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The man suspected of setting a fire that destroyed hundreds of Spokane homes and forced 60,000 people to evacuate was contacted by law enforcement last summer for two fires but never arrested, according to court documents. Detectives say Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, was wearing the same green shirt, which says “Who needs luck, I have charm,” at one of last summer’s fires as the wind-driven Old Trails fire started Saturday on the West Plains that rapidly moved east, ravaging neighborhoods in northwest Spokane. Law enforcement contacted Farinacci shortly after the fire started Saturday and released him without charges. They later...

The Brief:A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of intentionally starting the Old Trails Fire in Spokane County. Investigators say the wildfire has burned more than 3,600 acres and destroyed hundreds of structures, though the suspect is not believed to be linked to two other major fires. Authorities have not identified a motive, and all three major Spokane County wildfires remain 0% contained. SPOKANE, Wash. - A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree arson for allegedly starting the Old Trails Fire, one of three wildfires in Spokane County that have destroyed hundreds of homes. The suspect is...

A 37-year-old Spokane, Washington, resident with a previous manslaughter conviction was arrested Monday in connection with largest of the region’s three wildfires, which have displaced thousands and destroyed hundreds of structures, authorities said. Aaron Farinacci, 37, was taken into custody without incident with the help of a SWAT team after a judge signed a warrant based on an allegation of first-degree arson, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said at an evening news conference. Farinacci was being held on $1 million bond, he said. It was unclear if he has been formally charged or has a lawyer, and the public defender’s...

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes was relieved of his duties Wednesday night by Mayor Katie Wilson, five different sources tell FOX 13 Seattle. According to sources, Barnes began texting individuals Wednesday night discussing his dismissal. Barnes had been scheduled to conduct 1-on-1 interviews with Seattle media Wednesday afternoon, but those interviews were abruptly canceled. At 6:30 p.m., he appeared at a silent vigil for victims of the Bite of Seattle shooting. He left abruptly, and sources tell FOX 13 he had a meeting with the mayor after the vigil, which is when he was asked to resign. The backstory: On...

Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton has been fined and suspended from attending the team's next five home games, the WNBA confirmed to Fox News Digital. The suspension and fine come after Keaton allegedly called a pair of teenage Sophie Cunningham fans "f---ing insane" during a game on Tuesday, independent Seattle-based journalist Brandi Kruse told Fox News Digital. Kruse was in the arena and accompanied the girls, who were there to watch Cunningham and the Indiana Fever take on the Storm. Cunningham addressed the incident involving Keaton in an X repost of Fox News Digital's report late Wednesday night.

Seattle's police chief now refers to gangs as 'small groups' in the wake of a mass shooting in the city that killed three. Shon Barnes repeatedly used the term during a press conference Monday, hours after Sunday's massacre at the Bite of Seattle food festival that is believed to have been gang related. He told a press conference that a motive remains under investigation but that it was 'certainly group activity.' Seemingly referring to gangs, the police chief added: 'We have small groups that appear to be at odds with each other.' 'In our city, 0.01% of the population is...

Multiple people were shot at a food festival in Seattle on Sunday night, sending families running for their lives. Rapid gunfire was heard at around 6pm at Seattle Center, which was hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival over the weekend, the Seattle Times reports. Early reports suggest at least six people were shot, including possibly a child. The victims were then transported to Harborview Medical Center, according to KING 5.

Idaho Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson recently signed on to a renewed attempt to overhaul the visa program for agricultural migrant workers. The proposed legislation includes a change long-sought by Idaho’s dairy industry leaders — it would allow year-round agriculture producers to access workers, instead of just for seasonal labor. “This is an issue that I’ve been working on for probably 20 years with the dairy industry in Idaho and the challenges they face,” Simpson said at a June 30 press conference to announce the legislation. The bill, H.R. 9535, would make several changes to the H-2A visa program, which...

The combination of anti-Semitism and violence on the left deamands attention. It is a toxic brew. Democrat Washington Rep. Adam Smith provides a recent example in connection with his vote against aid to Israel this week. Matthew Shea reports at Jewish Insider (links in original): Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, indicated he voted to cut off military aid to Israel in part because of sustained personal threats against his family and his staff, part of what he described as a violent and relentless campaign of intimidation by far-left anti-Israel activists. Smith voted...

A super-woke Democrat running for Congress in Washington state has admitted she’s too scared to come out in support of LGBTQ+ rights because it might upset Muslims, even though they account for a tiny fraction of her district. Melissa Chaudhry, 34, who is running for a second time in Washington’s 9th congressional district after losing her 2024 bid, made the glaring admission in an interview with a local Seattle-based newspaper. Chaudhry, who took her Muslim Army veteran husband’s last name and wears an Islamic headscarf, or hijab, was asked why she had nothing on her campaign website about LGBTQ+ rights,...

