After a near 12-hour deliberation over the course of two days, jurors made U.S. history last week by finding former President Donald J. Trump guilty on all 34 felony charges of falsifying business records. The verdict has been the center of stark debate across the nation, highlighting the divide between voters of the Republican and Democratic parties.

Immediately after leaving the Manhattan courtroom, Trump decried a “rigged trial”, and made multiple comments on the dangers inflicting the United States, should he be convicted. These comments echoed his intentions to exercise revenge-laden control of the country if he wins a second term as president.

The Live Nation-Ticketmaster conglomerate is now under the scrutiny of the Department of Justice for maintaining an illegal monopoly. Whether it’s a concert at Lumen Field, a Mariners game at T-Mobile Stadium, or an event on Capitol Hill, the big live event giant handing out your tickets has now been thrust into its own spotlight after years of skirting the dark side of the stage.

The entertainment industry is a curtained machine of artist management, venue operations, concert promotion, and ticket sales. After a 2010 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, the one company now owns and controls every single one of these aspects. The lawsuit, set forth by the DOJ against Live Nation, says they “control around 60% of concert promotion at major concert venues across the country.”

Over 100 firefighters and EMS staff working at Boeing facilities in Washington are locked out in an attempt by Boeing to force a contract agreement for low wages and longer progression periods.

At midnight on May 4, Boeing deactivated all security and parking passes of its on-site EMS and firefighters at its six Washington facilities around Seattle.

The lockout began at 12:01 a.m., as the current contract between Boeing and the International Association of Firefighters union expired at midnight, and a new contract had not been agreed upon. The lockout comes after months of failed contract negotiations on wages between the company and the union representing the workers.

Each year, the Karen Community Church of Greater Seattle hosts “Run for Hope for Burma”, a fundraising race to raise money for humanitarian aid in South Eastern Asian country Burma, which is currently known as Myanmar.

This year, the 5K race was held at Chambers Creek Regional Park in Pierce County on Saturday, May 25. Although it was cold and windy, the racers weren’t deterred as they empathized with refugees and internally displaced people who’ve faced worse conditions while in civil war, as a lot of the racers were previously refugees themselves.

On the morning of April 29, students from University of Washington Seattle campus pitched tents on the Quad, establishing the Popular University for Gaza Liberated Zone. Situated in between the Raitt and Miller buildings, the encampment tripled in size within the first 24 hours. The most contentious demand is for the school to cut ties with Boeing, a long-time partner.

The encampment includes organizations from the UW Progressive Student Union as well as the UW United Front For Palestine Liberation and the UW Student Muslim Association.

While the Arctic regions are renowned for their unparalleled views of the Northern Lights, this celestial phenomenon made a rare, breathtaking appearance in the skies above the Pacific Northwest this past weekend. From the shores of Puget Sound to the peaks of the Cascade Range, the dancing lights graced our region with their ethereal presence during a period of particularly intense solar activity.

This past weekend, stargazers across the United States were treated to an extraordinary display of the aurora borealis, thanks to an “extreme” geomagnetic storm classified as a G5 – the highest level. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, this was the first G5 storm to hit our planet since 2003, resulting in power grid irregularities and communication disruptions.

Over the past several months, 2,600 students have been arrested at protests across the country as encampments crop up on quads and in squares. The main call for these protests have been to end US involvement in the war, bringing it to their school administrators demanding divestment from Israel-supporting companies.

For context, on October 7, 2023, Hamas, a Palestinian militant force who has had control over the Palestinian population for the past 18 years, launched an attack into southern Israel, resulting in the death of 1,400 and the capture of about 250 people, including women and children.

On a beautiful, sunny weekend the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way, the Pacific Bonsai Museum hosted its fourth BonsaiFEST! to celebrate World Bonsai Day. During the May 11-12 event there were many exhibitions, hundreds of bonsai’s displayed, art activities, food trucks, and more.

This photo story, highlights some of the bonsais to learn more about the culture, history, and art of these miniature trees.

