Opinion: Streamlined permitting will help get more people into housing
Permit review timelines may not be visible when you are walking down a street in your neighborhood, but they are a critical part of the work that allowed for those homes to first be built. If this isn’t working, it can have a significant impact on housing availability and affordability. Even though cities and counties do not share much information on their timelines, we know that the wait is unacceptably long in many places. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)
Climate risks worry home buyers, especially on the West Coast
Potential climate disasters are a major worry for people buying homes in Washington, as well as elsewhere along the West Coast, according to new research from Zillow. High home prices in West Coast markets may be forcing many people who are worried about climate risks to compromise and accept those risks anyway. While Pacific state homebuyers were more likely to consider climate change-related issues when choosing a home, they also were more likely than people elsewhere to say they plan to buy in an area with one or more disaster risks. Continue reading at Axios. (Maura Losch)
Washington’s new equity director on where her office goes from here
Washington’s new Office of Equity director, Megan Matthews, wants you to know she’s ready to get to work. The Standard spoke with Matthews to learn more about her approach to leading the Office of Equity in the wake of her predecessor’s dismissal, what exactly the office does and how she plans to hold its work accountable to Washingtonians. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Gov. Inslee’s Office)
Axios
Climate risks worry home buyers, especially on the West Coast
Washington state’s math test scores rebound — slightly
Bellingham Herald
Beware of the ‘triple-demic’: Whatcom County health officials looking toward cold and flu season
Capital Press
Washington senator proposes cap-and-trade rebates for farmers (Mullet)
Columbian
Vancouver playground promises fun for users of all abilities (Cleveland, Stonier)
Evergreen teachers union, district reach tentative agreement
Clark County’s five most dominant sectors increase footprints as county grows by nearly 50 percent
Everett Herald
New Everett reservoirs built to weather big earthquake in $23M project
Paper or plastic? Snohomish County may require businesses to take cash
Editorial: Larger issue in Marysville schools’ budget woes
International Examiner
Program teaches youth about Seattle’s Duwamish River and its toxic seafood
Community leaders rally for unity in response to South End home invasions targeting elderly Asians
Kitsap Sun
State’s New Hope Act paves way for Rep. Simmons, others to clear criminal records (Simmons, Hansen)
News Tribune
Why didn’t health officials find Listeria in Tacoma Frugals machines in April inspection?
WA students are making a comeback on state assessments. Is Pierce County following?
$20M claims against Tacoma, WSDOT say ‘dangerous’ road design led to crash that killed 6
Olympian
‘We have got to find a way.’ Olympia’s largest tiny home village needs money to stay open
Peninsula Daily News
Olympic National Park fires slow their growth
Puget Sound Business Journal
Washington State Hospital Systems Face Financial Losses
Kroger agrees to $1.4B opioid settlement; reveals deal to sell 413 stores related to Albertsons mega-merger
Seattle Times
WA struggles to hand out federal cash to find and replace lead pipes
WA court to hear case that seeks to stop ballot signature rejections
Campus recovery groups support student sobriety as overdoses rise in WA
Behind hotel doors, King County’s homeless people find relief, new risks
Editorial: Mental health needs go beyond what $1 billion will do for King County
Opinion: Efficient permitting will lead to more housing
Opinion: China’s economic decline brings risks to both Washingtons
The Skanner
Evergreen Public Schools and Teachers Union Reach Agreement on New Contract
Spokesman Review
Sen. Murray tells House Republicans to ‘back off’ as Congress returns to D.C. with government shutdown looming
Opinion: Congress must reauthorize the Affordable Connectivity Program
Tri-City Herald
WA board says Tri-Cities judge should be censured and suspended for 2nd DUI
Fire burns Zintel Canyon again. Kennewick officials investigating if a person started it
Washington Post
Black history is ‘being attacked.’ These parents found alternatives.
WA State Standard
Federal court dismisses second challenge over boundaries of Washington legislative district
Washington’s new equity director on where her office goes from here
U.S. Justice Department asks Supreme Court to take up abortion pill case
Yakima Herald-Republic
Inside temporary foreign worker housing: Checking in on H-2A in Yakima
Yakima officials to host regional fire authority discussion
Broadcast
KING 5 TV (NBC)
Off-duty Seattle officer struck by his own stolen car while interrupting vehicle thieves
KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle City Council could soon vote on new drug possession law
Narcan available over-the-counter to combat rising fentanyl overdose deaths
Inslee’s initiative aimed at removing encampments from state land needs more money
KNKX Public Radio
WA state Supreme Court rules against school district that sued for construction funding
KUOW Public Radio
Advocates challenge the suspension of prisoner-led cultural groups at Stafford Creek
An $8 rifle spurred a change to Washington’s background check law. Here’s how.
KXLY (ABC)
I-90 overpass, traffic light in Liberty Lake now open
Q13 TV (FOX)
WA Crime Lab on track to clear backlog of rape kits in next 3 months
Lanes of I-5 reopen near SR-520 after ’emergency repairs’
Future of AI in Washington classrooms
Web
The Stranger
Judge Blames “Defund” and Cop Shows for Problems with Seattle Policing