Amazon employees have been fired for a refusal to return to the office.

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories��here. Follow Sam on��, or��email him here.

In a department-wide email distributed Monday, Interim Police Chief Sue Rahr told officers she didn’t believe Officer Kevin Dave intended to hurt anyone, but that she “cannot accept the tragic consequences of his dangerous driving.”

Officials said Dave was responding alongside the Seattle Fire Department to a 911 call of a reported overdose on Jan. 23, 2023 when, while driving at 74 miles per hour, struck graduate student Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, in the Dexter Avenue and Thomas Street crosswalk, according to an SPD investigation. Investigators confirmed the officer’s lights were flashing and the siren was being toggled on and off as he approached the intersection.

“She was in a crosswalk, she saw me, she started running through the crosswalk,” Dave can be heard on body camera, telling fellow officers at the scene. “Slammed on my brakes.”

He told the officers Kandula darted in front of his car.

Killing of Kandula led to international outrage over Auderer’s joking

The deadly collision led a community into mourning. Within weeks, international outrage mounted, spurred by remarks from another officer, Dan Auderer, joking after Kandula’s death.

“She is dead,” Auderer was heard saying on a phone call with Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) President Mike Solan, according to captured bodycam footage.�� He said a check for $11,000 should just be written. “She was 26 anyway. She had limited value,” Auderer said.

Auderer was also heard laughing during the phone call and the recorded comments.

But Auderer did not know his body camera video had recorded the conversation, which he later admitted in a statement for Seattle’s Office of Police Accountability (OPA). In the statement, Auderer also said that he intended the comment to be interpreted “as a mockery of lawyers.”

In addition to being an SPD officer, Auderer was the vice president of SPOG until Rahr fired him last summer.

The OPA, a civilian body acting as a police watchdog agency, separately investigated both officers.

King County prosecutors announced in February they would decline to charge Dave, saying at the time there was no evidence he drove with disregard for safety. On Dec. 17, Dave agreed to pay a $5,000 fine for 2nd-degree negligent driving, charged by the City of Seattle Attorney Ann Davison.

As part of the agreement, Dave’s license was not suspended, but he was required to take an 8-hour driving class and avoid committing serious traffic offenses for a year.

Seattle fires officer: Rahr outlines the policies Dave violated

In her email Monday, Rahr said the OPA found Dave had violated several departmental policies, including:

• A policy requiring officers to “modify their emergency response when appropriate.”
• A policy stating officers as “responsible for the safe operation of their police vehicle.”
• A policy requiring officers “use emergency lights for emergency response.”
• And a policy mandating police adhere to laws, city and department policies.

“I understand and accept that many will not agree with this decision,” Rahr wrote in the email. “This case is tragic on every level and will have lifelong implications for everyone involved. It is my hope that this heartbreaking situation will be an enduring reminder that officers responding to emergencies: Do not lose sight of the danger that is created by excessive speed when responding to emergency calls.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contributing: Frank Sumrall and Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories here. Follow Sam on , or email him here.

The arrest happened on New Year’s Day in Long Lake Park. According to body camera footage capturing the arrest, released to X by the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect, a 47-year-old man, is seen surrendering to officers. Deputies said he first tried to escape, but was quickly stopped.

More WA crime: Tacoma father killed by son, investigators say; grandfather passes away mourning son’s death

On Patrol: Arrest of suspected sex offender.

— Kitsap Sheriff (@KitsapCoSheriff)

The deputies were completing a routine patrol around Long Lake Park when they spotted a parked vehicle after the park had already closed. When the officers approached the car, the driver of the vehicle attempted to get away, but was quickly stopped. After running his information, the deputies uncovered there was an active warrant for his arrest for aggravated sexual assault of a child in Salt Lake City.

Kevin McCarty, a spokesperson with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, credited the deputies’ vigilance.

“His arrest is a good example of how routine patrols and checks can pay off, locating wanted suspects and bringing them to justice,” McCarty said.

VIDEO: Potential suspects captured on camera after 14-year-old killed on New Year’s Eve

He was booked into the Kitsap County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Utah to face charges.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at ����Xվ Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories��here. Follow Sam on��, or��email him here