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WSP seeks public’s help finding endangered missing child last seen on Feb. 14

Madeline does not have permission to leave WA state with Dominik. Dominik is unable to return without assistance.”Endangered Missing Person Advisory (EMPA) – Marinkovich-Easterling – Friday Harbor, WA pic.twitter.com/dXD3siXlTV— WSP Missing Person Alerts (@WSPMissingPers1) February 18, 2026Dominik is 3 feet, 4 inches tall and approximately 39 pounds. He has blonde hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a blue Hot Wheels t-shirt underneath a blue plaid shirt or coat. Ma

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over ties to Epstein

The force, which covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, did not identify the suspect, in line with standard procedures in Britain, but pointed to its statement when asked to confirm if Andrew was arrested.Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned 66 on Thursday, moved to his brother King Charles III’s estate in Norfolk after he was evicted from his longtime home near Windsor Castle earlier this month.Police are looking at whether Andrew sent confidential reports to Epste

Docs: Lacey mom accused of buying pot in bulk from shops to upsell it to young customers

A 57-year-old woman accused of running a drug operation targeting children from her Lacey home pleaded not guilty to 10 criminal counts.Cedrida Green, known as “Mama Green,” has been charged alongside her adult son and daughter following a police raid that uncovered drugs, guns, and more than $26,000 in cash.The charges follow a police investigation into a residence where more than 150 students, some as young as 13, were documented entering and exiting during school days.Follow this link to read

U.S. trade deficit slipped to $901 billion last year amid Trump tariffs

trade deficit slipped modestly in 2025, a year in which President Donald Trump upended global commerce by slapping double digit tariffs on imports from most countries.The gap the between the goods and services the U.S. sells other countries and what it buys from them narrowed to just over $901 billion from $904 billion in 2024, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.Exports rose 6% last year, and imports rose nearly 5%.The trade gap surged from January-March as U.S. companies tried to import

The Latest: Trump convenes his Board of Peace

<block>President Donald Trump convenes his Board of Peace on Thursday with representatives from more than 40 countries and observers from a dozen more. The inaugural meeting’s focus is reconstruction and building an international stabilization force for a war-battered Gaza, where a shaky ceasefire deal persists. Trump says board members have pledged $5 billion for reconstruction, a fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild the Palestinian territory. Members also are expected to commit thousands of personnel to international stabilization and police forces, amid fears that Trump is seeking to create a rival to the United Nations.The Latest:<hl2>Countries that have said they’ll join</hl2>Include Argentina, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, El Salvador, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kosovo, Morocco, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. See the full list of countries that have joined, opted out or haven’t decided.<hl2>Trump’s vision for the board</hl2>It has morphed since the group was initiated as part of the president’s 20-point peace plan to end the conflict in Gaza. Since the October ceasefire, Trump wants it to have an even more ambitious remit — one that will not only complete the Herculean task of bringing lasting peace between Israel and Hamas but will also help resolve conflicts around the globe.<hl2>How to disarm Hamas</hl2>These questions are central to the discussions. A key demand of Israel and a cornerstone of the ceasefire deal is the creation of an armed international stabilization force to keep security and ensure the disarmament of the militant Hamas group. Thus far, only Indonesia has offered a firm commitment to Trump for the proposed force. And Hamas has provided little confidence that it is willing to move forward on disarmament.</block>

How Seattle became home to one of the nation’s best avalanche forecast centers

The center began with a few passionate snow scientists working out of the University of Washington, and has since evolved and grown into a nationally distinguished avalanche center.Northwest Avalanche Center is bornIn the 1970s, the rising popularity of mountain winter recreation in the Western U.S. led to a sharp rise in avalanche fatalities, resulting in an urgent need for more avalanche danger information and ease of use. In the middle of that decade, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Sea

Bill aims to revive historic Mosquito Fleet as state ferries struggle

Any place that had a dock became a hub of activity, and towns grew around it.Washington State Representative Greg Nance wants that back.“We think passenger only ferries can benefit neighbors in Grays Harbor, connecting Ocean Shores and Westport, or neighbors along Lake Washington, connecting Bellevue and the University of Washington, or along the Columbia River, helping to connect folks from Vancouver and then tourists in Portland to some of the attractions, wineries and otherwise along th

US fine arts commission is expected to vote to advance Trump’s White House ballroom proposal

<block>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal panel responsible for reviewing President Donald Trump’s plans to build a massive ballroom on the site of the former White House East Wing is expected to vote to advance the project when it meets Thursday. The <a href="https://www.cfa.gov/records-research/record-cfa-actions/2026/02/cfa-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Commission of Fine Arts</a> is likely to vote on the design at its monthly meeting, which is being held over Zoom. The panel is now led by appointees of the Republican president. At the January meeting, some of those commissioners questioned the lead architect about the “immense” design and scale of the project even as they broadly endorsed Trump’s vision for a ballroom roughly twice the size of the White House itself. Trump’s decision in October to demolish the East Wing prompted a public outcry when it began without the independent reviews, congressional approval and public comment that are typical even for relatively minor modifications to historic buildings in Washington. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued in federal court to halt construction of the ballroom. The judge’s decision in the case is pending.The project is scheduled for additional discussion at a March 5 meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by one of Trump’s top White House aides. The commission has jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region. </block>

