Washington
Cougar attacks five mountain bikers on a trail in Washington state
A group of five cyclists were riding on a trail in Fall City, Wash., when they were attacked by at least one cougar this past weekend.
The incident occurred on Saturday around 12:30 P.M., according to the King County Sheriff’s Office, in a wilderness area along Tokul Creek approximately five miles north of the city of Snoqualmie.
A 60-year-old female was hospitalized for non-life threatening injuries, but is in stable condition, according to a statement from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
“We are thankful that the victim is stable after the incident this weekend,” said Lieutenant Erik Olson. “The people on scene took immediate action to render aid, and one of our officers was able to arrive within minutes to continue medical aid and coordinate transport. We may have had a very different outcome without their heroic efforts.”
Officers euthanized and removed one young male 75-pound cougar on arrival, but eyewitnesses indicate there may have been a second cougar as well at the scene, said the statement. Officials were unable to find a second cougar that eye-witnesses said they saw on the scene.
Such attacks rarely end up fatal. In Washington state, there have only been two fatal cougar attacks and approximately 20 other recorded encounters that resulted in human injury in the last 100 years, according to the WDFW.
Cougars, a protected species and the largest members of the cat family in Washington, are “solitary and secretive animals rarely seen in the wild,” reads a description of the mountain lion on the WDFW website. But sightings of them are on the rise in northeast Washington, according to a 2021 report by Northwest Public Broadcasting.
There are an estimated 3,600 cougars in Washington state as of 2022, says the WDFW.
If you do encounter a cougar in the wild, “you definitely want to show the animal that you are not prey. They are used to their prey running away,” said bear and cougar specialist Richard A. Beausoleil in a 2018 interview with WBUR. “And so the very first thing is to stop, stand tall, make some noise, throw something at the animal if you can, but do not run.”
If a cougar does attack, the WDFW suggests fighting back, as the cougar will flee if a person is aggressive enough.
“Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back using anything within reach, including sticks, rocks, shovels, backpacks, and clothing — even bare hands,” reads their website.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Washington
The Fallout From the Epstein Files
The Department of Justice is facing scrutiny this week after it was revealed that records involving President Trump were missing from the public release of the Epstein files. On Washington Week With The Atlantic, panelists joined to discuss the ensuing political fallout for the Trump administration, and more.
“The key thing to remember about the Epstein story is that it is a case that has been mishandled for decades. The reason that we’re hearing about this now and why it’s exploding into public view is because, for the first time, Republicans in Congress and Democrats in Congress were willing to openly defy their leadership and call for the release of these files,” Sarah Fitzpatrick, a staff writer at The Atlantic, said last night. “That has never been done before, and I think it really is changing the political landscape in ways that we’re still just starting to learn.”
“What’s been so striking is how many of those very same Republicans who were calling for the release of those files, who had promised to get to the bottom of them, are now saying things that are just the opposite,” Stephen Hayes, the editor of The Dispatch, argued.
Joining guest moderator Vivian Salama, a staff writer at The Atlantic, to discuss this and more: Andrew Desiderio, a senior congressional reporter at Punchbowl News; Fitzpatrick; Hayes; and Tarini Parti, a White House reporter at The Wall Street Journal.
Watch the full episode here.
Washington
Man charged with shooting co-worker in Washington Heights
A 26-year-old man had an argument with a co-worker before allegedly fatally shooting the colleague in Washington Heights, prosecutors said Friday.
Bobby Martin, who was charged with first-degree murder Thursday, made his first appearance Friday in Cook County court.
Martin, is accused of killing his co-worker, Antoine Alexander, 32, in a parking lot at 9411 S Ashland Ave about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Chicago police.
Prosecutors said Martin and Alexander worked together at an armed security company and got into a verbal altercation inside the guard shack on Tuesday afternoon. During the altercation, prosecutors said Alexander removed his bullet proof vest and threw it to the ground. A witness, another co-worker, then told the defendant and the victim to take the altercation outside.
After stepping outside, the defendant pulled his firearm and fired one shot into the victims abdomen, prosecutors said. The victim’s firearm was holstered at the time of the argument and the shooting. The defendant fled the scene and came into contact with another co-worker, whom he told that he had just shot Alexander.
Alexander was then taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.
Martin was arrested by authorities three blocks from his home approximately 20 minutes after the shooting, prosecutors said.
Martin was detained and will appear in court again on March 17, authorities said.
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Washington
Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury announces she’s pregnant
Trinity Rodman signs record deal with Washington Spirit
USWNT forward Trinity Rodman signed a three-year deal with the NWSL’s Washington Spirit. The deal makes Rodman the highest-paid female footballer in the world.
unbranded – Sport
Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury has announced that she and her husband Matt are expecting a baby in July.
The couple made the announcement in a video on the Spirit’s social media channels, holding a baby goalkeeper jersey on the pitch at Audi Field.
Kingsbury becomes the most recent Spirit star to go on maternity leave, following defender Casey Krueger, midfielder Andi Sullivan and forward Ashley Hatch.
Sullivan gave birth to daughter Millie in July, while Hatch welcomed her son Leo in January.
Krueger announced she was pregnant with her second child in October.
Kingsbury has served as the Spirit’s starting goalkeeper since 2018, and has been named the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year twice (2019 and 2021).
The 34-year-old has two caps with the U.S. women’s national team, and was named to the 2023 World Cup roster.
The club captain will leave a major void for the Spirit, who have finished as NWSL runner-up in back-to-back seasons.
Sandy MacIver and Kaylie Collins are expected to compete for the starting role while Kingsbury is on maternity leave.
The Spirit kick off their 2026 campaign on March 13 against the Portland Thorns.
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