The touring circus Paranormal Cirque II began its western Washington leg at the Puyallup fairgrounds on Friday, May 10. Featuring an eclectic cast of tightrope walkers, sword swallowers, jugglers and burlesque dancers, this circus appeals to an older audience with a taste for the macabre.

Taking place under an ominous black tent and headed by the neon red sign displaying the name, Paranormal Cirque II feels as though the carnival from Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes” has come to life.

With Panera Bread dropping its Charged Lemonade in response to multiple wrongful death lawsuits, it may be time for a stroll down memory lane back to 2013, when an enraptured gym culture felt the side-effects of another nearly unregulated stimulant, Jack3d.

Jack3d (pronounced ‘jacked’) is a caffeinated pre-workout supplement that was banned in the U.S. in 2013 because of the illegal substance, dimethylamylamine (DMAA), though its updated formula sits on store shelves to this day.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and what better gift is there than one you hand crafted yourself? For sons, daughters, offspring, children, step-children, or chosen-children on a tight budget or anyone who simply wants to create something personal, take a look at three of the easiest, personalized crafts you can make for your beloved mother. 

“There are so many fancy and sophisticated things that we can buy and gift for Mother’s Day. One might even equate that the more expensive the gift, the more it shows our love for our moms,” says Panther Lake Community Church’s youth leader, Ehler Win.

“However, for students who are on a tight budget, handmade gifts are just as valuable, if not more than the expensive store-bought gifts,” continued Win. “Handmade gifts allow us to spend time and creativity crafting the gift.”

Free comic book day has been an active promotion since 2002, encouraging people to visit their local libraries and independent bookstores, where sample issues of popular comics are distributed for free.

As the event takes place on the first Saturday in May, this year the promotion happened to coincide with national “Star Wars” day (May the fourth), it’s a Barbenheimer level event for nerds across the country.

The play “Almost, Maine” starts with a prologue containing the line, “The farthest away you can be from someone is if you’re sitting right next to them.”

The show is fast-paced yet simple, humorous and heartfelt all at once. It is made up of eleven scenes – eight vignettes as well as a prologue, interlogue, and epilogue – with each of them taking place at the exact same time, in the same town, on the same evening.

Tucked away in Federal Way, in a pavilion near the transit center, is a barbershop you might miss if you don’t already know it’s there. But inside this shop resides some of the best in the business. From the owner Hussien Azeez all the way through to those who apprentice under him, if you’re looking for a sharp looking cut and a clean job look no further than Castle Barbershop.

The shop opened in 2016 and has had its own dedicated following in addition to the numerous awards for Best Fade the shop has won.

In moments we feel wonder, admiration or an almost foreign feeling of pure connectedness when we take a second to stop and look, we are experiencing “awe”. It’s the feeling we get in the presence of something greater than ourselves as it challenges us to reconstruct our understanding of the world.

Take having the privilege to witness the birth of a child for the very first time, or simply listening to a song you had no idea would be your favorite from there on out. It’s often we come across experiences that should make us feel that warm, yet strangely daring feeling of “awe.”

Located alongside south Dash Point road in Federal Way, there lies hidden floral grounds: Powellswood Garden, a 37-acre preservation of luscious botanicals as well as native plants and wildlife. Powellswood Garden is the perfect spot to enjoy a nice stroll through the gardens or a short hike on their trail to take your significant other for a date, your family for a day trip, or your friends for a chill hang-out day. 

Last week, we got to look into some amazing local solo artists of Washington state. If there was one thing those artists agreed upon (and what this week’s artists agreed upon), it was how music unites people.

This week, we get to learn about the unity of multiple musicians brought together; the creation of a band.

Let’s get to know your local bands!

With access to your favorite celebrities’ inner thoughts and visual diaries or your favorite content creators at your fingertips, it’s easier than ever to cultivate a one-sided relationship with pop culture figures. But are parasocial relationships as toxic as the buzz term makes them seem?

