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Georgia suspends fuel tax, but other states may not follow
Republican-led efforts have given income and property tax rebates, plus multiple gas tax holidays, with all those givebacks valued at more than $9 billion since 2021.Driven by factors including the war in Ukraine, other states joined Georgia in granting gas relief in 2022, including Connecticut, Florida, Maryland and New York, while Illinois and Kentucky delayed scheduled gas tax increases.But Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he has no plans to suspend the 23.5-cent gas tax, adding there
WSP trooper’s vehicle struck by drunk driver during I-5 accident response
A Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper’s car was struck by an intoxicated driver while responding to a crash on northbound I-5 in Cowlitz County on Friday morning.WSP troopers were on the scene of a collision that was blocking the left two lanes of I-5 when a passenger car struck the rear of a patrol vehicle, WSP Trooper Dakota Russell announced.RELATED STORIESIncreased deputy patrols in White Center bank more arrestsInside Bellevue’s light rail security ahead of Crosslake Connection open
Win Tickets to Dierks Bentley at Chateau Ste. Michelle!
Michelle Winery, this legendary concert series brings world-class artists to one of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic venues.KIRO Newsradio is giving you the chance to win two (2) tickets to see Dierks Bentley with Kaitlin Butts & Mountain Grass Unit on Friday, June 27, 2026!Enter below and don’t miss your chance to experience this unforgettable night of live country music in an incredible outdoor setting.This contest runs Monday, March 23rd through Sunday, March 29th, 2026.Tickets for the
Increased deputy patrols in White Center bank more arrests
In February, deputies made 12 arrests in a single night.RELATED STORIES26-year-old woman dies after collision with unmarked King County Sheriff’s Office vehicleKing County Sheriff’s Office says it won’t be staffing Lake Washington schools with SROs next year$17.5M worth of drugs seized by King County Sheriff’s Office in 2022Increased patrols lead to arrests, armed bus stopThis Tuesday, they added six more arrests for unlawful transit conduct, trespassing, reckless driving, domestic violence assa
Trump administration sues Harvard, saying it violated civil rights law and seeking to recover funds
<p><block></p><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department filed a new lawsuit Friday against Harvard University, saying its leadership failed to address antisemitism on campus, creating grounds for the government to freeze existing grants and seek repayment for grants already paid.</p><p>The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, is another missive in a protracted battle between the administration of President Donald Trump and the elite university.</p><p></block></p>
Many states count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day. Those grace periods could go away
A total of 29 states allow for the late arrival of military and overseas ballots, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Voting Rights Lab.In a filing with the court, a group of state and big-city election officials cited “the risks of confusion and disenfranchisement” if mail ballot grace periods were ended suddenly in states where voters have counted on them for years.Stuart Holmes, director of elections for the Washington Secretary of State’s office, said 127,000 b
Israel strikes Iran’s feared Basij from commanders down to street level, but its grip remains strong
They search vehicles for weapons, examine documents and sometimes demand to look at people’s phones, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.Israel says it is striking the Basij in the streetsThe strikes on checkpoints began on March 11, with at least 15 incidents on a single day documented by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a U.S.-based monitoring group. “We are landing crushing blows on the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij, both in the streets and at checkpoints,”
A look at who holds the reins of power in Iran since the country’s top leaders were killed
Here is a look at the country’s power structure, what is known — and what is not.Khamenei’s successorUltimate authority in Iran rests with the country’s supreme leader, who has sat at the apex of power since the creation of the Islamic Republic in 1979 after the revolution that overthrew the shah.After Khamenei was killed, his son, 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, was quickly named to replace him as Iran’s new supreme leader. A secretive figure, the younger Khamenei has not been seen in publi
The Latest: Iran retaliates against Gulf energy sites as stocks sink worldwide
The Iran war persisted Friday in drawing Arab neighbors directly into the conflict, with heavy explosions shaking Dubai early in the morning as air defenses intercepted incoming fire over the city as people observed Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reported a fire erupted Friday morning after shrapnel fell on a warehouse in the island kingdom, while Kuwait said it worked to intercept incoming Iranian fire. Saudi Arabia reported shooting
Judge rules US government overreached with transgender health care declaration
