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Wednesday, March 4

Ban on police face coverings in WA nears final passage in Legislature
Senate Bill 5855 would bar all law enforcement officers in Washington from masking while interacting with the public, with exceptions for undercover operatives, personal protective equipment and bicycle or motorcycle helmets…“This policy is about accountability,” said Rep. Julio Cortes, D-Everett. “It affirms a simple principle that when law enforcement officers are exercising their authority in public-facing duties, that public has the right to know who is policing them.” Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Minnesota Reformer)

King County bans immigration detention facilities, joining other Western Washington cities
Joining other local governments across Washington state, King County has issued an emergency moratorium on new detention facilities being built or expanded in unincorporated King County. That means potentially less land for the federal government to consider as it tries to expand immigrant lock-ups under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)

WA governor: Passage of income tax could slip to 2027
Late Tuesday, the chair of the House Finance Committee said the bill has a “strong path forward.” “I am confident we will have a bill in front of the governor to sign by the end of session,” said Rep. April Berg, D-Mill Creek. There will be changes from the version passed by the House committee, she said. Those could be available later this week. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Bill Lucia)

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Associated Press
Country by country, here’s how the unfolding war is affecting the Middle East
As Mideast conflict widens, US says attacks on Iran will last weeks and intensify
Trump pushes back on mounting criticism about his Iran war battle plan as conflict spreads

Aberdeen Daily World
Ferry from Westport to Ocean Shores? Lawmaker has a plan (Nance)

Auburn Reporter
DOH awards $2.5 million to local environmental organizations

Axios
Washington Supreme Court to undergo rare reshuffle

Bellingham Herald
Need flood assistance? Disaster Loan Outreach Centers open across WA
WA Fish and Wildlife sold thousands of licenses in 2025. How many were revoked?

Capital Press
U.S. farm groups seek to inform justices about glyphosate
Immigrant protection bill revised to ease employer litigation fears
Washington Democrats tighten clean-energy law; Republicans warn of power shortage (Doglio)

Courier-Herald
Other states making progress on saving local journalism | The Free Press Initiative

The Daily News
UPDATE: Landlord pays some after nearly 400 Longview renters get water shutoff notices Monday

Everett Herald
Everett would need another $38M to build stadium, documents show
Everett’s new deputy mayor wants ‘organized urgency’ amid coming change
Washington State Patrol marks the 2nd anniversary of the death of Christopher Gadd

Federal Way Mirror
30th District legislators’ town halls cover budget, taxes, immigration (Wilson, Taylor, Reeves)

Kitsap Sun
Olympic College names 4 finalists in search for next president

News Tribune
Opinion: This privacy bill could endanger WA domestic violence victims
WA DOL caller’s TikTok gets 2.1M views, like a ‘Parks and Rec’ scene, she said
Pierce County’s homeless system wasn’t built for young people. What is the fix?

New York Times
U.S. Gas Prices Continue to Rise
British Columbia Will Change Clocks on Sunday for the Last Time

Olympian
Olympia parents worry school closures are imminent as district plans $4M in cuts
WA Fish and Wildlife sold thousands of licenses in 2025. How many were revoked?
What happens to children of immigrants taken by ICE? What to know in Washington

Peninsula Daily News
Forest repair set for spring
Flu, RSV impacting Peninsula, but COVID-19 numbers low

Port Townsend Leader
County closes broadband gap with $7.3M award
Recycling drop-off sites to shut down in Jefferson County

Puget Sound Business Journal
A big homebuying headache is going away soon

Seattle Medium
Low Interest Federal Disaster Loans Available To King County Flood Victims
Ernest Walker Takes Helm At POCAAN With Vision For Growth And Sustainability
State of Africatown Conference Highlights $107 Million Investment Plan For Black Community

Seattle Times
Opinion: WA hasn’t increased the cigarette tax in 16 years. It’s time
Bill barring masked law enforcement passes WA House, with tweaks (Cortes)

South Whidbey Record
Proposed passenger ferry expansion faces Senate sink-or-swim moment (Nance)

Spokesman Review
‘A real sign of turbulence’: Gas prices jumping after Iran conflict
Parents tried to shield their children from vaccines. Instead they got measles
Longtime Spokane resident from Iran fears for family – and troops – amid turmoil
Washington can seek additional info in child sex abuse probe into Catholic church, court rules
Spokane Regional Health District appears set to hire a new administrator. Who is under consideration is unclear.

