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Thursday, June 9

Race must be considered in determining legality of police stops and seizures, WA state Supreme Court rules
The Washington state Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a person’s race, and law enforcement’s long history of discrimination against people of color, should be taken into account when determining the legality of police seizures. The court also clarified state law to say that police have seized a person if an objective observer would conclude that the person was not free to leave or refuse a request. But, the court wrote, that “objective observer” must be aware that discrimination and biases “have resulted in disproportionate police contacts, investigative seizures, and uses of force against Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color.” Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)

Microsoft to limit noncompete clauses, drop NDAs for US employees
Microsoft Corp. is applying nondisclosure agreement and pay transparency policies recently passed in Washington state to all U.S. employees, the company said Wednesday. Two human resources executives said in a company blog post Wednesday that Microsoft plans to drop nondisclosure clauses from settlement and separation agreements that “[prohibit] workers from disclosing alleged conduct that they perceive is illegal discrimination, harassment, retaliation, sexual assault, or a wage and hour violation occurring in the workplace.” Continue reading at Puget Sound Business Journal. (Anthony Bolante)

Jan. 6 insurrection hearings: How to watch and what to know
Nearly a year since its inception, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol will go public with its findings starting this week as lawmakers hope to show the American public how democracy came to the brink of disaster. The series of hearings that will take place over the next several weeks begin with a prime-time session Thursday night in which the nine-member panel plans to give an overview of its 11-month investigation. Continue reading at The Associated Press.

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Associated Press
High court limits suing officials over rights violations
Vancouver, Wash. bans protests outside officials’ homes
Jan. 6 insurrection hearings: How to watch and what to know

Aberdeen Daily World
‘Make them think under stress’

Bellingham Herald
‘Juneuary’ storm carries these weather-related hazards
Supreme Court shields border agents from excessive force lawsuits that started in Blaine

Columbian
Editorial: In Our View: Jan. 6 hearings offer a lesson in democracy

The Daily News
Kelso School District joins lawsuit against vaping company for directing ads toward youth

Everett Herald
Despite pleas, Community Transit sticks with vaccine policy
County Council OKs creation of new public health agency
Comment: Hoping for heroes, we find humans after tragedy
Comment: No, ‘red flag’ laws don’t violate due-process rights

The Inlander
Spokanites have been weirded out by non-official door-to-door “voter research” volunteers

News Tribune
Pierce County deputy on the run since being charged with felony arrested in California

Olympian
Ecology releases draft report on improving Olympia’s Budd Inlet. Here’s how to comment
City of Olympia to again offer rental house rehab loans through local housing nonprofit
Heavy rain headed to the Puget Sound region, bringing chance of floods, slides
Could a recession be coming? Misplaced groceries, strip clubs might tell us when
Washington group again sues Inslee over ongoing ‘state of emergency’ COVID mandates
Where do WA politicians, educators and organizations stand on gun violence? We checked for you

Peninsula Daily News
Law enforcement officials bemoan laws they say hamper their work

Puget Sound Business Journal
Remote jobs are in high demand. Here’s how each state ranks in the competition for remote workers.
Microsoft to limit noncompete clauses, drop NDAs for US employees
Layoffs by tech giants aren’t an economic warning bell, experts say

Seattle Medium
Constantine Looks To Implement Free Youth Transit Pass In Time For School
Permanent Gun, Ammo Return Program Focus Of New Legislation

Seattle Times
Race must be considered in determining legality of police stops and seizures, WA state Supreme Court rules
Settlement in foster youth hotel stays suit commits WA child welfare program to think ‘outside the box’
New COVID vaccine study looking for Pacific Northwest participants, particularly kids and families
King County property tax hike for land conservation likely headed to voters after committee approval
Editorial: Close gap between supply and demand in computer science programs for WA students

Tri-City Herald
Proposed wind farm near Tri-Cities will hire up to 1,000 local union workers under new deal
‘Unprecedented.’ White House changes Hanford spending request to Congress

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla Valley sees rising COVID-19 numbers again; precautions encouraged

