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‘We’re in this human experiment’: UW researchers study effects of coronavirus social isolation


The study will add a "real-time" element to what UW researchers already know about social isolation, loneliness and their related health risks.




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More than 250 people in Washington hospitalized last week with coronavirus symptoms; state data shows upward trend


Hospital admissions tracked by the state Department of Health offer a window into the pandemic's impact on the health care system. Right now, officials are not seeing a surge of patients, but worry one could still be coming.




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UW model says social distancing is starting to work — but still projects 1,400 coronavirus deaths in Washington state


Modeling from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) forecasts that hospitalizations will generally peak in mid-April, with 64,000 more patients than licensed beds nationwide.




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Washington young adults are getting slammed financially by coronavirus crisis, new survey shows


Among those 18 to 29 years old, more than one out of three say that they have, or someone in their household has, lost a job or been laid off because of the coronavirus outbreak. And nearly half have taken a pay cut or had their hours reduced.




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King County has big racial disparities in coronavirus cases and deaths, according to public-health data


Hispanic people in King County are dying from COVID-19 at much higher rates than white people, according to a new study. The insight into the coronavirus’ uneven impact in King County comes into focus as people of color represent an increasing percentage of the county's COVID-19 cases. 




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Seattle residents will continue social distancing long after coronavirus stay-at-home order is lifted, survey shows


When asked what changes they anticipate making for the next year or longer after the lockdown is lifted, a majority of Seattle residents say they will continue to avoid social gatherings and physical contact — in other words, people.




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Coronavirus unemployment: Bartenders, dental assistants top list of Washington’s hardest-hit jobs


About 14,800 initial unemployment claims by bartenders were filed from March 8 through April 25, which closely matches the number of people estimated to work as bartenders in Washington in the second quarter of 2020.




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Sideline Chatter: 49ers also managed to get nearly full Subway punch card under salary cap


Hey, 49ers, did you remember to check under the couch cushions, too? Broc Rutter, the QB from North Carolina Central, got only a $279 signing bonus from San Francisco because that’s all the Niners had left after depleting their bonus pool for undrafted rookies. Gotta be the shoes Spotted in Lady Gaga’s bizarre shoe collection: […]




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The Korean Baseball Organization is back from the coronavirus shutdown. Is this what Mariners games will look like?


The quality of the games, which include a handful of former big-league players, isn’t great. But it’s real, live baseball being broadcast by ESPN. Beyond the joy of watching baseball, these games provide a glimpse of what Mariners games and other MLB matchups might look like if/when they return.




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Women’s soccer players ask for equal pay appeal, trial delay


American women’s soccer players want to delay a trial until after an appellate court reviews last week’s decision to throw out their claim of unequal pay while allowing allegations of discriminatory work conditions to move forward. Lawyers for the women filed a motion Friday night asking U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner in Los Angeles […]




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Emmert: Unlikely all schools will start seasons at same time


NCAA President Mark Emmert says the coronavirus is making it unlikely all schools will be ready to begin competing in college sports at the same time. The goal, he said Friday night, is for every team to have an equal amount of preparation time before its season starts, and there could be some competitive inequities […]




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Falcons’ Allen says idea of practice is ‘nerve-racking’


ATLANTA (AP) — Ricardo Allen didn’t budge when Georgia was one of the first states to open businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta Falcons safety believes it is smart to stay home. He says he worries about the time when teams across the league open for practice. Restaurants, barber shops and other businesses were […]




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Harlem figure skating gala pivots from ice to internet


Unable to stage its big fundraiser because of the pandemic, Figure Skating in Harlem is going from the ice to the internet. The Figure Skating in Harlem Champions in Life Virtual Gala will be held May 14 and will feature Olympic champions Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi and Meryl Davis. The 23-year-old group is the only […]




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Analysis: Tennis pros’ US return amid pandemic no true model


The four players sure seemed thrilled to be playing some tennis with some prize money (amount undisclosed) at stake amid the coronavirus pandemic — even if the court was near the backyard swimming pool at someone’s mansion and there were zero ATP rankings points on the line, zero locker rooms, zero spectators, zero ball kids […]




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Crash Course: Steelers rookies adapting to “virtual” path


PITTSBURGH (AP) — This isn’t quite the way Anthony McFarland expected his NFL career to begin. Then again, the rookie running back knows he’s not the only one whose first taste of the pros is coming via conference calls with members of the coaching staff followed by self-administered tests in a nearby park to see […]




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Democrats Challenge Trump’s Pick to Oversee Pandemic Funds


(Bloomberg) — Senate Democrats challenged a vow of “fairness and impartiality” by Brian Miller, President Donald Trump’s nominee to oversee trillions of dollars being spent in the effort to rescue the economy from the coronavirus pandemic. “President Trump has shown outright hostility to anyone who has tried to hold him accountable to the American people,” […]




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Coronavirus Economy daily chart: Health sectors register most first-time unemployment claims


This series of charts provides weekly data on how the Seattle-area economy is doing during the coronavirus crisis.




