Thirty three years ago today, Mount St. Helens erupted, killing 57 people, knocking down a forest and filling the sky and rivers with volcanic ash. What do you remember about the blast?

Thirty three years ago today, Mount St. Helens erupted, killing 57 people, knocking down a forest and filling the sky and rivers with volcanic ash. What do you remember about the blast?

We did the math, and most young adults won't pay more for coverage under Obamacare, as economist had feared: bit.ly/13tZ4CF

BREAKING: Seattle City Council member Tim Burgess has dropped out of the mayoral race. Details:

Happy Friday! We're excited to share The Greyboy Allstars will perform LIVE in studio today at 12:15! Tune into Midday Jazz:

Workers at Sea-Tac Airport are working on a ballot initiative that would bring up the minimum wage for the airport's baggage handlers, cabin cleaners, and retail employees to $15 per hour:

Here's the state's new official logo for marijuana licenses. Latest updates on draft rules for legal pot:

The Liquor Control Board has just released a draft of the rules for the state's new legal pot industry. We'll be updating our story here:

A recent study found elevated levels of arsenic in samples of chicken purchased at grocery stores in 10 cities in the U.S. So how did the toxin get there? Experts point to arsenic-based drugs:

Once captivated by her Android phone, our reporter Ashley Gross recently switched to a "dumb phone"—a model so simple she has to text using numbers. Here's how she explains her love-hate relationship with smartphones:

He may not have reached Brazil, but he sure touched many hearts. Hundreds of condolences have surfaced online for Seattle's Richard Swanson, who was fatally struck by a car while trying to dribble a soccer ball all the way to Brazil to raise money for charity. His story:

He may not have reached Brazil, but he sure found an audience. Hundreds of condolences have surfaced online for Seattle's Richard Swanson, who planned to dribble a soccer ball all the way to Brazil. He was fatally struck by a car in Oregon Tuesday.

Climate change is sending fish to non-native waters. In British Columbia, for example, Mexico's Humboldt squids have washed ashore. "People think they are sea monsters," said one expert. Similar migrations are taking place just about everywhere:

JUST IN: NBA owners reject Chris Hansen's bid to move Sacramento Kings to Seattle: "This was not an anti-Seattle vote; this was a pro-Sacramento vote," said NBA Commissioner David Stern.

Check out this gorgeous sunset shot by our friend Tim Durkan!

Yikes! The U.S. Postal Service ranked Seattle as the second worst city for dog attacks on mail carriers:

Join in one of the biggest days of giving in our region, and support KPLU through the The Seattle Foundation's one-day Give Big Campaign: And THANK YOU, as always, for your support! (Below, jazz legend Dr. John's artistic note seen on our wall of autographs.)

How serene. Thanks to our friend Lisa Nakamura on Orcas Island for sharing this lovely shot!

We're getting our first glimpse at what health care might cost under the Affordable Care Act. Your base rate depends on where you live in the state. Check out our interactive map for more info:

This delicate bird, called a streaked horned lark, has a curious propensity for dangerous places like airports, Army training fields, and dredge spoil dumping sites. With fewer than 2,000 of these songbirds left, experts are trying to lure them to greener pastures:

What is it about bees and hexagons? Bees, after all, could build honeycombs from rectangles or squares, or triangles. Radiolab's Robert Krulwich breaks down the reason behind bee geometry:

The teachers protested, and it appears the district heard. Seattle Public Schools will let high schools scrap the MAP test starting next year:

A new survey found Americans are "so over" hipsters and their "soullessly appropriate cultural tropes from the past for their own ironic amusement." Some even think hipsters should have to pay a special tax!