Washington Post
Most Americans expect inflation to get worse, Post-Schar School poll finds
House passes tough new gun measures hours after wrenching testimony
Covid shots for young kids are almost available. Here’s what you need to know.
Microplastics found in fresh Antarctic snow, as pollutants spread
Jan. 6 hearing to provide opening argument, focus on far-right groups

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima formalizes city team to improve response to domestic violence

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
King County council members want to make it easier to voluntarily surrender guns, ammo
New state rule could cost Washington coffee stands thousands, business owner warns
Members of WSU fraternity where Bellevue freshman died didn’t know what constitutes hazing, evidence shows

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Kent School District delays decision on banning LGBTQ book from middle school library
Study says worst-case Northwest tsunami risk is underestimated
With COVID cases remaining a problem, more people seeking tests

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington students will be able to take mental health days as excused absences
King County councilmembers propose permanent gun, ammo return program
New report finds 10,000% jump in theft of catalytic converters in Washington state

KUOW Public Radio
Three Washington forests are part of the biggest carbon credit purchase in U.S. history. Is that a good thing?
How are Washington’s parks feeling the effects of climate change?

NW Public Radio
Farmworkers To Receive Heat Stress Kits
Analysis Ranks Idaho Washington 6th Highest For Mental Health Problems

Q13 TV (FOX)
COVID vaccines for kids 5 and younger could start the week of June 20: White House
Washington students can now be excused from class for mental health reasons

Web

MyNorthwest
King County looks to curb rising gun violence with voluntary firearm return program
Starbucks workers hold rally after recently unionized store abruptly closes
New rainfall records possible as expected atmospheric river settles over Washington
Experts worry about rising inflation as Seattle gas climbs above $5 per gallon

The Stranger
Blaming SPD for Failing Rape Victims Isn’t “Media Malpractice”

Wednesday, June 8

WA students can get excused absences for mental health under new law
Students in Washington will be able to take time off from school for mental health reasons beginning next school year, under a new state law and rules approved by the state superintendent’s office. Absences will be excused for students experiencing symptoms related to mental illness or challenges with their mental health condition, and for medical appointments related to mental health. Those can include counseling, mental health wellness and behavioral health treatment. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

Washington experiments with guaranteed basic income
With his first guaranteed basic income check, Geno Rosario purchased a cartload full of groceries. As the end of the month crept closer, there was no dread setting in, Rosario didn’t need to worry about stretching his paycheck until the next one came. The $500 monthly stipend filled in the gap. “It was great to not have to worry about that for once,” Rosario said. “It’s nice to not have to panic, and know there is going to be enough.” Continue reading at Crosscut. (Lizz Giordano)

Column: Armed teachers? More cops? None of these things prevent school shootings, UWT expert says
It’s been two weeks since a gunman who legally purchased two assault rifles within days of his turning 18 shot and killed 19 school children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. While it might be soothing to hold out hope that this time will be different — that this set of mangled small bodies and empty green tennis shoes will finally compel federal lawmakers to pass meaningful gun control laws — the stage is already setting in familiar fashion. Deflections are flying, blame is being shifted and heels are digging in. Continue reading at The News Tribune.

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Associated Press
Washington hospitals again strained by COVID-19 spread
Seattle police expand body-worn camera use

Aberdeen Daily World
Washington state has the 4th highest average gas price in the country

Auburn Reporter
Mayor announces gun violence awareness day in Auburn

Bellingham Herald
This new Bellingham office will address climate change
Lighthouse Mission expansion plan faces this neighborhood opposition

Columbian
Vancouver City Council discusses tolls, equity as I-5 Bridge plan takes step forward

The Daily News
Cowlitz 911 asks for fewer non-emergency calls Tuesday during software switch
COVID-19 hospitalizations up in state, Cowlitz County

Everett Herald
Eviation moves tests of electric passenger plane to Moses Lake
Comment: On things he can control, here’s Biden’s record
Editorial: Health district joining county a timely move

Indian Country Today
Indigenous farmer seeks solutions in drought

News Tribune
Armed teachers? More cops? None of these things prevent school shootings, UWT expert says
Reports of students seen with guns prompts brief lockdowns in Spanaway, Bonney Lake
Tacoma student arrested for threatening school shooting; list of ‘intended targets’ found
Investigators release body camera video of Pierce County deputy shooting man after pursuit

Olympian
Here’s where Thurston families can find free meals for kids 18 and younger this summer
COVID spread appears to be slowing as Thurston County adds 557 cases in last week

Peninsula Daily News
Port Townsend City Council approves extension for tent encampments
Housing director in works for Clallam County

Puget Sound Business Journal
Thousands of jobs coming to Northgate, and that’s just for starters
The four-day workweek gains steam — and workers would leave to get it.

