Power Up: Nearly half the Senate, returning next week, in high-risk age group for coronavirus
One hundred U.S. senators are scheduled to return to the Capitol on Monday as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rejected calls from Democrats to keep members home amid a pandemic that has killed more than 62,000 people — and nearly 2,000 in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region. But the risks are apparent: Nearly half of the chamber is older than 65, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says puts them at higher risk of severe illness from covid-19. Several have known underlying medical conditions. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Michael Reynolds)

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Women, minorities shoulder front-line work during pandemic
As America tentatively emerges from weeks of lockdowns, it is becoming clear that the pandemic has taken its toll on workers who have been on the front lines all along. They have been packing and delivering supplies, caring for the sick and elderly, and keeping streets and buildings clean. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Frank Franklin II)

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Washington unemployment claim numbers ‘gargantuan,’ commissioner says
More than 1 in 5 Washington workers sought some form of unemployment payment last week, in what the head of the agency that administers those claims called “gargantuan numbers.” Nearly $1 billion in various benefits were paid out in the week ending Saturday, Employment Security Commissioner Suzi LeVine said. Continue reading at The Spokesman-Review. (Libby Kamrowski)

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Associated Press
1 in 5 Washington workers have filed unemployment claims
Women, minorities shoulder front-line work during pandemic
Americans’ love of dogs soars during coronavirus; Labs still the No. 1 breed
Washington man charged with selling drugs to ‘stop’ COVID
Man charged in threat against governor over virus rules
Tyson Fresh Meats plant to remain closed longer
Amazon extends work from home status until Oct. 2 for eligible employees

Auburn Reporter
Gov. Inslee to extend stay-home order
City of Auburn to take $6 million to $9 million revenue hit in 2020

Capital Press
Lighthizer seeks report on raspberry trade
While WDFW suspends wolf trapping, sheriff ready to go

Everett Herald (subscription required)
Everett misses out again: Lesser airports got a $17M bonus
Prosecutor says he won’t defend sheriff against recall effort
Costco shoppers, you gotta wear masks starting Monday

Federal Way Mirror
Federal Way police address gun violence in Westway area after homicides
Federal Way Public Schools plans virtual graduation for class of 2020
COVID-19 lets freight move more easily, study says
State health insurers due $106 million from U.S. Supreme Court ruling

Issaquah Reporter
COVID-19 lets freight move more easily, study says
Bellevue quarantine site on hold
Gov. Inslee to extend stay-home order
Island T-shirt mogul shifts to mask production
COVID-19 infection rate holding steady in WA, report says

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Inslee rolls out COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard with data
CDC provides guidance for cleaning and disinfecting to protect against the spread of COVID-19
SJICF Launches Community Response Hub, distributes $70k in grants
AG Ferguson to telecom companies: Protect consumers struggling financially during the pandemic

Kitsap Sun (subscription required)
Kitsap isolation and quarantine center hosts first guests

New York Times
Boeing Cuts Compound Virus’s Threat to Seattle-Area Economy (Sullivan)
Coronavirus Live Updates: Tensions Rise as Many States Move to Reopen Businesses
Amid a Rising Death Toll, Trump Leaves the Grieving to Others
Stymied in Seeking Benefits, Millions of Unemployed Go Uncounted
For Most Food Stamp Users, Online Shopping Isn’t an Option
Tall order: Find a vaccine; then, produce 300 million vials of it

Olympian (subscription required)
Port to reopen Port Plaza, Swantown May 5
Tenino Farmers Market to open Saturday with a new setup to maintain social distancing
Unemployment drives high demand for food assistance
Should Inslee extend Washington state’s coronavirus stay-home order? Answer our poll
State says ‘the money won’t run out’ as 20% of Thurston’s workforce files for benefits
Can’t pay May’s rent? Here are some options for renters struggling during pandemic

Peninsula Daily News
Peninsula COVID-19 cases up to 46
Sequim School Board mulls $2 million in cuts
Volunteers serve soup for apartment complexes
Olympic National Park to begin phased-in reopening next week

Puget Sound Business Journal
Unemployment claims hit 1.5M as self-employed workers gain access to benefits
Report: Boeing’s 737 Max crashes, ensuing crisis explored in new documentary for Netflix
Seattle mayor pans ‘Tax Amazon’ proposal, but it could go to public vote
Seattle’s interactive map showing open small businesses expands across region
Starbucks estimates $915M loss from coronavirus impact

Renton Reporter
COVID-19 lets freight move more easily, study says
State health insurers due $106 million from U.S. Supreme Court ruling

Seattle Times (subscription required)
Early test results suggest widespread coronavirus infections at Washington state’s largest beef plant, Tyson
Real-estate world wracked by coronavirus impacts as corporate giants, mom-and-pop firms struggle to pay rent
‘The hardest time we’ve ever faced’: Amazon revenue surges, but coronavirus costs may wipe out operating profit
As coronavirus spread, Seattle-area mortgage delinquencies rose three times faster than U.S. average
Talton: At a time when leadership is rare, Bill Gates stands tall on COVID-19
Gov. Inslee to extend coronavirus stay-at-home order, outline reopening of state’s economy
Amazon will let thousands of Seattle and Bellevue employees work from home until at least October
Seattle-area essential workers’ jobs changed due to coronavirus. Here’s what they want you to know.
The life of a Seattle school social worker during coronavirus: a hospital trip and a racing heart
Cracks halt progress on Sound Transit park-and-ride garage in Redmond
‘I died and came back’: 12-year-old recovers from virus
4 out of 5 restaurants may not reopen on the other end of the coronavirus crisis
Op-Ed: Connecting youth to career pathways — and hope — from home
Editorial: To protect food supply, keep workers safe

