Silent running

Couldn’t you just put baseball cards in the wheels? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing sound standards for electric vehicles. Not because they’re too loud but because they’re so quiet that pedestrians and cyclists often don’t hear them as they approach. NHTSA is proposing automakers choose from a range of added noises for electric cars.

This could be a huge selling point. We’d love to see the reaction of cyclists who hear a Harley coming up behind them and then see a Prius pass by.

No, the McRib doesn’t count: McDonald’s is expanding its test marketing to Chicago for its “Mighty Wings” chicken wings, deep-fried bone-in chicken wings served with a choice of dipping sauce.

It’s the first time that McDonald’s has offered a menu item that, unlike the McNugget and the McBite, actually comes from an identifiable part of the chicken.

Somebody’s been sleeping in my planet: Astronomers scanning the skies for Earthlike planets say the Milky Way galaxy is home to at least 17 billion planets similar in size to our planet, but they have yet to find one in the so-called Goldilocks zone, where a world would not be too hot nor too cold.

Even more sought-after is a world in the Hansel and Gretel zone where the planet’s crust is made of gingerbread.

Don’t know much about history: On this day in 1963, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” measuring 30 inches by 21 inches, went on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., with President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline, in attendance.

Jackie remarked on its small size, to which John replied, “Ah, that’s what she said.”

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More in Opinion

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Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

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

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

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Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

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

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

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