‘Few core staff left’: Droves of nurses take high-paying travel jobs
Travel nursing is a field that has boomed in the past two years, with demand up for short-term positions, and those who fill them enjoying significantly higher wages. More nurses are making the same choice. [Cecillia] Hoglund estimated her Providence unit was about 80% travel nurses when she left this month. “There’s very few core staff left,” she said. “Since COVID we’ve been getting droves and droves and droves of travelers.” Continue reading at The Everett Herald. (Ryan Berry)
Rents are up more than 30 percent in some cities, forcing millions to find another place to live
Rental prices across the country have been rising for months, but lately the increases have been sharper and more widespread, forcing millions of Americans to reassess their living situations. Average rents rose 14 percent last year, to $1,877 a month, with cities like Austin, New York and Miami notching increases of as much as 40 percent, according to real estate firm Redfin. And Americans expect rents will continue to rise — by about 10 percent this year — according to a report released this month by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Bridget Bennett)
Free N95 face masks now available at some pharmacies in Washington
You can now pick up free N95 face masks at some pharmacies and health centers around western Washington. Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced it would send 400 million non-surgical N95 masks to locations across the country for Americans to pick up for free to help protect them against the COVID-19 omicron variant. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said there will be a limit of three free N95 masks per person through the program, which is set to be up and fully running by early February. Continue reading at KING 5.
Associated Press
Inslee testifies in favor of bill targeting election lies (Frockt)
WA Legislature considers curbing governor’s emergency powers (Randall)
Washington police reform bill backfired on people in crisis (Johnson, Orwall)
Moderna announces full US approval for its COVID-19 vaccine
Bellingham Herald
This new climate change solution could be tested on Whatcom, Skagit farms
New homes are so hot in Bellingham, reservations are set before framing is complete
Bellingham security patrols add ‘eyes on the street’ in advance of new programs
Whatcom County sees 905 new COVID cases, along with 40 hospitalizations and 3 deaths
Whatcom County takes action as environmentalists fight to preserve this century-old forest
State pauses logging of this 130-year-old forest near Nooksack River in Whatcom County
Capital Press
Inslee’s mandatory buffer bill failing to move
Ranchers tout bill to douse Ecology’s stockwater policy
Elk feast on farmers’ haystacks across Pacific Northwest
Columbian
Sen. Annette Cleveland bill seeks hazard pay for health care workers (Cleveland)
Clark County reports 28 new COVID-19 deaths, a record number
Opinion: In Our View: Invest in teachers to aid schools’ COVID rebound
Opinion: In Our View: Public transit warrants rethinking in wake of virus
Opinion: Cheers & Jeers: Defending facts; foolish prank
Everett Herald
‘Few core staff left’: Droves of nurses take high-paying travel jobs
Hospital lost 1% of staff to vax mandate, so why the shortage?
Amid concerns, Everett council puts off traffic camera vote
Lynnwood to send inmates to Kirkland while new jail is built
State Democrats push new round of open-carry gun restrictions (Berg, Kuderer)
State trooper who told off Inslee over vaccine mandate dies from COVID
What we know: Washington coronavirus outbreak at a glance
Reps. Berg and Slatter: Your digital privacy rights need a stronger shield
Rep. Duerr: Our connected problems require connected solutions
Comment: Supreme Court needs term limits for its own sake
Editorial: Worth of Sno-Isle’s Lake Stevens library now clear
Journal of the San Juan Islands
Free N95 and KN95 masks available
News Tribune
Volunteers spent a night counting the homeless. Is that the best way to collect data?
Tacoma’s Eastside, Hilltop lost libraries a decade ago. Is it time to bring them back?
State trooper who told off Inslee over vaccine mandate dies from COVID
Editorial: WA state House adds a 2nd way to speak on Gov. Inslee’s COVID mandates
New York Times
Covid Live Updates: Some U.S. Governors Say It’s Time to Learn to Live With Virus as Omicron Recedes
Olympian
Emails show confusion, frustration after displaced camp residents moved to Lacey hotels
Olympia police chief recruitment restarts with focus on reform, equity
Hospital administration, unions disagree on legislation for safe staffing (Riccelli, Robinson)
False election statements by elected officials could be illegal under proposed WA law (Frockt)
Robbery spike at WA pot shops has owners on ‘high alert.’ Reliance on cash the problem
Washington Senate Democrats introduce legislation to limit the governor’s powers (Randall)
Gov. Inslee signs changes to WA Cares Act into law
Peninsula Daily News
Students push for mask guidance
Lawmakers mull nurse numbers (Tharinger, Van De Wege, Chapman)
Disaster recovery center will serve 3 Clallam County locations
Puget Sound Business Journal
UW launches center as part of software engineering network to aid researchers INNO
Cannabis industry supplier to lay off 150 employees in Washington, shift assembly to California
Seattle area has 2nd-highest average tech salary in US, report finds INNO
Seattle businesses frustrated, angry about escalating crime, new council member says
Chancellor and Biden-administration adviser talks future of free community college (Conway, Keiser)
Seattle Times
Real or not, threats of violence have serious consequences in Seattle schools
As police were abandoning East Precinct, Seattle officials drafted plan to give station to a Black Lives Matter group
Where profits are soaring most for home sellers in Washington (Hint: It’s not Seattle)
Orchestrating social justice: Next steps for classical music in Seattle
78 years after disastrous World War II mission, bombardier Anel B. Shay Jr. comes home to Seattle
WA lawmakers, advocates call for PCB testing in schools in response to Seattle Times story (Pollet, Wellman, Nobles)
New bill in WA Senate targets quotas for warehouse workers (Conway)
‘Those funds are overseas now’: Tens of millions of dollars from state unemployment fraud likely won’t be recovered
Seattle to Bremerton route will be model for new electric foot ferry
Editorial: Expand and improve Washington’s apprenticeship programs (Keiser, Randall)
Skagit Valley Herald
High prices, empty shelves make for miserable shopping trips across U.S.
