Seattleholding.com

Stillaguamish man arrested after gunfire erupts inside Arlington home overnight Friday

Division Street early Friday morning after a 911 caller said they could hear nearby gunfire coming from inside a home.Concerned for public safety, Arlington officers worked alongside neighboring agencies, including the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Stillaguamish Police Department, and the Lake Stevens Police Department, during their response.RELATED STORIESArlington police investigate truck stop knife attackKnife-wielding man arrested at Arlington elementary school, district reviews safety

US issues a license that authorizes sales of Venezuelan gold

<block>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. issued a license Friday that authorizes dealings with Minerven, Venezuela’s state-owned gold mining company, in the latest sign of the Trump administration’s intent to exercise more control over that country’s natural resources.The license was issued after U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum met in Venezuela with acting President Delcy Rodríguez this week, as well as with representatives of more than two dozen U.S. mining and minerals companies. Many of them previously operated in Venezuela. Burgum said Venezuela’s government gave security assurances to mining companies interested in investing in the country, where mineral-rich areas have long been controlled by guerrilla members, gangs and other illegal groups. Under the license, people and companies from Russia, Iran, North Korea and Cuba are not authorized to engage in any contracts with MinervenThe Trump administration seeks to defend against China’s hold on critical minerals, some of which are abundant in Venezuela. The license seeks to advance the administration’s plan to turn around the long-troubled country following the capture by U.S. forces of then-President Nicolás Maduro two months ago. On another natural-resources front, the U.S. moved recently to take legal ownership of a sanctioned tanker and nearly 2 million barrels of petroleum seized off the coast of Venezuela in December. In January, Rodríguez signed a law that opened Venezuela’s oil sector to privatization.___Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela.</block>

Evidence suggests the deadly blast at an Iranian school was likely a US airstrike

There were also impacts on multiple buildings visible in satellite images and media reports citing witnesses who said they heard multiple explosions.“If indeed it is confirmed that an American or Israeli strike hit the school, there are several potential points of failure in the targeting cycle,” Jenzen-Jones said. “We might be seeing an intelligence failure, likely rather early in the process, which misidentified the target or failed to update a targeting list following the building’s cha

Tech Talk: AI becomes new frontline weapon as militaries accelerate autonomous warfare

military using ClaudeThe alleged deployment of Anthropic’s Claude AI platform to strike Iran comes despite a broader government ban on the tool announced last week after a dispute between the Pentagon and Anthropic.The disagreement reportedly centered on the company’s push for safeguards that would block the military from using Claude for mass surveillance of Americans or to operate fully autonomous weapons systems.What’s next?Flynn Goodwin described U.S. interest in developing AI-based weapons

For survivors, Rhode Island clergy abuse report brings vindication and renewed demands

With one of the highest Catholic populations per capita in the country — nearly 40% — the Diocese of Providence maintained secrecy around clergy abuse even as accusations and lawsuits surfaced over the years.Attorney Tim Conlon, who has long represented sex abuse victims in Rhode Island, said that when he first filed suits against the Diocese of Providence, many people were unwilling to believe such allegations could be true in their own parishes. At one point in the late 1990s, he said, even hi

State senator uses offensive term for developmentally disabled people

A Washington state senator is standing by a remark he made Wednesday in which he used an offensive term for developmentally disabled people.According to The Washington State Standard, Republican Leonard Christian made the remark during a debate on House Bill 1390, which would end a program for developmentally disabled people who have violent histories, or who have been charged with or convicted of sex offenses or violent crimes.“We’re putting rapists in with retarded people,” Christian sai

Video shows car with toddler flip on I-5, ending 100 mph police chase

Deputies said the driver was speeding more than 100 miles per hour at the time of the crash.Toddler survives dramatic I-5 crashHighway traffic camera footage posted on the Centralia Police Department’s Facebook page shows the I-5 dramatic crash.Investigators said the Nissan Altima hit a barrier, launched into the air, and landed on its roof. The vehicle then slid roughly 4,000 feet before slamming into two other cars.“An unbelievable tragedy could’ve occurred where a totally innocent child could

Storms rip through Oklahoma as even more intense weather is possible Friday across the central US

Thunderstorms ripped across Oklahoma prairies Thursday night as severe weather was expected to intensify Friday and bring the threat of powerful tornadoes to multiple states in the nation’s heartland.In an eerie scene captured on video, a first responder drove straight at a storm near the western Oklahoma town of Fairview, where flashes of lightning illuminated a giant funnel that appeared to reach the ground. That storm late Thursday, among the first outbreaks of severe weather on the ver

South Florida university probes racist group chat tied to a local GOP official

MIAMI (AP) — A South Florida university has launched an investigation into a group chat started by an official with the Miami-Dade chapter of the Republican Party that included violently racist slurs, antisemitic comments and misogynistic language.The chat, which was denounced by the state GOP, involved students and several top conservative leaders at Florida International University, according to the Miami Herald, which viewed and independently verified the conversations.The university said in