Tri-City Herald
Why the $3.5M sprint to demolish a 90-year-old Pasco underpass?
$5M paid to settle claims Hanford workers napped, watched TV on the job

Washington Post
Why flu is a nightmare this winter and covid is less common
Noem’s spending limits have frozen millions in disaster aid, Democratic report says
Trump voucher offers new money for public school students, and pressure for Democrats

WA State Standard
WA governor: Passage of income tax could slip to 2027 (Pedersen, Berg, Street)
Ban on police face coverings in WA nears final passage in Legislature (Cortes, Valdez)
Oregon would temporarily bar expanded tax benefits for data centers under changes to governor’s bill

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Pierce County Council approves new public safety sales tax
33 charged with trespassing in 2025 occupation of UW engineering building
Washington ranks second most expensive place to buy gas and it’s going to get worse
Legislature advances bill restricting masked law enforcement; governor expected to sign
“Grandma said he killed U”: Text messages reveal family’s fear during Key Peninsula attack

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
2 Line service resumes in Bellevue after power issue causes suspension
Bill to ban police from wearing masks on duty heads to Ferguson’s desk

KUOW Public Radio
The World Cup is coming to Seattle. Will it actually pay off for local businesses?
King County bans immigration detention facilities, joining other Western Washington cities

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane offers free solar-powered residential lights to property owners
Downtown businesses push back on planned Spokane Falls Boulevard rebuild

NW Public Radio
How much microplastic is in the Yakima River? A new study attempts to find out

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Public hospital district effort gains momentum, but faces long road to ballot
Opinion: Washington should enact bottle and can recycling refunds to protect our waterways

Cascade PBS
WATCH: Bikini baristas sue over alleged wage theft, sexual harassment

MyNorthwest
Bill to ban police from wearing masks on duty heads to Ferguson’s desk (Cortes, Chapman, Trudeau)
WA millionaire income tax: Will Senate Bill 6346 pass before the 2026 session ends?
Divisions emerge among Iranian-Americans in Washington over military strikes, regime change (Farivar)
More than 30 people charged in connection with UW building takeover during pro-Palestinian protest
Purdy stabbing victims remembered for community service, suspect’s family calls WA’s mental health system ‘broken’

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TRANSIT: March’s first Wednesday

Tuesday, March 3

More bills knocked out of running in WA Legislature
Lawmakers have a lot of work to do as they sprint to the finish. They have dozens of bills they want to send to the governor and three budgets to finalize — not to mention a controversial income tax on million-dollar earners — before the session ends March 12. Here’s a sampling of the bills that didn’t survive the latest deadlines. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Bill Lucia)

The King County Correctional Facility is shown Wednesday, July 14, 2021, in downtown Seattle.

Bill to establish statewide oversight of jails in Washington dies in Legislature
Washington is one of 12 states without enforceable statewide jail standards or oversight, according to state data and corrections oversight experts. Senate Bill 5005 would have changed that, but a watered-down version that had removed all but one mention of the word “oversight” from the original bill language died in the Ways and Means Committee. ..Saldaña says what exists now is a “patchwork” of standards, and that some jails are “better than others” when it comes to getting medications or allowing inmates to experience detox from substances “in a humane way.” “Too often people leave our jails in worse conditions than when they came in,” she said. Continue reading at InvestigateWest. (LSS)

How WA deals with the quiet, widespread crime of wage theft
Experts say it’s a huge problem spread over a large number of people. But a hard number to estimate, because the more vulnerable the worker the less likely they are to come forward. Two studies surveying workers in the largest US cities found that between 17-25% of low wage workers had been cheated out of pay…In 2025, L&I found workers that filed complaints were underpaid by $6.7 million. Continue reading at Cascade PBS. (Cascade PBS)

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Associated Press
Supreme Court blocks law against schools outing transgender students to their parents in California

Aberdeen Daily World
Opinion: Defining moments for civil society and our commissioners
Calling all sea otters, but they may not defeat Willapa’s green crab invasion
Public input sought on proposed rules for use of motorized vehicles on WDFW-managed lands

