10:25am

Thu May 30, 2013
driving in the northwest

Poll: Wash. drivers more likely to leave note than Ore. drivers

Do you leave a note if you hit an unattended car?

Washington drivers are more likely to leave a note than their Oregon counterparts, according to a new poll conducted by PEMCO Insurance.

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9:56am

Thu May 30, 2013
Diversion du jour

How to play Macklemore's song using mostly household sounds

It turns out you already own just about everything you need to play Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' hit song "Can't Hold Us Back".

A YouTube user named StonysWorld posted a video of his version of the song, which he recreated using various sounds around the house. The user does play a riff on his keyboard, but the rest of the song is carried by homemade sounds he adds by slamming doors, drumming on guard rails, and craftily timing the "ding!" of the microwave. 

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5:01am

Thu May 30, 2013
Cafe Racer Anniversary

Cafe Racer gunman's father : I 'should’ve kept coming back at it'

Credit Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

For Walt Stawicki, the past year has been one of grieving and what-ifs. Exactly one year ago, his 40-year-old son Ian Stawicki, killed himself in West Seattle after fatally shooting five people, including four at Café Racer.

Stawicki is pleased the Legislature passed a law making it easier to commit someone involuntarily for psychiatric care. He says he and his wife struggled to find the right care for their son, especially after they took a trip and noticed their son had deteriorated.  

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5:00am

Thu May 30, 2013
paid sick-leave

Tacoma group pushes paid sick leave ordinance

Credit pixieclipx / Flickr

A group in Tacoma is starting a campaign to get a paid sick leave ordinance passed. The supporters are taking a cue from the city of Seattle, which last year began mandating that businesses offer paid time off for illnesses. 

Healthy Tacoma is a coalition of nonprofits, labor unions, and religious groups pushing to get the sick-leave ordinance passed. They say about 40,000 workers in Tacoma can’t take a paid day off work when they or a family member is sick. Many of those people work in food service, increasing the chance that they’ll spread the illness to others. 

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3:06am

Thu May 30, 2013
Cafe Racer Anniversary

Mental illness resources

If you live in King County, and you're concerned about a friend or relative's mental state, check out this county website which lists signs that someone needs mental health services as well as where to call. Between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, you can call 206-263-9200. Any time outside of those hours, call the Crisis Clinic at 206-461-3222.

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4:36pm

Wed May 29, 2013
Global warming

Promise of the Arctic conference points to opportunities and risks

Credit Gerard Van der Leun photo / Flickr via Compfight

The Arctic is getting hotter faster than any part of the globe. Experts predict the region will be free of sea ice during the summer within about 20 years. 

That’s creating a gold-rush mentality among many shipping and energy companies eager to capitalize on new trade routes or tap new sources of oil and gas.

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3:24pm

Wed May 29, 2013
Space Exploration

Bellevue-based asteroid miners plan public space telescope

Credit Planetary Resoruces

A company devoted to space exploration is planning to make an orbiting telescope available to students, scientists, and space enthusiasts.

Bellevue-based asteroid mining company Planetary Resources hopes to eventually extract rare minerals from asteroids. But first the company must prospect, which will involve a fleet of space-based telescopes. Now the company has announced it will deploy an extra telescope for public use, paid for by a crowdfunding campaign on the website Kickstarter.

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2:59pm

Wed May 29, 2013
KPLU Studio Sessions

The Greyboy Allstars: A serious party band

Credit Justin Steyer / KPLU

  • Listen to the full interview & performance

During this performance interview with The Greyboy Allstars, KPLU jazz host, Abe Beeson, called their latest CD (Inland Emperor) ‘the party album of 2013.’

The Greyboy Allstars’ reputation as a party/dance band is well-earned.

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12:17pm

Wed May 29, 2013
lobbyists & legislators

Several state lawmakers eat frequently on lobbyists' dime

Credit mathteacherguy / Flickr

Washington state lawmakers are barred from accepting gifts intended to influence their vote. But there’s an exception to that rule. Members of the Legislature are allowed to accept free food and drinks if it’s related to their official duties, but only on an “infrequent” basis.

However, a public radio investigation, conducted in cooperation with the Associated Press, reveals that dozens of state legislators frequently accept meals from lobbyists. And many of them do so even while collecting taxpayer-funded per diem payments.

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