Celebrities have been a constant throughout the fluctuating trends of pop culture but the definition of celebrity is in near constant flux as content creation develops and changes.

Upon entering a restaurant and seeing a dog in a bright red vest on, it’s hard to tell whether the pup is about to start begging for food or alerting their handler to something wrong. With a “Service Dog – Do Not Pet” patch attached, there’s still a level of mistrust these days.

Due to the easy access of service dog attire, it’s commonplace for people to purchase working dog harnesses for household pets in order to bypass “no-pet policy” places. Some might claim their dog is an ESA, maintaining a privilege above business policies.

Hey there you procrastinating pupils! Tax season is pretty much the worst thing ever when you’re juggling classes, activities, and just trying to survive college life. But ignoring tax deadlines will only compound the stress worse than showing up to an 8 a.m. final without any pencils.

“This is my first year ever filing taxes and I’m so lost,” confessed Noah C. “Between trying to decode all those crazy forms and documents, not to mention actually doing the return itself, I’ve just been avoiding it completely. As a first timer, this whole tax thing is straight-up intimidating!”

Music is truly a universal language that anyone can enjoy. Regardless of language barriers or personal differences, musicians from all around the world share a culture of sound and style that creates a beautiful connection between one another.

With endless genres to choose from – like Hiphop, Pop, or Jazz – there is a style of music for everyone. In the Washington community, we get a taste of a wide variety of genres from some awesome local creators.

Let’s get to know your local artists!

One of the most inspiring and rejuvenating seasons has arrived. If you’ve been feeling the weight of winter’s eternal gray clouds and the sting of sharp cold air, dread no longer. Spring season officially began March 19, and with that, a renewed sense of you.

For most of the year, the earth’s axis is either tilted towards or away from the sun, meaning that the warmth, light, and of course, energy the sun provides us with is spread out unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet. But spring equinox, where the earth’s axis and its orbit finally align, allowing both hemispheres to get an equal amount of sun occurred March 19. 

Windows bursting mid-flight. Wheels falling during take-off. A whistleblower found dead. Since the start of this year, the Seattle-born plane manufacturer Boeing has been embroiled in controversy and accidents back-to-back. Whatever happened with the company to cause such a fall from grace?

The Seattle company was founded in 1916 after William E. Boeing, inspired by an aviation show, built and flew his first plane. Boeing then brought on more staff and engineers to keep the company afloat. Eventually, after an order and connection with the United States Navy, the company struck gold.

As March 14 (3.14) rolls around, mathematicians, educators, and pie enthusiasts worldwide are gearing up for the most irrational and delicious holiday of the year: Pi Day! This annual celebration of the never-ending number has become a cultural phenomenon, with festivities ranging from pi recitation contests to pie-baking competitions.

Speaking of which, do you know why pi isn’t on X? Because 280 characters isn’t enough for it to express itself! We hope you like pi-puns, because you’re about to be served your fair share.

The Light Rail has a lot of goals to meet by the end of 2026 in hopes to benefit the community later on in the future. However, many obstacles stand in the way of meeting that deadline, including that they have to buy more land – often ousting local business that have been in the community for decades.

The Federal Way Light Rail will be making alternative routes to meet the Tacoma Light Rail. One of those routes will go behind local shops on Pacific Highway. Another route even goes through where local shops used to and currently reside. The Light Rail has made offers to buy part of this land from Federal Way Tire City.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has made global sanitation a priority, committing over $370 million since 2011 to develop sustainable waste treatment solutions for the 2.5 billion lacking adequate facilities.

This effort originated with the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, which provides grants to researchers developing innovative toilet designs that operate off-grid without connections to water, sewers, or electricity.

Every four years, the calendar makes room for an extra day, creating what is known as a leap year – a phenomenon that is intriguing, puzzling, and practical. Today, at the end of February, the world is celebrating this unique occurrence, which adds a touch of novelty and an extra 24 hours to our usual month.

Leap years, marked by the addition of an extra day to the month of February, are necessary to keep our calendar in sync with the Earth’s revolutions around the sun.