Axios
Spokane and Seattle metros crack top 10 for road safety

Bellingham Herald
DOJ failed to correctly serve WA in voter-roll lawsuit, SOS Steve Hobbs says
Whatcom County Jail plan facing ‘new reality’ of lower budget as sales taxes dip
Opinion: Crime victim services are not optional, and the state budget is falling short
Ferries from Olympia to SeaTac? Bellingham to the San Juans? Lawmaker has a plan (Nance)

Capital Press
Prescribed fires to begin in Salmon-Challis forest
Oregon’s ‘terrible’ snowpack could lead to early irrigation season

Columbian
‘It’s just too expensive’: Clark County businesses struggle with rising health insurance costs

The Daily News
Kelso students volunteer for monthly street cleaning
Cowlitz County ends humane society contract; commissioner says other options remain

Everett Herald
Editorial: Keep up efforts to fund new downtown stadium
Everett’s new deputy mayor wants ‘organized urgency’ amid coming change

Islands’ Weekly
WA lawmakers consider bills affecting journalism (Liias, Saldaña, Pollet, Lekanoff)

Kitsap Sun
Several Kitsap shorelines getting upgrades through Navy dry dock work

News Tribune
Fentanyl-related child welfare bills stall in WA as critical incidents rise (Ortiz-Self)
Puyallup School District plans to cut $15 million, close high school pool
2026 Civic Agenda: TNT’s editorial board is keeping an eye on these issues
Opinion: ‘Millionaire’s income tax’ would hinder construction in Washington
Opinion: Superintendent: Legislature, governor are shortchanging WA students
Ferries from Olympia to SeaTac? Bellingham to the San Juans? Lawmaker has a plan (Nance)

New York Times
U.S. Automakers Risk Being Reduced to Niche Producers of Gas Vehicles
Parents Tried to Shield Their Children From Vaccines. Instead They Got Measles.
Despite Promises, Veterans Affairs Department Cut Thousands of Roles for Doctors and Nurses

Northwest Asian Weekly
Asian-owned small businesses face a harder reality after COVID

Olympian
DOJ failed to correctly serve WA in voter-roll lawsuit, SOS Steve Hobbs says

Peninsula Daily News
Sequim proclamation attempts to lessen immigration concerns

Seattle Times
British Columbia adopts permanent daylight saving time
Seattle’s climate and housing efforts bottlenecked by … power poles?
Seattle Archdiocese must hand over sex abuse records, WA court rules
Editorial: Olympia’s failure on copper wire theft comes with high price
Opinion: WA tenant law isn’t preventing evictions; it’s prolonging them

Spokesman Review
Spokane bans sale of kratom
Washington bill would change how sheriffs are removed (Lovick)
Opinion: Students at charter public schools deserve equal funding
Whitman County Commissioners narrowly passes ban on commercial wind farms
Newport reports $330,000 of city funds lost after scammers impersonate the town’s insurance
Spokane Council limits ICE actions on public property, bans private leases for detention facilities

Tri-City Herald
Budget cuts could close WA campgrounds, scale back trail services

Washington Post
Cruz asks Treasury to approve $200 billion tax cut without Congress
Scientists create autism panel, citing RFK Jr.’s politicization of research
Records show ICE training was slashed, backing up whistleblower claims

WA State Standard
More bills knocked out of running in WA Legislature (Jinkins, Walen)
Opinion: Washington can’t afford to wait on data center regulations

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Before the Key Peninsula killings, a traffic stop captured a defiant exchange
National average for gas surpasses $3 per gallon and is expected to rise amid Iran conflict
British Columbia adopts permanent daylight saving time; western Washington an hour behind November through March

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
More work zone speed cameras are coming — and so are the fines
U.S. military action in Iran impacts gas prices in Washington state
Invasive spongy moth spotted in Lakewood, capable of killing 300 tree species
Supreme Court blocks law against schools outing transgender students to their parents in California

KUOW Public Radio
WA Democrats forge ahead with budget plans despite Republican opposition (Ormsby)
At vigil for massacred protesters, Seattle-area Iranians process the start of war
Mixed reaction, calls for congressional action: Washingtonians react to widening war with Iran (Farivar)

