WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Wednesday, Aug. 4

A registered nurse prepares to enter patient rooms in the COVID-19 acute care unit of UW Medical Center-Montlake in Seattle.

Health officials concerned with uptick in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations in Washington due to delta variant
Health officials are raising concerns about a rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Washington due to the spread of the delta variant. The state Department of Health on Tuesday reported 600 hospitalizations statewide — a 20% increase since last week. An average of 1,500 new daily cases have been reported over the past four days and the percent of positive tests has climbed to 5.5%, up from 2% a month ago. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Elaine Thompson)


Cows at Tollgate Farm Park in North Bend.

State’s dairy workers begin earning overtime with new law
Washington state dairy workers can start earning overtime pay after a new law took effect July 25. The law, signed by Gov. Jay Inslee in May, allows dairy farmers to earn overtime pay at 1.5 times their regular rate for any work above 40 hours per week. Farm workers had previously been exempt from overtime pay because they were excluded from the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Continue reading at Auburn Reporter. (Conor Wilson)


Forest fire in Klamath National Forest.

Western forests face devastating consequences of climate change, wildfires
Wildfires are an increasingly dangerous threat to people, wildlife, and property in the American West, but that threat could eventually taper off. That’s not necessarily a good thing. Maureen Kennedy is an assistant professor of wildfire and forest management at the University of Washington Tacoma. She told KUOW’s Paige Browning about her research. Continue reading at KUOW. (Unsplash and Matt Howard)


Print

Associated Press
WA sees 1,500 new cases a day of COVID-19 in recent days
Southern Resident orca near Washington state presumed dead
NLRB preliminary finding revives labor organizing at Amazon
Spirit cancels half its flights; American also struggling

Aberdeen Daily World
Work begins Aug. 16 to stabilize 101 at Cosi Hill slide area

Auburn Reporter
State’s dairy workers begin earning overtime with new law (Keiser)

Bainbridge Island Review
COVID, housing, budget discussed at BI school meeting

Bellevue Reporter
Independent investigation conducted after Lynnwood Jail death

Capital Press
Vilsack on wildfires: Nation, Oregon face ‘larger challenges’
Lightning sparks new wave of wildfires in Cascades
Washington Ecology to fund drought relief
Risk of large fires to stay high into fall
Tree fruit growers assess damage from late June heat wave
Hot, gusty weather could mean explosive fire growth in West

Columbian
PeaceHealth to require vaccinations for workers

Courier-Herald
Tax breaks for apartment developments? City seeks public comment
Letter: Americans deserve Medicare for All

The Daily News
BPA’s first rate cut in decades may not affect local costs
PeaceHealth, Kaiser Permanente requiring COVID-19 vaccination for employees

Everett Herald
Woman left alone for 3 hours at Lynnwood Jail killed herself
New low-income apartments to replace Whispering Pines
Bloomberg Comment: ‘Median voter’ doesn’t ask for much but gets it
Letter: Vaccine opponents risk tragedy for more than themselves
Letter: Students need to be taught history, warts and all

Islands’ Weekly
Delta variant drives sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations
‘Unprecedented growth in garbage’

Journal of the San Juan Islands
San Juan County COVID case cluster investigation underway

Kent Reporter
King County has no plans to buy any Kent hotels for the homeless

Kitsap Sun
Kitsap racial equity grants help two nonprofits aid kids ‘on a bigger scale’

Mercer Island Reporter
Mercer Island families prepare for return to in-person learning

News Tribune
‘No-poop zones.’ Residents say travelers are using Pierce County community as a toilet
With cases stacking up, Pierce County court adjusts COVID rules to get trials moving
Following potential COVID exposure, it’s back to Zoom for Gig Harbor council
You can visit national parks for free on two days in August. Here’s what to know

New York Times
Trump asks a judge to block the Treasury Dept. from giving his tax returns to Congress.
Defense Secretary Weighs Recommending Vaccine Mandate for Troops
Amazon Faces Wider Fight Over Labor Practices
In the Infrastructure Bill, a Recognition: Climate Change Is a Crisis
Democrats Seek $500 Billion in Climate Damages From Big Polluting Companies

Olympian
Thurston County confirms fourth COVID-19 outbreak at jail
Medic One levy lift passing by wide margin in early returns Tuesday night
Thurston sees 2 more COVID-19 deaths, 196 cases
119 COVID-19 cases in 2 weeks prompts closure of UNFI’s Centralia distribution center
Restaurant fined repeatedly for defying Washington COVID restrictions closes for good
Editorial: Washington state’s police reform is taking effect without alternatives in place 