The Reflector
Clark College breaks ground on north county campus (Cleveland)

Seattle Medium
City Of Seattle Spent Over $27 Million On Rental Assistance During The Second Half Of 2021

Seattle Times
New Seattle Center light-rail stop will be less disruptive on Mercer Street, city staff say
Puget Sound Energy has spent nearly $1M on solar projects in Western WA this year. Here’s what one looks like
WA students can get excused absences for mental health under new law
WA attorney general files bar complaint against Sequim lawyer over ‘frivolous’ election fraud case
Aerosols from burning fossil fuels are masking global warming, UW researchers find
Opinion: WA’s gun laws prove that federal inaction is a choice
Opinion: The next wave of U.S. ocean conservation: Creating marine protected areas with community input

Skagit Valley Herald
Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County hires bilingual business adviser

Snoqualmie Valley Record
USDA announces half billion in conservation, recreation funding outside North Bend

Tri-City Herald
Tri-Cities group sues Inslee again over ongoing ‘state of emergency’ for COVID mandates

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla Valley sees rising COVID-19 numbers again; precautions encouraged

Washington Post
A factory wants to reopen making ‘green’ aluminum. Now it just needs clean energy.
Gymnasts sue FBI for $1 billion over mishandling of Larry Nassar case
Moderna seeking FDA authorization of omicron-specific booster shot
FDA advisers recommend authorizing Novavax coronavirus vaccine
Oil and gas companies underreported methane leaks, new study shows

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
WATCH LIVE: Families of Uvalde, Buffalo victims testify before Congress
Kent School District to vote on ban of book featuring LGBTQ+ content

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
US Supreme Court rules against Blaine innkeeper
King County to propose buyback program for guns and ammunition
Report shows drop in use of force among King County sheriff’s deputies
Western Washington housing market leveling as supply grows
Tacoma police arrest 14-year-old for school shooting threats
Pierce County Force Investigation Team releases video of May officer-involved shooting
State officials urge public not to touch sick or dead wild birds
City Hall Park plans a facelift as King County looks to avoid future encampments

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Robb Elementary School student speaks to Congress about ‘gun violence epidemic’
ACLU threatens possible legal action if Kent school board removes LGBTQ+-themed book
King County driver targeted by gunfire has warning for others as drive-by shootings rise
Middle school in Tacoma goes in lockdown after-hours because of man with BB gun nearby

KNKX Public Radio
Nooksack eviction battle reaches WA Supreme Court, raising questions of tribal sovereignty and identity
Listen: An overview of gun laws in Washington state (Berry)
Coronavirus FAQ: I got COVID. Then I got it again. What’s the deal with reinfection?

KXLY (ABC)
Longtime Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones announces retirement

NW Public Radio
Lower Yakima Valley Dirt To Hitch A Ride To Space Next Week
Members Of The Congressional Western Caucus Get A Close Look At Snake River Dams

Q13 TV (FOX)
Notice: Letters being sent to King County voters asking for signatures are not junk mail

Web

Axios Seattle
Ex-Seattle police chief testifies that she deleted text messages in bulk

Crosscut
Washington experiments with guaranteed basic income

MyNorthwest
Ballard, Interbay light rail connection design moves ahead with preference for tunnel option
988 suicide lifeline facing local, national staffing shortages ahead of July 16 launch
While bicycle accidents are down, fatalities remain high
Massive settlement reached in Amtrak train derailment in DuPont
Puget Sound area housing market cools with slowdown in sales, sharp increase in active listings