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane City Council approves ordinance banning kratom sales
Spokane City Council approves Immigration Enforcement Free Zones ordinance
Spokane City Council passes emergency ordinance against detention facilities on private property

Web

Cascadia Daily News
British Columbia moves to year-round daylight saving time

Cascade PBS
WATCH: Repay and repeat: WA’s weak wage theft deterrent
How WA deals with the quiet, widespread crime of wage theft

InvestigateWest
Bill to establish statewide oversight of jails in Washington dies in Legislature (Saldaña)

MyNorthwest
B.C. ends daylight saving time permanently in 2026. WA is still waiting on Congress (Riccelli)
WA gas prices are 45% higher than national average as oil markets react to Iran strikes
New report could lead to charges against former Lakewood police chief in 2013 shooting

The Urbanist
Sound Transit Breaks Ground on Stride S3 Bothell-to-Shoreline Bus Line

Washington Observer
A second look at “Chopp Tower” (Pedersen, Santos)
An unlikely truce in the EV wars (Doglio, Liias)

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TRANSIT: March’s first Tuesday
Surprise discoveries, common challenges: Duwamish River habitat-restoration leaders gather to compare notes
From sports to shopping, how Barton repaving project that’s finally about to begin will affect users of other streets

Monday, March 2

‘I have made it clear that I will work with ICE’: Klickitat County sheriff sends jail roster to ICE in violation of Keep Washington Working Act
The legislation limits information sharing, prohibits detaining individuals solely for immigration violations and mandates that immigration enforcement be restricted at sensitive areas, such as schools, hospitals and courthouses. However, Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer recently told The Columbian that when he oversaw the county’s jail, he sent daily jail rosters to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security… “What are they going to do, throw me in jail?” Songer said. “I support ICE. End of issue.” Continue reading at The Columbian. (Isaac Stone Simonelli/Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting)

Washington state progressives strike big business tax break from ‘millionaire’s tax’
Rep. Shaun Scott (D-Seattle) authored the group’s letter to the chair of the House Finance Committee this week, protesting an early sunset of a business and occupation surcharge for corporations grossing more than $250 million a year. He wrote that the tax break would cost the state $550 million — more than cuts to education and child care would save in the governor’s supplemental budget proposal…As the committee voted to recommend that what lawmakers refer to as an income tax on millionaires moves forward, Scott, a Democratic socialist in his first term, called it “a massive step in the direction of economic justice.” Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)

Kent becomes first city to access new state police funding, looks to add 10 positions
The Kent Police Department (KPD) is the first in the state to qualify for new law enforcement funding that was allocated by the legislature in House Bill 2015 (HB 2015), enacted last year. Part of the funding comes from a 0.1% local sales tax and a $100 million state local law enforcement grant program. Hiring will begin immediately. Continue reading at MyNorthwest. (KIRO 7)

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Associated Press
Trump’s Medicaid work mandates are meant to save money. But first states will have to spend millions

Aberdeen Daily World
TRL slashes budget, plans layoffs

Bellevue Reporter
SBA offering loans for property, business losses from December flooding

Capital Press
Judge steps aside in suit by Washington rancher
Internal friction threatens WDFW wolf investigations
Bill to strengthen USDA specialty crop report draws industry support
Oregon wine industry’s economic impact keeps growing, but at slower pace
PacifiCorp makes $575 million settlement resolving federal wildfire claims

Columbian
Despite federal rollbacks, agencies in Clark County strive for clean energy
‘I have made it clear that I will work with ICE’: Klickitat County sheriff sends jail roster to ICE in violation of Keep Washington Working Act

The Daily News
River pilots see vessels come within feet of hitting Lewis and Clark Bridge
WA aims for senors, Feds for channel move to protect Lewis and Clark Bridge

Everett Herald
Everett temporarily pauses Flock camera network
State grant extends Lake Stevens salmon habitat plan
Everett-born Seahawks player to speak at State of the City
Editorial: Hope flickers to ‘irrigate’ the state’s news deserts
Comment: Flock cameras need rules to protect public’s privacy
Snohomish County judge rules Flock camera footage is public record
Everett would need another $38M to build stadium, documents show
Comment: Our challenges can’t be resolved without additional revenue

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Bill would ban some school isolation, restraint (Callan)
Bill would tax millionaire operators of ICE detention centers (Santos)
Bill would change sentencing for unlawful firearm possession

