President Biden urges ‘concern, not panic’ over omicron variant
President Joe Biden called the new COVID-19 variant omicron a cause for concern but “not a cause for panic” Monday and said he was not considering any widespread U.S. lockdown. He urged Americans anew to get fully vaccinated, including booster shots, and return to face masks indoors in public settings to slow any spread. Speaking Monday at the White House, Biden said it was inevitable that the new variant would reach the U.S., but he also said the country has the tools necessary to protect Americans — particularly the approved vaccines and booster shots. Continue reading at The Associated Press.
Discipline delayed: Washington state struggles to stop sexual misconduct in health care, leaving patients vulnerable
In 282 cases since 2009, state health regulators have taken more than a year to discipline a provider accused of sexual misconduct, an investigation by The Seattle Times has found. From the moment officials receive a complaint, they have deadlines laid out in state regulations: 21 days to evaluate the allegations, 170 days to investigate, 140 days to decide whether to bring charges, with more time limits to hold hearings. But these deadlines are largely aspirational and routinely missed. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)
Time runs out on harmful Native American names and mascots in WA schools
By the beginning of next year, Native American names and mascots are no longer allowed in public schools across Washington state. In the Marysville School District, Marysville Pilchuck High School is dropping the name Tomahawks, and Totem Middle School will no longer call themselves Thunderbirds. Dr. Stephanie Fryberg has studied the harms that come from Native American mascots and imagery. She’s a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan. She’s also a Tulalip tribal member. Continue reading at KUOW. (Marysville School District)
Associated Press
Biden urges vaccinations, not more restrictions as omicron spreads
Northwest residents urged to stay alert as storms roll in
COVID’s ‘not done with us’: Nations rush to contain omicron
State faces threat of more ‘atmospheric rivers’ and floods
EXPLAINER: What we know and don’t know about omicron variant
Enrollment drop could cost WA schools $500M in state funding
Supreme Court set to take up all-or-nothing abortion fight
Aberdeen Daily World
Grays Harbor County jobless rate rises to 5.8%
Flood damage assessed in Whatcom County as more storms forecast
Flood losses could hit $50 million in Whatcom County; more rain expected
Auburn Reporter
Department of Health announces QR code verification program to prove vaccination status
Bellingham Herald
‘It appears that we are through the worst of it,’ Everson says; Sumas sounds flood siren
I-5 lane still closed south of Bellingham; here are Whatcom roads impacted by latest storm
Lummi Nation declares disaster as tens of thousands of invasive European green crab found
Extend-A-Hand helped her ‘know where her kids would sleep’ so she could find a job, home
With worker shortages still an issue in Whatcom County, wages are on the rise locally
Ferndale mayor on upcoming severe weather
Sumas businesses, city hall and more begin cleanup following flooding
Whatcom sees another COVID-related death, but Bellingham hospital reports another decrease
Capital Press
Washington Farm Bureau picks new president
H-2A wages to rise by 9% in California, 6.5% in Washington, Oregon
USDA promised to invest in regional markets. Now, it’s happening—but how?
WSU dryland research station precipitation above average — so far
Lessons from disaster: What the Bootleg Fire reveals about forest management
Columbian
Success of White Salmon River restoration a blueprint for other Northwest dams
Opinion: In Our View: COVID cautions remain important for holidays
Opinion: In Our View: Legislature must address infrastructure
Opinion: In Our View: Cheers & Jeers: Shop locally, COVID outbreak
The Daily News
Fossil fuels and the future: Where will Cowlitz County go now?
Everett Herald
A pandemic playbook, used nationally, was made in Snohomish County
Snohomish adopts sales tax for mental health, affordable housing
What we know: Washington coronavirus outbreak at a glance
Another outbreak sends 60 to isolation at Monroe prison unit
Arlington formally recognizes homeland of Stillaguamish people
Everett officials have questions about a 125-room hotel shelter
County proposes roundabouts, narrow lanes for 84th Street NE
Comment: Confronting racism here will take real effort
Comment: Federal Child Tax Credit reducing poverty; for now
Comment: Indigenous people don’t disappear; they’re ignored
Comment: Climate migration gets thoughts moving on cause
Comment: Career-based learning is keeping students engaged
Comment: NRA shot itself in the foot; that may not matter
Bloomberg Comment: Working world’s gender gap persists, study confirms
Bloomberg Comment: World has given covid variants room to get deadlier
WaPo Comment: 5 supply chain myths show problem’s complexity
WaPo Comment: Ahmaud Arbery was victim of his own optimism
WaPo Comment: Military families’ plights make case for family leave
WaPo Comment: Native American cultural influences embedded in U.S.
WaPo Comment: So, is the ERA part of the Constitution, or not?
