KIRO Newsradio spoke with several key members of Seattle’s professional women’s basketball team at the team’s new 50,000 square-foot practice facility and headquarters in Interbay, where photos of Storm legend — and newly minted member of the ownership team — Sue Bird, loom large.

New to the team is Nika Muhl.

“I love Seattle,” Mulh said.

The native of Croatia is coming off an exciting NCAA women’s basketball season with the University of Connecticut Huskies. She was the Storm’s first draft pick this season.

“These women that I’m surrounded with are legends,” Muhl said, looking at the Storm’s practice court. “They’re amazing. They’re just inspiring to me, personally.”

Commonalities between Nika Muhl and legend Sue Bird

There are bound to be some comparisons between Muhl and Bird. Both are point guards. While the Storm retired Sue Bird’s #10 jersey number, Muhl wore #10 in college.

But Muhl said that doesn’t necessarily add to the pressure of her rookie year.

“It’s more like a humbling thing,” she said.

“All these little similarities that we have. It’s definitely a cool thing,” she added, gesturing to a photo of Bird. “It’s just a constant reminder of how hard I have to work.”

More on the team: Storm announce the return of Sue Bird 

For Muhl and others who are new to the team, there are plenty of established “greats” on the court to learn from.

“Amazing players,” said Muhl. “I’m just trying to learn from them as much as I can, you know, take everything in and be a sponge.”

One of those veterans is Jewell Loyd. The point and shooting guard was drafted by the Storm in 2015.

“We’ve been building this season and I’ve been here the longest. I’m definitely a veteran on this team, so my job is to come in and do my job and lead when I need to lead and have fun,” Loyd said.

When asked how she helps new players adjust to the team, Loyd was matter of fact.

“At the end of the day it’s just basketball,” she said, indicating that every player is here because the team saw potential in them. “No added pressure. Just come in here. Learn. Be a sponge and do what you do.”

What will the Seattle Storm bring to this season?

As for what it’ll take to get this team into the playoffs, “I think people are still trying to figure that out. You know, every year it changes. We’ve obviously won championships here. We’ve had different dynamics with different teams, but every team has a different journey,” Loyd said.

Storm Head Coach Noelle Quinn commented about her role in helping create a championship-caliber team

“A lot of things, come into play,” Quinn said. “Instilling confidence in our players is putting them in positions where they can be successful on the floor. It is coaching them and guiding them to play the way that I’ve envisioned them playing. It takes time.”

As this team works to find its winning rhythm, they are aware that perhaps more eyes — than ever — are on them, because of the surge in popularity of women’s basketball. But to them, it’s not daunting. In fact, it’s long overdue.

“Finally! No, it was not a surprise to me,” Muhl said. “We’ve got to give our flowers to all our vets and the people (who came) before us because, without them, women’s basketball wouldn’t have the opportunity to go even further.”

More sports: UW star basketball player is living her dream, looking toward the future

Loyd shared the same sentiment.

“It’s about time,” Loyd said. “Women’s sports have been, obviously, growing and we’ve been asking for attention for a long time and now it’s here. Now it’s our job to produce and keep doing what we’re doing.”

Quinn agreed.

“I love that we are in a time that eyes are one women’s basketball. The time is now, the time is tomorrow — in the future as well,” Quinn said. “I’m proud to be a part of this movement.”

The WNBA Storm welcome the Indiana Fever — and Caitlin Clark — to Seattle on Wednesday, May 22.

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Reports about the bear had been coming into the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) for several days. It was most recently spotted in Titlow Park, south of Point Defiance Park, and near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge along the water. A KIRO 7 viewer sent in a photo of the young black bear.

“In this case, we did not immediately set out to try to capture this bear,” WDFW spokesperson Jennifer Becar said. “Our hope is that it would move out of the area on its own.”

But it didn’t. Instead, it ended up in a tree in the backyard of a home in Lakewood.

That’s where WDFW workers used a tranquilizer to capture him. The bear was put into a cage-like contraption called a culvert trap.

“They’ll hitch that to a truck and then the whole rig will drive out to the mountains — open up the door, and out goes the bear,” Becar said.

Video of bears in Seattle: Flock of ducks become accidental afternoon meal for Woodland Park Zoo bears

She added it’s not uncommon for young bears to wander, sometimes into urban areas, in the spring.

“This time of year these young adults are often last year’s offspring that are now at an age where they’re ready to take off and find their own place in the world and sometimes that ends up with them taking a wrong turn and they end up in Lakewood,” Becar said.

Becar said the bear has been tagged, so they’ll know if he comes back to town.

She said it’s easier to relocate bears if they don’t get use to hanging around in people’s backyards, looking for easy food.

