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The latest breaking news, traffic, and weather from Seattle and Western Washington

Local & Regional Children still being abused, dying under state's protection (Video)

By Tracy Vedder Published: May 16, 2012 at 11:20 PM PDT Last Updated: May 17, 2012 at 1:24 AM PDT

Two years ago a KOMO 4 Problem Solver investigation revealed shocking news that more than 100 children had died of abuse or neglect while under the state's watch. Today, we've found little has changed.

Local & Regional Warmer weather leads to increase in drownings, water rescues (Video)

By Joel Moreno Published: May 16, 2012 at 11:26 PM PDT

A recent mini-heat wave has more and more people heading to local lakes and rivers, and that's meant a spike in drowning.

Local & Regional Seattle School Board approves new superintendent (Video)

By Jamie Lynn Published: May 16, 2012 at 11:30 PM PDT

The Seattle School District has a new leader.

Local & Regional One dead in Rainier Beach shooting

By KOMO Staff Published: May 16, 2012 at 9:13 PM PDT Last Updated: May 16, 2012 at 11:37 PM PDT

Shots once again rang out Wednesday evening in a notoriously violent area of Rainier Beach.

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Local & Regional Children still being abused, dying under state's protection (Video)
Two years ago a KOMO 4 Problem Solver investigation revealed shocking news that more than 100 children had died of abuse or neglect while under the state's watch. Today, we've found little has changed.
Local & Regional Warmer weather leads to increase in drownings, water rescues (Video)
A recent mini-heat wave has more and more people heading to local lakes and rivers, and that's meant a spike in drowning.
Local & Regional Seattle School Board approves new superintendent (Video)
The Seattle School District has a new leader.
Local & Regional One dead in Rainier Beach shooting
Shots once again rang out Wednesday evening in a notoriously violent area of Rainier Beach.
Local & Regional Seattle gives DOJ police reform counterproposal
Facing the threat of a federal lawsuit, the city of Seattle on Wednesday presented the Justice Department with a plan for curbing the unnecessary use of force by its police officers.
Local & Regional Thieves targeting medical mailboxes in Olympia (Video)
Police are looking into a string of thefts from medical mailboxes that may have compromised patient privacy, personal information and bank accounts.
Local & Regional Police asking sexual assault victims to come forward
Seattle police believe an accused child rapist likely victimized even more children than they know about, and they're asking for those victims to come forward.
Local & Regional Skagit Co. deputies searching for teen missing in local pond
Skagit County sheriff's deputies fear a 16-year old Burlington boy has drowned in a pond at the Concrete Nor'West gravel pit north of Burlington.
Local & Regional Bridges to replace snowshed at Snoqualmie Pass (Video)
A bold solution to dangerous avalanches is coming to Snoqualmie Pass. The landmark snowshed is about to replaced.
Local & Regional Teen pulled unconscious from Lake Washington
Medics transported a boy who lost consciousness after jumping into Lake Washington on Wednesday afternoon.

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Guilty Pleasures

Entertainment

Entertainment 'American Idol' judges spread the love for final 3

By Associated Press Published: May 16, 2012 at 10:05 PM PDT

The three "American Idol" finalists earned nearly uniform votes of confidence Wednesday from the show's judges. Now it's the audience tally that will determine which two compete for glory in next week's finale.

Entertainment Photos: On the red carpet at Cannes (Photo Gallery)

By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL AP Fashion Writer Published: May 16, 2012 at 2:02 PM PDT

Diane Kruger must have arrived in France with a lot of luggage. On Wednesday, Day 1 of the 12-day Cannes Film Festival, Kruger, a member of the prestigious jury, turned up in two different outfits.

Entertainment Zoo-like Cannes opens with 'Moonrise' (Photo Gallery)

By JAKE COYLE AP Entertainment Writer Published: May 16, 2012 at 9:38 AM PDT Last Updated: May 16, 2012 at 1:48 PM PDT

The sunbaked Cannes Film Festival got under way with Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom," whose carefully composed whimsy stood in stark contrast to the zoo-like atmosphere at the annual French Riviera extravaganza.

