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Muckleshoot Casino debuts WA’s first Heinz sauce machine, serving 2,000 custom sauce combinations

There’s a new popular attraction at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort, and it’s not a flashy new slot machine with a massive payout.The Auburn casino recently introduced its Heinz REMIX machine, capable of producing 2,000 different sauce combinations for its casino-goers.After being installed in the casino’s food hall earlier this month, the vending machine is the first and only of its kind in Washington.“We are the very first location in the entire state — across any venue,

Georgia could become the first state with weapons detection in all public schools

<block>ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia could become the first state to require every student to be checked for weapons when arriving at a public school each day.A bill is nearing passage that would require weapons detection systems in a further reaction to a 2024 school shooting that killed four. “That rifle would have never reached our hallways,” said Daria Lezczynska, a junior at Apalachee High School in Winder, where the shooting took place. “Lives would have been saved. Families would not be grieving, Students like me would not be carrying this trauma.”Some schools have long used metal detectors or required students to carry clear backpacks to cut down on weapons. But a new generation of technology marries computer analysis with cameras or the same electromagnetic fields as metal detectors to detect knives and guns. The systems have spread rapidly through schools, arenas, stadiums and hospitals.“It’s very commonplace for me to walk through a weapons detection system when I enter into a courthouse,” said Chuck Efstration, the bill’s sponsor and Republican house majority leader who represents the Apalachee campus. “Georgia’s students and educators deserve similar security with weapons detection systems inside of every Georgia public school.”There’s little rigorous research nationwide proving that weapons detectors prevent school shootings. In Georgia, there are questions about who will pay what can be $10,000 or more per system. School employees must staff checkpoints and search bags. And even supporters of the systems say searchers can become dulled by a multitude of false alarms and miss the few actual weapons. Some question whether weapons detectors are necessary in elementary schools, as Efstration’s bill mandates. And those who find Georgia’s gun laws too permissive say installing weapons detectors everywhere is a form of surrender, accepting that society will be awash in guns and violence.A Senate committee on Monday passed an amended version of Efstration’s bill, meaning it needs final votes in the Senate and House in the closing days of Georgia’s 2026 legislative session before reaching Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for his signature or veto.<hl2>Few schools traditionally required weapons checks</hl2>It’s unclear how many schools nationwide use weapons detectors. A U.S. Department of Education survey <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_233.60.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found that in the 2021-2022 school year</a>, 6.2% of all schools and 14.2% of high schools nationwide required random metal detector checks. Only 2.4% of all schools and 6.2% of high schools required daily metal detector checks. More schools required clear bookbags or banned bookbags than required daily metal detector checks. Checks were more likely to be required when a school was in a city, when the majority of students were nonwhite, and when large majorities of students were poor.Atlanta’s school district spent more than $4 million to roll out new systems in 2021 in middle and high schools, replacing old-style metal detectors. District Police Chief Ronald Applin said officials wanted something that students could move through more quickly, saying traditional detectors were “too cumbersome.” Applin said guns found at Atlanta schools fell from 32 the year before the new system to four so far this year.The 1,700 students at Midtown High School typically hold their laptops in the air as they pass through detection gates, with a computer screen telling employees whether a bag needs a secondary search.“It’s not real adversarial at the metal detector,” said School Resource Officer Meredith Littles. “A lot of people get worried about the dynamics of what that looks like. But it’s very non-intrusive.”<hl2>False alarms can dull vigilance</hl2>One key question is how sensitive to make the system, said Nikita Ermolaev, a research engineer at IPVM, which tests and researches security technology. Too sensitive, and alarms go off for everything. Not sensitive enough, and weapons slip through. And trying to maintain vigilance is a challenge.“You have 100 alarms and the first 99 of them are false alarms on laptops or binders, right? You’re naturally going to assume that the 100th alarm is also going to be on something benign,” Ermolaev said. “And that’s how sometimes weapons such as guns or knives can go through the system.”Then there’s the cost. Georgia gives each public school campus $50,000 a year for school safety, but many districts are already using that money to pay on-campus officers. House budget writers have proposed borrowing an additional $50 million for grants to districts.“While we absolutely think weapons detection is imperative, it can only be made possible with appropriate funding,” said Gretchen Walton, an assistant superintendent in Cobb County, which with 103,000 students is Georgia’s second-largest school system.Others, including some Democrats, see the focus on weapons detection as misplaced. They say Georgia should be looking to limit children’s access to guns.“We have allowed guns and weapons of war to become more available than a pack of gum in this state, then act confused when people keep dying,” said Democratic state Rep. Bryce Berry, a public school teacher who voted against the bill in the House. “Let’s stop hiding behind procedure and politics and pretending that the threat our children face is some vague, mysterious force.”</block>