“Things like our garbage cans, our pet food, our bird feeders — all of that is very tasty and very attractive to a black bear,” she said.

More on bears in the state: Grizzly bears to return to Washington despite opposition

WDFW doesn’t think this bear had time to become too accustomed to being around people, so they’re hopeful he’ll stay put in the North Cascades.

There were no negative encounters with people, according to KIRO 7.

Contributing: Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest; KIRO 7

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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KIRO Newsradio’s Heather Bosch spoke with key people involved in Seattle Opera’s production of “The Barber of Seville.”

The conductor of the show, Valentina Peleggi, said the music of fellow Italian Gioachino Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” is so infectious and catchy that she anticipates it even as she approaches the podium.

“Before I even raise the baton and go for that downbeat, I feel — everybody feels in the orchestra — this tension (that) something is going to happen,” she said.

Peleggi compared the pulsing energy of the music to bubbling wine, “that really drives the drama but also drives your heartbeat.”

Valentina Peleggi conducts the Seattle Symphony in for “The Barber of Seville” at Seattle Opera. (Photo: Sunny Martini via Seattle Opera)

That driving rhythm is not just coming from the orchestra pit. Mezzo-soprano Megan Moore plays the part of Rosina.

“Yes, there’s a lot of coloratura — a lot of really, really fast notes — and it’s going to amaze people to hear, especially if it’s their first time really hearing opera singing. It’s like vocal gymnastics,” Moore said.

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She said it’s also a physically demanding performance.

“Not only are we giving you the vocal fireworks, but we’re giving you the physical fireworks. We are running around, jumping around, rolling around on the floor. It is so tiring in the best way,” Moore said.

“It’s a very physical production,” Director Lindy Hume said. “It’s a very interesting juggling act, this one.”

He pointed out it involves much more than telling performers where to stand.

“No, it’s about bringing the story to life,” she said.

The story is a comedy. In fact, Hume insists, “It is probably the greatest sitcom, ever.”

It comes complete with a familiar rom-com plot.

“It’s a timeless story of young people and love winning out, over all obstacles and over the older people who would try to stop young people from being young people,” she said.

Duke Kim as Count Almaviva and Megan Moore as Rosina in “The Barber of Seville” at Seattle Opera. (Photo: Sunny Martini via Seattle Opera)

Helping the love-struck Rosina and her young suitor get together is the enterprising barber Figaro, whose antics — during a shave and a haircut — always draw laughs.

“Comedy does not age well, normally, but some of these jokes, these visual jokes and musical jokes, are still really sweet,” she said. “If you get them right, you feel like you’ve really achieved some kind of weird time travel situation.”

“It’s just pure joy,” Moore shared.

Weekend revelry roundup: Sunshine, flowers, Mother’s Day awaits

Charm, humor and infectious music have kept the century-old opera popular with audiences and performers.

“I think it’s a joy and an honor for us as creators to invite the audience to just escape from their lives and just enjoy this beautiful, fun, funny, hilarious, heartwarming — and very human, as well — story,” Moore said.

Peleggi shared a silimar sentiment.

“You know music, in the end, is connection,” Peleggi said. “All the souls on the stage, off stage. It’s a big embrace. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to share it.”

“The Barber of Seville” runs through May 18 at McCaw Hall.

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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“Couldn’t find the mom anywhere. They ended up finding out that the mom had been hit by a car and was deceased,” Federal Way Police Commander, Kyle Buchanan, told KIRO Newsradio.

A kitten recently rescued by Federal Way police officers is seen in a blanket. (Photo courtesy of the Federal Way Police Department)

“And so we scooped up the cats and ended up taking them down to the Tacoma Humane Society,” he said.

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Buchanan said it’s not a typical call, but they were happy to get involved.

“We’re always trying to help people out … we’re also here to help out every BEING that needs the help,” he added.

The four tiny kittens will stay at the Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County until they’re ready to be adopted.

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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“DOJ has told the victim families and their lawyers that we will be the first to know their decision,” Attorney Mark Lindquist, who represents dozens of families of the 346 people who died in two MAX-8 crashes five years ago, said.

At the time, the DOJ began a criminal probe into Boeing but paused — or deferred it — after the company paid $2.5 billion and agreed to improve quality and safety.

“Now the question is whether or not the ongoing problems at Boeing including the door plug blowout on the Alaska Airlines MAX-9 flight, recently, constitute a violation of the terms of the deferred prosecution,” he said.

Lindquist said it’s clear the federal government is concerned about that door plug blowout, in January. He also represents passengers on that flight.

More on the company: FAA investigating after Boeing says workers falsified inspection records

“In a highly unusual move, the FBI reached out to all the passengers on the MAX-9 blowout and told them you may be the victim of a crime,” he said.