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Offbeat

Offbeat Horse runs into sea, rescued a mile offshore

By Associated Press Published: May 16, 2012 at 12:09 PM PDT

An Arabian horse named William got spooked during a California beachside photo shoot Tuesday and swam a mile out to sea before rescuers got to him and helped him back to shore.

Offbeat Arizona man suing Flagstaff is now its mayor

By Associated Press Published: May 16, 2012 at 12:08 PM PDT

A Flagstaff, Ariz., man who is suing the city is now its mayor.

Offbeat Dozens of flyswatters wash up on Alaska beaches

By Associated Press Published: May 15, 2012 at 4:19 PM PDT

Dozens of fly swatters bearing logos of collegiate and professional sports teams have been washing up on the beaches of an Alaska island.

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Local & Regional

Local & Regional Photos: Endangered red wolf gives birth to 8 pups (Photo Gallery)

Published: May 16, 2012 at 4:38 PM PDT

Local & Regional Car prowler takes nothing, leaves behind tortillas
They didn’t take anything, not even the cannoli. In fact, the car prowler who broke into a Jeep parked in the U-District last week left something for the car owner -- tortillas.
Local & Regional Malnourished Moses Lake boy, 2, on life support
A 2-year-old Washington boy who authorities say was so malnourished he weighed less than half as much as a normal child his age remained on life support Wednesday after his heart stopped and he was airlifted to a Spokane hospital.
Local & Regional Family of slain armored car guard suing the state (Video)
The state is facing a new lawsuit from the family of an armored car guard who was shot dead three years ago at a Lakewood Walmart.
Local & Regional Preview: Investigation finds more child deaths, DSHS facing possible penalties

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Around the World

National & World Leading insurer pays $109M for dog bite claims

By SUE MANNING Associated Press Published: May 16, 2012 at 9:48 PM PDT

Dog bites man does not get a lot of attention in the news, but it costs insurance companies hundreds of millions in claims every year.

National & World RFK Jr.'s estranged wife, Mary, found dead in NY (Photo Gallery)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s estranged wife, Mary Kennedy, who had fought drug and alcohol problems, was found dead in her home Wednesday.
National & World Census: Minorities now surpass whites in US births
For the first time, racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half the children born in the U.S., capping decades of heady immigration growth that is now slowing.
National & World TB patient charged in Calif. for not taking meds
Authorities in California took the unusual step of jailing and charging a tuberculosis patient who they say refused to take medication to keep his disease from becoming contagious.
National & World Groom called his family about 'bad fight' before bride found dead
Hours after police found Estrella Carrera stabbed to death in her bathtub, still clad in the silver sequined cocktail dress she wore to celebrate her wedding to her on-and-off boyfriend, her family received a haunting phone call from the groom's family.

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Sports

Sports Indians pound Mariners' Hernandez in 9-3 win

By Associated Press Published: May 16, 2012 at 7:20 PM PDT

Ubaldo Jimenez overcame a shaky start to get the win and the Cleveland Indians pounded out a season-best five doubles to beat the Seattle Mariners 9-3 Wednesday night.

Sports For Storm in 2012, it all starts with Bird
By this point in her career, Sue Bird is the epitome of a veteran. She's about to become a three-time Olympian, is a two-time WNBA champion and is entering her 11th season playing for the Seattle Storm.
Sports McNamee: Clemens, Canseco had steroids talk
Brian McNamee conceded that the first time Roger Clemens asked for help with a "booty shot," the pitcher did not specifically use the word "steroids."
Sports Ex-Syracuse hoops coach's wife: Life is ruined
The wife of fired Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine claimed Wednesday that ESPN maliciously trampled her reputation by broadcasting salacious stories about her and about claims that her husband molested ball boys.
Sports Agreement reached on Seattle arena plan (Video)
The city of Seattle, King County and investor Chris Hansen have reached an agreement in the effort to build an arena that could bring professional basketball back to the Puget Sound.

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Your Life, Your Style

Health Study finds coffee drinkers live longer

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP Chief Medical Writer Published: May 16, 2012 at 2:48 PM PDT

One of life's simple pleasures just got a little sweeter. After years of waffling research on coffee and health, even some fear that java might raise the risk of heart disease, a big study finds the opposite: Coffee drinkers are a little more likely to live longer. Regular or decaf doesn't matter.