“Health care services for transgender young people remain legal, and the federal government cannot intimidate or punish the providers who offer them.”A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.The New York Times reported that the judge spoke about the broader implications associated with this case, especially as it relates to democracy.“The notion that ‘I will go forward and issue a declaration and see if we can get away with it’ is not a principle of gover
Clergy seek court order to allow pastoral access to immigrants held at Minneapolis ICE facility
They’re suing for an injunction requiring Department of Homeland Security officials to allow prompt in-person pastoral visits to all detainees at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, the site of frequent protests over roughly the 3,000 federal officers who had surged into the state at the height of the crackdown.The Minnesota lawsuit alleges the Whipple building, named for Minnesota’s first Episcopal bishop, a 19th-century advocate for human rights, “now stands in star
Democrats aim to turn Trump’s tariffs against GOP in campaigns for governor
Andy Beshear of Kentucky, who is leading the Democratic Governors Association this year, said in an interview.White House spokesman Kush Desai countered that “what Democrats are really running against are President Trump’s Most-Favored-Nations deals to slash prescription drug prices by up to 90 percent, trillions in investments to bring manufacturing back to America, and new trade deals that level the playing field for American workers.”“All of these historic victories were possible because of t
Teenagers sue Musk’s xAI claiming image-generator made sexually explicit images of them as minors
They are seeking class-action status in order to represent what the lawsuit says are thousands of victims like themselves who either are minors or were minors when sexually explicit images of them were created. According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe 1 was alerted anonymously in December that someone was distributing sexually explicit images of her on a social media website. “At least five of these files, one video and four images, depicted her actual face and body in settings with which she was fami
Jurors wade through daunting evidence in high-stakes Meta trial about social media risks to children
At trial, Meta executives described robust systems for detecting child sexual abuse material on its platforms and notifying law enforcement — but said the company also cautions users that its enforcement isn’t flawless.“We believe it’s important to disclose the risks, but to do so in a consistent and rigorous way,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri said, describing a philosophy that extends to blog posts, service agreements and more.In a video deposition played at trial, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Man convicted in shooting of disabled Navy veteran on Seattle waterfront
A jury returned a verdict Thursday in a 2025 shooting of a disabled Navy veteran on Seattle’s waterfront.Gregory Timm was found guilty of second-degree assault, a lesser charge than what prosecutors were seeking.The victim, Harold Powell, testified at Timm’s trial.“You started yelling, ‘Hey everybody, there’s a fake a** vet,'” Powell said.He said Timm demanded he show his military ID and ripped a patch off his wheelchair before the shooting.Powell used his wheelchai
Anti-apartheid activist, human rights campaigner and UN diplomat Nicholas Haysom dies at age 73
At the time, Haysom was a member of a very activist human rights law firm.The African National Congress, which Mandela led, asked Haysom to join its Constitutional Commission, and he said he spent several years with “a very exciting group of intellectuals” conceptualizing the new South Africa, and negotiating with the National Party, which instituted and enforced the apartheid system of racial segregation, on how to get there.Having been a pariah in much of the world, Haysom said the group wante
Harger: SPD arrested a violent Aurora Ave. pimp, fentanyl dealer 3x in 9 months. WA law tied its hands. Feds didn’t have that problem.
<p>Leon Henderson was arrested by the Seattle Police Department (SPD) in January 2023 outside the Park Plaza Motel on Aurora Avenue with 1,700 fentanyl pills, 600 grams of methamphetamine, and a loaded pistol under his seat. SPD did their job. He went through the state system. He didn’t learn a lesson.</p><p>He was arrested again in May 2023 with 7,000 fentanyl pills and another firearm. SPD did their job again. Went through the state system again. Still no lesson.</p><p>He was arrested a third time in September 2023, near a Ballard homeless encampment, with a backpack containing nearly 10,000 fentanyl pills. Each arrest, more pills than the last. Each time, SPD put him in cuffs. Each time, Washington’s sentencing limits were the limiting factor.</p><p>This week, a federal judge sentenced him to 20 years. Not because local law enforcement wasn’t trying. Not because SPD or King County prosecutors weren’t doing their jobs. But because Washington law simply doesn’t give prosecutors the tools to put a fentanyl dealer away for the length of time he deserved. The feds do.