If the DOJ wants to move ahead with a criminal prosecution, and a judge agrees Boeing violated its earlier agreement, “then this will be a fresh, full-blown prosecution with all the old evidence from the MAX-8 crashes and likely new evidence from incidents such as the MAX-9 door plug blow out,” Lindquist said.

Many of the families of the deadly MAX crash victims have sued Boeing in civil court but Lindquist said they want to see Boeing tried in criminal court.

“Right now, a lot of the victim families feel like there has not yet been justice or full accountability or the necessary changes at Boeing. Victim families not only want justice and accountability, they want these problems fixed so they don’t happen again,” he shared.

Since the door plug blowout and testimony — before Congress — from Boeing whistleblowers about safety concerns, the company has insisted it is taking steps to improve quality.

KIRO Newsradio has reached out to Boeing for comment, specifically, on the DOJ investigation.

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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Boeing actually brought this to the FAA’s attention last month after, according to a letter from Boeing 787 chief Scott Stocker, an employee told Boeing managers that some workers were skipping the required inspections, most notably the completed requirements to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes.

Stocker wrote in a statement that after receiving the report, they reviewed it and learned that “several people had been violating company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed.”

As you all know, we have zero tolerance for not following processes designed to ensure quality and safety. We promptly informed our regulator about what we learned and are taking swift and serious corrective action with multiple teammates.

Similar news: Boeing locks out private firefighters in Seattle over pay dispute with strike looming

The FAA said Boeing is reinspecting all 787s that are still in its production system and coming up with a plan to fix its inspection process.

Stocker’s statement said the company’s engineering team has assessed that “this misconduct did not create an immediate safety of flight issue.”

However, the federal agency concluded its statement by saying it will take “any necessary action – as always – to ensure the safety of the flying public.”

No planes have been taken out of service, but having to perform the test out of order on planes will slow the delivery of jets still being built at the final assembly plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.

The 787 is a two-aisle plane that debuted in 2011 and is used mostly for long international flights.

The company has been under intense pressure since a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leaving a gaping hole in the plane. The accident halted the progress that Boeing seemed to be making while recovering from two deadly crashes of Max jets in 2018 and 2019.

Contributing: Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest; The Associated Press

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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“We’ve had to become zebra experts in a short amount of time,” Cameron Satterfield of RASKC said.

Still, he’s confident they’ll catch the male zebra who escaped Sunday along with three female zebras when their owner adjusted their trailer.

“He has apparently returned at least near the area where the other three were captured,” Satterfield said.

All four were corralled in a horse pasture. Two mares and a filly returned to the trailer but the stallion jumped a fence.

Since then, “We have had a number — and I can’t even put a count on it — but a number of confirmed and unconfirmed sightings in the last 24 to 48 hours,” Satterfield noted.

Exclusive photo: New image of missing zebra eluding capture from authorities days later

Don’t play zebra vigilante

What would help animal control the most?

“If you see it, in real time, call 911 immediately,” Satterfield said.

That will allow animal control officers to try to get to the animal quickly.

He added that people shouldn’t go up to the animal and try to take matters into their own hands.

“We are definitely discouraging folks from approaching the zebra themselves or attempting to capture it on their own,” Satterfield explained.

He says that could endanger both well meaning individuals and the zebra.

Ring and cell phone video show that, so far, the zebra is surviving OK in the wooded areas in and around North Bend.

“It looks like he’s still in good shape,” he said. “In fact, in one of them I saw it looked like he was just eating some grass out in a field, somewhere,”

But Ring video showing a cougar using the same trail that the zebra has been spotted on is raising concerns.

“Obviously,” he says, “We’re talking the foothills of the Cascades. There are predators, out there, right?”

Uh oh! Cougar spotted on same trail as missing zebra wandering North Bend

How you can help

If you see the missing zebra, call 911.

You can email photos or video that might help locate the zebra at RASKCMedia@kingcounty.gov. The general phone number for RASKC is 206-296-7387.

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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As the character El Gallo, Sharon sings one of the most recognizable songs, “Try to Remember.” His buttery baritone notes urge the audience to remember the innocent days of their youth.

Sharon said it’s a surprisingly profound piece.

“The lyric that really pops for me is: without a hurt the heart is hollow,” he said. “It’s really those moments that we grow and we learn more about what it means to be human in all of its forms.”

More from Heather Bosch: Storm announce the return of Sue Bird

Head here or click on the player below to find out how he has grown through family health emergencies, pandemic theater shutdowns and his pivotal decision to become an artist.

Readers can find out just how long he’s known me as well. (Hint: We met when we were both sopranos).