Peninsula Daily News
Clallam County Commissioners award $5.5 million bid for first phase of Lower Dungeness levee project
Makah Tribe strengthens its rules as COVID-19 cases rise
WHAT WE KNOW: Coronavirus outbreak at a glance
Protection Island fire fills bay with smoke

Puget Sound Business Journal
Push continues for more Restaurant Revitalization Fund money as advocates warn of closures
Biden sets eviction ban in variant-stricken areas
PeaceHealth becomes latest system in Washington state to require caregiver vaccinations
Data shows downtown Seattle is recovering more slowly than other big cities
Redfin pushes back office reopening, will require vaccinations for returning workers

Seattle Medium
Durkan Proposes Comprehensive Budget Plan To Address SPD Hiring, Reduce Gun Violence, And Invest In Alternatives
City Of Seattle To Invest Over $50 Million In Second Wave Of Rescue Plan

Seattle Times
Health officials concerned with uptick in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations in Washington due to delta variant
Opinion: How we can restore forests, increase fire resilience and protect communities
Editorial: Take a step back from the grand reopening

Skagit Valley Herald
Orcas’ brief visit to Salish Sea bookended by causes of celebration, mourning

Snoqualmie Valley Record
Snoqualmie police chief explains impact of state’s new reform laws
Letter: New education legislation signed into law

South Whidbey Record
Projects inch closer to federal funding
Letter: Should be less reactive and better informed
Letter: Cost of childcare seems high, but not when you consider factors

Spokesman Review
Spokane businesses joining national push to require proof of vaccinations
Unhappy campers: Several camps shutter due to poor air quality

Tri-City Herald
West Nile virus found in Kennewick and Richland. Here’s where
Tri-Cities air deteriorates to ‘very unhealthy.’ Excessive heat watch issued

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Goodwill move from Walla Walla to College Place good to go after pandemic pause

Washington Post
Last-minute eviction ban extension fuels confusion and is too late for some
Mexico to sue U.S.-based gunmakers over flow of arms across border
Tens of millions of people have been moving into flood zones, satellite imagery shows
Most unvaccinated Americans believe coronavirus vaccine poses greater health risk than the disease, poll finds
Officer killed in attack outside Pentagon identified, was Army veteran
Virtually all emperor penguins doomed for extinction by 2100 as climate change looms, study finds
Here’s what we know about the delta-plus variant

Yakima Herald Republic
As COVID-19 increases, Yakima County health care providers weigh vaccine requirements for staff
Hearing delayed; Yakima council member Jason White remains under protection order
‘There was nothing we could save’: Heat wave cooked Walla Walla sweet onions to mush
Letter: Disinformation is putting vaccine doubters at risk

Broadcast

KING5 TV (NBC)
Washington homeowners experiencing ‘sticker shock’ when pandemic-related ‘mortgage forbearance’ ends
Acts of domestic terrorism targeting railroads a concern for law enforcement in Washington
CDC issues new targeted eviction moratorium due to COVID-19, but can’t extend full moratorium without Congress

KOMO4 TV (ABC)
Delta variant drives spike in cases, hospitalizations as state leaders urge vaccine
Redmond area residents irked after learning county bought nearby hotel for homeless
Could Seattle follow NYC and push patrons to show proof of vaccination at indoor venues?
Montlake Bridge closing for almost a month to replace entire deck in $7M project
Vancouver approves ‘supportive campsites’ for homeless
Winner of Washington state’s $250,000 military COVID-19 vaccine lottery announced

KNKX FM
What does a fifth wave of COVID mean for WA – masks, vaccine mandates, another lockdown?
After months of requests, Native American religious sweat lodge ceremony will resume at WA prisons
Pierce County Council says equity should play role in how it distributes services, resources

KUOW FM
Pandemic blog: Washington’s hospitals are filling up
Crews From Alaska To Puerto Rico Are Trying To Control The Bootleg Fire
New research models possibly devastating consequences of climate change and wildfires for western forests
The Biden Administration Plans A New Eviction Moratorium After A Federal Ban Lapsed

KXLY (ABC)
‘People are just literally jumping ship’: Homeschooling surges across the nation, local families make switch
WA Department of Health concerned over rise in cases and hospitalizations
Smoke, ash, heat and drought hurting Washington agriculture

NW Public Radio
Biden asks governors: How can we help with western wildfires?

Q13 TV (Fox)
Washington sees 1,500 new cases a day of COVID-19 in recent days

Web

Crosscut
Washington tribe calls on Seattle City Light to remove the Gorge Dam
Fury with Seattle Children’s builds after racism report kept private

MyNorthwest
State sounds alarm over latest rise in COVID cases with hospitals strained to their limit
Seattle area continues march toward record dry streak despite thunderstorms next door
Two major Washington health care providers will require vaccinations for employees
Microsoft delays return to office, will require workers to be vaccinated