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Unofficial numbers show $7 billion hit to Washington state revenue through 2023 from coronavirus downturn


In the unofficial forecast numbers, Washington would lose $3.8 billion in revenue this current budget cycle. An additional $3.27 billion would be sheared off the 2021-23 budget cycle.




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Small businesses cut jobs while waiting for government loans


NEW YORK (AP) — While thousands of small businesses waited for coronavirus relief money to arrive, they were shutting down and laying off workers. Two reports issued this week shed light on the crisis that business owners have been struggling through since the coronavirus hit. On Wednesday, payroll provider ADP said its small business customers […]




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Life in a pandemic: job cuts, Peloton sales, homemade bread


The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Wednesday related to central governments, the work place and the spread of the virus. ________________________ JOB LOSSES: The pandemic jolted the global economy and millions of jobs have been lost. Those cuts continue daily. — A […]




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SBA slashes disaster-loan cap to $150,000 from $2 million, shuts out nearly all new applicants


After initially telling businesses that individual disaster loans could be as high as $2 million, the Small Business Administration has now imposed a $150,000 limit without publicly announcing the change, people familiar with the situation said.




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Proposal to tax big businesses will be shelved by Seattle City Council during coronavirus emergency


The decision by Council President M. Lorena González and Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda will stall the big-business tax championed by Councilmembers Kshama Sawant and Tammy Morales, which already faced opposition from Mayor Jenny Durkan.




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Coronavirus unemployment: Bartenders, dental assistants top list of Washington’s hardest-hit jobs


About 14,800 initial unemployment claims by bartenders were filed from March 8 through April 25, which closely matches the number of people estimated to work as bartenders in Washington in the second quarter of 2020.




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Small businesses band together to sue insurers over coronavirus damage


In many cases, the response from insurers has been: We don't cover viruses.




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Advertising adjusts for a new reality: sweatpants for staying home and toilet paper that cares


On the TV, a bearded man sits alone in an empty white room. He’s dressed like a military officer in a campy musical and is holding a giant bowl of popcorn that he touches only after using hand sanitizer. It’s a 15-second advertisement starring Captain Obvious, the spokesman for Hotels.com, urging everyone to keep their […]




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NFL renews Thursday night streaming deal with Amazon


Amazon Prime Video and Twitch also will have exclusive streaming rights to one additional regular-season game in 2020.




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Anderson Cooper is a father; gives infant son a special name


NEW YORK (AP) — Anderson Cooper is a father, a milestone the CNN anchor says for a while he didn’t believe would ever happen. Cooper announced the birth of his son, Wyatt, Thursday evening on his show and in a lengthy Instagram post. His son was born on Monday via a surrogate, the newsman said, […]




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Sunday Best: Finally, some relief in the form of parasols and bonnets from ‘Belgravia’


These costumes, from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes’ new EPIX miniseries “Belgravia,” are made by their details — and are the perfect relief, in photo form, for the day/week/month/year’s stresses.




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What’s in the water in Maple Valley? ‘The Voice’ contestant Zan Fiskum follows in musical footsteps of Brandi Carlile and Benicio Bryant


When Maple Valley's Zan Fiskum appears on “The Voice” Monday night, she'll be continuing a growing tradition started by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, and continued by wunderkind musician Benicio Bryant.




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Tom Hanks, who survived COVID-19, calls graduates ‘the chosen’


DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Tom Hanks says graduates of an Ohio university that named a film center after him are “the chosen ones.” The Oscar-winning actor delivered a surprise virtual speech Saturday to the graduates of Wright State University’s Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures. The video was posted shortly before the ceremony began. […]




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Maple Valley’s Zan Fiskum picked by judge John Legend to move to next round of ‘The Voice’


Fiskum destroyed an updated, slow-fast version of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” on the NBC singing competition show on Monday night.