Americans stuck in the Middle East recount finding their way home with little government help

State Department said the first government-chartered repatriation flight made it back from the Mideast on Thursday and that more would arrive daily. It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were on the planes or where in the Middle East they had departed from. The department says as of Thursday, it has “directly assisted” 10,000 citizens in the region seeking help or information.A social media post from the assistant secretary of state for public affairs included a photo of Americans boarding

The Latest: Israeli strikes pound Iran and Lebanon as US warns attacks will intensify

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that strikes against Tehran were “about to surge dramatically.”Tehran has warned of the destruction of the Middle East’s military and economic infrastructure, and the war has rattled financial markets.Here is the latest:Saudi Arabia says it intercepted drones east of RiyadhThe Saudi Defense Ministry said it destroyed three drones in the eastern areas of Riyadh.The ministry said earlier Friday that it intercepted a cruise missile over the city of Kharj.Irania

Talarico became famous with viral videos. Can Republicans turn that against him?

They’ll call us a threat.”The criticism is coming, Talarico said, “because we’re a threat to their corrupt system.” “Our campaign is building a movement poised to change the politics of this state and take power back for working people,” said Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis. “While they lob stale attacks to mislead Texans, we are uniting the people of Texas to win in November.” Democrats are hoping that Republican runoff voters will favor Paxton, who has weathered allegations of corruption

As Texas braces for messy Senate runoff, Georgia Republicans fear similar fate unless Trump endorses

<block>ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Republicans are getting antsy. As U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff dominates the nation in fundraising and makes his case to voters, three Republicans who want his spot are still competing among themselves for their party’s nomination.This week’s election frenzy in Texas didn’t help. After President Donald Trump declined to help clear the field with an endorsement, Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton are primed for a bitter and expensive runoff that could sap resources needed in more competitive states.Trump has since promised to choose between the two of them, but he hasn’t said when he’ll make an announcement or whom he’ll support. And there’s no sign that the president is ready to get involved in Georgia’s primary on May 19, meaning Republicans there could be on course for a similar predicament.“I’d like to have as many days as I can to focus the public’s attention on the choice between our nominee and Sen. Ossoff,” said state party chair Josh McKoon. “Assuming that President Trump does not weigh in, it seems like it is more likely than not that we will have a runoff.”Each of Georgia’s three main Republican contenders — Rep. Mike Collins, Rep. Buddy Carter and former football coach Derek Dooley — has positioned himself as the best person to help Trump in Washington. Trump could almost certainly anoint a winner if he wanted to use his influence. “It is the gold standard of the party,” said Faith & Freedom Coalition chairman Ralph Reed. “It’s the strongest endorsement I’ve ever seen in my career.”Ossoff sees political advantage in the competition for Trump’s support. “My opponents have already made clear they will be Donald Trump’s puppets,” Ossoff said in a speech this week at Georgia’s capitol.<hl2>The non-endorsement looms over race</hl2>Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, warned in an interview with The Washington Examiner last month that the wide primary field could end in a general election loss in Georgia.“We need to get it down to one candidate as soon as possible,” Scott said. “And if we are able to do so, we have a chance to be successful there. But as long as we have three candidates, it’s going to be tougher for us.”Republican strategist and Collins ally Stephen Lawson warned that Ossoff “continues every day going unscathed.” “I do think there has to be some sense of urgency on settling on a candidate and clearing the field sooner rather than later,” he said.Collins has a long list of endorsements in the state, and he’s backed by the Club for Growth, a nationally influential conservative advocacy group. He describes himself as the “America First MAGA candidate.”However, he also facing an ethics complaint from a congressional watchdog accusing his policy adviser and former chief of staff of improperly hiring his girlfriend as an intern even though she didn’t complete assigned work. Collins has called the complaint “bogus.”Carter said in an interview this week that “I’m the one without any baggage.”A political fixture in southeast Georgia, Carter says he’s a “MAGA warrior.” He has called for expanded immigration enforcement in the state despite criticisms of aggressive tactics elsewhere. As Republicans compete with each other, Ossoff has been boosting his cash advantage. The senator has over $25.5 million on hand. Meanwhile, Collins has $2.3 million, Dooley has $2.1 million, and Carter has $4.2 million, including many of his own dollars. However, McKoon said he’s confident Republican donors will coalesce around a winner and help them catch up. <hl2>Trump ‘wants to win’ </hl2>Trump has a mixed track record on endorsements, particularly in Georgia. In 2021, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler lost to Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock. In 2022, Warnock beat football star Herschel Walker.Carter noted that Republicans have a narrow majority in the House, including Collins and himself, and guessed that Trump doesn’t want to jeopardize that. “The president really is probably going to sit this one out,” Carter said.Collins flattered Trump’s endorsement record, saying he has “always had the impeccable ability to put his name on someone at the right time to get the most bang for his buck.” Candidates aren’t just trying to convince voters they align with Trump — they’re also trying to convince the president that they would come out on top in November. That’s what matters most to Trump, Reed said. “The only thing that drives Trump more than finding candidates that are loyal both philosophically and personally is identifying and getting behind candidates that can win,” Reed said. “He wants to win.”</block>