The Stranger
The Tiny Shelter Monopoly

West Seattle Blog
CORONAVIRUS: Two more local vaccination pop-ups for Seattle Public Schools students, families, staff

Tuesday, June 7

Amid a COVID surge, WA hospital leaders wonder why fewer people seem to care
A wave of infections since mid-March has meant a steady increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. But during this surge, fewer people seem to be talking about it. And that has hospital officials showing some frustration as they fear Washingtonians might not fully understand the burden on public health. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Steve Ringman)

Report: Washington ranked as nation’s strongest state economy
A recession may eventually arrive, say economists, but for now Washington’s economy is white hot, according to a WalletHub report released Monday. The personal finance website ranked the Evergreen State’s economy the best in the country based on three criteria: economic activity, economic health, and innovation potential. Continue reading at Puget Sound Business Journal. (Shawna De La Rosa)

Legislature moves to expand nursing education in Washington
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated a health care staffing shortage in Washington, so the state Legislature this year provided more than $38 million to expand nursing programs statewide. Some schools, like Eastern Washington University, got funding to create a new four-year program while others, including Washington State University, didn’t receive any to bolster their current programs. Continue reading at The Associated Press.

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Associated Press
Tulsa shooting puts focus on waiting periods for gun buyers
Causeway removal meant big jump in juvenile salmon
Amtrak settles with ex-engineer in 2017 Washington crash
Legislature moves to expand nursing education in Washington

Bellevue Reporter
Housing First: Special podcast series on King County’s Health Through Housing program

Bellingham Herald
WTA wants electric buses, but it’s a ‘very complicated’ transition
This heavy rain could push Nooksack to near flood stage in Whatcom

Capital Press
Researchers find common ground in forest and fire management
Murray-Inslee draft dam breaching assessment coming this week
Tour touts Snake River dam benefits, other Western issues

Columbian
Editorial: In Our View: International trade good for U.S., Washington

Everett Herald
Marysville schools pause parental consent plan for LGBTQ, other clubs
‘Conflicted’ feelings in Tulalip: School mascot ‘Tomahawks’ to stay
Legal clinic coming to Everett library for low-income patrons
Opinion: Mental health professionals aren’t clairvoyant

High Country News
Wildlife in the West: The good, the bad, the in-between

Kitsap Sun
Salmon embracing new bridge, habitat on shores of Navy’s Indian Island

News Tribune
Take ‘Red Flag’ wildfire warnings more seriously, Biden disaster official urges
South Tacoma residents think this code change will protect water, promote green industry

Olympian
WA state hospitals ‘remarkably strained’ by COVID-19 community spread, officials say

Peninsula Daily News
Case rates starting to drop
Fire district proposes changes to burn ban

Puget Sound Business Journal
Here’s where the cost of living is rising the most
Covid worries fade as business owners tackle inflation, supply chain problems
Report: Washington ranked as nation’s strongest state economy

Seattle Times
Amid a COVID surge, WA hospital leaders wonder why fewer people seem to care
Here are three signs the Seattle-area housing market is cooling
Seattle police expand use of body-worn cameras after fatal shooting by police in Kent
Opinion: Amber Heard isn’t the only person who lost the Johnny Depp trial
Opinion: I knew a victim of the Tulsa shooting: Gun violence will touch us all

Spokesman Review
Nursing programs statewide see new funding from Legislature, but some existing programs were left out

Tri-City Herald
More COVID loan fraud cases being investigated in Tri-Cities, including at Hanford

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla students protest gun violence in brief walkout

Washington Post
World Bank warns global economy may suffer 1970s-style stagflation
How long covid could change the way we think about disability

Yakima Herald-Republic
Job recovery from pandemic continues in Yakima County
Yakima residents can comment on the city’s transportation project list Tuesday

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Proud Boy from Washington indicted on seditious conspiracy charges
Summit Lake timber harvest plans on pause over environmental concerns

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Authorities across western Washington to participate in emergency response training exercise
Marysville parents, students rally against controversial parental consent policy
Controversy over traditional kente graduation stoles at Clover Park High School
COVID-19 cases rising again in Washington
Edmonds-Woodway HS student arrested after making ‘credible threats of violence’ against school
Everett Community College in brief lockdown after report of man with gun

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Edmonds School District nearly scammed for $2.7M, investigation into scammer launched
Edmonds-Woodway student arrested overnight for ‘credible threat of violence’ to school

KUOW Public Radio
Is a proposed light rail station in the International District good news or bad?