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, First Nation members in a small inflatable boat used sea lion meat to lure the young Bigg’s whale into the lagoon outlet Thursday.

The calf, named Brave Little Hunter, remained at the entrance of the lagoon throughout the evening.

The Fisheries Department and a Marine Mammal Rescue team monitored the young whale to ensure she wouldn’t become stranded during low tide.

Her mother became stuck on a sandbar last month. The young whale stayed in the lagoon, either unable – or unwilling – to cross the sandbar where her mother died.

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Very early Friday morning, the calf left the lagoon.

She was spotted in Espinosa Inlet, moving towards Esperanza Inlet proper.

A team is now working to encourage the calf to head towards the open ocean where they are monitoring the location of her family in the hopes of reuniting them.

During the afternoon of April 25, members of Nuchatlaht First Nation and Ehattesaht First Nation were able to entice the calf, kʷiisaḥiʔis (Brave Little Hunter), to the lagoon outlet using a small inflatable vessel and sea lion meat.

The animal stayed at the entrance of the lagoon throughout the evening. The Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Marine Mammal Rescue team monitored the animal to ensure it did not become stranded during an upcoming low tide.

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On Friday, April 26, at 2:30 a.m. PST, during high tide, kʷiisaḥiʔis left the lagoon. As of 7:18 a.m. PST, the calf was found in Espinosa Inlet, moving towards Esperanza Inlet proper. The team is now working to encourage kʷiisaḥiʔis to move towards open ocean water.

DFO will work with First Nations, whale watchers, researchers and boaters to monitor the location of Bigg’s (Transient) killer whales. The team will also monitor the calf’s location while she seeks out her family.

This rescue operation could not have been possible without the strong collaboration between Ehattesaht First Nation, Nuchatlaht First Nation, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society, Bay Cetology, the Community of Zeballos and others.

The public is reminded that disturbance to marine mammals is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Regulations. Please keep 400m away from killer whales in southern BC waters and 200m away in all other parts of Pacific Canadian waters. For more information, please visit: Watching marine wildlife (dfo-mpo.gc.ca).

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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That’s the decision from the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Their plan — which has no start date, yet — is to reintroduce three to seven grizzlies into the region, every year, until there’s at least a consistent population of 25 bears.

More on the strategy: Grizzly bears could soon roam Washington forests in controversial plan

The bears would be brought in from the Rocky Mountains or interior British Columbia.

The agencies are hopeful the North Cascades grizzly population will increase to 200 bears within 60 to 100 years.

The bears are expected to be fitted with GPS collars and monitored. Grizzlies that threaten humans can be relocated or killed.

Still, there are concerns that the plan is dangerous. Washington Congressman Dan Newhouse calls it “outrageous” and “misguided.”

Newhouse said many of his constituents in central Washington have criticized the plan.

“Today’s announcement reinforces what we feared, no amount of local opposition was going to prevent these federal bureaucrats from doing what they wanted all along,” Newhouse said in a statement.

But the park and wildlife agencies said grizzlies historically roamed the North Cascades until habitat loss and direct killing by trappers, miners and hunters removed most of the population from the North Cascades by the 1860’s.

More from Heather Bosch: Storm announce the return of Sue Bird

Reintroducing grizzly bears, they said, would contribute to the biodiversity of the region, and help the species’ overall recovery.

“Grizzly bears occupied the North Cascades for thousands of years as an essential part of the ecosystem, distributing native plant seeds and keeping other wildlife populations in balance,” the National Park Service wrote on its website.

The bears are on the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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The team’s ownership group, Force 10 Hoops, made the announcement on the Storm’s website.

Bird played 19 seasons – her entire professional career — with the Storm. The point guard amassed an impressive resume that includes four WNBA championships, 13 All-Star Game appearances, and five Olympic gold medals.

A fan favorite, the packed crowd at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle chanted “Thank you, Sue” at her final career game in September 2022.

Related news: Seattle Storm unveil new Interbay practice facility, alternative uniforms

“We are thrilled to welcome Sue into the ownership group after a storied career on the court,” Seattle Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel said in a statement. “Her knowledge of the game and the league, her ever-expanding business acumen, and her dedication to the Storm organization make her a superb addition to the ownership group.”

“As a player, I poured my heart into every game for the Seattle Storm, and now, as part of the ownership group, I am thrilled to continue contributing to the growth of the game,” Bird said. She added that investing in women’s sports is smart business.

The ownership group recently opened a $64 million practice facility in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood. It’s a massive upgrade for the franchise after spending more than a decade using a secondary court at Seattle Pacific University in the same area of Seattle as its primary practice facility during the season. It also brings together the basketball and business sides of the team operations under one roof.