Seattle Weekly
COVID-19 lets freight move more easily, study says
NASA selects Kent-based Blue Origin to help return humans to the Moon

Skagit Valley Herald
Groups take sides over farmworker safety rules
Skagit County farmers markets plan to reopen, with modifications

Snoqualmie Valley Record
State health insurers due $106 million from U.S. Supreme Court ruling

Spokesman Review
Police push homeless out of park after Spokane shelter closure raises controversy and tent city
Nearly half of Spokane Veterans Home residents positive for COVID-19 after 6 more test positive
Washington unemployment claim numbers ‘gargantuan,’ commissioner says
Beware of COVID-19 scams, state and federal officials warn
Crews return to existing homebuilding sites in Spokane County
Fund the gap: Officials call for help to meet demand at food banks

Tri-City Herald
2 more free food giveaways set in Tri-Cities. Handmade cloth masks needed
Nearly 15% of workers tested so far at Tyson plant near Tri-Cities are infected
Tri-Cities health board official questions COVID death count
At least 2 more coronavirus deaths in Tri-Cities. Hospitals busier as people don’t stay home
State says ‘the money won’t run out’ as 16% of Tri-Cities workforce files for benefits
Hanford workers to stay home for a 7th week. No timeline to return

USA Today
Coronavirus at work: Safety inspectors reviewing scores of employee hospitalizations, deaths

Walla Walla Union Bulletin (subscription required)
One in five Washington workers has filed unemployment claims as federal coronavirus relief kicks in
State superintendent extends school year by five days
Test results for Tyson employees adjusted to 56 new positive cases of COVID-19
Walla Walla Community College must renew budget battle
Editorial: NCAA must consider all ramifications of allowing endorsements

Washington Post
Fact-checking the president’s triumphant rhetoric on coronavirus testing
Public companies received $1 billion in stimulus funds meant for small businesses
Justice Dept. scrutinizes White House-connected doctor linked to disputed coronavirus treatment
Nearly seven weeks into the shutdown, here’s why so many are still getting sick
Was the virus accidentally released from a Wuhan lab? It’s doubtful.
Mich. governor extends restrictions as majority of states ease theirs
The coronavirus spreads fast. Dangerous conspiracy theories about it spread faster.
After a day of armed protesters and a GOP lawsuit threat, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extends state of emergency
Fauci warns states rushing to reopen: ‘You’re making a really significant risk’
Pence staff threatens action against reporter who tweeted about VP’s visit to clinic without mask
Nearly half the Senate, returning next week, in high-risk age group for coronavirus
What Veterans Affairs isn’t saying about hydroxychloroquine and coronavirus
More airlines move to make masks mandatory for travelers to combat covid-19
Amazon, Instacart workers plan strike to protest treatment
Trump touted Google as a solution to coronavirus testing. Verily has barely made a dent.
The government’s new plan: Get farmers’ extra food to needy families. It’s harder than it sounds.

Yakima Herald Republic
Number of COVID-19 cases in Yakima County well over 1,200
Unemployment claims increase in Yakima County as benefits expand
Grant funding helps 95 Yakima Valley families hit by the coronavirus pandemic

Broadcast

KING5 TV (NBC)
Real-time updates: Gov. Inslee to speak Friday about gradual reopening of Washington state
Why you’re not getting paid: Unemployment claim problems cause weeks-long delay
Olympia business owner encourages other companies to defy stay-home orders
GPS-bugged mail leads police to suspects in Burien mail thefts
Is Amazon too big? Sales soar while the Seattle company faces scrutiny
‘Really stressful’: Mountlake Terrace family struggles as unemployment soars
Western Washington sees rise in mail theft during coronavirus pandemic

KIRO7 TV (CBS)
Inslee to announce next phase of stay-at-home order
Beer, cigarettes provided to patients at King County COVID-19 quarantine site
WA food banks in desperate need of help as demand keeps rising
After new guidance from Inslee, doctors and patients start rescheduling elective surgeries
Global death toll nears 234,000 as worldwide cases surge toward 3.3 million
EvergreenHealth tests coronavirus drug, remdesivir
Stay-at-home order could lead to more child abuse
Clinic hands out activity bags to military families
3 Seattle farmers markets open this weekend

KOMO4 TV (ABC)
Inslee preparing to announce plan to re-open state in phases
Inslee says more equipment on the way to help state increase COVID-19 testing
Jobless fret as rent comes due again amid virus outbreak
Olympia braces for multiple May Day events amid COVID-19 pandemic
Alaska Airlines to require masks on all passengers, flight staff
More than 1.6 million people in Washington are struggling with food

Q13 TV (Fox)
Inslee: Washington’s stay-at-home order will extend past May 4; state to reveal phased-in approach Friday
More than 280,000 Washingtonians in limbo waiting for unemployment benefits
Pierce County prepares to re-open parks
City of Tacoma offers $1.2 million to help tenants struggling to pay rent amid COVID-19
USPS struggles could put Washington election at risk
Amazon to extend ‘work from home’ policy for eligible employees through October

Web

Crosscut
Opinion: Coronavirus could lead to better child care if Washington acts now

Slog
Strike!!!!
May Is Going to Be Hell for Food Insecurity in Washington