KXLY (ABC)
‘It’s getting worse’: Spokane business owners demand action for the city’s homeless crisis
Spokane City Council overrides mayor’s veto of water restriction ordinance
County tax-payer funds could pay back millions for drug convictions now deemed unconstitutional

Q13 TV (FOX)
Marysville school board opts to not move forward with controversial parental consent club policy
COVID spread putting ‘serious stress’ on state hospital system already at capacity

Web

MyNorthwest
Regional Homelessness Authority seeks 75% budget bump
State Hospital Association urges indoor masking as COVID hospitalizations rise

Monday, June 6

Washington state adopts summer rules for working in smoke, heat
Washington farmworkers will have paid breaks every two hours in hot weather and must wear air-purifying respirators when smoke from wildfire is worse than what federal standards consider hazardous, according to emergency rules adopted June 1. The rules take effect June 15 and expand on last summer’s emergency rules for working in the heat and wildfire smoke. Continue reading at Capital Press. (CFBF)

First-ever Pride celebrations draw hundreds in north county
An estimated 300 people attended Arlington’s first-ever Pride celebration, and an estimated 800 turned out for a similar first-time event on Camano Island. Pride events have been held in June ever since the Stonewall riots in 1969. The Arlington event also featured a panel discussion, a bubble show, dance lessons, interactive improv and a Pride walk. Continue reading at The Everett Herald. (Olivia Vanni)

Olympia students walk out in protest of gun violence
Dozens of high school and middle school students walked out of schools to protest gun violence Wednesday after 19 children and two teachers were shot and killed last week at a school in Uvalde, Texas. The walkout was organized by members of the Olympia High School Feminism Club, The Olympian reported. Continue reading at The Associated Press.

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Associated Press
Local governments turn away $73M of federal pandemic aid
Causeway removal meant big jump in juvenile salmon
Olympia students walk out in protest of gun violence

Bellingham Herald
This is what sent this Whatcom elementary school into lockdown Friday
These parades, railroad work and these I-5 repairs will slow Whatcom drivers this week
This environmentally friendly Bellingham business buys another firm, leading to further growth
These new WA emergency rules increase heat, wildfire smoke protections for outdoor workers

Capital Press
Washington state adopts summer rules for working in smoke, heat

The Daily News
RiverCities and Twin Transit propose joint route between Kelso to Centralia
What should downtown Longview look like? Drive-thrus, outdoor entertainment to be voted on this week
Cowlitz County community gardens address food insecurity, promote healthy eating
Kalama moves forward to give citizens more power to create ordinances

Everett Herald
Inside the fight over Suboxone, a life-saving drug with stigma
Student arrested after ‘credible’ threats at Edmonds-Woodway High School
Paine Field development plan envisions an expanded terminal
Police: Edmonds schools sent $2.7 million check to fraudster
First-ever Pride celebrations draw hundreds in north county
You can apply for a passport at Granite Falls City Hall starting Monday
Letter: Ban and round up semiautomatic weapons
Letter: Can county use federal funds as child tax credit replacement?
Letter: Use Senate filibuster to force votes on firearms bills
Opinion: State of things leave me too beat up to be upbeat

Indian Country Today
Land in Washington returned to Colville Tribes

Kitsap Sun
COVID-19 cases falling again in Kitsap and across WA
Planned tiny home village in South Kitsap has 60 days to come to fruition
Bremerton School District selects interim superintendent
Nonprofit helping ex-inmate firefighters find jobs
Opinion: A Marine sounds off on guns again
Letter: The Second Amendment was hijacked
Letter: Is forest health taken seriously in trail planning?