Women’s basketball also is enjoying a boost in popularity. Almost 19 million people viewed the women’s recent NCAA basketball championship game where the South Carolina Gamecocks completed an undefeated season with a victory over Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes.

The storm will open the WNBA season at home Tuesday, May 14 against the Minnesota Lynx.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and repo.rter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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The engineers argued that the work needed to be reviewed under a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory. However, Boeing resisted, citing increased costs and potential delays. Despite the pushback, the analysis was eventually carried out.

Following the review, both engineers received identical negative evaluations during their performance reviews. One of the engineers has since left the company, while the SPEEA union has filed a National Labor Relations Board complaint on behalf of the other.

Whistleblower: Boeing involved in ‘criminal cover-up’

The case involves the Organization Delegation Authorization (ODA) process, which allows Boeing employees to certify the company’s work on behalf of the FAA. The two engineers, acting under ODA authority, insisted on using a different set of assumptions in the analysis of the on-board computer networks on Boeing 777s and 787s to comply with the new FAA guidance.

After nearly six months of debate, the engineers, backed by the FAA, prevailed, and Boeing re-did the required analysis.

One engineer filed a complaint which Boeing is required to respond to. SPEEA is currently seeking access to this report to appeal the remaining engineer’s negative performance review.

More on safety: Boeing put under Senate scrutiny during back-to-back hearings on aircraft maker’s safety culture

SPEEA Director of Strategic Development, Rich Plunkett, stated, “Whether it’s capital R ‘Retaliation’ or not, the fact remains that the two ODA-designated SPEEA members did the right thing and stuck to their guns despite heavy pressure from Boeing, and then got hit with career-damaging performance reviews. This helps show why Boeing doesn’t have a healthy safety culture.”

KIRO Newsradio has reached out to Boeing for comment. The case continues to unfold.

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

Contributing: Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

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The combined companies say they now plan to sell 579 stores across several states for $2.9 billion, letting go of the most in the state of Washington: 124. That’s 20 more stores than their previous merger plan which the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the state of Washington are suing to stop.

The company tapped to buy the stores is C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire-based company that includes the Piggly Wiggly Supermarkets chains as part of its portfolio.

Under the initial divestiture plan, announced in September, C&S had planned to purchase 413 stores for $1.9 billion.

Kroger, which would be the acquiring entity in the merger of the giant chains, would sell the Haggen banner. C&S would also license the Albertsons banner in California and Wyoming and the Safeway banner in Arizona and Colorado. C&S would also get access to some private-label brands in the stores. Under the proposal, C&S would keep all of the stores open and honor any labor agreements.

“We are confident this expanded divestiture package will provide the stores, supporting assets and expert operators needed to ensure these stores continue to successfully serve their communities for many generations to come,” C&S CEO Eric Winn said in a statement.

Ferguson has previously expressed fear about the merger

KIRO Newsradio has reached out to Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson to see if it’s a big enough move to allay his fears about the merger.

“If Kroger and Albertson’s merge, they will – simply put – dwarf the competition,” Ferguson said when he filed a lawsuit on behalf of the state in January. “Shoppers will have fewer choices and less competition, and that results in higher prices.”

Ferguson has claimed C&S is a small operation he predicts would be quickly overwhelmed by competition from the newly combined Kroger-Albertsons stores.

He compared it to when Albertsons merged with Safeway in 2015. Under a divestiture plan, they sold 146 stores to regional supermarket chain Haggen, which went bankrupt a year later.

The FTC also said the initial plan to divest 413 stores to C&S was “inadequate” and would give C&S a hodgepodge of unconnected stores and brands, leaving it ill-equipped to compete with a combined Kroger and Albertsons.

Kroger, Albertsons try to bolster their case

In a news release issued Monday, Kroger and Albertsons bolstered the case for C&S saying the companies’ divestiture package provides enough corporate and office infrastructure to ensure the company can operate the stores “competitively and cohesively.”

“Importantly,” the statement continued, “the updated divestiture plan continues to ensure no stores will close as a result of the merger and that all frontline associates will remain employed.”

Kroger and Albertsons first announced their proposed merger in October 2022. The companies have said they plan to close the deal in the first half of Kroger’s fiscal year.

Number of stores to be sold in the Kroger-C&S Wholesale plan

Contributing: The Associated Press; Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest

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That was just some of the explosive testimony Wednesday before a US Senate subcommittee investigating Boeing over quality and safety concerns.

Boeing has been under intense scrutiny since a door plug blew out of a 737-MAX-9 shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport January 5.

The door plug had been removed and reinstalled at the Renton plant. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board said four bolts holding the panel in place were missing.

The NTSB says Boeing has yet to provide documents about the repairs.

