Daily E-Clips

Tuesday, October 27

Washington 9th graders perform better with new program, but funding isn’t guaranteed
In the Ninth Grade Success initiative, teachers and other school support staff pair up with students dealing with low grades, truancy, poor behavior and more. A recent state evaluation shows it’s working: More students pass their classes and stay on track to graduate, a report for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction shows. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Nuria Martinez-Keel)

WA costs more, but residents are less likely to be in debt
Washington is an expensive place to live. That’s not news to anyone who has bought groceries, filled a tank or paid a daycare bill here lately. What may surprise you: Washingtonians are less likely than Americans overall to fall behind on their debts. In Seattle, they’re even less likely. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

Feds allege 400 illegal WA state voters. Timing suspect, says WA voting official
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said late Friday afternoon that his office had received a letter from the Department of Justice requesting information about individuals on the state’s voter rolls. It will not release information that is protected under state and federal law, Hobbs said. Continue reading at The News Tribune. (Dean Rutz)

Monday, October 26

Most Puget Sound Cities Aren’t Keeping Up With Housing Growth Targets
Of the 40 cities across King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap Counties that are expected to accommodate the largest share of regional housing growth through 2044, just 14 are on track and many are significantly behind. Continue reading at The Urbanist. (Courtesy of City of Edmonds)

DOJ sending election monitors to WA’s King County
It’s unclear what role federal election monitors will play or how many there will be in King County on Election Day. Continue reading at KUOW. (Ted S. Warren)

Microsoft makes new ‘voluntary exit’ offer to about a quarter of its workforce, including some execs
Microsoft cut 4,800 jobs in July, about 2% of its global workforce, including about 600 in Washington state, followed by hundreds more across the company in September. The company cut more than 15,000 jobs in 2025. The company said the new offer is not a replacement for layoffs, which will remain part of the company’s approach depending on business conditions. Continue reading at Geekwire. (Dasharath Sunar)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Pump prices remain at record highs for autumn
Opinion: Pretending Trump is on the ballot is a great idea
Task force targets road safety with community engagement

Axios
Downtown Seattle’s office market shows signs of recovery
Amtrak opens new Seattle maintenance digs for Airo trains
Trump’s DOJ barrels into midterms with lawsuits, raids and arrests

Bellingham Herald
FEMA approves $21 million for communities recovering from disasters
Most beautiful college campuses? WA school lands on US list for the second time

Capital Press
Utility: $15 million spent to study Snake River dam breaching
Labor Department tells judge it’s striving to set wages by deadline

Everett Herald
Snohomish County first responders receive $90K in new equipment
AG gathers local law enforcement, lawmakers for forum on police use of force (Lovick, Robinson, Cortes, J.)

Journal of the San Juan Islands
San Juan County receives $660K public safety grant

Kitsap Sun
Bainbridge considering traffic cams for speed enforcement
Land sale for North Kitsap rec complex moving ahead after donations

News Tribune
State had complaints about Puyallup rail crossing before wheelchair user’s death
Fed worker hired at Hanford nuclear site charged with theft of government money

Seattle Medium
Covid Launched A New Era Of Technology-Led Learning. Now, Some Parents And School Districts Are Ready To Toss Devices

Seattle Times
Point Roberts woman dies after fearing detention if she crossed border

Spokesman Review
Fire displaces all residents at Donna Hanson Haven
Getting There: Spokane moves forward with connecting 27 miles of cycling routes by 2027

Washington Post
Powerful executives cozied up to Trump. Now they fear a reckoning.
Trump administration faces record vacancies in Senate-confirmed posts
Why more than half the world has likely breathed unhealthy air this year
Trump’s D.C. hotel is gone. Republicans still pay millions to his businesses.
Anthropic reveals $80 billion loss, surging revenue as it prepares to go public
White House is sued again over media bans as press groups seek wider injunction

WA State Standard
Birth centers are linked to better health outcomes, research shows, but 10 states have none
Nuclear waste made workers sick. Despite a law meant to help, the DOE keeps fighting their claims.