Life & Style Ballard High School student battles cancer and comes out on top

By Jill Russell Published: May 16, 2012 at 2:03 PM PDT

Ballard High School student battles cancer and comes out on top.

Business FTC: Skechers deceived consumers with shoe ads (Video)

By JENNIFER C. KERR,Associated Press Published: May 16, 2012 at 10:49 AM PDT Last Updated: May 16, 2012 at 6:35 PM PDT

The government wants you to know that simply sporting a pair of Skechers' fitness shoes is not going to get you Kim Kardashian's curves or Brooke Burke's toned tush.

Technology Google strives to enlighten with new search tool

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Business Writer Published: May 16, 2012 at 10:14 AM PDT

Google is introducing a new tool, designed to make its search engine smarter.

Extras

Opinion Schrammie: Pasco bent on silencing the ice cream truck (Video)

By Ken Schram Published: May 16, 2012 at 10:34 AM PDT Last Updated: May 17, 2012 at 1:22 AM PDT

In Pasco, the sounds associated with summer are under attack by city officials.

Weather Need to find sun on rainy days? This site will help

By Scott Sistek Published: May 15, 2012 at 12:43 PM PDT

Sequim boasts 300 days of sunshine a year, thanks to its prime location inside the Olympic Rain Shadow. Although I'm dubious Sequim gets 300 full sunshine days -- maybe if they count a peek of sun, but 300 days is more than Phoenix -- I do concur that Sequim gets a whole lot more sunshine than their Seattle counterparts. And now, thanks to David Britton, you can find out just how much sun by a click of the button.

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Entertainment

Entertainment CBS moving 'Men,' 'Mentalist' for new season
Dominant CBS shuffled its schedule for the fall on Wednesday, giving Ashton Kutcher and Simon Baker new nights and adding four new series.
Entertainment Another star is dismissed from `Dancing'
Maria Menounos earned a perfect score on Monday's episode of "Dancing With the Stars," but on Tuesday, she was ousted from the show.
Entertainment Aaron Sorkin to adapt `Steve Jobs' film for Sony
Aaron Sorkin is going from Facebook to Apple
Entertainment Ellen DeGeneres wins top humor prize
Ellen DeGeneres is winning the nation's top humor prize 15 years after breaking ground as the first lead character on primetime TV to reveal she's gay.
Entertainment 'All-Star' Dancing with the Stars among ABC's new fall lineup
ABC is casting for an all-star edition of "Dancing With the Stars" this fall and is seeking to turn its Sunday night schedule into "a battle between good and evil," the network's entertainment chief said Tuesday.

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Technology

Technology Paralyzed woman uses thoughts to control robot arm
Using only her thoughts, a Massachusetts woman paralyzed for 15 years directed a robotic arm to pick up a bottle of coffee and bring it to her lips, researchers report in the latest advance in harnessing brain waves to help disabled people.
Technology Zuckerberg's Facebook story is study in contrasts
When Hollywood set out to tell the story of how Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook, it enjoyed the flexibility of portraying a man who, despite his social network's worldwide reach, was all but unknown to the public.
Technology Facebook raises IPO price as offering nears
Facebook on Tuesday increased the price range at which it plans to sell stock to the public, as investor enthusiasm in the offering continued to mount and boost the potential value of the world's most popular social network.
Technology Wireless startup LightSquared files for bankruptcy
LightSquared Inc., which hoped to create an independent wireless broadband network in the U.S., filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday.
Technology Poll: Half of Americans call Facebook a passing fad
And, in the run-up to the social network's initial public offering of stock, half of Americans also say the social network's expected asking price is too high.

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Business

Business Key Republican: JPMorgan $2 billion loss raises questions
A key House Republican on Wednesday said that the $2 billion trading loss at JPMorgan Chase raises critical questions about how banks control their risks. But Republican lawmakers rejected calls from Democrats for stricter oversight of Wall Street.
Business Housing starts rose to 717,000 in April
U.S. builders started work on more homes and apartments last month and requested more permits to build single-family homes. The increases suggest the battered housing market is healing.
Business Avoiding marriage's No. 1 pitfall: money troubles
Newlyweds and couples moving toward marriage, take note. Love, as it turns out, is not all you need. Not if your goal is to avoid the No. 1 reason marriages end in divorce: Money problems.
Business Target's 1st quarter profits up 1.2 percent
Target Corp. raised its profit outlook Wednesday after reporting better-than-expected first-quarter results that were boosted by increased spending on food and cheap chic fashions.
Business JC Penney has 1Q loss as new pricing repels shoppers
Turns out, J.C. Penney shoppers don't prefer predictable pricing over blockbuster bargains - at least not yet.