3 residents, dog displaced after Issaquah house fire

Three residents and a dog have been displaced following a residential house fire late Monday night in Issaquah.At approximately 11 p.m., Eastside Fire & Rescue (EFR) crews responded to reports of the fire on the 1100 block of Ridgewood Place S.E. in Issaquah, EFR <a href="https://x.com/EastsideFire/status/2036323703462793239?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a>.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">EF&R crews are on scene of a residential house fire on the 1100 Blk of Ridgewood Pl SE in Issaquah. Residents were alerted by smoke detectors and evacuated safely. Crews were able to extinguish the flames and are in overhaul. Red Cross has been contacted for the three displaced… <a href="https://t.co/xNrZEc7rgb">pic.twitter.com/xNrZEc7rgb</a>— Eastside Fire & Rescue (@EastsideFire) <a href="https://twitter.com/EastsideFire/status/2036323703462793239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March 24, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Residents were initially alerted to the fire by the home’s smoke detectors and were able to safely evacuate.Crews extinguished the flames and were in overhaul.The Red Cross was contacted for the three displaced residents and the dog.Follow Jason Sutich <a href="https://x.com/jason_sutich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on X</a>. Send <a href="https://mynorthwest.com/contact-us">news tips here.</a>

Melania Trump hosts world counterparts and tech reps to discuss children, education and technology

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump on Tuesday called on nations to work together to improve access to education and technology for children around the world, delivering her plea as she addressed a gathering of her counterparts from more than 40 countries.The first lady’s Fostering the Future Together initiative, which she announced last year, and an inaugural two-day summit that she opened Tuesday are examples of how Melania Trump has expanded her portfolio to embrace global issues.“As people

‘Cursed’ Ganesh statue listed on Craigslist by Everett man after he claims it ‘ruined his life’

An Everett man posted a peculiar item for sale on Craigslist last Thursday — a “cursed brass Ganesh statue” from his home.According to the listing, the item, originally purchased as a film prop, “ruined his life.” The six-inch-tall brass Ganesh statue was purchased by the Everett resident in 2023 at the Double Dorjee Tibet Shop at Pike Place Market. Since acquiring the statue of the Ganesh deity, he believes a curse has been placed upon him.“Since bringing it home,

OpenAI Foundation pledges $1B in grants to ensure AI ‘benefits all of humanity’

The pledge represents a major development in OpenAI’s philanthropic activities and offers insight into how the company, which started as a nonprofit, plans to carry out its charitable mission to develop AI to benefit “all of humanity.”“We aim to enable the use of AI to find solutions to humanity’s hardest problems, transform what people are capable of, and deliver real benefits in people’s lives — while working hard with partners to be ready for new challenges, and to help make society res

Anthropic and Pentagon head to court as AI firm seeks end to ‘stigmatizing’ supply chain risk label

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence company Anthropic is asking a federal judge on Tuesday to temporarily halt the Pentagon’s “unprecedented and stigmatizing” designation of the company as a supply chain risk.A hearing scheduled for Tuesday in a California federal court marks a critical step in the feud between Anthropic and the Trump administration over how the company’s AI technology could be used in war. Anthropic sued earlier this month to stop the Trump administration f

Maple Valley house fire extinguished after crews shuttle water from a mile away

A house fire broke out in Maple Valley Tuesday morning, according to <a title="https://x.com/PugetSoundFire/status/2036401939584524746?s=20" href="https://x.com/PugetSoundFire/status/2036401939584524746?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Puget Sound Fire</a>, with firefighters needing to shuttle water in from more than a mile away.The fire happened within a home on S.E. 216th Street in Maple Valley at approximately 4 a.m. Tuesday. All residents were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported. The Red Cross arrived at the scene to provide emergency assistance.“It took firefighters about an hour to extinguish the fire,” Puget Sound Fire stated on X. “The closest hydrant was over a mile away, so tenders were used to shuttle water to the scene.”<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It took firefighters about an hour to extinguish the fire. The closest hydrant was over a mile away so tenders were used to shuttle water to the scene. <a href="https://t.co/waQeI24x7v">pic.twitter.com/waQeI24x7v</a>— Puget Sound Fire (@PugetSoundFire) <a href="https://twitter.com/PugetSoundFire/status/2036414446755782921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March 24, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>The cause of the fire is under investigation.Follow Frank Sumrall <a href="https://x.com/FMSumrall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on X</a>. Send <a href="https://mynorthwest.com/contact-us">news tips here.</a>

