WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Wednesday, October 26

Vice President Kamala Harris laughs with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan during a tour of electric school buses

EPA awarding nearly $1 billion to schools for electric buses
Nearly 400 school districts spanning all 50 states and Washington, D.C., along with several tribes and U.S. territories, are receiving roughly $1 billion in grants to purchase about 2,500 “clean” school buses under a new federal program. Vice President Kamala Harris and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan are set to announce the grant awards Wednesday in Seattle. The new, mostly electric school buses will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money and better protect children’s health, the White House said. Continue reading at The Associated Press. (Jacquelyn Martin)


Flares burn off methane and other hydrocarbons at an oil and gas facility

Climate warming methane emissions rising faster than ever, study says
The amount of methane in the atmosphere is racing ahead at an accelerating pace, according to a study by the World Meteorological Organization, threatening to undermine efforts to slow climate change. The WMO’s Greenhouse Gas Bulletin said that “global emissions have rebounded since the COVID-related lockdowns” and that the increases in methane levels in 2020 and 2021 were the largest since systematic record keeping began in 1983. “Methane concentrations are not just rising, they’re rising faster than ever,” said Rob Jackson, a professor of Earth system science at Stanford University. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (David Goldman)


Photo of Moriah Hughes, who is suing Jehovah’s Witnesses for failing to protect her from Elihu Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty to felony child rape in 2019

Why aren’t clergy members obligated to report abuse in WA?
In Washington, clergy — unlike teachers, physicians and law enforcement — were not listed as mandatory reporters of child abuse or neglect. [Former Rep. Mary Lou] Dickerson, D-Seattle, introduced a bill that would have changed that. But each attempt failed. The closest any version came was in 2005, when a bill that would have compelled clergy to report sexual abuse passed the state House unanimously. However, a watered-down version still couldn’t make it out of a state Senate committee. No similar bill has been proposed since. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Erick Doxey)


Print

Associated Press
3 men convicted of supporting plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer
Water investigations said to test Biden racial equity pledge
VP Harris in Seattle to announce $1 billion for electric school buses

Aberdeen Daily World
State representative’s wife killed in Cosmopolis car accident

Bellevue Reporter
DOH data shows childhood vaccination rates remain stagnant

Capital Press
Company’s stake in proposed Washington carbon credits unclear

Columbian
Editorial: In Our View: Meta defies campaign law, will of the voters
Editorial: In Our View: Wildfire underscores climate, forests need help

The Daily News
Area burn bans lifted as rainy weather forecasted through the week in Lower Columbia

Everett Herald
Everett city dress code for bikini baristas ruled unconstitutional
Everett tenant joins lawsuit alleging price fixing by major landlords
Lynnwood council again scraps $40 car tab fees

Journal of the San Juan Islands
San Juan Island Library Capital Grant Advances to Legislature

News Tribune
Texts he sought were deleted. Fired Pierce deputy will get $400K but not his job back
Ex-Pierce County sheriff’s sergeant pleads guilty to lesser charge in felony assault case

Olympian
Olympia City Council gets update on housing projects — and a nudge to clarify objectives

Peninsula Daily News
Burn bans lifted on Peninsula
In November, Peninsula COVD updates to be monthly

Puget Sound Business Journal
Port approves $260M for Sea-Tac Airport upgrades
The IRS is warning business owners about a lucrative Covid-19 credit
Cyberattacks on small business owners are on the rise.

Seattle Times
Snow, spinouts on WA mountain passes: Here’s what to know
Seattle’s Forterra fires executive after tribe, investors, ex-staff speak out
Delta ‘weaponized’ mental health rules against a pilot. She fought back

Skagit Valley Herald
Sedro-Woolley seeks new planning commissioner
Grant-funded projects provide new opportunities for Swinomish justice system

Spokesman Review
Heart of the Columbia Basin: Othello is young, Hispanic and growing fast
Volunteers of America Eastern Washington will add behavioral health services with $4 million federal grant
City Council approves payment in $4 million settlement with family of man killed by police

Tri-City Herald
Pasco picks new interim city manager. He has more than a decade of experience
Dam turbine leaks hundreds of gallons of oil into Snake River in Eastern WA

Washington Post
Trump chief of staff Meadows ordered to testify before Ga. grand jury
For those still trying to duck covid, the isolation is worse than ever
Climate warming methane emissions rising faster than ever, study says
Regular exercise may improve the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines
A profound change is coming to American school buses

Yakima Herald-Republic
Old orchard pesticide cleanup open house planned for Nov. 8 in Yakima
Gathering in Toppenish calls for an end to violence on Yakama Reservation

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Western Washington University investigating anti-Semitic graffiti on ‘free speech board’

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
New federal program recruiting volunteers to address public health shortages
What changes when Washington’s COVID-19 emergency ends next week? 

KNKX Public Radio
Omicron keeps finding new evolutionary tricks to outsmart our immunity
Early retirement took off during the pandemic. An economic downturn could change that

KUOW Public Radio
As electric vehicles become more popular, home renters face a charging dilemma

KXLY (ABC)
School districts, tutoring centers look to boost student learning after decline in test scores
Local officials activate emergency operations center in effort to clear Camp Hope by Nov. 15

Web

Crosscut
Why aren’t clergy members obligated to report abuse in WA? (Billig)

MyNorthwest
After Supreme Court ruling Bremerton coach to be reinstated by March
WSU lifting COVID-19 vaccine mandate, legal experts weigh in on move
New safety feature for Light Rail in the Rainier Valley

West Seattle Blog
More ‘natural drainage’ in Highland Park, and a chance to ask questions