</p><div class="related alignright"><div class="col_label"><h2>RELATED STORIES</h2></div><ul><li><a class="related-link" href="https://mynorthwest.com/kiro-opinion/washingtons-clemency-board/4218020"><img decoding="async" width="719" height="404" src="https://mynorthwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Legislative-building-420x236.jpg" class="sub_art" alt="Harger: A Spokane jury said 46 years. Washington's clemency board just decided 30 was close enough. Now it's on Ferguson's desk." loading="lazy"></a><div class="sub_story"><h3><a class="related-link" href="https://mynorthwest.com/kiro-opinion/washingtons-clemency-board/4218020">Harger: A Spokane jury said 46 years. Washington's clemency board just decided 30 was close enough. Now it's on Ferguson's desk.</a></h3></div></li><li><a class="related-link" href="https://mynorthwest.com/local/wa-gas-prices-surge-iran-war/4218213"><img decoding="async" width="719" height="404" src="https://mynorthwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-18T062629.923-420x236.jpg" class="sub_art" alt="WA gas prices surge past $5 a gallon, 2nd highest in nation; Iran war and Climate Commitment Act blamed" loading="lazy"></a><div class="sub_story"><h3><a class="related-link" href="https://mynorthwest.com/local/wa-gas-prices-surge-iran-war/4218213">WA gas prices surge past $5 a gallon, 2nd highest in nation; Iran war and Climate Commitment Act blamed</a></h3></div></li><li><a class="related-link" href="https://mynorthwest.com/kiro-opinion/rapidride-j-line-eastlake/4218434"><img decoding="async" width="719" height="404" src="https://mynorthwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Seattles-RapidRide-J-Line-eastlake-420x236.jpg" class="sub_art" alt="Harger: Seattle's RapidRide J Line is spending $156M on Eastlake Avenue. Buses won't get priority lanes. Bike lanes will." loading="lazy"></a><div class="sub_story"><h3><a class="related-link" href="https://mynorthwest.com/kiro-opinion/rapidride-j-line-eastlake/4218434">Harger: Seattle's RapidRide J Line is spending $156M on Eastlake Avenue. Buses won't get priority lanes. Bike lanes will.</a></h3></div></li></ul></div><h2>What Aurora Avenue in Seattle looks like when you actually live there</h2><p>Most people who drive Aurora Avenue do it with their windows up and their eyes forward. They see the motels, the women standing at the curb, the encampments spilling onto the sidewalks, and they keep moving. They don’t have to live there. Some people do.</p><p>I’ve talked to those neighbors, and they see women working as prostitutes with johns parked in front of their houses in the middle of the day. They hear the crack of gunfire at night. Violent pimps settle disputes the way violent pimps settle disputes. They’ve learned which stretches of sidewalk to avoid and which hours to stay inside. They’ve called SPD and filed complaints. They’ve shown up to community meetings and told elected officials exactly what their street looks like from the inside.</p><p>And then the next morning, it’s all still there.</p><p>These are people who pay taxes, raise kids, and maintain their homes in a corridor that the rest of the city has largely decided to tolerate from a distance. They didn’t choose to live in an open-air crime zone. They just live there. And for years, someone like him was part of what made Aurora Avenue what it is.</p><h3>A Seattle fentanyl dealer and a pimp. The combination matters.</h3><p>His prior record includes a 2019 conviction for promoting prostitution. He isn’t just a drug dealer. He’s a pimp, and a violent one. Court documents say he forced a victim into sex work by injecting her with heroin and threatening her with death. That’s not someone who drifted into the life. That’s someone who understood exactly how addiction works and used it as a leash.</p><p>That’s the Aurora Avenue Seattle business model for people like him. Fentanyl on one side, women for hire on the other, stolen loaded guns keeping the whole operation together. Each time he was arrested in 2023, he had a different female companion. The first was allegedly involved in prostitution. The third had been reported as a missing person out of Clallam County. A missing person. On Aurora. With this man.</p><p>King County prosecutors said the pattern suggests he was running both operations simultaneously. The neighbors on Aurora already knew that. They’ve watched this combination operate on their street for years, but couldn’t get anyone to do anything about it at a scale that would actually matter.</p><h3>18,000 potential Seattle fentanyl overdoses. One dollar at a time.</h3><p>He knew his customers on Aurora Avenue. Federal prosecutors noted he was deliberately targeting homeless addicts along the North Aurora Seattle corridor, people who, as U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead observed from the bench, would struggle to resist the temptation. That’s not a side effect of his business. That’s the business model.</p><p>A dollar a pill. Keep them trapped. Keep them coming back. Keep them folded over on the sidewalk or holed up in a tent, in misery, in public, making every block of that street harder to walk for every person who lives there. And as long as they’re buying, the neighborhood suffers alongside them.</p><p>Over nine months, investigators recovered more than 18,000 fentanyl pills, 220 grams of fentanyl powder, and 700 grams of methamphetamine. At a dollar a pill, Judge Whitehead noted, the defendant could have caused “18,000 potential overdoses in our community.”</p><p>Fentanyl isn’t a lifestyle choice someone makes from a position of freedom. It is a chain. He was in the business of keeping people chained because he understood that someone deep in addiction is going to find it almost impossible to say no. I’ve looked a mother in the eyes after she lost her son to this. That pain doesn’t go away; it doesn’t get smaller. She carries it every day. He knew there were more mothers like her in his future, and he kept going anyway.