Back in April, Seattle’s socialist Mayor Katie Wilson laughed at the idea of millionaires fleeing the city over the prospect of new and higher taxes.In fact, so many of them have moved there in recent months that the nonprofit community in the city, which offers various services, is completely overwhelmed.She is seemingly unconcerned about the fact that downtown Seattle is becoming a ghost town with tons of unoccupied commercial space. On the other hand, she is probably overjoyed that transgender people are migrating to Seattle in huge numbers.“Though trans people make up just 1 percent of the population in Washington...

An attorney in Washington state promised "miracles" to tens of thousands of immigrants seeking legal status in the United States. Instead, Alexandra Lozano created fake stories of domestic abuse and human trafficking to apply for humanitarian visas without her clients' knowledge, according to several lawsuits and a legal ethics investigation. They say she preyed on immigrants' desperation to drain their bank accounts while leaving them at risk of deportation. She is accused of hiring workers who didn't have proper legal credentials and building an assembly-line system to rush through applications, even copying clients' signatures onto documents they never saw. "I...

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FIFA has confirmed that rainbow flags will be permitted inside Lumen Field when Iran face Egypt in Seattle's designated "Pride Match" on Friday, dismissing lobbying efforts from both Muslim-majority nations. The world governing body stated that the 2026 World Cup is "an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds," adding that "fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events."

Local moratoriums spring up after state inaction, while New Mexico and Utah fight “hyperscale” data polluters .... Local governments in Colorado are moving quickly to slap moratoriums on new data center development in reaction to a public backlash against rising electricity prices, heavy pollution and lucrative tax breaks. Denver, Jefferson County and Longmont have all moved in recent weeks to limit data centers, which house servers for mass computation that demand enormous amounts of electricity and cooling water. Cities and counties are moving in part because the state legislature failed to act in 2026, eventually letting two competing bills die...

* Iran and Egypt have both criticised the branding of their World Cup group-stage meeting as a "Pride Match" * Egyptian football officials formally lodged objections with FIFA over LGBTQ+ themed activities surrounding the fixture * The June 26 match in Seattle was designated by local organisers as part of Pride Month celebrations Iran and Egypt have expressed opposition to branding of their upcoming World Cup meeting as a "Pride Match," with both football federations raising concerns ahead of the Group G fixture in Seattle. The two nations were drawn together for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the tournament...

Beacon Hill homes burned as a fast-moving blaze raced through trees and into the Northwood neighborhood near Spokane Valley on Tuesday. The wildfire torched over 250 acres with no containment as strong winds continued to push it east during the afternoon. Spokane County Fire District 9 Chief Matthew Vinci said 12,000 residents were under evacuation orders and 2,300 structures were threatened. He did not have an estimate for how many buildings were lost. No injuries were reported. Malek Chreiki stood in the grass at the Pasadena Park Church of the Nazarene, watching the smoke plume from above the trees. “I...

A Washington high school wrestler and her mother have filed a federal lawsuit after Pierce County prosecutors declined to file charges against a transgender competitor accused of assaulting the student during a girls' wrestling match. The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, seeks damages and policy changes related to transgender participation in girls' sports, reporting of sexual assault allegations, and parental notification requirements. Defendants include the Puyallup School District, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), state education officials, and others, facing allegations that officials failed to respond appropriately after the reported assault. The complaint stems from a...

King County didn’t just lose residents. It lost billions of dollars in income. Newly analyzed IRS migration data shows more than 68,000 tax filers left King County in 2023, taking approximately $2.19 billion in adjusted gross income (AGI) with them, according to reporting by the Puget Sound Business Journal. The findings raise new questions about the long-term health of the region’s tax base as Seattle-area leaders continue expanding public spending while businesses, jobs, and higher-income residents increasingly look elsewhere. According to the Business Journal’s review of IRS county-to-county migration records, nearly one-third of departing King County tax filers relocated to...

A Washington school board director who owns a sex shop is helping host a sex education event for children as young as 9 years old, drawing scrutiny over the program's content and the role of an elected education official in promoting it. Jenn Mason, the owner of WinkWink Boutique, which describes itself as a "woman-owned, inclusive, ‘not creepy’" sex shop in Bellingham, WA, about half an hour from Seattle, is hosting an "Uncringe Academy" for 9- to 12-year-old children on June 24. The event will cover gender and sexual identities, puberty, periods, the "paths to parenthood: the many ways to...