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Black bear attacks resident in rural Snohomish County

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Microsoft offers mass buyouts for thousands of employees
Mechanical issue disrupts some ferry service in Pierce County
Oak Harbor High School student trapped under car after being hit in marked crosswalk
Sheriff says ‘communication breakdown’ delayed arrest of teen suspect in Friday shooting threat

KNKX Public Radio
‘I’m just a carpenter from Bend’: Father who killed Silver Rail school shooter grapples with the aftermath

KUOW Public Radio
DOJ sending election monitors to WA’s King County
Washington school safety experts talk about mission, funding, challenges

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Last 3 miles to Artist Point closed for winter
She reported rape and abuse. She felt betrayed by the prosecutor’s office
Lynden’s pursuit of Homestead water rights prompts action from new owner
Opinion: When camps are cleared, where are those without homes supposed to go?

Cascade PBS
WATCH: Brain damage, bankruptcy, 20 appeals: A Hanford worker’s fight

Geekwire
Microsoft makes new ‘voluntary exit’ offer to about a quarter of its workforce, including some execs

MyNorthwest
Microsoft announces ‘Voluntary Exit Offer’ reportedly covering 60,000 employees

The Urbanist
Most Puget Sound Cities Aren’t Keeping Up With Housing Growth Targets

Washington Observer
You’re fired, you’re hired

West Seattle Blog
TRANSIT, WEATHER, TRAFFIC: Monday info, with bridge crashes, Highland Park Way hill truck trouble

Friday, October 23

How often are Washington police shooting people? New database tracks use-of-force incidents
The database, officially known as the Washington Data Exchange for Public Safety, or WADEPS, grew out of the George Floyd protests in 2020. Those protests led to a realization that Washington had no state-level database tracking how police use force, including how often officers shoot people. So far in 2026, the numbers show more than 1,200 uses of force state wide, from police shootings to officers releasing a police dog on a suspect. That’s out of 2.6 million calls for service. Continue reading at KING 5. (KING 5)

Thurston County food pantries hit record attendance amid SNAP cuts
Since the Trump Administration’s changes to SNAP benefits and other social services took effect, thousands across Washington have lost access to food assistance programs. As a result, experts and advocates say, demand on local food assistance programs is higher than ever. Continue reading at KIRO 7. (LM Otero)

Whatcom County ‘unequivocally’ underprepared for jump in deportation efforts
In the crossfire are U.S. permanent residents. One woman, a 61-year-old Canadian citizen and U.S. permanent resident, was held and questioned by U.S. border agents for six hours in September about whether or not she had ever voted in a U.S. election. (Paige Adamson, who — fearing deportation, declined to seek medical care in Bellingham — died Oct. 18 in Point Roberts.) Attorneys have heard from others, including a disabled truck driver who has lived in Washington alongside his American spouse for decades, and a Filipino woman with a green card in Point Roberts who now worries about being effectively trapped in the exclave. Continue reading at Cascadia Daily News. (Santiago Ochoa)

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Axios
Airlines’ new normal: Higher fares, fewer flights
Robots are coming to Washington’s apple orchards
Seattle’s missing October rain has forecasters spooked
Judge curbs Trump administration’s noncitizen voting probes

Capital Press
Post-harvest, wheat industry ponders low protein, price dockage
Washington farmworkers report drought, heat, smoke affecting field work

The Daily News
Kalama man arrested after Longview School Board meeting alleges rights violations

Everett Herald
Arlington bans the sale and distribution of kratom
Lynnwood discusses new jail medical provider contract
Everett mayor proposes sales tax hike to help balance 2027 budget
Everett adds two new “no sit, no lie” buffer zones, removes another

Kitsap Sun
Private ferry line will run Seattle to Poulsbo route during holidays
USS Abraham Lincoln sailors prepare for permanent move to Bremerton
USS Abraham Lincoln move will make Bremerton a two-carrier homeport again

News Tribune
Swank-Robnett dispute argued before state’s high court. Here’s what happened
Why do commuter buses between Pierce County and Seattle keep getting canceled?

New York Times
Americans Are Struggling to Pay Rising Medical Costs
Hegseth Barred Trans Troops. Military Boards Are Rejecting Those Orders.

