Samina Hameed, 59, died Thursday from complications due to COVID-19, the first Metro driver who is known to have died after contracting the illness.

The “temporary optimal/ideal” passenger limits are 12 riders on a 40-foot bus and 18 on a 60-foot bus, according to a bulletin to drivers from Metro.

Lyft is laying off 17% of its staff, the company announced Wednesday, after the coronavirus crisis wrought havoc on the ride-hailing business and cut substantially into its revenue. The layoffs will amount to nearly 1,000 jobs. In an email to the company’s thousands of employees, chief executive Logan Green announced the “difficult news,” including the […]

The closures include streets in Lake City beginning Friday and in Aurora-Licton Springs, Ballard and Delridge/Highland Park.

The couple, who were married for 23 years, are among the hundreds of people in Washington state who have died after testing positive for coronavirus.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican-controlled legislatures are increasingly trying to strip Democratic governors of their executive authority to close businesses and schools, a power grab by lawmakers that channels frustration over the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic but could come with long-term consequences for how their states fight disease. The efforts to undermine Democratic […]

While this year’s Mother’s Day weekend promises warm weather, Seattle officials are restricting hours in city parks out of fears that large crowds hoping to enjoy the sun could further spread the novel coronavirus. A recent report shows the COVID-19 transmission rate in Western Washington may be steadily increasing, suggesting that the number of virus cases […]

PICURIS PUEBLO, N.M. (AP) — On a dusty plaza in a Native American village that dates back nearly a millennium, a steady trickle of vehicles inched through a pop-up coronavirus testing site. From the bed of a pickup truck and backseats of cars, wide-eyed children stared from behind hand-sewn masks and then sobbed as testing […]

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) — Mother’s Day weekend got off to an unseasonably snowy start in the Northeast on Saturday thanks to the polar vortex bringing cold air down from the north. Some higher elevation areas in northern New York and New England reported snowfall accumulations of up to 10 inches, while traces of snow […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Andre Harrell, the Uptown Records founder who shaped the sound of hip-hop and R&B in the late ’80s and ’90s with acts such as Mary J. Blige and Heavy D and also launched the career of mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, has died. He was 59. Diddy’s REVOLT company confirmed the death […]

U.S. regulators have approved a new type of coronavirus test that administration officials have promoted as a key to opening up the country. The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday announced emergency authorization for antigen tests developed by Quidel Corp. of San Diego. The test can rapidly detect fragments of virus proteins in samples collected […]

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 […]

With closures in meat processing plants across the country because of the spread of the coronavirus among workers, food analysts are forecasting shortages of beef, pork and poultry on store shelves. Here's a Q&A on what is happening to the food supply chain.

In the U.S., Starbucks has temporarily closed half its 8,000 company-owned stores. It's planning to reopen 90% of those with modifications by early June.

Costco will require shoppers to wear masks that cover their mouth and nose while in the store starting Monday, the company says.

The company’s first-quarter earnings report will provide a view of how the pandemic has accelerated trends already working in its favor, and the extent to which coronavirus restrictions on businesses and consumers have boosted Amazon’s sales.

The onset of the coronavirus and the subsequent classification of many of these workers as "essential" have heightened some existing tensions. Workers have accused companies of being slow to provide protective gear and implement precautions, something that may put them in danger.

When the crafts market at Pike Place Market was forced to temporarily shut down, vendors are turning to online sales and getting help in doing that from their fellow workers.

Amazon-owned Whole Foods will provide grocery shoppers with free single-use masks at all its stores beginning this week, in keeping with the chain's "request" that all shoppers wear masks.

J. Crew announced that its parent company, Chinos Holdings, had filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Before the pandemic, many brands and wholesalers kept Amazon at arm's length. Now, consultants that help brands navigate Amazon's marketplace say the company is attracting a broad range of vendors that sold at physical stores.

The Seattle-based company also said Wednesday it will make changes to how its stores function when they do open in a “market-by-market” approach.

Since health officials began recommending (but not requiring) that everyone cover their faces in public to reduce the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a new divide has emerged over who wears a mask and who doesn't.