</p><h3>Washington’s drug laws aren’t built for dealers like this</h3><p>Three arrests in nine months. Tens of thousands of fentanyl pills. Stolen loaded firearms. A prior conviction for forcing a woman into sex work by injecting her with heroin. Under Washington law, fentanyl distribution is a Class B felony with a maximum of 10 years. With firearm enhancements, a state court could add more, but realistically, a state sentence for someone with his record on drug charges would likely land between four and eight years, with earned release cutting that down further.</p><p>SPD kept arresting him, and prosecutors kept charging him. The ceiling on what Washington law could do to a dealer like this is a problem Olympia created, and it’s a problem the neighbors on Aurora Avenue have been living with for years. They’ve watched dealers like him get processed, cycle back, and set up shop again. They know exactly what a state drug sentence looks like in practice. They’ve seen it.</p><p>The feds had different tools. Twenty years. Mandatory minimum. No earned release, no early exit. He will be nearly 55 years old when he gets out.</p><h3>Two things at once</h3><p>Sending him away for 20 years matters. It matters to the Aurora Avenue Seattle neighbors who have been waiting for something that feels like a real consequence. It sends a message to the next dealer thinking about setting up near a homeless encampment with a backpack full of fentanyl pills.</p><p>But locking up dealers isn’t enough by itself. The people he was preying on are still out there. They need a real detox and real treatment. A genuine path out, not just harm reduction kits, and a place to use more safely. As long as the market exists, someone will fill his spot.</p><p>The two things aren’t in conflict. You can believe that a person trapped in addiction deserves real help and still believe that the pimp profiting from their misery deserves a long stretch in federal prison. Both things are true, and the neighbors on Aurora Avenue deserve a city and a state that act like both things are true, not just one of them.</p><p>Washington’s drug laws don’t give prosecutors the tools to impose sentences like this one. That’s a conversation worth having in Olympia. The people who live on Aurora Avenue in Seattle have been trying to have it for years.</p><p>The feds finally gave them an answer. Twenty years. The feds did what Washington law wouldn’t allow.</p><p><i>Charlie Harger is the host of </i><a id="menurkpt" class="fui-Link ___1q1shib f2hkw1w f3rmtva f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1s184ao f1mk8lai fnbmjn9 f1o700av f13mvf36 f1cmlufx f9n3di6 f1ids18y f1tx3yz7 f1deo86v f1eh06m1 f1iescvh fhgqx19 f1olyrje f1p93eir f1nev41a f1h8hb77 f1lqvz6u f10aw75t fsle3fq f17ae5zn" title="https://mynorthwest.com/category/seattles-morning-news/" href="https://mynorthwest.com/category/seattles-morning-news/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Link “Seattle’s Morning News”"><i>“Seattle’s Morning News”</i></a> <i>on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries </i><a id="menurkpv" class="fui-Link ___1q1shib f2hkw1w f3rmtva f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1s184ao f1mk8lai fnbmjn9 f1o700av f13mvf36 f1cmlufx f9n3di6 f1ids18y f1tx3yz7 f1deo86v f1eh06m1 f1iescvh fhgqx19 f1olyrje f1p93eir f1nev41a f1h8hb77 f1lqvz6u f10aw75t fsle3fq f17ae5zn" title="https://mynorthwest.com/author/charger/" href="https://mynorthwest.com/author/charger/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Link here"><i>here</i></a><i>. 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Paraeducator at Renton school arrested for alleged sexual contact with minor
A 36-year-old paraeducator employed at Hazen High School in Renton was arrested for alleged sexual contact with a minor.The man, from Tukwila, was arrested on suspicion of communication with a minor for immoral purposes and sexual contact with a minor, the Renton Police Department (RPD) reported on X around 3 p.m. Thursday.The victim, who was 17 at the time, disclosed the incident to Child Protective Services, according to RPD Communications Manager Meeghan Black. The woman is now 19 and is no l
‘I didn’t realize forces would line up to push me down’: ‘Seattle is Dying’ journalist reflects 7 years later
And for a while, it was rough.”Community shifts narrative surrounding ‘Seattle is Dying’However, Johnson discovered the rush of anger was only from a select few, while the heart of Seattle turned the narrative.“The shop owners, the business owners, the citizens, the hard-working people of Seattle, all took control of that narrative, and they turned it back, which I’ll be forever grateful for,” he said.Johnson believes if city leaders had focused on helping peo
‘ICE is hiding from public accountability’: Ferguson signs bill to ban officers from wearing masks on duty
“This is a list of things we need right now for safety that can be done immediately.”On their way out, that person could be heard shouting, “DHS out of Washington State!”RELATED STORIESWilson puts expansion of Seattle's surveillance camera pilot program on holdGovernor Ferguson signs bill prohibiting double voting in Washington'We've made ourselves an outlier': Downtown Seattle Association says business taxes are pushing out employersBill banning police officers from wear