Seattle SuperSonics’ return moves closer as NBA expansion vote begins

According to KIRO 7, Ferguson’s spokesperson said the meeting with Silver was “productive.”Kraken ownership takes potential step toward owning an NBA Sonics teamAdditionally, the Seattle Kraken ownership group announced on Monday it launched a parent brand, One Roof Sports and Entertainment, to “oversee a growing portfolio of properties and fuel new opportunities” – something that could include owning an NBA expansion Seattle Sonics team.One Roof Sports and Entertainment

Rubio testifies in former congressman’s Venezuela lobbying trial

On the stand, Rubio said he overlapped with Rivera for six years when they served in the Florida Legislature and that they were “very close” while in Tallahassee.As part of his work, Rivera and his co-defendant are accused of trying to arrange meetings for then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez — now Venezuela’s acting president — in Dallas, New York, Washington and Caracas, Venezuela, with White House officials, members of Congress and the chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil.To cloak their ac

Iran’s parliament speaker is floated as a possible US contact in talks as war rages

Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, now Iran’s new supreme leader, has backed Qalibaf through his repeated and failed presidential campaigns. Still, multiple centers of power within Iran’s theocracy now likely vie for control of the Islamic Republic — and uncertainties remain over Mojtaba Khamenei’s status as he has yet to be seen after reportedly being wounded. Meanwhile, Qalibaf has been tied to the crackdown against protesters calling for change within Iran’s government and

Iran targets Israel and Gulf Arab states even as Trump says US is in talks to end the war

<block>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israel and Gulf Arab states Tuesday, even as U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. was in talks with the Islamic Republic to end the war.Trump also delayed a deadline for Iran to open the strategic Strait of Hormuz for shipping or see its power stations targeted by airstrikes, briefly driving down oil prices and boosting stocks. The delay offered a reprieve after the U.S. and Iran traded threats over the weekend of strikes that could have cut electricity to millions in Iran and around the Gulf and knocked out desalination plants that provide many desert nations with drinking water, while raising fears of possible catastrophe if nuclear plants were hit. But any information on the talks described by Trump remain in dispute with Iran, which denied any talks had been held. “No negotiations have been held with the US,” Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf posted on X, adding that “fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said Israel will continue to strike Iran and Lebanon even as the U.S. considers a ceasefire.“There’s more to come,” he said.<hl2>Iran hits Israel and Gulf neighbors, while Israel attacks Beirut</hl2>Iran fired three waves of missiles at Israel early Tuesday, with reports of an impact in the country’s north, the Israeli Home Front Command said. Israel, meantime, pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs saying that it was targeting infrastructure used by the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group. In Kuwait, power lines were hit from air defense shrapnel, causing partial electricity outages in several hours. Missile alert sirens sounded in Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said it had destroyed 19 Iranian drones targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province. Oil prices briefly fell below $100 a barrel after Trump claimed his government was in talks to end the war. But that respite was short lived, with the price of Brent crude, the international standard, back to $104 a barrel in morning trading, up more than 40% since Israel and the U.S. started the war on Feb. 28. <hl2>Iran skeptical of Trump’s motives in deadline extension</hl2>Trump initially set a deadline of late Monday, Washington time, for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its power plants, but on Monday he gave Tehran five more days to comply. Iran has allowed a small number of ships through the strait, which leads from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, but has said it will continue to target vessels linked to the U.S., Israel or its allies. Its leaders are wary of Washington’s motives, in part because Tehran was in negotiations with the U.S. before the surprise attack that started the war. Iran had also been in talks last year when the U.S. and Israel attacked its nuclear facilities, starting a 12-day war. Trump’s extension of the deadline comes as a contingent of thousands of Marines is on the way to the area, raising speculation that the U.S. may try to seize Kharg Island, which is off of Iran’s coast and vital to the country’s oil network. The U.S. bombed the island in the Persian Gulf more than a week ago, hitting its defenses but saying it had left oil infrastructure intact. Iran has threatened if the U.S. appears to be on the verge of landing troops it could mine the Persian Gulf, which would complicate an amphibious assault and also imperil all shipping in the area. The delay could be timed to coincide with the arrival of U.S. Marines in the region, expected Friday, wrote the New York-based think tank the Soufan Center in an analysis.“As Trump has in the past, he could be moving military assets into place, in this case to prepare for an invasion and seizure of Kharg Island, while using negotiations as a cover until those assets are fully combat-ready.”However, the center also noted that “Trump could be actively seeking an offramp. Whether Iran reciprocates is yet to be seen.”Trump has said he has no plans to send ground forces into Iran but has not ruled it out. Israel has suggested its ground forces could take part in the war.Iran’s death toll has surpassed 1,500, its Health Ministry has said. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian strikes. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed, along with more than a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states.___Rising reported from Bangkok and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.</block>