Kitsap Sun
Unemployment claims in Washington declined last week
Opinion: Bremerton doesn’t need a shelter. It needs several
Here’s how much Washington gas prices rose from last week
Kitsap County to assess Banner Forest restoration needs through 2027
Opinion: A country on shaky ground as we approach our 250th birthday

News Tribune
WA program that pays to plant trees in Tacoma, elsewhere faces elimination
Opinion: ‘Millionaire’s income tax’ would hinder construction in Washington
$10M Tacoma apartment project would replace medical administrative offices

New York Times
States Move to Limit Access to H.I.V. Treatment

Olympian
From cricket to tire clean-up: What WA’s supplemental capital budgets would fund (Trudeau)

Peninsula Daily News
Vessels now required to plug into shore power

Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon commits $50B to OpenAI partnership
Federal independent contractor rules are changing — again

Seattle Medium
Lawmakers Advance Bill To Limit Local Restrictions On Supportive Housing (Peterson)
Domestic Workers Bill Of Rights Heads To Governor’s Desk After Bipartisan Passage (Thomas)
Legislature Passes Bill to Strengthen Washington’s Vaccine Decision-Making Authority (Bronoske)

Seattle Times
Editorial: Let voters voice a real ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on income tax
Budget cuts could close WA campgrounds, scale back trail services
Opinion: Don’t balance WA budget at child care providers’ expense
Redfin to show some non-MLS home listings in deal with Compass (Liias)
More older Washingtonians are in debt and nearly bankrupt. Here’s why
Editorial: Lawmakers keep ignoring a way to improve school outcomes — for free

Spokesman Review
Washington bill would change how sheriffs are removed (Lovick)
Spin Control: Picking one picture to represent a Spokane district can be difficult (Riccelli)
Washington Democrats are on the verge of passing an income tax. Here’s what you should know (Fitzgibbon, Pedersen, Jinkins)
Top Washington Democratic lawmakers call for transparency, peers to assert congressional authority following strikes on Iran
As national debt nears $39 trillion and Trump promises to balance budget, Americans spend more on interest payments than on defense

Washington Post
Sanders pitches $4.4 trillion tax on billionaires, in 2028 marker
Markets begin to react as Trump’s attack on Iran risks hitting American pocketbooks

WA State Standard
Urban tree funding axed in WA House budget proposal
Volunteers face long road to flood recovery in Whatcom County
Early prenatal care declines across US, reversing years of progress
WA governor to fellow Democrats: Income tax bill still misses mark (Frame, Scott)
For Rivian and Lucid, path finally emerges for direct-to-consumer car sales in WA (Liias, Walen)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Iran demonstrators say a man pointed a gun at them
WSF to add 3% surcharge on credit, debit card fares starting Sunday
Middle East tensions spike oil prices almost 8%; Washington gas could hit $4.70 soon, expert warns

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
January home sale cancellations rise to 10% in Seattle
Copper theft spurs new calls for tougher crackdown, including from WA attorney general

KNKX Public Radio
Washington lawmakers move forward with guardrails on AI detection, chatbots (Wellman, Shavers)

KUOW Public Radio
Washington state progressives strike big business tax break from ‘millionaire’s tax’ (Scott, Pedersen)

KXLY (ABC)
U.S. Marshals, Spokane County team up to arrest wanted sex offender
New Spokane traffic camera catches nearly 500 violations in single month

NW Public Radio
Colon cancer incidence and mortality rates are rising in patients under 50
Washington is building wildfire risk and hazard maps. Mapmakers need your help

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Opinion: We must resist the ideology of ICE, America’s hate-driven agency
New law opens door to citizenship for ‘lost Canadians’ in Bellingham and beyond
Port, city back to drawing board for waterfront development in two days of meetings

Cascade PBS
WATCH: The quiet crime of wage theft: widespread, costly, and hard to track

MyNorthwest
Kent becomes first city to access new state police funding

The Urbanist
Neighborhood Cafe and Corner Store Bill Fails for Third Straight Year (Salomon, Ryu, Walen, Lovelett)

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Monday notes
PREVIEW: Washington State Ferries charging new fee starting Sunday
25 years after Nisqually Earthquake, what you can do in two weeks to be ready in case of another
FOLLOWUP: SDOT finalizes plan for new sidewalks, walkways in Highland Park, with fewer blocks than previously proposed

