Bridge Collapse
10:22 am
Fri May 24, 2013

Wash. Governor Declares State Of Emergency In Three Counties

Credit Susan Reidel
Mt. Vernon resident Susan Riedel took this photograph of the scene near the collapse Thursday night as first response teams arrived.

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a state of emergency in three counties around a collapsed Interstate 5 bridge.

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Grammar Instruction
9:09 am
Fri May 24, 2013

All About Grammar

Credit Courtesy/UW
Linguist Geoffrey Pullum

Coming up on Speakers Forum, May 30 at 8:00 p.m.

Don’t use the passive voice.

Never end a sentence with a preposition.

The way we teach grammar is scandalous, according to linguist Geoffrey Pullum. We nitpick too much he says, and we rely too much on old rules that have little application today. Pullum spoke about how we can fix this in a talk recorded at the University of Washington’s Kane Hall on February 12, 2013.

Frannie Kelley is an Editor for NPR Music.

In this position, Kelley is responsible for editing, producing and reporting NPR Music's coverage of hip-hop, R&B and the ways the music industry affects the music we hear, on the radio and online. She is co-editor of NPR's music news blog, The Record, and co-host of NPR's rap stream Microphone Check, with Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

Since joining NPR in September of 2007, Kelley has worked on a variety of projects including running a series on hip-hop in 1993 and overseeing a project on women musicians. She also ran another series on the end of the decade in music and web-produced the Arts Desk's series on vocalists, called 50 Great Voices. Most recently, her piece on Why You Should Listen to Odd Future was selected to be a part of the Best Music Writing 2012 Anthology.

Prior to joining NPR, Kelley worked in book publishing at Grove/Atlantic in a variety of positions from 2004 to 2007. She has a B.A. in Music Criticism from New York University.

Bridge Collapse
9:00 am
Fri May 24, 2013

I-5 Bridge Collapse, Science News, And The Folklife Festival

Credit Google Maps
Google Maps has already removed the bridge from their maps.

Coming up on Weekday, May 23 at 9:00 a.m.

UPDATES: I-5 Skagit River Bridge
We'll get updates from Travis Phelps, WSDOT communications manager, and Larry Ehl, publisher of Transportation Issues Daily and former WSDOT federal relations manager.

Science News
Alan Boyle is science editor for NBC News Digital. From 3-D printed pizzas to the effects of climate change on tornados, he brings us the latest news in the world of science.

Northwest Folklife Festival
The 42nd annual Northwest Folklife Festival kicks off today. What are the can't-miss performances, exhibits and events? We'll get a preview from Folklife's head of programming Debbie Fant. We'll explore  the history of organized labor in Washington state with labor archivist Conor Casey. And we'll hear the tunes of Celtic fiddle music duo Brandon Vance and Mark Minkler.

Bridge Collapse
6:44 am
Fri May 24, 2013

Alternate Routes Around I-5 Skagit River Bridge

Credit WSDOT
WSDOT asks drivers to follow detours and alternate routes around the bridge collapse in Skagit County.

WSDOT is asking drivers to avoid the I-5 Skagit River area if possible, or allow ample time for a slow commute. Both directions of I-5 are closed in Skagit County.

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Bridge Collapse
6:25 am
Fri May 24, 2013

I-5 Bridge Collapse Caused By Oversize Load

Credit AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
A dented upper corner and scrape along the upper side are visible on the "oversize load" equipment casing being hauled by a truck parked southbound as a pair of Wash. State Patrol troopers stand nearby on I-5, Friday, May 24, Mt. Vernon, Wash.

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — A truck carrying an oversize load struck a bridge on the major thoroughfare between Seattle and Canada, sending a section of the span and two vehicles into the Skagit River below, though all three occupants suffered only minor injuries.

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News
11:14 pm
Thu May 23, 2013

Wash. Harassment Lawsuit Gets Congress Members' Attention

A sexual harassment lawsuit against an Eastern Washington farm came under scrutiny this week during a congressional hearing. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently lost this expensive, high-profile case and some Congress members are now asking, “Was it worth it?” 

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Unregulated Transportation Services
10:58 pm
Thu May 23, 2013

Professional Drivers Speak Out Against App-Based Car Services

Credit Flickr Photo/Tim Dorr
Cabs lined up in Queen Anne.

Cab drivers spoke out against new app-based car services during a Seattle City Council meeting Thursday. Companies such as Uber, SideCar and Lyft offer smartphone apps that allow users to book a ride by the touch of a button. Those business operations are mostly unregulated, and their presence in Seattle has led to questions about whether the companies are legal.

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News
10:41 pm
Thu May 23, 2013

Wash. Supreme Court Rejects Legal Fees, Hurdles For Poor

Credit Legal Voices Photo/Matt Hubbard
Abeda Jafar speaking at a fundraising event for Legal Voices, March 21, 2013.

Washington’s judicial system abolished court fees for poor people in 2010, but county courts sought ways around the rule. Now in a unanimous decision, the Washington State Supreme Court has reaffirmed that if someone qualifies as indigent, courts need to give them access for free.

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Education Funding
10:23 pm
Thu May 23, 2013

Highline District Offers Free Full-Day Kindergarten To All Students

Credit Ann Dornfeld / KUOW
A local kindergartener hard at work.

Highline School District plans to offer free, full-day kindergarten to all students next school year.

Currently, half-day kindergarten is the norm: two and a half hours a day. Most Washington parents have to pay tuition if they want their kids in full-day kindergarten.

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