Editorial: Everett must make most of pandemic windfall
Letter: State should end animal fur trade
Kent Reporter
Kent City Council considers adding more red-light cameras
News Tribune
Here’s what police chief candidate Michael Carroll has to say about issues facing Tacoma
Here’s what police chief candidate Kathy McAlpine says about issues facing Tacoma
Here’s what police chief candidate Sean Case has to say about issues facing Tacoma
Here’s what police chief candidate Avery Moore has to say about issues facing Tacoma
Here’s how Pierce County will spend money from its long-awaited behavioral health tax
Dungeness crab season to open Dec. 1 for first time in years
New York Times
Covid Live Updates: W.H.O. Warns of ‘Very High’ Risk From Omicron as Questions Remain
Tracking Omicron and Other Coronavirus Variants
Small Manufacturers Scramble to Remake Their Supply Chains
Interior Dept. Report on Drilling Is Mostly Silent on Climate Change
Olympian
Thurston commission to hold public hearing on interim emergency housing ordinance
Lummi Nation declares disaster as tens of thousands of invasive European green crab found
Mayors scramble for face time with Buttigieg with billions of infrastructure dollars at stake
South Sound escapes flooding from ‘atmospheric river’
Planning to visit this part of Mount Rainier? You’ll have to wait. It’s not safe
Editorial: Port fails community by dragging feet on hotel sale that would provide housing
Peninsula Daily News
Some flooding reported on Peninsula; rain in forecast
Authorities continue to monitor COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term-care facilities
Port Townsend Leader
Jefferson County reports 19th death to COVID-19
Jefferson County hosts COVID clinics for children
Another COVID death reported in Jefferson County
Puget Sound Business Journal
SBA’s EIDL a struggle for some small-business owners as deadline nears
Hybrid work is expected to be the new norm. Pulling it off successfully will come with challenges.
Big malls facing big loans as the sector remains on shaky ground
What’s next for the U.S. free community college movement
Climate Pledge Arena’s groundbreaking sustainability efforts offer a gigantic example — and new challenges
Restaurants offer higher wages, but labor squeeze endures
UW Bothell student housing redevelopment gets underway
Opinion: Leading when you don’t know the answers
Redmond Reporter
Affordable housing and service center receives $900,000 in county funding after budget approval
Seattle Times
Jury awards $7 million to former public defender stalked by client, finds King County liable for hostile work environment
It’s been the wettest early fall on record in the Seattle area — and more rain is coming
UW researchers create wearable device that detects and reverses opioid overdoses
Meet the drag queen on a mission to create safe outdoor spaces for underrepresented communities
Ordering in: Food delivery surged in the Seattle area as COVID-19 pandemic took hold
A sea turtle found off Washington’s coast, cold and clinging to life, recovers at Seattle Aquarium
Netflix’s ‘Maid’ can spark more understanding of the issues facing domestic workers
‘Unimaginable:’ Mount Vernon dairy farmers reeling from flood devastation
As ketamine clinics emerge in Seattle to treat mental illness, so does debate about safety and regulations
Discipline delayed: Washington state struggles to stop sexual misconduct in health care, leaving patients vulnerable
Editorial: Give every student access to computer-science education
Washington Post
Biden says omicron variant is ‘cause for concern, not a cause for panic,’ urges vaccination, booster shots
International travelers stranded, angry in omicron’s wake: ‘The first thing I did was cry’
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is stepping down
Congress returns to work staring down fiscal deadlines and fights over Biden’s agenda
Omicron coronavirus variant poses ‘very high’ global risk, WHO warns
Omicron travel bans on African countries are ‘Afrophobia,’ Malawi’s president says
Opinion: The Rule of Six: A newly radicalized Supreme Court is poised to reshape the nation
Yakima Herald-Republic
National college admissions navigation program has strong roots in Lower Yakima Valley
Bipartisan redistricting plan may not allow Latino voters in Yakima to elect preferred candidates
Opinion: Other Views: Details of Arbery prosecution should still worry us
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
Sea-Tac Airport sees up to 150% increase in holiday travelers over 2020
Black residents 6 times more likely to experience force from Pierce County deputies, study finds
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Another atmospheric river to likely bring more flooding
Sea-Tac Airport sees busiest travel day of Thanksgiving as omicron variant looms
Canada reports first 2 cases of omicron COVID-19 variant in Ottawa
Voluntary evacuations underway in Whatcom County
Flooding predictions for Skagit River downgraded
National Guard pre-deployed as Whatcom County prepares for weekend flooding
Reports: Italy, Germany report cases of omicron COVID-19 variant
Highly mutated ‘omicron’ variant sends UW Medicine labs rushing to prepare
Link light rail line in Seattle’s U-District back running after train stops, riders left stranded
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
City of Kent pledges action after multiple shootings in span of one week
KUOW Public Radio
Time Runs Out on Harmful Native American Names and Mascots in Wa Schools
Massive Covid outbreaks occurred at Seattle-area schools with lax protocols
As the Supreme Court considers Roe v. Wade, a look at how abortion became legal
The World Health Organization warns of very high risk posed by the omicron variant
As Omicron spreads, studies suggest that travel bans alone don’t do much good
Smaller fish tags to help sockeye studies above Grand Coulee Dam
Web
Crosscut
Can younger generations spur corporations to divest from fossil fuels?
Infrastructure legislation could open doors to women in building trades
The Stranger
Bellevue School District Student Speaks Out About Abuse, Gets Expelled (Thai)
Council Uses JumpStart Payroll Tax to Fuel Big Affordable Housing Investments in 2022 Budget
West Seattle Blog
Bridge-work briefing and more for your West Seattle Monday