Robin Cedar

It isn't just the poor and unemployed who are suffering in Seattle and Washington, but people who ten years ago were living comfortably on their wages are now living with a paycheck that doesn't seem to go far enough.

A new study from the University of Washington has found that the cost of living in Seattle and Washington State has risen significantly while worker wages have remained the same.

Back in the early '80s, when Blondie's "Call Me," Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" and "Every Breath You Take" by the Police were topping the charts, the urban myth of razor-blade apples and poisoned candy paralyzed parents of would-be trick-or-treaters.

And if you are still worried, at least one hospital in the state will X-ray your candy for you!

Federal archeologists are investigating a very old jawbone that turned up Monday along the Columbia River in Kennewick, Wash. The human remains were found a short distance from where Kennewick Man was discovered in 1996 and sparked a decade-long legal conflict.

The battles over Kennewick Man have scientists being extra cautious with the new discovery.

Alarm over a potentially deadly salmon virus has reached the halls of Congress. The U.S. Senate has approved an amendment that calls for a rapid federal response. Last week, scientists in British Columbia announced they've found the fish-killing virus in wild Pacific Salmon for the first time.

It's the second virus suspected in salmon deaths to be discovered this year.

Canada joined more than 80 countries around the world this weekend, demonstrating as part of the global wave of protests inspired by the month-long Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City.

Victoria invites its residents and visitors to remember the remarkable Emily Carr in a city-wide collaborative celebration of the artist’s unique life and work through presentations of music, history and art.

This Saturday at 8 p.m., the Victoria Symphony will present the “Emily Carr Project,” a concert performance to explore Emily Carr’s painting, poetry and connection to the people of the First Nations.

Occupy Seattle protesters continue to weather the rain and exposure, with the aid of one structure for storing and distributing food and some first-aid care.

Monday morning, roughly 50 occupiers of Westlake Park milled about while many still slept or huddled against the rain under plastic tarps and whatever other makeshift barriers they could create to stay warm and dry.

One protestor and organizer said she intended to stay in the park indefinitely or until the "National Guard rolls in with tanks."

For continuous updates throughout Wedensday see this story.

One of the early organizers of the "Occupy Seattle" protest and camp still in place in downtown Seattle says he will "absolutely" stay in Westlake Park.

Yesterday afternoon, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn told “Occupy Seattle” to take down their tents and leave the park during the night when it and other Seattle parks are normally closed to the public.

"I have a moral obligation to stay," said Pete Whipple, one of the organizers who has been staying in the park since Friday. "I don't see how I can leave now."

The Seattle City Council voted Monday to provide high-speed Internet to low-income students for less than $10 a month. The Great Student Initiative is expected to help 16,000 of the 47,000 students in Seattle Public Schools who are on the free lunch program.

The Victoria Film Festival launches its Quote-Along Classics Series this Saturday, starting with the cult-favorite The Big Lebowski.

Sockeye salmon returning to Canada this year will be tested by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for radiation contamination that might be picked up in the North Pacific from Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster.

However, Washington state officials have no plans to test salmon specifically for radiation related to the Japanese disaster because earlier environmental testing showed so few signs of radiation that current levels in fish, if any, would be "undetectable," a spokesperson for the Department of Health said.

Now a little over two months after their birth, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium's two clouded leopard cubs, named Taji and Sumalee, are more active than ever, if the new photos released are anything to go by. (More photos inside.)

The Victoria Fringe Theater Festival celebrates its 25th year this month. The Fringe, Vancouver Island's biggest theater festival, kicked off Thursday after two days of lead-up to the event, including a Flash Mob on Tuesday and a Fringe Eve Preview on Wednesday.