Top California Democrat flops with call for candidates to exit governor’s race

Thurmond, who is Black, said the party is “essentially telling every candidate of color … to drop out.” Mahan said Thursday that there was plenty of time for candidates to make a mark, noting “people are just starting to tune in.”Recent polling by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found the field had broken into two distinct groups, with Hilton, Porter, Bianco, Swalwell and Steyer in close competition, and the other candidates trailing behind them.Swalwell and Porter ec

Pentagon’s break with Ivy League leaves colleges bracing for further changes to military programs

Yet an Associated Press analysis finds that schools beyond the Ivy League are far more likely to benefit from the Pentagon aid, including big online universities and some for-profit colleges that have been dogged by fraud accusations.About 350 members of the military used Tuition Assistance to attend Harvard, Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University and the other schools targeted by Hegseth’s cuts, according to the AP analysis of 2024 data. By contrast, more than 50,000 studi

‘Worse than a prison’: 911 calls, interviews reveal problems at ICE’s largest detention camp

“Camp East Montana was 1,000% worse than a prison.”A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson who did not provide their name rejected claims of subprime conditions, saying Camp East Montana detainees receive food, water and medical treatment in a facility that is regularly cleaned.Here are some takeaways from AP’s reporting:Camp averaged nearly one 911 call per day for monthsAfter its opening in mid-August, staff at the camp made nearly one 911 call per day in its first five months of operat

People love to hate changing clocks twice a year, but can’t agree how to fix it

If they had to choose, most Americans say they would prefer to make daylight saving time permanent, rather than standard time.A dilemma for policymakersSince 2018, 19 states — including much of the South and a block of states in the northwestern U.S. — have adopted laws calling for a move to permanent daylight saving time.There’s a catch: Congress would need to pass a law to allow states to go to full-time daylight saving time, something that was in place nationwide during World War II and for a

Celebration of life for Jesse Jackson to draw former presidents and Grammy-winning artists

<block>CHICAGO (AP) — Three former U.S. presidents, Grammy-winning artists, clergy and elected officials are expected to attend a Chicago celebration of life on Friday for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.The event honoring the protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate follows memorial services that drew large crowds in Chicago and South Carolina, where the civil rights leader was born.The Chicago celebration — at an influential Black church with a 10,000-seat arena — is anticipated to be the largest. Former Democratic U.S. presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, along with former Vice President Kamala Harris, plan to attend, according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the organization that Jackson founded. The musical lineup includes gospel singer BeBe Winans. “These homegoing services are welcome to all. Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, right wing, left wing because his life is broad enough to cover the full spectrum of what it means to be an American,” the civil rights leader’s son Jesse Jackson Jr. said last month. “Dad would have wanted us to have a great meeting to discuss our differences, to find ways of moving forward and moving together.”The elder Jackson died last month at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak. Family members say he continued coming into the office until last year and communicated through hand signals. His final public appearances included the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Jackson’s pursuits were countless, taking him to all corners of the globe: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues including voting rights, health care, job opportunities and education. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.Jackson’s services in Chicago and South Carolina drew civic leaders, school groups and everyday people who said they were touched by Jackson’s work, from scholarship programs to advocating for inmates. Several states flew flags at half-staff in his honor.Services in Washington, D.C., were tabled after a request to let Jackson lie in honor at the United States Capitol rotunda was denied by House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said precedent typically reserves the space for select officials, including former presidents. Details on a future event have not been made public. In his final months, Jackson received numerous visitors in Chicago, including the Clintons and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who also attended his memorial services in Chicago last week.“He has been the central mentor of my life,” Sharpton said. “The challenge for us that we’ve got to make sure that all he lived for was not in vain.”</block>

Demand for minerals to power technology could triple by 2030, UN political chief says

Ambassador Fu Cong told the council that as the global energy transition accelerates and technology including artificial intelligence advances, demand for critical minerals and other resources continues to rise. And he said imbalances in supply and demand are becoming increasingly pronounced “as the world enters a new period of turbulence and transformation.” He urged greater international cooperation to ensure a stable supply of resources and supply chains, “thereby supporting global econ

US aims to exhume and identify the remains of 88 Pearl Harbor dead buried as unknowns

military plans to exhume the remains of 88 sailors and Marines killed when the USS Arizona was bombed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and who were buried as unknowns in a Honolulu cemetery.It’s part of an effort to use advances in DNA technology to attach names to those the military was unable to identify after the aerial assault 85 years ago. The disinterments from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific are due to begin in November or December, Kelly McKeague, the director of