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Hey, good morning. It's Patricia Murphy. It's Wednesday. This is Seattle now. Like it or not,

artificial intelligence is here, and Seattle wants in. The full potential of AI is still being explored,

but Seattle is angling to become a leader in the industry. They're trying to lure startups and

talent with a fancy new AI incubator on the waterfront. Geekwire editor Taylor Soper will tell us

more in a minute, but first, let's get you caught up.

Five years since the beginning of the global pandemic, and COVID-19 is no longer a leading killer in Washington. In fact, the Seattle Times reports that COVID has dropped out of the top

10 causes of death in the state. 627 people died from COVID last year. That's down 35% from the year before. COVID deaths

peaked in 2021, killing more than 5,000 people. Back then, it was the state's third leading cause of death.

The proposed ban on flavored tobacco and vape products is getting a revamp in the

Washington State Legislature. The initial bill didn't make much progress, so Democratic lawmakers made

some tweaks. The legislation now includes an additional $2 a pack tax on all cigarettes. The Washington

State Standard reports the first $5 million from that proposed tax would be spent on preventing young people from using tobacco in the first place.

And listen up, Seattle Storm fans. You have a new option to watch games this season.

Como and KUNS Channel 51 will air most games except for a handful of high-profile matchups that are exclusive to national outlets.

Single game tickets go on sale soon for the storm season, which starts next month. The first home

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