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TV broadcaster Sinclair fined $48 million over Tribune deal


The federal government has fined Sinclair Broadcasting Corp. $48 million, largely because of actions the TV broadcaster took in its failed attempt to acquire smaller rival Tribune Media. Sinclair in 2017 proposed a $3.9 billion deal for Tribune’s TV stations, attempting to extend its reach into new markets. The deal fell apart that August, and […]




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Twitch is developing talk shows and dating programs for gamers


Twitch, the online video site popular among gamers, is looking for its version of “The Bachelor.” The company plans to fund a slate of original, unscripted series that would be live and interactive, airing two to three times a week, according to an internal document seen by Bloomberg. Its preferred genres are game shows, dating […]




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U District, Ballard farmers markets will reopen this weekend despite coronavirus


The markets, which had been closed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, will open with new rules.




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As coronavirus cases in Yakima Valley agriculture spike, advocates for growers and workers react differently to new state guidelines


Yakima County health officials said they have identified 70 COVID-19 cases among farm and fruit-packing workers. Growers consider new state safety guidelines reasonable but unions say they give employers an easy out.




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Inslee: Washington state parks, recreational fishing, golf courses to reopen May 5, amid coronavirus outbreak


Gov. Inslee announced Monday that golf and recreational fishing could resume on May 5 and many state parks and public lands will reopen as well.




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Trump declares meat supply ‘critical,’ aiming to reopen plants


While companies have been drawing on stockpiles of meat in cold storage, they have warned that supplies to supermarkets could soon dwindle as plants remain closed amid illnesses. Pressure has been mounting on the Trump administration to take action.




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In french fry heartland, spring turns bitter as coronavirus cuts into global demand


As global demand for french fries has slumped, potato farmers in Washington state are trying to figure out what to do with millions of pounds of tubers and avoid financial disaster.




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You can still get Pike Place Market flowers for Mother’s Day, thanks to the Drive-Thru Flower Festival


Twenty of the farmers who sell at Pike Place Market are participating in Saturday's event, with pickup sites in Seattle and Renton.




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In Japan, the ‘murder hornet’ is both a lethal threat and a tasty treat


In the mountains of rural Japan, “murder hornets” are known for more than their aggression and excruciating sting. They are seen as a pleasant snack and an invigorating ingredient in drinks.




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As 49ers and Cardinals impress in NFL draft, Seahawks’ road to NFC West title gets tougher


It wasn't going to be easy for the Seahawks. The NFC West was already considered the toughest in the NFL in terms of balance and strength. And Thursday's NFL first round made winning a division title just a little more difficult for Seattle.




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NFC West roundup from Day 2 of the draft: Cardinals and Rams improve, while 49ers watch from the sidelines


Here's a look at how Day 2 of the NFL draft shook out for the rest of the NFC West.




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Get to know Alton Robinson, the Seahawks’ fifth-round NFL draft pick from Syracuse


After trading up to take Darrell Taylor of Tennessee in the second round, the Seahawks added another defensive end with their fifth-round pick of defensive end Alton Robinson.




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Kyle Russell is Washington’s top prep baseball player, but MLB draft may not be an option due to coronavirus shutdown


As one of the Northwest's top high-school players, he’s accepted a scholarship to play for Washington State. But under a normal circumstances, Russell and his family would be weighing another option more closely — the 2020 Major League Baseball amateur draft.




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Mariners mailbag: Not a fastball, but guessing baseball returns on July 1


Money will be the motivation to return but if anyone tells you they know what's going to happen or when the season will start, they are just guessing. Flexibility remains the best option for Major League Baseball right now.




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MLB reportedly is finalizing proposal to start season in early July after coronavirus shutdown


Major League Baseball is reportedly considering a plan of restarting spring training in early June with the season starting in early July.




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The Korean Baseball Organization is back from the coronavirus shutdown. Is this what Mariners games will look like?


The quality of the games, which include a handful of former big-league players, isn’t great. But it’s real, live baseball being broadcast by ESPN. Beyond the joy of watching baseball, these games provide a glimpse of what Mariners games and other MLB matchups might look like if/when they return.




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‘I feel so much faster this year’: High-school seniors hoping coronavirus doesn’t take their final shot at glory


The WIAA hasn't canceled the spring postseason, but if schools remain shut down there will be no state tournaments.




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All-State Basketball: Mount Si’s Jabe Mullins, Cashmere’s Hailey Van Lith named top players by Associated Press


Garfield sweeps the Class 3A state players of the year with Tari Eason and Meghan Fiso.




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Stanford withdraws scholarship for four-star Eastside Catholic football recruit Ayden Hector after seeking police records


The withdrawal came after the school sought details about his involvement in a months-long police investigation two years ago.