Downtown Auburn is best known for its outlet mall and not much else, but venturing a little further into the heart of the small city, it houses several hidden gems that are worth checking out.

Klay Crazy Ceramics sits on a residential corner, with its main wall facing a busy highway, with the unpainted pottery pieces rattling on their shelves as cars cruise by. It’s a charming building, painted baby blue on the inside, and smelling sweetly of stale paint and unbaked clay.

Get ready for an exciting change! The Federal Way Transit Project is on track to wrap up in 2026, and the community is ready for the future of local transportation.

The Federal Way Transit Project, scheduled for completion in 2026, is set to transform transportation in this region of Washington, according to Sound Transit. This significant upgrade aims to create a more connected transit network, providing residents with an efficient way to navigate their daily lives.

Identity theft occurs when another person steals your personal information and uses it without your permission or knowledge. Fraud and identity theft affect hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, of people annually. Being a victim to such a crime can be traumatic, so taking necessary precautions will not only save you money, but also bring you peace of mind.

The stress from this ordeal can cost a person more than just their cash, it can bring with it an emotional toll that makes the experience feel unbearable and isolating. It is important to note, victims of this fairly modern crime are far from alone.

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) play a critical role in the American system of higher education. HBCUs have existed for 180 years, and today there are 101 HBCUs in America.

In the wake of emancipation, Black Americans founded HBCUs to educate Black students. During the segregation era, HBCUs offered one of the only paths to a college degree for Black students.

What was once seen as a nerdy niche seemingly became a trendsetter overnight. From Beanie Babies to Squishmallows, stuffed toys and plushies have followed this cycle in pop culture with new fads coming and going. When did this trend cycle start, and when will the current plushie boom end?

Since the dawn of the stuffed toy, plushie companies have been devising the next big toy to kick start a bigger trend. Some attempts like the first Peter Rabbit in 1903 or Paddington Bear in the 1970’s saw success. However, none were even close to the reign of Ty’s Beanie Babies.

Photos have long played a pivotal role in bringing news stories to life and engaging readers. As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This rings true now more than ever in our visually driven digital age. The use of photographs in news reporting dates back to the early days of the camera in the 19th century.

Mathew Brady was one of the first to demonstrate the power of images in journalism during the Civil War, bringing home the grim realities of war through his photographs of battlefields strewn with bodies. His work showed how photographs could evoke raw emotion and provide an unfiltered look at historic events.

New fighting game franchise, “Granblue Fantasy Versus”, is a popular game played here in Washington. Locust Cider First Hill has been the main-hub for anime fighting games for the Seattle area; this is how a community was formed around the love for the game.

Thank you for watching the video and supporting the team here at the Thunderword. This video is our foray into video journalism!

Starting a small business or having a side job to bring in extra income has many worthwhile benefits. Some of the benefits that a person can enjoy by bringing in extra income can include paying off debt early, taking more vacations, and saving money for retirement.

But before you get started, you will need to consider this: How will you fund, structure, register, and get your tax identification for your business? There are organizations that can help you start your own project though, like the Business Development Center at Highline College which can assist you on your journey.

Washington’s scenic hikes offer a place for you to leave behind your chaotic reality and enter the silent world of nature. You might think you’ve seen it all already, even so, whoever said discovering gems is easy? Commonly known as the “Evergreen State,” here, trails thrive anywhere and everywhere.

Hiking may not seem like the best idea with our ongoing rainy climate, but with spring season drawing closer, trails are bound to be fused with the complexity of Washington weather: damp grounds, blooming wildflowers, and sunbeams peeking through the trees. 

Migraines pummel over 37 million Americans annually with throbbing cranial pain, nausea, light and sound sensitivity, explains Dr. Matthew Preston, a neurologist and distinguished headache specialist.

“I used to get horrible migraines that made me miss so much school,” said Kiana W. “The headaches, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound were awful. I felt so alone and like no one understood what I was going through.”