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Offbeat

Offbeat Historic diamond sold for $9.7 million at auction
Marie de Medici wore it at her coronation as Queen Consort of Henry IV in France in 1610, and now the Beau Sancy diamond is a lavish accessory owned by an anonymous bidder who paid $9.7 million for it at Sotheby's auction.
Offbeat Robotic buttocks: Just what the planet needed?
A group in inventors at Tokyo's University of Electro-Communications has developed something we had no idea the world was in need of: robotic buttocks.
Offbeat Photos: Beer Can Derby at the Pine Box (Photo Gallery)
Offbeat Family wakes to find Lexus in their swimming pool
California Highway Patrol officer Steve Licon says the driver - 40-year-old Modesto Cabral - was able to escape from the car through the passenger side window and had only minor injuries.
Offbeat Man makes amends for stealing plants - in 1958
No matter how much digging investigators did, the crime remained open until a thief turned himself in and returned the fruits of his theft.

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Photo Galleries

Local & Regional Photos: Endangered red wolf gives birth to 8 pups (Photo Gallery)

By Published: May 16, 2012 at 4:38 PM PDT

National & World RFK Jr.'s estranged wife, Mary, found dead in NY (Photo Gallery)

By JIM FITZGERALD Associated Press Published: May 16, 2012 at 2:45 PM PDT Last Updated: May 16, 2012 at 3:41 PM PDT

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s estranged wife, Mary Kennedy, who had fought drug and alcohol problems, was found dead in her home Wednesday.

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Local & Regional Teen girl killed, young man wounded in Shoreline shooting (Photo Gallery) (Video)

By KOMO Staff Published: May 16, 2012 at 7:00 AM PDT Last Updated: May 16, 2012 at 5:20 PM PDT

A 17-year-old girl was fatally shot and an 18-year-old man was critically wounded when someone opened fire on their car early Wednesday.

Entertainment Photos: On the red carpet at Cannes (Photo Gallery)

By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL AP Fashion Writer Published: May 16, 2012 at 2:02 PM PDT

Diane Kruger must have arrived in France with a lot of luggage. On Wednesday, Day 1 of the 12-day Cannes Film Festival, Kruger, a member of the prestigious jury, turned up in two different outfits.

Local & Regional Photos: Seattle Color Run 2012 (Photo Gallery)

By Joshua Lewis Published: May 14, 2012 at 9:20 AM PDT Last Updated: May 14, 2012 at 3:43 PM PDT

Local & Regional Jury convicts Steve Powell of voyeurism charges (Photo Gallery) (Video)

By MIKE BAKER Associated Press Published: May 16, 2012 at 11:44 AM PDT Last Updated: May 16, 2012 at 5:18 PM PDT

A jury has convicted Steve Powell of voyeurism charges that stemmed from an investigation into the 2009 disappearance of his daughter-in-law Susan Powell, a mother of two from Utah who has never been found.

Local & Regional Photos: Endangered red wolf gives birth to 8 pups (Photo Gallery)

By Published: May 16, 2012 at 4:38 PM PDT

Local & Regional Dream prom dress turns into nightmare for Everett teen (Video)

By Jamie Lynn Published: May 15, 2012 at 11:21 PM PDT Last Updated: May 16, 2012 at 7:11 AM PDT

It's prom season and girls all over the country are looking for the perfect dress at the perfect price, but an Everett girl learned that hard way that sometimes the best price isn't the best deal.

Sports Agreement reached on Seattle arena plan (Video)

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer Published: May 16, 2012 at 10:58 AM PDT Last Updated: May 16, 2012 at 5:26 PM PDT

The city of Seattle, King County and investor Chris Hansen have reached an agreement in the effort to build an arena that could bring professional basketball back to the Puget Sound.