WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Wednesday, August 3

Graphic showing the estimated time until 25% decline in available aquifer drawdown

Water shortages in E. Washington will happen in our lifetime, climate change to blame
A new long-term forecast has predicted that shifts in river flow and reduced snowpacks due to climate change over the next 20 years will result in drier summers and falls for eastern Washington. The report, conducted by the Washington Department of Ecology, Washington State University, and the State of Washington Water Research Center, looks at how trends in population growth along with a decline in groundwater levels could produce a water shortage in the latter half of the year. Shortages will persist throughout eastern Washington, but the report focused specifically on the Yakima River Basin, Lower Yakima watershed and the Columbia River. Continue reading at Tri-City Herald. (WA Dept. of Ecology)


Photo of an empty classroom in Massachusetts.

‘Never seen it this bad’: America faces catastrophic teacher shortage
The teacher shortage in America has hit crisis levels — and school officials everywhere are scrambling to ensure that, as students return to classrooms, someone will be there to educate them. Why are America’s schools so short-staffed? Experts point to a confluence of factors including pandemic-induced teacher exhaustion, low pay and some educators’ sense that politicians and parents — and sometimes their own school board members — have little respect for their profession amid an escalating educational culture war that has seen many districts and states pass policies and laws restricting what teachers can say about U.S. history, race, racism, gender and sexual orientation, as well as LGBTQ issues. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Adam Glanzman)


Biden signs executive order to protect travel for abortion
President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order aimed in part at making it easier for women seeking abortions to travel between states to obtain access to the procedure. The order also directs the secretary to call on health care providers to comply with federal nondiscrimination laws and streamline the collection of key data and information on maternal health at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Separately, on Tuesday, the Justice Department sued Idaho over its statute that criminalizes abortions, with Attorney General Merrick Garland arguing that it violates federal law. Continue reading at The Associated Press.


Print

Associated Press
Man accused of threatening Rep. Jayapal pleads not guilty
Biden signs executive order to protect travel for abortion

Bothell-Kenmore Reporter
State Attorney General opposes PSE rate increase request

Capital Press
Berry, tree fruit growers work to protect crops from heat wave

Everett Herald
Ahead of demolition, tribes lament loss of Mukilteo research center

International Examiner
Sound Transit will do more study before recommending where to build second Chinatown-ID light rail station

Olympian
Biden administration sues to block Idaho abortion ban, says it violates federal law
Restored Olympia pride mural survived hate vandalism, but now it needs a new home

Peninsula Daily News
Sequim wastewater facility wins ecology award

Puget Sound Business Journal
What new Treasury guidance for American Rescue Plan funds means for affordable-housing development
Amazon’s rapid growth in 2021 slowed progress on emissions, report shows
Small businesses in Seattle eligible for tenant improvement grants up to $100K

Seattle Medium
City Of Seattle To Provide Small Business Owners With Up to $100,000 For Tenant Improvement And Build Out Projects
Heat Wave Deadly In Seattle 

Seattle Times
41 large polluters to get free passes in WA carbon trading market (Carlyle)
Some WA schools opt for ‘show what you know’ system over letter grades
Opinion: Prevent traffic deaths with proven solutions for Seattle streets

Snoqualmie Valley Record
Snoqualmie to use prison labor in public works department

Tri-City Herald
Water shortages in E. Washington will happen in our lifetime, climate change to blame

Washington Post
Phones of top Pentagon officials were wiped of Jan. 6 messages
Police accused her of making up her rape, then destroyed the evidence
Biden to sign executive order aimed at helping patients travel for abortions
‘Never seen it this bad’: America faces catastrophic teacher shortage

Yakima Herald-Republic
Evacuation notices lifted in Vantage, cabin lost in wildfire as Vantage Highway closed

Broadcast

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Senate approves bill to aid vets exposed to toxic burn pits
Seattle City Council votes to end hazard pay for grocery store workers
Speaker Pelosi, Washington Rep. DelBene visit Taiwan amid threats of Chinese retaliation
US sues Idaho over abortion law, cites medical treatment

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Federal judge rules Navy failed to consider damage of Growler jet program

KNKX Public Radio
Rising temperatures are harming trees

KUOW Public Radio
Washington heat wave kills 10. Emergency rooms treat 540 heat victims
School’s in session, and teachers need help
Amazon strayed further from its climate pledge in 2021

NW Public Radio
‘It’s Putrid.’ Yakima County Neighbors Raise Air, Groundwater Concerns About Nearby Landfill

Q13 TV (FOX)
Vantage Highway wildfire continues to burn in eastern Washington

Web

MyNorthwest
Seattle kills $4-per-hour hazard pay for grocery workers, effective next month
Vantage wildfire rages in Eastern WA, burning 5000 acres

The Stranger
Seattle Ends Hazard Pay for Grocery Workers During a COVID-19 Surge (Again)