The streets are cold and quiet, but energy is high at a small bar in First Hill as a community gathers once again to compete in the new game, “Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising!”

Seattle Skyfarers Rising, held on Jan. 13, is the fourth installment of a series of tournaments for the franchise, “Granblue”. It is one of many fighting game events in the continuously growing Pacific Northwest fighting game scene.

Taking place at Locust Cider First Hill, it acts as the local hub for anime fighting games for the Seattle area. 

After two years of lockdowns and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are indulging in what experts are calling “revenge spending” — making up for lost time by spending more than usual.

Urban Dictionary defines revenge spending as: “A shopping spree wherein one member of a romantic partnership whose finances are intertwined spends extravagantly and beyond the couple’s means in order to exact vengeance on the other member. Such sprees are generally motivated by jealousy, rage, spite, etc., and come about in relation to specific instances where one member of a couple feels him or herself to have been excluded from the other’s experience of pleasure.”

As risky “beauty” fads like waist trainers, detox diets, and digital alteration apps trend among youth, experts warn these can promote unrealistic expectations and even pose health dangers.

“Many of the popular ‘beauty’ trends among youth these days, like waist trainers and Facetune, promote unrealistic and unhealthy standards that teens feel pressured to achieve,” said adolescent psychologist Dr. Aubriana Teeley. “This can negatively impact self-esteem and body image during the already challenging teenage years.”

Mindfulness is a practice, which, if done regularly, can produce positive outcomes surrounding the reduction of stress and anxiety.

To practice mindfulness means to “calm, silence, or train the mind,”according to Dr. Renee Enriquez, an assistant professor at the UT Southwestern Medical Center. Telling your mind to calm down when you have a list of assignments calling your name isn’t always easy, which is why there are multiple ways of going about this exercise.

The new year is underway, and we are already halfway through January, so this begs the question: How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? 

Whether a person makes a fitness goal, plans to spend more time with family, or even spending less time on their phone, the follow through of these resolutions seems to be the biggest challenge. 

No need to fear, the Thunderword is here to simplify the problem and offer three tangible solutions to help make this year’s plans come through to their fullest!

Hydroplaning often happens when it’s raining heavily and you’re driving too fast. It’s when your tires lose contact with the road and ride on a thin layer of water between your tires and the road’s surface. This loss of traction can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Here are some tips on how to avoid hydroplaning and what to do if it happens to you.

What it is and how to avoid it:

Hydroplaning occurs when your tire tread cannot channel away enough water at a fast enough rate to maintain contact with the road. The water pressure in front of the wheel pushes water under the tire, causing it to lift off the road surface.

Into His Chambers Global International Ministries is a non-denominational church that offers many free services to members of the community including life coaching, free food, free clothing, furniture, teen advocacy, and domestic violence referrals.

Into His Chamber is under the leadership of Apostle Helen Saddler and Bishop Elect Kathy Gibson. They are located at 30815-B Pacific Hwy S in Federal Way, Wash.

Shopping and gift-giving are the highlight of some people’s holiday season, yet it can easily cross the line into over-consumerism. There are many alternatives to reduce your spending and consumption.

Whether it is to save money during the holidays, or to reduce your impact on the environment, it is necessary to observe your personal consumption habits.

According to The Conference Board Holiday Spending Survey, “US consumers plan to spend an average of $985 on holiday-related items in 2023…and an average of $654 on holiday gifts, up 6.7% [from last year].”

Walking, a seemingly mundane and everyday activity, is actually a powerhouse of health benefits, offering many advantages that extend beyond just physical fitness. Diving into the holistic advantages of this simple exercise, it becomes evident that a regular walking routine can be a transformative practice for both mind and body.

Walking is a form of exercise that is defined as moving at a moderate rate. At its core, walking is an accessible and low-impact exercise that can contribute significantly to physical well-being. Whether it’s a brisk stroll or a leisurely walk, engaging in this activity helps improve cardiovascular health, enhance muscle tone, and contribute to weight management.