Friday, February 27

Controversial bill spelling out removal for decertified sheriffs advances in Washington legislature
Lovick said existing state law only allows law enforcement officers, including sheriffs, to be decertified for “serious misconduct” and he said the fears that sheriffs will be targeted for decertification based on their political beliefs are misplaced. “Out of the 39 sheriffs, I doubt if there’s a single sheriff that’s going to have to deal with this,” Lovick said. “But they’ll know that they will be held accountable.” Continue reading at KUOW. (AP)

WA lawmakers target immigrant detention center with tax, fine and oversight bills
House Bill 2464 would also require local law enforcement agencies to submit reports to the agency annually with information about responses to privately-run detention centers. Immigrant rights advocates support the legislation. Sen. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, argues it’s an issue of human rights. “We need the information and we need, at some point, our Department of Health to be able to go and actually go inside this facility so we know people are safe,” she said in committee Wednesday. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Grace Deng)

Judge orders more water for fish, less for hydropower on Snake, Columbia rivers
He called salmon “one of the foundational symbols of the West, a critical recreational, cultural and economic driver for Western states, and the beating heart and guaranteed resources protected with several Native American tribes,” but said they are disappearing. Continue reading at Tri-City Herald. (The News Tribune)

Print

Axios
Washington snow boosts slopes, not snowpack

Bainbridge Island Review
Kitsap students serve as pages in State Senate (Hansen)

Capital Press
Washington high court sets hearing on Horse Heavens energy project
Judge grants injunction to change Columbia-Snake dam operations to benefit fish

The Daily News
ICE releases ‘la abuela,’ 79-year-old asylum seeker, after investigation
Did you smell sewage around Industrial Way last month? This may be why.

Everett Herald
Everett would need another $38M to build stadium, documents show

Islands’ Weekly
Public health hot topic: Child and adolescent immunization schedule recommendations

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Coming home to Decatur — How a family’s wish became law

Kitsap Sun
Belfair Bypass money on track after cuts proposed in WA gov’s budget

News Tribune
How long did deputies take to respond to Tuesday stabbings on the Key Peninsula?

New York Times
New A.C.A. Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000
Employment Commission Says Agencies Can Restrict Bathroom Use by Gender Identity

Northwest Asian Weekly
Washington bill requiring Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino, and Black history in K-12 schools gets sidelined (Nobles)

Olympian
Fentanyl-related child welfare bills stall in WA as critical incidents rise (Goodman, Jinkins, Ortiz-Self)
WA lawmaker apologizes for drinking on the job after video of meeting circulates (Fitzgibbon, Jinkins)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Port of Everett seeks developer for Mukilteo waterfront project

Seattle Medium
LCB Seizes Illegal Cannabis Products At Unlicensed Tacoma Operation

Seattle Times
How WA tribes are bracing for Trump’s ICE crackdown
Editorial: Keep carbon funds flowing to fight climate change (Ormsby, Robinson)
Federal judge orders protections for salmon on Columbia River
House Democrats push to strip corporate break from ‘millionaires tax’ (Scott, Pedersen, Reed, Berry, Pollet, Macri, Simmons, Doglio, Thomas, Obras, Parshley, Hill, Mena, Bergquist)
Opinion: Before the next earthquake hits WA, we need to fix our bricks
WA Medicare Advantage buyers scramble amid Humana, Optum dispute
Amazon no longer Seattle’s No. 1 employer as head count dips below 50K
WA House majority leader admits to being intoxicated during budget vote (Fitzgibbon, Jinkins)
Transgender youths are targeted in Scouting America changes pushed by the Pentagon
Spokesman Review
Judge orders hydropower changes on Columbia, Snake to help salmon

Tri-City Herald
Judge orders more water for fish, less for hydropower on Snake, Columbia rivers

Washington Post
A new car, home feel out of reach for middle-class Americans, poll finds
Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency

WA State Standard
WA moves to issue its own guidance for vaccines insurers must cover
WA lawmakers target immigrant detention center with tax, fine and oversight bills (Santos, Orwall)
FEMA shutdown drags on amid stalemate over reforms to immigration enforcement
After slurred remarks during budget hearing, WA House majority leader admits to drinking (Fitzgibbon)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
I-5 construction pushes more Seattle-area commuters onto public transit
WA House leader apologizes for being ‘impaired’ during committee meeting (Fitzgibbon, Jinkins)
Two children left permanently harmed. Then Washington state made it worse.
Some Washington state campgrounds and parks may close permanently this spring
Activists urge Gov. Ferguson to block border patrol access to Washington driver data
Sound Transit OKs property acquisitions for Ballard, West Seattle light rail extensions

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Second school bus crash this week after van strikes bus in Snohomish
Spanish option malfunctions on DOL phone line, plays accented English instead
Banning Wall Street-owned homes would have big impact on Washington, experts say
The IRS broke the law by disclosing confidential information to ICE 42,695 times, judge says
UW researcher: Low-cost ketamine treatment shows promise in helping fentanyl users seek recovery

KNKX Public Radio
Checking in on the state of news media in Washington
Volunteers face long road to flood recovery in Whatcom County

KUOW Public Radio
LISTEN: Could conservative sheriffs get removed from office? (Lovick)
LISTEN: U.S. health care spending is the highest on Earth. Here’s why
Washington state House majority leader apologizes for drinking on the job (Fitzgibbon)
Judge orders protective measures for Columbia River salmon after Trump canceled historic deal
Controversial bill spelling out removal for decertified sheriffs advances in Washington legislature (Lovick)

KXLY (ABC)
New city plan to rebuild Spokane Falls Blvd. gets mixed reactions from residents
Mead School District grants sheriff’s office immediate camera access for emergency response

NW Public Radio
Tacoma gets grant to plant trees around where kids walk to school
Washington is building wildfire risk and hazard maps. Mapmakers need your help

Web

Cascadia Daily News
With median prices at $750K, Bellingham homeownership slips out of reach
Whatcom County Fire District 14 gets donated dam to help with future flooding

Cascade PBS
WATCH: How the Washington state supplemental budget debate works

MyNorthwest
Everett mayor issues directive regarding ICE enforcement
Former King County sheriff sues to block lawmakers’ pension grab (Ormsby)
Cutoff day fallout: DUI bill dies, mask mandate and budget battles survive in Olympia (Jinkins, Lovick)

The Urbanist
Legislation Targeting Ground-Floor Storefronts Gets Overhauled in House (Alvarado, Duerr, Parshley)

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Friday + weekend info (with functioning cams)
FOLLOWUP: See SDOT’s proposal for parking limits on 16th SW by South Seattle College
State House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon of West Seattle admits being drunk on the job (Fitzgibbon, Jinkins)
Terminal 5 opens expanded on-dock truck zone, so backups are ‘now over,’ port commissioner promises

Thursday, February 26

5 takeaways from WA budget proposals
Budget writers say the updated forecast softened the projected deficit but still leaves lawmakers billions short as rising costs in programs tied to enrollment and eligibility, such as Medicaid, special education and other social services, along with collective bargaining agreements and program growth, outpace revenue… Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane, the House’s lead budget writer, said Democrats are working to protect core services while closing the gap. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

Washington bill to curb increasing lawsuit payouts ‘unlikely’ to move forward this year
Senate Majority Leader Jaimie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said Tuesday the focus of lawmakers is on reducing the number of instances of abuse while in state care. “The real focus of our work has to be on making sure that, whether it’s the child welfare system or the juvenile justice system, that kids are safe and are taken care of,” Pedersen said. “That’s going to mean more investments in those facilities, in the people who are staffing those facilities, whether it’s the psychologists or the teachers or whatever or the social workers, those are the kinds of things we do to prevent injuries that I think are the real answer in the long term to bending the curve on what our liability is.” Continue reading at The Spokesman-Review. (Jesse Tinsley)

Drunk driving limit will not be lowered in Washington this year
On Wednesday, the sponsor of the Senate bill [Sen. John Lovick] said the outcome was “disappointing” but that he was encouraged to see it advance further than it had in four previous sessions…“The bottom line is that we need to take drunk driving seriously,” he said. “It’s our job to keep pushing and make sure people understand that our state is an outlier, our roads are more dangerous than other states. I’m not going to give up. Too much is at stake.” Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Getty)