Some state officials say shifting mail ballot deadline will complicate plans for November elections

Supreme Court, where justices had just heard arguments Monday over whether to prevent states from counting mail ballots that arrive after Election Day, Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar texted his staff 3,000 miles away.His directive: Get ready to plan how to run November’s midterm elections if the high court changes the rules when it issues its decision in June.“The challenge is educating voters shortly before the election how the election is going to work,” Aguilar, a Democrat, sai

Workers’ job market gloom has increased dramatically over the past few years, Gallup survey finds

Meanwhile, the gap in job market sentiment between Americans with and without a college degree was at its widest in that survey since Gallup started asking the question in 2001.Signs of broad discontent among young workersJust about 2 in 10 workers ages 18-34 think now is a good time to find a job, compared to about 4 in 10 workers ages 65 and older who say the same. Gallup’s survey is consistent with what economists call the “low-hire, low-fire” job market: Businesses are largely holding onto t

Senators consider deal to fund Homeland Security but not ICE enforcement as airport lines snarl

citizens during ICE protests in Minneapolis.Trump took the extraordinary step over the weekend of ordering Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to provide airport security, drawing alarm from some lawmakers that it could escalate tensions.The contours of the deal under consideration would fund most of Homeland Security, but exclude funding for one main part of ICE — the enforcement and removal operations that are core to Trump’s deportation agenda. Under the package being floated,

Abortion pills are gaining ground as a method for ending pregnancies, and opponents are responding

That follows a trend that’s been documented in other surveys of abortion providers.Court battles are also centered on pillsMultiple states have court challenges to the federal rules that allow the abortion pill mifepristone to be prescribed via telehealth.If they could require in-person prescriptions, it would at least dent the ability of out-of-state providers to get pills into places with bans in place.Louisiana has such a lawsuit in federal court there; the attorneys general of Florida

Large oil refinery explosion near Texas coast forces residents to shelter in place

PORT ARTHUR, Texas (AP) — A large explosion at an oil refinery near the Texas coast on Monday shot plumes of smoke into the air and forced nearby residents to shelter in place, according to officials.No one was injured in the explosion at the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of Houston, Mayor Charlotte M. Moses said. She urged residents in parts of the west side of the city to stay put, saying fire fighters had arrived.“There’s been an explosion, yes, bu

‘A loan, not a donation’: Passenger who stopped King County bus after driver collapsed gets rent money, attorney

He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t use drugs, just completely out of place down there, walking around with all the ghosts down in the CID,” Wallace said.Last week, Makinson told “The John Curley Show” that when he called King County Metro about replacing his glasses, they said the agency is not liable and hung up on him. Wallace said he talked to an attorney who volunteered to help Makinson out, but later found out he already had one.“He actually got a different att

Earthquake hits off Vancouver Island

An earthquake hit off the west coast of Vancouver Island over the weekend.<div>The magnitude 4.0 quake struck about 162 miles west‑southwest of Tofino at a depth of 6.2 miles, according to the <a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000sijy/executive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Geological Survey</a>.The quake hit at 12:23 p.m. Sunday.People reported feeling the quake in Burlington and Point Roberts, as well as in Victoria, B.C.No damage or injuries were reported.Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories <a href="https://mynorthwest.com/author/flenzi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</div><a class="twitter-follow-button" href="https://twitter.com/gotfederer" data-show-count="false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow @gotfederer</a><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Asian shares mostly rebound after Trump hints at a possible end to the Iran war

On Wall Street, the price for a barrel of Brent crude fell 10.9% to settle at $99.94, down from nearly $120 at one point last week, after Trump said the United States and Iran held productive talks “regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East” over the last two days. Iran denied such talks took place and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said that “fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets” in a post on X. Over the weekend,