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As the NY Times reports: The United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday that an estimated 7.6 million people around the globe were displaced because of conflict or persecution in 2012, including 1.1 million refugees and 6.5 million people who were displaced within their own countries. Thomson Reuters puts it visually:   Continue reading →

Charles Darwin once observed that much of life on Earth thrives thanks to a frighteningly thin veneer of topsoil – which grows most of our food and produces much of our atmosphere, among othert things. Soil is different than sand and dust. And, as this short article points out, we’re losing it an alarming rate. … Continue reading →

A very interesting story by the Boston Globe focused on the largely unknown country of Western Sahara:  “A former Spanish colony now annexed and ruled by neighboring Morocco, this territory has been waiting four decades for a shot at independence it was promised but never received” Source: Bostonglobe This year marks the 40th anniversary of … Continue reading →

The man who identified the quietest place in the Lower 48—dubbed the "One Square Inch of Silence"—is going deaf.

This Olympic Peninsula fellow campaigned against noise pollution, particularly at his symbolic spot in the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park. The self-described "Sound Tracker" is now in a race to edit his life's work before he loses more of his hearing.

The glass is at least half full in Africa’s fight against poverty, reports Deutsche Welle. Source: Dw Even though Africa will most likely not meet all eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the continent has shown remarkable progress. But Africa still lags when it comes to targets like eradicating poverty. Fifteen African countries are … Continue reading →

Somali militants attack UN compound, 22 dead (Reuters) — Islamist militants carried out a deadly assault on the main U.N. compound in the Somali capital on Wednesday, dealing a blow to fragile security gains that have allowed a slow return of foreign aid workers and diplomats. Brazil’s protests continue and spread (AP) — More than … Continue reading →

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nStp4urqcM

Italy's high court has explained why it reversed the acquittal of American student Amanda Knox, saying the decision acquitting her of murder was full of contradictions.

In March, the Court of Cassation overturned Knox's acquittal in the 2007 murder of flatmate Meredith Kercher and ordered a new trial. On Tuesday, the high court issued its written reasoning for doing so.

Traffic began rolling across the repaired Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River Wednesday morning, completing a hasty, around-the-clock salvage and reconstruction job.

The repair started less than four weeks ago after an oversize load brought down the vital bridge.  Northwest Washington drivers and businesses are relishing a return to normal.

While the American Medical Association may not have the clout it once did, it's still the largest single group of doctors making waves about health and the practice of medicine.

So it's not nothing when the AMA's House of Delegates approves a measure to label obesity a disease.

I knew that  recipe was dangerous the moment I saw it. Six Thai peppers? A half cup of chile oil? And that was just the start of the hot stuff. Naturally, I couldn't wait to make it. 

Because he'll eat anything (except tofu), I invited Weekend Edition host Kevin Kniestedt over to have some. We were in agony. And we couldn't stop. Maybe you'd like to try it.

At a time when Washington State has been making headlines for the largest dam removal project ever on the Elwah River, Snohomish County is proposing a new one.

The Snohomish County Public Utility District says the proposed dam’s modern low-impact design would help the county diversify its energy portfolio and meet the future power demands of a growing population.

Drivers and businesses in Northwest Washington are voicing elation now that there is a firm date for reopening the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River. The Washington Department of Transportation says the temporary replacement bridge will start carrying traffic Wednesday morning.

It took just three and a half weeks to clear the wreckage of the collapsed I-5 bridge and to build a new span across the gap. State transportation secretary Lynn Peterson says the temporary replacement can carry 99 percent of the usual car and truck traffic; no oversize loads will be allowed.

Starbucks will begin posting calorie counts on its menu boards and bakery cases nationwide next week—something it’s already required to do in King County

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has dealt a big blow to environmental groups fighting proposed coal export terminals in the Northwest.

During testimony before Congress, an official with the agency said the Corps is not planning a broad environmental study on the impact of coal exports, meaning the proposed terminals' effects on climate change won’t be considered during the review process.

Humanospherians! This Thursday, starting at 6 pm, is our monthly gathering – ChangeUp – in a New Location. Nickerson Street Saloon – 318 Nickerson St, Seattle, WA 98109. Here’s a Map. Co-sponsored with Global Washington and hosted primarily by polymath Kentaro Toyama and Oxfam’s Seattle point man Jon Scanlon, this is your chance to drink … Continue reading →

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn likely never saw it coming.

While testifying against proposed coal export terminals before a Congressional committee on Tuesday, McGinn found himself at the receiving end of a bizarre—and, at times, personal—attack.

On the offensive was U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-West Virginia, who boasts taking on “anti-coal zealots” on his website.

More than half of Washington's congressional delegation is asking the U.S. government to respect the state's marijuana legalization effort.

In a letter released Tuesday, seven members of Congress asked the Department of Justice to not pre-empt the new law or prosecute residents acting in compliance with state law. They also asked federal officials to provide guidance on the U.S. government's legal response to a marijuana industry.

A dapper older gentleman spurns his mate of a certain age to take a fresh-faced young lover. You've seen that movie before, right?

Well, this choice of youth may turn out to be more than a Hollywood trope.

President Oscar Arias poses for a photo with Arnold Candray – a former military man who, as part of the Reagan Administration, thought he was on the wrong side of the Cold War The Nobel Peace Prize-winning former President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias was in Seattle the other day and said in a gentle … Continue reading →