Neiman Marcus Group, the 113-year-old chain known for its high-end department stores, filed for bankruptcy on Thursday, making it the second major retailer to do so during the coronavirus pandemic. The Dallas-based retailer has struggled to pay down nearly $5 billion in debt, much of it from leveraged buyouts in 2005 and 2013. The pandemic […]

The most popular online grocery category was packaged foods such as breakfast cereal and pasta; followed by toiletries, personal care products and diapers; household cleaners and paper products; and frozen food.

Kroger-owned QFC and Fred Meyer will discontinue their $2-an-hour "Hero Bonus'' premiums paid to workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Ohio-based Kroger has set May 16 as the program's final date while other large grocery retailers ponder the future of similar bonuses.

Produce selection is geared toward each chef’s menu offerings.

The Pacific Bonsai Museum did not provide a dollar value for the trees, but called one "truly irreplaceable" and said both were at risk of damage or death if not returned to the museum's care.

Companies struggle to meet surging demand, especially for vegetables. “It feels like we are selling toilet paper,” said the founder of a seed company.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, many local plant nurseries say there’s been a run on seeds as people all over Seattle take to gardening to grow food and provide solace during an uncertain time.

Zenith Holland Nursery has seen times like this before — and survived. The Des Moines nursery opened in 1907, survived two world wars and remains open during the coronavirus shutdown.

NEW YORK (AP) — They are briny and sweet — once you get past those formidable spines. Biting into one has been likened to kissing a mermaid. Now they are ready for their close-up. Sea urchins — which contain the prized meat the Japanese call uni — are the subject of a new documentary “The […]

NEW YORK (AP) — They are briny and sweet — once you get past those formidable spines. Biting into one has been likened to kissing a mermaid. Now they are ready for their close-up. Sea urchins — which contain the prized meat the Japanese call uni — are the subject of a new documentary “The […]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tribeca is taking audiences back to the drive-in this summer. Tribeca Enterprises, IMAX and AT&T said Wednesday that they are partnering to launch “Tribeca Drive-In,” a summer programming series of new and classic films, music and sporting events. It’ll take place in drive-in theaters and “other exclusive venues” nationwide starting on […]

As Mother’s Day approaches, staff writer Megan Burbank thanks her mother for instilling in her a love for screwball heroines, old movies and strong female role models.

Those businesses are part of phase two in the four-phase gradual reopening plan released Friday by Gov. Jay Inslee.

The city council, however, rejected a proposal to exempt landlords with four or fewer housing units.

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.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim Gov. Inslee has not adequately considered targeted measures to protect that population, while allowing others to return to work and school.

Tribes operate their facilities on their lands, where they retain decision-making authority -- despite Gov. Jay Inslee's stay-home order, in place until the end of May.

Amid a national frenzy to buy medical supplies for use in the COVID-19 outbreak, Washington state suspended competitive bidding and recruited help from the private sector. Gov. Inslee connected personal contacts with state buyers.

Since health officials began recommending (but not requiring) that everyone cover their faces in public to reduce the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a new divide has emerged over who wears a mask and who doesn't.

Brown said that on May 15 she will loosen restrictions statewide on day cares and on retail shops that were previously closed, including furniture stores, boutiques, jewelry stores and art galleries.

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.

Along with a 2018 ruling by the court that the city had reached full compliance with a 2012 consent decree, the request would dissolve virtually all remaining oversight of the police department regarding its use of force and other issues.

Gov. Jay Inslee this week continued lifting restrictions included in his stay-home order meant to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, part of phase one in his four-phase plan to reopen the state. Some outdoor recreation opened earlier this week.

Phase two is expected to begin for most areas on June 1, provided public-health data still looks favorable.

Inslee's stay-home order, initially issued in March, bans church and religious services, but permits one-on-one "religious counseling," state lawyers argued.

In the middle of a pandemic, the subject of the public's health never came up during a 90-minute GOP candidates for governor forum. It's like a metaphor for the alternate realities of our politics — and also why the GOP may be in more trouble than usual in the local elections this year.

As Washington grapples with a tsunami of legitimate unemployment claims — more than 100,000 last week — the state also is seeing a rise in attempts by fraudsters to siphon off a portion of the benefits.