Sol De Yakima
Davis, IKE, dos primarias tomarán clases en línea; el resto regresa a clases presenciales
Qué necesito saber este año para declarar mis impuestos
Fuertes nevadas continúan en los pasos de monaña Snoqualmie, Stevens
Spokesman Review
Getting There: Several Spokane, Kootenai county bridges in ‘poor’ condition – what does that mean?
Fight over hospital safe-staffing standard continues in Legislature (Cody, Sullivan)
Maggie Yates, the woman leading the region’s criminal justice reform efforts, resigns
Helping neighbors in need: Spokane’s Little Food Pantry sites grow as families juggle pandemic losses, inflation
Tri-City Herald
‘Stretched to their limit.’ Tri-Cities yet to hit COVID peak with hospitals nearly full
Tri-Cities works to fend off another Biden administration snub to pay for schools, roads
Walla Walla Union Bulletin
More schools go remote as COVID-19 cases, staffing shortages plague Walla Walla area
Syphilis rate in Walla Walla, nation and world at record high
Walla Walla-based Organix’s worm solution part of area trend toward restorative business practices
Washington Post
Rents are up more than 30 percent in some cities, forcing millions to find another place to live
White House frustrations grow over health chief Becerra’s handling of pandemic
America’s split-screen pandemic: Many families resume their lives even as hospitals are overwhelmed
Fed tries to thread the needle by raising rates without endangering economy
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
Free N95 face masks now available at some pharmacies in Washington
Here are the long-term symptoms of the omicron variant
University of Washington returns to in-person learning Jan. 31
How you can avoid a false negative on an at-home test
Community, lawmakers talk about new vision for Aurora Avenue (Carlyle)
KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle rabbi believes he’s the target of anti-Semitic graffiti
Two-day protest being held in North Thurston School District
UW and Seattle students returning to in-person classes
One of Tacoma’s largest homeless encampments set for removal after multiple fires, city says
Gov. Inslee hopeful state could reach turning point in pandemic ‘in relatively near term’
Hospital administration, unions disagree on legislation for safe staffing (Riccelli)
Supporters rally for missing Oakley Carlson
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Local pharmacies in Seattle begin distributing free N95 masks
LISTEN: Senator Reuven Carlyle retiring from state legislature
Chinatown International District businesses worried about crime are moving out of Seattle
Survey asks Washington parents if COVID vaccine should be required for students
KNKX Public Radio
Criminal justice reform in WA starts with resentencing push, helping youths (Hackney)
Listen: Why aren’t more wayward orcas reunited with their pods like Springer was?
KUOW Public Radio
Pandemic updates: What to know about the second omicron variant
It was a wild week for stocks. Should you worry? Here are 4 things to keep in mind
Why omicron is crushing hospitals — even though cases are often milder than delta
Debating Washington’s renewable energy: Today So Far
A school principal’s blunt warning: We can’t pretend the pandemic is over
After 2 years, growing calls to take masks off children in school
KXLY (ABC)
Track the WA legislature that matters most in 2022
Senator Murray announces more than $60M to go towards improving Washington supply chain
How punishing people for ‘doxxing’ could prove tricky for WA lawmakers (Lovick, Dhingra)
Q13 TV (FOX)
2 bills call for higher penalties for hazing after death of WSU fraternity pledge
Web
Crosscut
Are WA traffic cameras reducing dangerous driving or making it worse?
How punishing people for ‘doxxing’ could prove tricky for WA lawmakers
MyNorthwest
Seattle rabbi says he was target of anti-Semitic graffiti
UW, Seattle University students return to in-person classes
Clark County deputy unintentionally shoots, kills off-duty Vancouver officer
Gov. Inslee hopeful state could reach turning point in pandemic ‘in relatively near term’
2 injured, 13 displaced after fire breaks out at Tacoma apartment building
State trooper who told off Gov. Inslee dies after battle with COVID-19
Woman arrested for string of arsons in Tacoma
Point Roberts business owner says despite border opening, revenue barely up
Would Inslee bill making it illegal to lie about election fraud survive a court challenge?
From Seattle to Atlanta: Starbucks union push builds steam across nation
The Stranger
You Own It. Why Aren’t You Allowed to Fix It? (Gregerson)
West Seattle Blog
WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: Second repair-work platform raised