Walmart delivers another quarter of impressive sales but offers a muted outlook

<block>NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart delivered another standout quarter as the promise of lower prices drew in a broader spectrum of Americans during the critical holiday shopping period, including wealthier households. The outlook from the Bentonville, Arkansas, company, however, hinted at a volatile economic environment ahead on Thursday. Walmart reported fourth quarter earnings of $4.24 billion, or 53 cents per share for the quarter ended Jan. 31. Adjusted per-share results were 74 cents, a penny better than Wall Street expected, according to FactSet.Last year, the company reported net income of $5.25 billion, or 65 cents per share.Sales rose 5.6% to $190.7 billion, from $180.6 billion, also edging out expectations. Comparable sales at Walmart stores, including online sales, rose 4.6% after a 4.5% increase in the previous quarter.Global e-commerce sales rose 24%.It is the first quarter time in more than a decade that the retail giant is reporting quarterly earning under a new chief executive. John Furner, 51, who headed the company’s U.S. operations, took over for Doug McMillon this month. McMillon had turned America’s largest retailer into a tech-powered giant and spearheaded an era of robust sales growth after being named Walmart’s CEO in 2014.Walmart’s shares rose more than 25% since its last quarterly earnings report and earlier this month it became the first non-tech company to reach a valuation of more than a $1 trillion.It has done so with many Americans carefully considering where they spend money because of inflation and how the company performs is considered a barometer of consumer spending given its vast customer base. More than 150 million customers are on its website or in its stores every week, according to Walmart. While inflation has cooled, consumer prices have soared about 25% over the past five years. Many economists expect more companies will begin passing on higher costs from higher U.S. tariffs to their customers in coming months. Walmart’s promise of lower prices has broadened its base to include wealthier shoppers in that environment, with the biggest gains in market share coming from households with annual income over $100,000.Walmart has managed higher costs both by shifting what it offers on store shelves while absorbing some higher costs. The company said that for the current quarter, it expects sales to increase anywhere from 3.5% to 4.5% and earnings per share to be in the range of 63 cents to 65 cents. For the year, it expects sales to reach $706.4 billion and earnings per share to be $2.64.That is a little cooler than Wall Street had been projecting. Analysts polled by FactSet had been expecting per-share earnings of 68 cents in the first quarter. For the year, they have been projecting earnings of $2.64 per share on sales of $712.6 billion</block>

Tariffs paid by midsized US firms tripled last year, new analysis from JPMorganChase Institute shows

It’s part of a growing body of economic analyses that counter the administration’s claims that foreigners pay the tariffs.The JPMorganChase Institute report used payments data to look at businesses that might lack the pricing power of large multinational companies to offset tariffs, but may be small enough to quickly change supply chains to minimize exposure to the tax increases. The companies tended to have revenues between $10 million and $1 billion with fewer than 500 employees, a

UN experts say destruction by Sudan’s rebels in el-Fasher in October bears ‘hallmarks of genocide’

“Thousands of persons, particularly the Zaghawa, were killed, raped or disappeared during three days of absolute horror.”The fact-finding mission pointed to mass killings, widespread rape, sexual violence, torture and cruel treatment, arbitrary detention, extortion, and enforced disappearances during RSF’s takeover of el-Fasher in late October. The report documented cases of survivors quoting its fighters as saying things like: “Is there anyone Zaghawa among you? If we find Zaghawa, we wil