Puget Sound Business Journal
SBA clarifies its loan programs for influencers
Why prices are spiking at America’s public universities

Seattle Times
Editorial: WA, school district failed teen who was starved to death
WA officials split on easing energy codes for homes rebuilt after wildfires
Opinion: Confusing vaccine policies put burden on parents, medical providers

Spokesman Review
Cloud seeding proposed to help drought-stricken farmers in Tri-Cities area
Gonzaga University launches ‘one-stop’ reporting hub following last school year’s controversies

Washington Post
The financial divide reshaping life for millennials
Breakthrough vaccine for the deadliest skin cancer cut risk by almost half
Amazon cancels plan for data centers in Virginia’s Loudoun County, donates land

WA State Standard
WA officials urge leaders not to spend $51 million Meta fine yet
Cost of employer-sponsored health insurance plans rises again, nonpartisan survey finds
Largest gas pipeline network in Northwest could grow as Oklahoma-based owners pursue expansion

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
92 undelivered ballots found in dumpster at Golden Gardens Park
Amtrak to cut ribbon on $250M Seattle maintenance facility for new Airo train fleet
How often are Washington police shooting people? New database tracks use-of-force incidents
Washington background check delays leave job seekers waiting weeks, raising questions about court records

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Get ready, drivers: Puyallup to Lynnwood could cost $54 in tolls
Thurston County food pantries hit record attendance amid SNAP cuts
DHS barred from Election Day voter fraud field operations in nine states
Conway man detained by ICE in July still in custody; WA Rep trying to help
Everett establishes new ‘buffer zones’ where camping and loitering are banned
Revive I-5 on Ship Canal Bridge to end following almost 10 months of construction
$23M settlement reached in child molestation case against Peninsula School District
USPS bins with elections ballots discovered in dumpsters at Seattle’s Golden Gardens
Witnesses recount heroic attempts to save man whose wheelchair got stuck on Puyallup train tracks

KNKX Public Radio
Bite of Seattle shooting suspect returns home under monitoring

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Expansion projects stalled at Sumas, Lynden border crossings
Whatcom County ‘unequivocally’ underprepared for jump in deportation efforts

Cascade PBS
Mossback’s Northwest: When Seattle Quakes
Despite a WA law meant to help, the DOE keeps fighting Hanford workers’ comp claims

InvestigateWest
Mercer Island School District settles sex abuse claim for $1.5M

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Friday info

Thursday, October 22

Judge blocks Homeland Security from conducting election-related sweeps in 9 states
The injunction bars operations in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin until polls close on Election Day, though the administration may appeal in the coming days. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Ross Williams)

As kratom proliferates in legal gray area, WA lawmakers eye drug ban
Washington lawmakers will look at regulating the herbal drug kratom and its synthetic versions, after some cities in the state have moved to ban sales. It’s the latest dance in the spotlight for an unregulated substance that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration tried to broadly restrict a decade ago, before reversing course after outcry from its proponents. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Kevin Clark)

People aren’t drinking like they used to. Can WA beer, wine industries adapt?
Washington’s wine and beer industries are staring down a sobering reality. Drinking culture is changing, tariffs and inflation are squeezing businesses and consumers, and local producers are making more booze than the market demands. That’s forcing two of Washington’s most iconic industries to adapt to a new era of imbibing. Continue reading at KUOW. (Monica Nickelsburg)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Ocosta School District receives hydroponics tower grant
This fall, keep bears wild and reduce potential human-wildlife conflicts

Axios
Seattle moves to sharply limit RV parking
New calf brings hope for Northwest’s endangered orcas
How Washington’s new income tax treats public pensions (Pedersen)
Democrats sue Trump over alleged voter intimidation campaign

Capital Press
Pacific Northwest sugar beet harvest advances

The Daily News
I-5 southbound lanes reopen near East Fork Lewis River Bridge
Kelso balks at $100K for visitor center, wants other cities to help pay

Everett Herald
Snohomish County District Court sees closures, cutbacks from tech turnover

The Inlander
Spokane should follow San Francisco’s and Denver’s leads and deploy police officers on foot, creating paths to treatment and stability

Kitsap Sun
Major delays expected on Narrows Bridge crossings in coming weeks

News Tribune
Parks Tacoma banned a trail advocate. Two years later, the agency has apologized

New York Times
How a Legal Backlash Against Big Tech Is Forcing Big Changes
Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion for Deceiving Users on Privacy
Employers Shift Rising Health Care Costs Onto Millions of Workers
Life Feeling Too Expensive? It’s Not Just You. And It’s Not Just Inflation.
To Make Way for Data Centers, Google Will Pay Others to Use Less Power
How Mark Zuckerberg Pushed Meta to Shield Him From California’s Proposed Wealth Tax

Puget Sound Business Journal
WA governor signs ocean innovation pact with Denmark
Seattle mayor expands downtown pilot program to reduce homelessness
Workers are surrendering hundreds of dollars annually to their employers

Seattle Times
As kratom proliferates in legal gray area, WA lawmakers eye drug ban (Reeves)
CDC ignored request from WA, California to validate a new measles test
Mayor Wilson wants more deliberate approach to homelessness clearings
No suspension for SPD leader who told cops to go into protest ‘guns blazing’
Amid protest, trans cross-country runner helps Camas take first at district meet
Democrats sue to block Trump administration from usurping states’ authority to administer elections

Spokesman Review
State regulators step closer to backing most of Avista’s proposed electricity rate boost
Local governments expect relatively minor hit to property tax revenue after August fires

Washington Post
Retirees may qualify for thousands in financial help. Here’s how to get it.
Free meal programs vanish and school lunch debt climbs after SNAP cuts
Hakeem Jeffries is poised to make history. His leadership style faces a test.
Judge restricts DHS investigations into noncitizen voting, citing flawed data
A remarkable new picture is emerging of how the air around us could harm the brain

WA State Standard
Proposal for golf course at coastal WA state park draws furor
Cheaper manufactured homes could be having a moment, if only states can catch up
Judge blocks Homeland Security from conducting election-related sweeps in 9 states

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle shifts homelessness strategy as number of unsheltered grows
Bellevue tests smartphone technology to warn drivers about pedestrians at crosswalks

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Bite of Seattle shooting suspect released on electronic home monitoring
Yakima Co. roofing company fined after worker dies in fall through skylight
WA AG Nick Brown backs legal challenge to DHS immigration arrest practices

KUOW Public Radio
People aren’t drinking like they used to. Can WA beer, wine industries adapt?
Nuclear weapons waste made workers sick. Despite a law meant to help, the DOE keeps fighting their claims

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Port looks to curb spending as inflation hits project, utility costs
Lynden teachers and district reach tentative agreement, likely averting strike

The Urbanist
State Lawmaker, SDOT Director Clash Over Aurora Avenue Overhaul (Reed)
‘We’re Not Going to Stop’: Sound Transit Assuages Concerns About Reaching Ballard

Washington Observer
Brown and other AGs gang up on Big Playground

West Seattle Blog
TRANSIT, TRAFFIC, WEATHER: Thursday watch

Wednesday, October 21

WA parents and businesses lose billions due to lack of childcare
While childcare costs continue to increase nationwide, families are hit particularly hard in Washington, where childcare can cost nearly twice as much as in-state college tuition. Families here pay an average of $21,000 a year for their children to attend licensed childcare facilities, according to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families. Those costs are among the highest in the country. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Kevin Clark)

WA hospitals anticipate losing billions in revenue from Medicaid cuts
Around 200,000 Washingtonians are expected to lose coverage by the end of next year due to the cuts. Many could meet newly enacted work requirements but won’t be able to surpass constant new paperwork barriers to maintain their insurance, officials expect. About 600,000 enrollees are expected to be subject to these requirements. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Jake Goldstein-Street)

AI is getting better at hacking power, water systems
Critical infrastructure operators are running out of time. Top-tier frontier models are dangerously adept at mapping out attacks, new research from cybersecurity company Frenos shows, and it’s only a matter of time before freely available AI models make such hacks easier to execute. Continue reading at Axios. (Sarah Grillo)