“Boeing has said there are no records documenting the removal of the Alaska Airline [plane’s] door,” former Boeing engineer Ed Pierson told the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Background story: Boeing CEO, president step down amid company turbulence

“I’m not going to sugarcoat this. This is a criminal cover-up,” Pierson said. Records do, in fact, exist. I know this because I’ve personally passed them to the FBI.”

Though the Alaska Airlines flight was able to safely land after the door plug blow out, Pierson blames the incident on the same safety problems that lead to two deadly MAX-8 crashes five years ago.

“I had previously warned the 737 general manager before the MAX crash to shut down the factory. I also warned Boeing’s general counsels, the CEO and the Board of Directors before the second crash to shut it down,” Pierson said.

A combined 346 people died in both crashes.

Eight days after the second crash the plane was grounded world wide until a flight control system – implicated in the crashes – was fixed and the plane earned re-certification.

“The manufacturing conditions that lead to the two 737 MAX disasters also lead to the Alaskan blow-out accident and these conditions continue,” Pierson said.

Pierson, who largely blamed Boeing management and lax government oversight for the safety problems, was not the only whistleblower to testify.

Sam Salehpour testified that he’s a Boeing quality engineer who has worked on Boeing 787 and 777s.

“They are putting out defective airplanes,” he said, saying the company emphasizes speed over safety.

He said he has seen workers forcing parts of the aircraft together in an attempt to close gaps.

“I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align,” he said.

Like Pierson, he testified he was not silent about his concerns.

“I want to make clear that I have raised these issues over three years. I was ignored I was told not to create delays. I was told, frankly, to shut up.”

In fact, he claims, “I received physical threats.”

KIRO Newsradio has reached out to Boeing for comment.

Recent company news: Boeing plane found to have missing panel after flight lands in Oregon

In a statement to Reuters, Boeing defended the planes’ safety, noting that the global 787 fleet has safely transported more than 850 million passengers, while the 777 has safely flown more than 3.9 billion travelers.

In 2021, Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion dollars to settle criminal charges that it defrauded the government when it to earn original certification of the MAX-8.

The New York Times reports that the US Justice Department is now looking into whether the MAX-9 door-plug incident violated that agreement.

Families of people who perished in the MAX-8 crashes are set to meet with the DOJ April 24 to determine whether Boeing is meeting the terms of its agreement.

The US Senate Commerce Committee also met Wednesday to discuss Boeing.

Washington US Senator Maria Cantwell chairs the committee.

She said she expects Boeing to submit a serious plan in response to a deadline from the Federal Aviation Administration.

On February 28, the FAA gave Boeing 90 days to develop that plan.

On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell held a hearing with authors of the FAA, Organization Designation Authorization Expert Review Panel’s final report on Beoing’s safety culture.

Testifying was Dr. Javier de Luis, Aeronautics and Astronautics Lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who lost his sister in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 737 MAX crash.

Sen. Cantwell expressed her worry that employees are unable to have their concerns heard and acted upon, asking the witnesses, “How do we ensure that those who are speaking up about safety measures get listened to?”

“Well, in a properly functioning SMS and a properly functioning safety culture, those questions wouldn’t be asked,” Dr. Javier de Luis responded. “Because people would be empowered, people would have confidence that they wouldn’t be smacked down if they spoke up.”

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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“This year we’re at 87% of normal precipitation… but 63% of snowpack,” Caroline Mellor, the statewide drought lead for the Department of Ecology, said.

Mellor tells KIRO Newsradio the amount of snow in the mountains is critical.

“In a normal year, the snowpack would gradually melt throughout spring and summer. What happens when we have these warmer temperatures in winter is that we either see precipitation coming down as rain instead of snow, or what snow we do get melts too early.”

That means there will be less water available later in the year for drinking, agriculture, and wildlife.

“Really snowpack has a big impact on water supply in Washington,” Mellor said.

Looking ahead: Washington drought conditions to stick around

Mellor added mountain snow began melting last month. Streamflows in many basins are already below 75% of normal: the threshold at which the state declares a drought.

Some are fairing worse. Chelan River stream-flows are expected to be 52% of normal through September.

And looking ahead, “We fully expect the state to either stay at these drought conditions or get worse across spring and summer.”

Some of this is due to the El Niño weather pattern which brings warmer temperatures, but she also blames climate change.

“We expect 40% of the years going forward to be snowpack drought years,” Mellor said.

The state declared a drought last July, after an unusually warm and dry May. That declaration was expected to end in June, but the “new” declaration will extend into next year.

Among the things a drought declaration does, “It allows us to provide drought response funding to tribes and public entities across the state.”

The Department of Ecology says it will make up to $4.5 million available.

