Blue light special

What’s it all about, Alfie: Perennially beleaguered retailer Sears has unveiled Alfie, a “voice-controlled intelligent shopper” similar to Amazon’s Echo device, for Sears and Kmart customers.

If Alfie is truly an intelligent device, its primary function will be informing users of the latest Sears and Kmart store closures and suggesting alternative places to shop nearby.

Big hairy deal: In a new exhibit that opens today, the Burke Museum in Seattle draws attention to everything that makes the North Cascades special.

The exhibit includes a display of 40 hairy woodpeckers. We don’t have a joke here; the 12-year-old in us just enjoys saying “hairy woodpecker.”

Don’t overwork your meatloaf: Singer Meat Loaf was recovering like a bat out of hell Friday after collapsing on stage the night before due to dehydration.

Doctors blamed the usual reasons for dried-out meatloaf: bread binder that wasn’t pre-soaked in milk, vegetable filler that wasn’t diced and sauteed, and overuse of packaged gravy powder as a flavoring agent.

— Mark Carlson, Herald staff

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More in Opinion

Students make their way through a portion of a secure gate a fence at the front of Lakewood Elementary School on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 in Marysville, Washington. Fencing the entire campus is something that would hopefully be upgraded with fund from the levy. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Levies in two north county districts deserve support

Lakewood School District is seeking approval of two levies. Fire District 21 seeks a levy increase.

Eco-nomics: What to do for Earth Day? Be a climate hero

Add the good you do as an individual to what others are doing and you will make a difference.

Comment: Setting record strraight on 3 climate activism myths

It’s not about kids throwing soup at artworks. It’s effective messaging on the need for climate action.

People gather in the shade during a community gathering to distribute food and resources in protest of Everett’s expanded “no sit, no lie” ordinance Sunday, May 14, 2023, at Clark Park in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Comment: The crime of homelessness

The Supreme Court hears a case that could allow cities to bar the homeless from sleeping in public.

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Editorial: A policy wonk’s fight for a climate we can live with

An Earth Day conversation with Paul Roberts on climate change, hope and commitment.

Snow dusts the treeline near Heather Lake Trailhead in the area of a disputed logging project on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, outside Verlot, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: Move ahead with state forests’ carbon credit sales

A judge clears a state program to set aside forestland and sell carbon credits for climate efforts.

Harrop: Debate remains around legalized abortion and crime

More study will be needed to determine how abortion, poverty, race and crime interact.

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Editorial cartoons for Sunday, April 21

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Keep paramedics by passing levy for Fire District 21

I live in and pay taxes in rural Arlington. Our fire department… Continue reading

Prevention still best medicine for kidney disease

This well-presented story from facts shared of stage-5 kidney disease needs to… Continue reading

Saunders: Iran’s attacks of Israel happened on Biden’s watch

We can’t know if a Trump presidency would have made a difference. But we know what happened Oct. 7.

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