How Washington is promising free college to low-income kids
Washington state plans to let low-income kids know by the 10th grade that they automatically qualify for free college, rather than making them wait on the outcome of financial aid applications in their senior year. The new system will make it so students whose families are on food stamps can start thinking about college or career training earlier, while eliminating the barrier that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can pose for some. Continue reading at Axios. (Maura Losch)
New guaranteed basic income program in WA aims to help Native parents
American Indian and Alaska Natives in Washington have a higher maternal mortality rate than any other ethnic group. Babies born to Indigenous people are more likely to have birth complications. Tribal communities disproportionately experience housing insecurity, poverty and worse health outcomes — disparities rooted in racism and discrimination, and forged by centuries of violence, cultural genocide and economic dispossession. To help reverse those dire trends, Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services launched the Nest in August 2023, the first guaranteed income program in the United States that specifically serves Native communities. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ivy Ceballo)
Voters upheld Washington’s major climate law. Advocates hope it’ll be a blueprint for other states
Washington state voters upheld one of the most ambitious climate laws in the U.S. in November, by rejecting a ballot initiative that would have repealed the state’s landmark cap-and-invest law, the Climate Commitment Act. This comes as a new Donald Trump administration is expected to roll back federal climate policies. The Climate Commitment Act took effect in 2023. It puts a cap on carbon emissions and raises billions of dollars for programs that help the state prepare for and adapt to climate change. One of the largest polluters in the state actually supports this law and framework. Continue reading at KNKX. (KNKX Graphic)
Axios
How Washington is promising free college to low-income kids
Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County waste hauler says it won’t accept these ‘problematic’ containers for recycling
Capital Press
California loses 8.4 million birds in past month to bird flu
U.S. appeals nationwide injunction against corporate reporting law
Everett Herald
Boeing lays off 396 more workers in Washington
Community Transit approves budget with more service
Comment: Green investments aren’t having a good year, but their focus on the bottom line still makes good financial sense.
Journal of the San Juan Islands
Grants up to $120,000 educate about local environmental projects
News Tribune
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Puget Sound Business Journal
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Seattle Times
Three WA members of Congress talk strategy ahead of Trump presidency
New guaranteed basic income program in WA aims to help Native parents
U.S. life expectancy gap widens to 20 years among groups, Seattle researchers found
Editorial: WA Legislature must keep gun safety a priority
Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit County Board of Commissioners passes county’s 2025 budget
Spokesman Review
STA seeking feedback on planned 2025 service changes
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Tri-City Herald
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Washington Post
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WA State Standard
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Wenatchee World
Federal Grants Awarded to Chelan and Okanogan Counties for Habitat Restoration Projects
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
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KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Nearly 400 Boeing workers in Washington receive layoff notices
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Boeing is building new 737 MAX planes for the 1st time since workers went on strike
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KNKX Public Radio
Voters upheld Washington’s major climate law. Advocates hope it’ll be a blueprint for other states
KUOW Public Radio
Free online therapy for teens and young adults is coming to Seattle
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KXLY (ABC)
Spokane City Council votes in favor of C.O.P.S contract extension
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Staffing and safety issues at Adams County Jail prompt costly overtime for corrections officers
Web
Cascadia Daily News
Claim forms for water rights lawsuit finalized; expected to mail in February
Crosscut
Thurston County must repay up to $668K in fraudulent rental aid
Young WA councilmembers provide a ‘generational voice’ in politics
San Juan County adopted a 32-hour workweek. Here’s what happened
MyNorthwest
Boeing lays off nearly 400 more people in Washington, state reports
South King County man sentenced for ‘straw purchasing’ over 130 firearms
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The Urbanist
Opinion: State must reform Sound Transit to keep expansion on track
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Washington Observer
Takeaways from our political operatives (Cleveland)
West Seattle Blog
Week and a half left to comment on new zoning plans. Morgan Community Association briefing Thursday