The Associated Press

A new baby orca was photographed Saturday in a pod that lives in Puget Sound.

The Northwest Fisheries Science Center posted a website photo Wednesday shot by scientist Candice Emmons.

SPOKANE, Wash. – The City of Spokane parking enforcement will give out special tickets this year, but it’s not what you think.

It’s a courtesy parking ticket issued by the city of Spokane in conjunction with Downtown Spokane Business Improvement District. The ticket gives extra time instead of a citation, and encourages the owner to move their vehicle.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Chris Gregoire has approved a plan to ease the state's $1.4 billion shortfall.

Gregoire signed a new budget Tuesday that uses a variety of cuts, transfers and delayed payments to save $480 million.

BREMERTON, Wash. — Three aircraft carriers could end up at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at the same time in the next couple of months.

EVERETT, Wash. — A Tacoma law firm called a news conference Tuesday to announce a lawsuit in the death of Grace Tam, a Marysville girl killed by falling ice in July 2010 at the Big Four Ice Caves east of Granite Falls.

AT&T ends its $39 billion bid to acquire T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom amid antitrust concerns, The Associated Press reports.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington Forest Practices Board plans to remove the bald eagle and peregrine falcon from the state critical habitat list to be consistent with federal and state endangered species laws.

The board will listen to testimony on the changes at hearing Jan. 3 in Olympia and Jan. 5 in Ellensburg.

A new look at test scores by Seattle Public Schools shows American-born black students lag behind black immigrants in academic achievement.

TACOMA, Wash. — The owner of the historic Washington ferry Kalakala says on his website the vessel has been sold for $1 to an anonymous buyer who promises to restore the vessel to its art deco glory.

No other details about the plans were posted on the Kalakala Website.

The interim head of Seattle Public Schools says she doesn't want the job permanently.

Susan Enfield made the surprise announcement Friday in a letter to staff and community members.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Political leaders in Olympia are considering an overhaul of the state's popular initiative system, proposing a requirement that ballot measures have their own funding source.

A group of lawmakers proposed a constitutional amendment Thursday. The Legislature and Gov. Chris Gregoire have expressed frustration with voter-approved measures that require hundreds of millions of dollars in spending with no way to pay the bill.

A man accused of taking money from a Seattle School District program pleaded not guilty Thursday to theft charges.

KOMO Radio reports Silas Potter remains in jail following his arraignment.

ST. GEORGE, Utah — Thousands of migratory birds are dead or injured after they apparently mistook a Wal-Mart parking lot, football fields, highways and other areas of southern Utah for bodies of water and plummeted to the ground.

One state wildlife expert is calling it the worst downing she'd ever seen.

Crews went to work cleaning up the dead birds and rescuing the injured survivors after the creatures crash-landed in the St. George area Monday night.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — State regulators say Puget Sound Energy improperly charged a residential-visit disconnect fee to some electricity and natural gas customers.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission staff says the utility should refund the $13 fee to more than 1,600 customers. The utility also could be fined as much as $1,000 for each violation.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington Employment Security Department says extended benefits will be phasing out over the next month for 85,000 people in the state.