Washington's largest state universities want to "redshirt" freshman engineering majors for an entire year, and they say it's a good thing. Here's why:

Eagles have wreaked havoc on the 90-some heron nests in Seattle's Kiwanis Ravine, causing the entire colony to abandon their homes—eggs, chicks and all—last week. Now, nonprofit group Heron Habitat Helpers is asking residents to keep an eye out for these birds to see where they re-nest:

An artist in New York is collecting strangers' DNA left on tossed cigarette butts and chewed-up gum, and turning them into life-sized 3-D facial portraits of their owners:

A HUGE congrats to Roosevelt High School's jazz band, who placed third at the Essentially Ellington festival! Here, the band is seen performing with Sherman Irby earlier today.

Great news! Roosevelt High School's jazz band placed in the top three at the prestigious Essentially Ellington festival! The final concert is coming up at 4:30. Watch live here:

Happy Mother's Day! When KPLU reporter Ashley Gross was growing up, her mother made her and her sisters the best Halloween costumes. "I was always grateful to my mom for those costumes, but now that I have my own kids, I am especially in awe of what she did," Ashley says.

Diversion du jour: Caption this photo of jazz dog Winston!

Great news! Three local high school jazz bands are competing in the prestigious Essentially Ellington Festival in New York this weekend! And you can watch their performances online:

Small businesses in Washington state won't be able to participate in the new health care law. Why? Not enough insurance companies were willing to sell them coverage:

Sacramento already began celebrating last month, but investor Chris Hansen just upped the ante in his bid to bring the Sacramento Kings to Seattle:

Got a Mother's Day outing planned? You'll want to stay indoors, says Cliff Mass:

Saturday language schools are becoming increasingly popular, and not just for the language class. The largest one in the county is Bellevue's Northwest Chinese School where students learn math, art, and even English:

A proposed mine for gold and copper in Alaska’s Bristol Bay threatens to destroy the livelihood of thousands of people in the Puget Sound area. A new report by opponents of the mine puts the value of that fishery at $1.5 billion:

What a shot. Would you believe our talented friend Jim Stiles captured this photo of Mount Baker in the dark? It's true!

If Amanda Knox had been a man, would he still have been labeled "a sex-mad flatmate?" "For men, lust is a tripwire. For women, it's a noose," says Frank Bruni of The New York Times. Do you agree?

Seattle's got its head in the clouds today! Photo taken this morning by KPLU News Director Erin Hennessey.

Have you heard of the slow-flower movement? Seattle author Maria Prinzing says 80 percent of flowers sold in the U.S. are imported and far from organic, and it doesn't have to be that way. Here's her case for sustainably-grown flowers:

For Mother's Day, we're putting together a gallery of YOUR photos and stories! Send us a photo of Mom with a short caption—maybe the reason why she's the best or a saying she's famous for—to photos@kplu.org. (Photo of Adia and her cub by Woodland Park Zoo)

Why is Bill Gates so determined to end polio? "Polio is special," Gates said. "Once you get it done, you save $2 billion a year that will be applied to those other activities." He explains here:

If this McDonald's in Newport Wash., moves across the street, it'd be in Idaho where minimum wage is almost $2 less per hour. But the owner has opted to stay, even when he rebuilt in 2011. Here's why:

"Surrounded by some of the world's greatest beauty makes me push myself harder and harder to capture as much as I can to share with the world and to celebrate moments like this one," says our friend Jim Stiles, who captured this sunset on San Juan Island.

Do you or anyone you know have photos or footage of this year's May Day riot? The Seattle Police Department wants them:

It's time for Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium's 3-week-old Sumatran tiger cub to make her big debut! Visitors can see her this Thursday, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn says the 700 guns collected during a buyback in January will be melted into plaques that feature quotes from Seattle children about gun violence. Details + link to submit quotes:

Tune in now to Midday Jazz to hear pieces from the new KPLU School of Jazz CD featuring both jazz pros and talented local high school musicians: (More on School of Jazz here:

A lovely sunset to finish off one spectacular day! Our friend Jonathan Cooper captured this shot from the top of the Space Needle!

Wow! Sea-Tac just hit 87 degrees! "Hot dog!" says Winston, a French bulldog and avid KPLU listener.