Limited areas of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett are excluded from the new drought declaration, because their reservoirs and water management strategies make them more resilient to the effects of droughts.

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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Three of the dogs are certified to detect fentanyl.

“This is a small but mighty part of a very, very large effort to combat fentanyl,” DOC Deputy Secretary Sean Murphy said.

In addition, corrections facilities have access to Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdoses, scanners to detect contraband and expanded treatment for inmates who have substance use disorders.

The DOC said drugs, behind bars, have always been a problem, but fentanyl — with its addictiveness and danger — is a particular concern.

“Most jails and prisons are reporting overdoses biweekly or weekly,” K9 Program Manager Terry Hartman said.

His dogs, which will be deployed around the state, will be working to detect drugs before they can do harm.

His recent K9 graduates — Harley, Timber, Luka, Raiden and Rozzo — are a determined group.

Washington K9s are chosen by ‘single-mindedness’

They were not necessarily selected because of their breed but their single-mindedness, Hartman explained.

“It’s the dog who won’t give you the ball back. It’s the dog who won’t stop looking for the ball when you throw it, the really obsessive type behavior,” he said.

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Hartman said those types of dogs often end up in shelters.

“They don’t make particularly good pets at that point,” he explained.

However, “Once they get through the training and they get a job and we do things with them, then they usually go on to have a really healthy normal life,” he continued.

Hartman said the dogs not only work with their human partners but go home and live with them and their families. They are rescued dogs who will now work to rescue people from the ravages of drugs.

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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The case stems from the owner of Gators Custom Guns Inc. in Kelso, Wally Wentz.

State of Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued Wentz for violating the law — passed in 2022 — that forbids the distribution of gun magazines that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition.

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“Today’s decision is incorrect and we will immediately file a motion asking the State Supreme Court to keep this public safety law in effect,” Ferguson said in a statement.  “Every court in Washington and across the country to consider challenges to a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines under the U.S. or Washington Constitution has either rejected that challenge or been overruled. This law is constitutional.”

Wentz doesn’t deny that he sold the magazines. In fact, Wentz said his store sold “hundreds” in about two hours before the attorney general requested and was granted a court order that keeps the ban in place until the Supreme Court makes a decision.

“He (the attorney general) can prove by his own words that I sold five standard-capacity magazines to one of his minions at my store—myself, personally, not a subordinate—so, yes,” he explained.

But while supporters of the law say it will help deter mass shootings, Wentz says he believes the ban is unconstitutional.

“And that was a fight worth fighting, in my opinion, so here we are,” he said.

More news on gun violence: Gunfight at South Florida bar leaves 2 dead and 7 injured

He won a victory in court on Monday when a Cowlitz County Superior Court judge ruled in his favor.

Wentz, who told KIRO Newsradio his store is usually closed on Monday, quickly opened the doors.

“And a lot of people opined what they thought about this whole subject with their billfolds,” he said. “They bought magazines up the kazoo, young lady.”

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Toxicology results showed the individual who died had also taken fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Authorities describe that person as an adult, a local resident, but provided few other details.

“We are deeply saddened by the first known Xylazine-related overdose death of a Whatcom County resident,” an official said on the county’s website.

“No one should die of an overdose and our hearts go out to the family and friends of this person.”

What to know about Xylazine

Xylazine, also called tranq, is a powerful animal tranquilizer and is never safe for people. Whatcom County’s civic alert reminded the public Xylazine is never safe for people. It reduces brain activity and dangerously reduces a person’s breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. In addition, it can cause severe skin wounds that are difficult to heal. These wounds can occur anywhere on the body, not just at injection sites.

A 2022 joint report from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) added that people who inject xylazine or drug mixtures with xylazine “often develop soft tissue injuries that can lead to necrotic tissue and may result in amputation at rates higher than those who inject other drugs without xylazine.” (A PDF of that report can be viewed here.)

That joint report also stated users may develop a physical dependence to xylazine, with some users reporting the withdrawal symptoms as, or even more, severe than from heroin or methadone. Symptoms include sharp chest pains and seizures.

Illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl can be mixed with xylazine, either to enhance drug effects or increase street value by increasing their weight, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated on its website.

People who use illegal drugs may not be aware of the presence of xylazine, the DEA stated in a separate statement on its website. The agency has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 of 50 states, and the DEA laboratory system reported that approximately 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA in 2022 contained xylazine.

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If you think someone is having an overdosing on Xylazine

Whatcom County explained that since Xylazine is not an opioid naloxone spray (brand names are Kloxxado or Narcan) will not work to reverse it. However, naloxone should still be given if an overdose is suspected because it will reverse fentanyl’s effects.

