I-5 Bridge Over the Skagit River Collapses: Despite the shocking pictures, there are no fatalities in last night's dramatic collapse of a bridge between Burlington and Mount Vernon. It happened at 7 p.m., and traffic will be messed up for a while. As to the cause of the collapse, Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste says, "For reasons unknown at this point in time, [a] semi struck the overhead of the bridge causing the collapse." That driver is cooperating with authorities. Here's an interview with a survivor (that picture is amazing), and Paul's collection of news updates as they happened last night.

One Quick Note, Now that the PNW Is the Top National News Story:


Obama's Big Speech Yesterday: Outlined his second-term counterterrorism strategies, including shifting away from the use of the C.I.A.s Counterterrorism Center, continuing drone strikes, and promising (again) to close Guantanamo.

Department of Energy to Clean Up Leaking Hanford Tank: They've promised to offer a plan by June 14 as to how they'll pump out the "highly radioactive waste."

Taliban Launches Coordinated Attack On UN Compound: Explosions and gunfire erupt in central Kabul; casualties are still unknown.

Melinda Gates: Comes in third on Forbes' list of most powerful women in the world, behind German chancellor Angela Merkel and Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff.

SWAT Team Fatally Shoots Fife Father Holding Son Hostage: "Police said the man was using his son as a shield inside the house and at one point dangled his son out a second-floor window," reports KOMO. Police shot and killed the man early this morning; his son is safe and with family members.

California State Senator Introduces State Reporter Shield Act: Ted Lieu, a Democrat from Torrance, proposed the bill in response to federal seizures of AP reporters' phone records, saying, "A free press is necessary for a free people. Actions that chill freedom of the press hurt the foundational core of our democracy."

UW Gets Its Largest Freshman Applicant Pool Ever: More than 30,000 students applied to be part of UW's freshmen class this year, up 16 percent from last year. Down from 65 percent last year, about 61 percent of Washington students were accepted to the university.

The Worst Movies for Sale at Cannes Film Festival: The Guardian collects a gallery of the "Palm d'Awful," including Sharknado and Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman.