Daily E-Clips

Wednesday, July 15

SNAP enrollment dropped by 33,000 in WA. Here’s what local food banks are seeing
According to data from the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, thousands of Washingtonians enrolled in SNAP have lost their food assistance or had their benefits reduced since the implementation of H.R.1. Continue reading at Tacoma News Tribune. (Liesbeth Powers)

Prices in Seattle have risen among the most in the nation, according to federal data
According to consumer price data collected by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, costs in the Seattle-Tacoma region are up about 4.5% from June of last year, the largest overall change in a 12-month period in the entire Western region of the U.S. and second highest in the nation, beating the New York City-Newark, NJ-Jersey City, NJ area by 0.4%. Continue reading at KING 5. (KING 5)

Inside One of 18 Data Centers Operating in Tukwila Industrial Park
While the council moved relatively quickly in passing the legislation, becoming the first major city in the country to pass a data center moratorium, it appears that most of the data center build-out has already happened in the Seattle metro area. Continue reading at South Seattle Emerald. (Alex Garland)

Tuesday, July 14

Six months in, WA has paid unemployment to more than 100 striking workers
The state has paid out more than half a million dollars in unemployment benefits to workers during labor disputes this year. Washington’s new benefit extending unemployment to striking union workers took effect Jan. 1. Since then, the state Employment Security Department has made payments to 138 people, totaling 642 weeks of pay and nearly $506,000, the agency reported this week. The total could soon climb. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

Trial begins in WA suit against Albertsons over opioid epidemic liability
Washington state wants grocery chain Albertsons to pay for its alleged role in fueling an opioid epidemic that has killed thousands here. State Attorney General Nick Brown argues Albertsons dispensed hundreds of millions of opioid pills despite red flags in many cases that should’ve made the company’s pharmacy staff think twice. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Eric Thayer)

WA governor wants to require FAFSA for high school graduation
High school seniors in Washington would need to complete student aid paperwork to graduate, under a proposal Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Monday. If students didn’t want to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, they could sign an agreement to opt out. Ferguson will press for lawmakers to approve the requirement during the next legislative session, which begins in January. Around half of Washington families qualify for higher education financial aid, according to the state’s Student Achievement Council. But last year, Washington ranked 47th among states for the number of high school seniors who completed the FAFSA. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Photo courtesy of governor’s office)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Claims accuse Pacific County of bungling health services funds
What’s at stake: How budget reductions impact fish, wildlife, and people

Capital Press
Trump administration curbs ESA’s control over land
Ag 250: How Washington apples became America’s top fruit

Everett Herald
Report: Snohomish County to repair, replace seven bridges in coming years
Snohomish County sued again over alleged sexual abuse at Denney juvenile jails

Kitsap Sun
Clock ticking on Bremerton shelter plan’s funding, zoning changes
Poulsbo begins planning for potential overhaul of downtown streets

News Tribune
Tacoma has free trees for residents. Here’s how to sign up this summer
Puyallup-area man charged in theft of signatures against millionaire’s tax

New York Times
Europe Takes Step Toward Possible Social Media Ban for Children
Largest Landlord in the U.S. Accused of Widespread Fair Housing Violations

Puget Sound Business Journal
Sea-Tac expansion plan draws fire from neighbors

Seattle Times
What upcoming thunderstorms could mean for wildfire danger in Washington
Six months in, WA has paid unemployment to more than 100 striking workers
Opinion: New BPA leader must find balance between modernization, conservation

Spokesman Review
Washington, 11 other states seek to block Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
Spin Control: Feds step up war over Washington elections with prosecution threat

Washington Post
Trump shrinks two national monuments — again
Cigarettes are back in vogue. How did this happen?
Oil prices jump after Trump’s threats on Strait of Hormuz
The left sees a billionaire backlash — and an opening for a wealth tax
Authorities investigate Taco Bell and lettuce as cyclosporiasis outbreak surges
Emails detail confusion in State Department over Trump plan to destroy contraceptives

WA State Standard
Washington state agency won’t say why director is on leave
WA governor wants to require FAFSA for high school graduation
Trial begins in WA suit against Albertsons over opioid epidemic liability
Private equity might dodge state laws by partnering with healthcare nonprofits
Democratic governors say proposed changes to federal grants would harm reproductive healthcare

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Navy ship spills up to 5,000 gallons of diesel into Elliott Bay
Gray whale deaths near record levels in Washington, years after ‘Unusual Mortality Event’ declared over

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Inquest begins into deadly Seattle police shooting
Seattle considers a proposal to double the transit sales tax
Pierce Transit offering free rides to cooling centers July 14, 15
‘It was cartoonish’: Federal Way mayor shares how city slashed car theft 80% in three years

KNKX Public Radio
Nine more join suit against Snohomish County alleging abuse at juvenile detention centers

KXLY (ABC)
Eastern Washington firefighters train for increasingly extreme wildfire behavior
Spokane considers 10 mph speed limit on downtown Wall Street under new ‘shared streets’ ordinance

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Meet the new editor-in-chief of Cascadia Media Company
World Cup a boon for Bellingham bars. Hotels? Not so much
As incentive, Bellingham may waive this city tax for new downtown businesses
Bellingham mayor is the city’s highest-paid employee. Voters could change that

Cascade PBS
WATCH: Tacoma Mayor on the City’s $40 million general fund shortfall

InvestigateWest
Idaho Supreme Court: Judges can consider immigration status in probation decisions

The Urbanist
I-5 Expansion Over Columbia River Stumbles Forward with Federal Greenlight (Fey)

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Tuesday info
TRAFFIC ALERT: Work on West Marginal Way SW
Thousands of gallons of diesel from Navy ship at Vigor spill into Elliott Bay

Monday, July 13

WA, other states sue Trump administration to block school mental health funding cuts
Fifteen states on Friday sued the Trump administration to prevent millions of dollars in cuts to school-based mental health funding. The new lawsuit is part of an ongoing legal battle between Democratic-led states and the U.S. Department of Education over a mental health grant program that Congress established following the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. At stake is a $1 billion program that offers grants to school districts across the country to help them hire and train more mental health professionals to work in schools. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Corinne Smith)

Outdoor guides struggle as Washington’s rivers shrink amid drought
Washington is in its fourth straight year of drought, and many rivers are running much lower and slower than normal. This impacts fishermen and farmers. It is also a problem for outdoor recreation, as the changing conditions make some activities more difficult and dangerous. Continue reading at KNKX. (Parker Miles Blohm)

WA pre-K program’s growth a frustration for some childcare providers
The program’s rapid growth in recent years has been met with frustration and concern from some private childcare providers, like Murphey, who have struggled to enroll 4-year-olds. That age group is particularly helpful in making providers’ budgets work because they take less resources to care for than younger kids. The saga of Transition to Kindergarten illustrates one of the biggest challenges in expanding access to early learning: The existing childcare system is fragile. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Column: Silence is complicity, and absolute power corrupts absolutely
Thirty 2026 gray whale strandings highlight importance of partner coordination and response

Auburn Reporter
Link light rail ridership records set during World Cup

Bellingham Herald
Bellingham is full steam ahead on housing. Check out these latest projects

Capital Press
Klamath drought programs see impressive enrollments
USFS funds landscape-scale restoration work in SW Idaho
California argues federal challenge to chicken rules suffers from ‘fatal flaw’

Covington-Maple Valley Reporter
Renton City Council delays vote to turn on ALPR, Flock cameras

Everett Herald
Boeing launches Everett’s first 737 MAX production line
Snohomish PUD prepares to open first battery storage site in Arlington

Journal of the San Juan Islands
A message from Council member Justin Paulsen: 2027 San Juan County budget development process

Mercer Island Reporter
City Council holds first reading of GMA compliance amendments

News Tribune
Rules of the Road: Is it always illegal to cross solid yellow lines?
Kids = money in WA. That’s led to disparate outcomes in Pierce County schools

Northwest Asian Weekly
Joyale changes closure plans, will remain open on weekends after community outcry
Diverse community rally calls for Mayor Wilson to take down cameras citywide, cancel Axon contract

Puget Sound Business Journal
Boeing opens Everett’s first 737 Max line
New housing law also boosts small bank lending. Here’s how.
Seahawks sale fetches record-setting bid from Silicon Valley VC
Historic housing law offers fresh grants, new business programs
Sound Transit CFO draws on past lessons in face of $35B shortfall

Seattle Times
WA pre-K program’s growth a frustration for some childcare providers

South Seattle Emerald
Column: Seattle Had No Homicides in June. Don’t Use It to Justify More Policing.
Opinion: Neglected Traffic Medians on Rainier Avenue South Point to Inequity in the South End

Spokesman Review
$25K reward offered for information on Chelan Hills fire start
STA purchases property for expansion from convicted rapist Arlin Jordin
‘Right to cooling’ might have saved some, but not all, of Spokane’s heat dome deaths
Getting There: STA says tax is essential to maintain, improve service. Opponents say reserves suggest it’s overfunded

Washington Post
New rules, new risks for corporate climate claims
Businesses brace for years of inflation as new costs pile up
Compare your monthly fuel costs for an EV versus a gas car
Researchers worry a Trump rule could end U.S. scientific dominance
‘Colorblind Constitution’ concept underlies key Supreme Court rulings

WA State Standard
Storied WA state park in central Puget Sound at a crossroads
A year and $80K later, a probe of WA fish and wildlife commissioners continues
Snake River water trust users won’t face water curtailment in Idaho this summer
WA, other states sue Trump administration to block school mental health funding cuts

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
A brother’s warning: When mental illness turns deadly

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Revive I-5 closures return to Seattle
Sound Transit sees record ridership during Seattle’s FIFA World Cup matches
Evacuation orders lowered for ‘Transfer Fire’ in Lake Chelan, fire extinguished
Albertsons to stand trial in King County for role in Washington opioid epidemic

KNKX Public Radio
Outdoor guides struggle as Washington’s rivers shrink amid drought
Fewer sockeye are returning to the Upper Columbia. Washington closed its fishery to protect the salmon

KUOW Public Radio
What will Congress’s biggest housing reforms in 30 years mean for Seattle?
In Washington and Hawaii, Planned Parenthood now prescribes abortion pills ‘just in case’

KXLY (ABC)
Seahawks sell for record $9.6 billion to billionare Vinod Kholsa
Post Falls enters ICE partnership as community voices concerns and support
20-year master plan approved for Mount Spokane State Park with major projects and upgrades planned

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Fish passage at Ross Dam could involve blasting a new road. Is it worth it?
Opinion: We need a better conversation on AI, affordability and economic resilience

Cascade PBS
Sit-down with new Tacoma Mayor Anders Ibsen

The Urbanist
Opinion: The Data Says Seattle’s High Earners Tax Is Working, Despite Whining from Big Business

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Post-festival Monday

Friday, July 10

Judge: WA can do health inspections at Tacoma detention center
A federal judge ruled in favor of Washington on Thursday, allowing state Department of Health officials to inspect the region’s largest immigration detention center after thousands of complaints from people detained there. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)

Hundreds of children ordered to appear at new ‘mega’ immigration hearings in Seattle
Seattle’s immigration court is packed with kids this week. Minors used to only have their hearings on Fridays, attorneys say — but starting Tuesday, the federal government embarked on what it says is a new way to process a backlog of cases. All these cases used to take months or years to process. Now they’re being moved up, sped up, and packed in on more days — in what are called “mega master” hearings. These expanded hearings have already been taking place for adults over the past weeks and have now started for children. Continue reading at KUOW. (Gustavo Sagrero)

Washington wildfire season turns deadly
State of play: A fast-moving blaze near Lake Chelan underscores the danger state officials have been warning about for months. Driving the news: The Chelan Hills fire — which investigators say started July 4th near Highway 97 — has killed one person, destroyed homes and forced evacuations. Continue reading at Axios. (Brendan Lynch)

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Axios
Washington’s wildfire season turns deadly
Microsoft’s AI boom collides with its climate goals
Meta’s new AI image maker draws fire over consent
Trump refuses to sign housing bill after SAVE Act stalls
Mexico threatens legal action over citizens’ deaths in ICE custody

Bellingham Herald
Federal judge authorizes health inspections at Northwest ICE Processing Center

Capital Press
Special envoy may visit embattled Washington landowners

Everett Herald
Local officials sound alarm bells over proposed Forest Service cuts
In response to gun violence, some push for police officers at Edmonds School District

The Inlander
It’s easy to compare and complain about what’s missing in the Inland Northwest, but solutions to many major issues are already underway

Kitsap Sun
Belfair man, 7 others charged in alleged plot to attack White House
Expansion of Bremerton’s Warren Ave Bridge slated to begin in 2027
Nimitz arrives at new home after final deployment, Bremerton departure
What are Trump Accounts? Here’s what WA parents should know to sign up

News Tribune
Protesters occupy WA Capitol Campus building in Olympia, disrupt meeting
Federal judge authorizes health inspections at Northwest ICE Processing Center

New York Times
Meta Told to Make Changes to Instagram and Facebook in Europe
Trump Administration Fires Members of Independent Election Group
At Least 21 People Have Been Shot by Federal Immigration Agents Since Last Year

Northwest Asian Weekly
CID advocates rally at Seattle Stadium, demand World Cup economic parity (Santos)
Diverse community rally calls for Mayor Wilson to take down cameras citywide, cancel Axon contract

Olympian
Protesters occupy WA Capitol Campus building in Olympia, disrupt meeting

Puget Sound Business Journal
Radar maker Echodyne opens $40 million plant in Woodinville

Seattle Times
Tacoma says new data centers aren’t allowed
New Washington license plate to honor Mount St. Helens
Okanogan County wildfire prompts immediate evacuation orders
Judge: WA can do health inspections at Tacoma detention center
Opinion: WA pension plans should divest from fossil fuel companies

Spokesman Review
Chelan Hills fire under criminal investigation
Evacuations lifted, I-90 reopened after wildfire in Vantage
WA Republicans call for a special session amid rising gas prices

Washington Post
Trump fires members of bipartisan elections commission
Why we don’t know what food is spreading the parasite sickening thousands
Trump denies this Congress what could be its last major bill-signing ceremony
Assigning FEMA staff to immigration enforcement hurt disaster work, House report says

WA State Standard
WA inspectors must be let inside Tacoma immigrant detention center, judge rules
Bracing for Idaho’s new ban, group maps safe bathrooms across the state for trans people
Columbia Gorge farmers seek pear disaster declaration, revised housing and overtime rules

Yakima Herald-Republic
Galbraith denies ‘illegal activity’ in alleged stalking; Torres voter registration challenge dismissed

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Stand-alone data centers barred in Tacoma under zoning code
Seattle hotel workers still fighting for new deal as strike enters fourth week
Washington Poison Center warns of rise in calls involving NeeDoh squishy toys
‘Way too early’: Budget authors stop short of backing Ferguson’s no-new-tax ‘expectation’ (Robinson, Gregerson)
Federal judge sides with state to allow health inspectors into Northwest ICE Detention Center

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Revive I-5 closures return to Seattle this weekend
Meta to use your Instagram images for AI; how to stop it
New law changes rules, restrictions for E-bikes in Washington
Washington drought set to worsen as heat wave, El Niño loom over Pacific Northwest
Family of pregnant woman killed in shooting sues King Co. homeless organization for wrongful death
Washington Senate Republicans urge Gov. Bob Ferguson to call special session to suspend climate fuel

KNKX Public Radio
Transient killer whales are showing up more often in Washington waters
Emergency response into Longview disaster ends, but investigations continue
A major housing bill is set to become law at midnight — even though Trump says he won’t sign

KUOW Public Radio
Microsoft’s climate-warming emissions surge 25%, driven by AI
Hundreds of children ordered to appear at new ‘mega’ immigration hearings in Seattle

KXLY (ABC)
State mobilization authorized to help fight 2,000-acre wildfire in Okanogan County

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Day shelter site has history of flooding, but Iowa Street drainage project could be remedy

Cascade PBS
Survey of WA youth shows reasons for optimism, but challenges remain

The Urbanist
Zahilay and Wilson Partially Dismantle KCRHA Amid Rising Homelessness
Court of Appeals Hands Seattle Another Burke-Gilman Missing Link Setback
Issaquah Councilmembers Push for Bolder Options as Housing Reforms Ramp Up

Thursday, July 9

WA leads lawsuit to block Trump’s homelessness funding rules
The new federal requirements would limit funding for programs that provide stable, long-term housing to people coming out of homelessness without any requirements for sobriety or income. Historically that has made up 90% of federal homelessness dollars … For Washington state, the changes could reduce federal funding by more than $37 million and cut off support for 2,911 formerly homeless people who are now in housing, according to an estimate from the National Alliance to End Homelessness Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Nick Wagner)

The hidden costs of low-tax states
Friction point: The shift toward consumption taxes could make state tax systems feel lighter for high earners while taking a bigger bite from lower-income families. Because Black and Hispanic households are disproportionately represented among lower-income and lower-wealth Americans, the tax divide among states could quietly reinforce racial inequality. Continue reading at The hidden costs of low-tax states. (Erin Davis)

Study finds dangerous chemicals in the breast milk of Seattle moms
Breast milk samples from moms in the Seattle area contained chemicals linked to health problems, new research has found. The chemicals are often used in beverage can liners, receipt paper, and other products, and they’ve been linked to reproductive problems, cancer, and immune problems like asthma. Continue reading at KUOW. (Elaine Thompson)