If the person is not breathing or is taking irregular breaths, someone present should provide rescue breaths if it can be done safely.

For over a year Whatcom County officials have suspected that Xylazine may be circulating and first issued a warning about this drug in March 2023.

The Medical Examiner’s Office has been testing all suspected overdose deaths for Xylazine since the summer of 2022. This is the first time that it has been detected in an overdose death in Whatcom County.

Contributing: Bill Kaczaraba and Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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“It is spreading,” acknowledged King County Public Health Officer Doctor Jeff Duchin. “It’s spreading globally, it’s spreading in the United States as well. I think we’ll find more and more animals, mammals in particular, will be infected as the virus moves from one population to the next.”

Just this week, a Texas man became the second known person in the U.S. to contract bird flu, more formally known as avian influenza H5N1.

More on the virus: Deadly bird flu found in Puget Sound harbor seal population

Doctor says risk of bird flu for public ‘remains low’

But Duchin insisted, “There’s no new concern here for the general public. The risk remains low.”

People most likely to contract avian flu, including the Texas case, are those who are in close contact with infected animals.

That’s unlikely to happen in Washington state right now. Though we have seen past outbreaks of avian flu in wild birds and backyard domestic flocks, the Washington State Agriculture Department said there have been no new, confirmed cases in 2024.

Although the avian flu has been detected in a variety of animals, including bears, seals, foxes, dogs and cats, “Right now (the virus) it doesn’t bind to the human airway the same way it’s binding to the tissues of these animal species, and that’s very good for us,” according to Duchin.

But on the social media platform “X” this week, Dr. Duchin posted: “Although the risk to humans has not fundamentally changed at this time, we might take this opportunity to review lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and improve our preparedness in public health, healthcare systems and communities.”

Local birds affected: Avian flu outbreak kills 700 waterfowl around Skagit Bay

That’s because viruses can mutate.

Future of the virus

“Being prepared doesn’t mean just having plans on the shelf,” he told KIRO Newsradio. “It means putting resources in place to allow those plans to actually be implemented, to make sure that we have the capacity in our public health and health care delivery systems and in our communities so that we can weather another pandemic because one will emerge whether it’s from avian influenza or another coronavirus or a currently unrecognized virus.”

We know it will happen, again,” he continued.

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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Canadian Fisheries Department and First Nations officials said the plan involves placing the 2-year-old calf into a sling, lifting it out of the lagoon by helicopter and putting it in a net pen in the ocean while they wait for its family pod to be near before release.

The whale had been stranded near the town of Zeballos, for more than a week.

The plan was agreed to during a meeting between members of the Ehattesaht First Nation council, Fisheries Department officials and marine technical experts, the AP reported Wednesday night.

Ehattesaht First Nation Chief Simon John said his people have deep cultural and spiritual connections to orcas and the nation has been receiving calls of concern and support from around the world.

Paul Cottrell, with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, says the whale had been traveling with its mother.

“The mom and calf actually entered a tidal lagoon — not this Saturday, but the Saturday before — and unfortunately, the mom ended up on a sand bar and died,” Cottrell told KIRO Newsradio.

He said it’s the same sandbar, and when the tide is high enough, the calf needs to swim over to get out of the lagoon.

Rescuers removed the mom’s remains, hoping the calf would follow it over the sandbar. The calf didn’t.

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The whale calf is feeding, but is in distress

They monitor the whale’s condition daily to determine how quickly they might need to move in to mount a rescue if it doesn’t leave the lagoon on its own.

Cottrell said the calf is feeding itself. “The animal was seen capturing and ingesting a bird, so it is actively looking for prey in this lagoon.”

Unlike endangered southern resident killer whales that subsist on salmon, Bigg’s whales eat a variety of prey, and Cottrell says there are seals in the lagoon.

But whales are social animals, and the calf has been calling out to its family, which likely can not hear him.

“The calls that it’s making, it’s distress calls. So it is missing its family,” Cottrell said.

Rescuers have tried making noises, including playing the call of one of the whale’s relatives, which prompted the calf to move around the lagoon but not over the sand bar.

He says a contingency plan is being developed to physically move the whale—perhaps with a net or a sling—if it doesn’t swim out of the lagoon on its own.

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“Yeah, there’s a lot of equipment, a lot of people that we’re contacting to do this right,” he said.

He explained that marine mammal experts work with local indigenous people.

“You know it’s been an amazing collaboration with the local First Nations, the Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nation,” Cottrell said. “We’re working collectively as a team in a very small town in an isolated area. We’re kind of all coming together to do the best we can under the circumstances to try and save this young whale.”

He added the Ehattesaht First Nation has named the calf “Brave Little One.”

Contributing: The Associated Press

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

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