Governors arrive in Washington eager to push past Trump’s partisan grip

<block>WASHINGTON (AP) — In another era, the scene would have been unremarkable. But in President Donald Trump’s Washington, it’s become increasingly rare.Sitting side by side on stage were Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat. They traded jokes and compliments instead of insults and accusations, a brief interlude of cordiality in a cacophony of conflict. Stitt and Moore are the leaders of the National Governors Association, one of a vanishing few bipartisan institutions left in American politics. But it may be hard for the organization, which is holding its annual conference this week, to maintain its reputation as a refuge from polarization. Trump has broken with custom by declining to invite all governors to the traditional White House meeting and dinner. He has called Stitt, the NGA’s chair, a “RINO,” short for Republican in name only, and continued to feud with Moore, the group’s vice chair, by blaming him for a sewage spill involving a federally regulated pipeline.The break with tradition reflects Trump’s broader approach to his second term. He has taken a confrontational stance toward some states, withholding federal funds or deploying troops over the objections of local officials. With the Republican-controlled Congress unwilling to limit Trump’s ambitions, several governors have increasingly cast themselves as a counterweight to the White House. “Presidents aren’t supposed to do this stuff,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said about the expansion of executive power in recent administrations. “Congress needs to get their act together. And stop performing for TikTok and actually start doing stuff. That’s the flaw we’re dealing with right now.”Cox, a Republican, said “it is up to the states to hold the line.”Moore echoed that sentiment in an interview with The Associated Press.“People are paying attention to how governors are moving, because I think governors have a unique way to move in this moment that other people just don’t,” he said.Still, governors struck an optimistic tone in panels and interviews Wednesday. Stitt said the conference is “bigger than one dinner at the White House.” Moore predicted “this is going to be a very productive three days for the governors.”“Here’s a Republican and Democrat governor from different states that literally agree on probably 80% of the things. And the things we disagree on we can have honest conversations on,” Stitt said while sitting beside Moore. Tensions over the guest list for White House events underscored the uncertainty surrounding the week. During the back-and-forth, Trump feuded with Stitt and said Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis were not invited because they “are not worthy of being there.”Whether the bipartisan tone struck Wednesday evening can endure through the week — and beyond — remains an open question.“We can have disagreements. In business, I always want people around me arguing with me and pushing me because that’s where the best ideas come from,” said Stitt. “We need to all have these exchange of ideas.”</block>

Gov. Wes Moore on Trump: ‘I pray for him and I just feel bad for him’

I’m doing it because I think we have an unchecked executive and right now Congress does not seem interested in actually doing its job and establishing real checks and balances.And I’m watching what Donald Trump is doing. This would not be an issue had it not been for Donald Trump saying, you know what, let me come up with every creative way I can think of to make this pain permanent. And one of the ways he did was he said, let’s just start calling states — the states I choose — to say let’

As political pressure prompts exodus of Minnesota prosecutors, some defendants catch a break

But Minnesota has been hit especially hard.A growing number of defendants like McKay are beginning to escape accountability, as the remaining prosecutors are forced to dismiss some cases, kill others before charges are filed and seek plea agreements and delays.Local officials worry the office will be unable, at least temporarily, to bring charges against some of the state’s most serious offenders.“The result will be a diminished ability to target dangerous fraudsters, sexual predators, violent g

Trump heads to Georgia, a target of his election falsehoods, as Republicans look for midterm boost

Trump has long seen Georgia as central to his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen by Democrats and President Joe Biden, a fabrication that he reiterated Wednesday during a White House reception on Black History Month.“We won by millions of votes but they cheated,” Trump said. Audits, state officials, courts and Trump’s own former attorney general have all rejected the idea of widespread problems that could have altered the election.Some Republicans are now pushing for Georgia’s State E

A judge weighs extending protections for refugees in Minnesota facing arrest and deportation

Some were later released on the streets of Texas and left to find their own way back to Minnesota, they said.The judge rejected the government’s claim that it had the legal right to arrest and detain refugees who haven’t obtained their green cards within a year of arriving in the U.S. He said that would be illogical and nonsensical, given that refugees can’t apply for permanent residency until they’ve been in the U.S. for a year.Tunheim noted in his order, which applies o

Hawaii residents sick of early crowing and aggressive pecking could be allowed to kill wild chickens

It’s spending most of the day shooing away wild chickens that dig holes in his yard, listening to constant squawking and feather-flapping, and scolding people who feed the feral birds at a park steps from his house.“It’s a big problem,” he said of the roosters, hens and chicks waddling around on the narrow road between his Honolulu house and the city park. “And they’re multiplying.”Communities across the state have been dealing with pervasive fowl for years. Honolulu has spent

Trump gathers members of Board of Peace for first meeting, with some US allies wary of new body

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will gather Thursday with representatives from more than two dozen countries that have joined his Board of Peace — and several that have opted not to — for an inaugural meeting that will focus on reconstruction and building an international stabilization force for a war-battered Gaza, where a shaky ceasefire deal persists.Trump announced ahead of the meeting that board members have pledged $5 billion for reconstruction, a fraction of the estimated $70 bil

Early prenatal care, considered best for moms and babies, is on the decline in the US

births to women who began prenatal care in the first trimester dropped from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.Meanwhile, starting care later in pregnancy or getting no care at all has been on the rise. Prenatal care beginning in the second trimester rose from 15.4% to 17.3%, and starting care in the third trimester or getting no care went from 6.3% to 7.3%.“We know that early engagement in prenatal care is lin

Men once wrongfully accused of Austin yogurt shop murders seek formal exoneration

Maurice Pierce died in 2010.“It has been over twenty-five years since the four men wrongfully accused have been waiting for the criminal justice system to clear their names,” Travis County District Attorney José Garza said when the hearing was scheduled.A declaration of “actual innocence” would also be a key step for the men and their families to seek financial compensation for years they spent in jail or in prison.The murders shocked Austin and confounded investigators for yearsAmy Ayers, 13; E