News Tribune
10 miles of ‘unavoidably loud’ night road work begins Monday in Pierce County, WSDOT says
Beloved Pierce County library closes today — maybe forever. Some aren’t ready for goodbye

Olympian
Thurston County PUD decides against entering internet business after year-long study
MultiCare’s off-campus emergency department gets green light from Lacey City Council
City of Olympia to host an informational meeting on moving homeless mitigation site
DNR pulls application for Summit Lake timber cut

Peninsula Daily News
Port Townsend to consider housing law change
Levy, burn bans before counties
Newest member of Southern Resident J Pod is female
State courts clearing drug convictions, refunding fines

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit County sees a drop in number of new COVID-19 cases
Trail named for longtime Mount Vernon educator and coach

Tri-City Herald
Inslee talks guns, COVID, dam breaching and Hanford during Tri-Cities visit
Multiple ways of tracking COVID infections show virus on the rise in Tri-Cities
New $8.1M science and space exploration center opens for kids, others near Tri-Cities
Richland councilman calling it quits after 12 years. Two others may be leaving too
Tri-Cities will see a boom in housing communities aimed at baby boomers

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Dayton residents race the clock to find sewage treatment solutions
Walla Walla taps into revenue stream by harnessing hydroelectricity via city water flows
Walla Walla rejects yet another Cottonwood Road annexation petition
No child care services in Dayton spur community efforts to address big economic problem
Walla Walla approves $7 million improvements to city wastewater treatment plant
Alaska Airlines to reduce flights at Walla Walla Regional Airport this fall

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Tacoma police caution parents as incidents of guns on campus pop up
Sound Transit Board recommends Julie Timm as new CEO; decision to come June 23
Leafline network to connect 900 miles of trails in western Washington 56% complete

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Rally to end gun violence in North Sound
State Trooper injured by suspected drunken driver in Pierce County collision early Sunday
10 miles of construction on Pierce County highway set to begin Monday
Revive I-5 project turns freeway into parking lot
Seattle police release video of officer-involved shooting in Kent
Seattle landmarks, sports teams wear orange in support of Gun Violence Awareness
Habitat restoration underway along Green River to help salmon, orcas
Gun rights group files challenge against Washington’s recently-passed large-capacity magazine ban
Experts advise to keep COVID precautions in mind ahead of summer
Multiple school threats in western Washington since Uvalde
13-year-old Tacoma boy arrested after threatening to “recreate Uvalde”
For sixth year, AG Ferguson proposes ban on sale of ‘military-style assault weapons’ in Washington

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Edmonds-Woodway student arrested overnight for ‘credible threat of violence’ to school
Police in Tacoma have arrested five students for guns or threats since May
Gas prices continue to soar as average cost rises in Seattle, Washington, nationally
There’s time to ‘reverse course’ on a potential recession, says economist

KNKX Public Radio
Novavax’s COVID vaccine nears the finish line
Listen: Why Seattle police have stopped investigating new reports of adult sexual assaults
Inslee: Feds need to increase nuclear waste cleanup funds

KUOW Public Radio
Youth suicide attempts rise in Washington: Today So Far
Inmates asked to sign waiver freeing state prison of liability amid Covid outbreak
Week in Review: Transportation, health and safety, and wildfire season
Internal SPD memo raises questions about public safety priorities

NW Public Radio
After Uvalde, Yakima Neighborhood Health Says It Is Time For Action

Q13 TV (FOX)
Edmonds-Woodway HS student arrested after ‘credible threat of violence’ against school
Crowds return to Seattle in levels not seen since the pandemic
7 months of Seattle parking tickets will be voided, refunded due to lapse of authority for issuing tickets
Sit-in over anti-LGBTQ policy surpasses 300 hours at SPU
‘We’d rather be safe than sorry:’ FBI and WA lawmakers discuss evolving safety measures at school (Tomiko Santos)
Workers at Everett Starbucks vote to unionize

Web

MyNorthwest
Mayors of Seattle and Tacoma, VP coalesce around ‘commonsense’ gun laws
Seattle begins refunding parking tickets over legal mix-up
Amazon executive in charge of consumer business resigns
REDCO purchases iconic Ballard warehouse and former home of Hale’s Ales
Richmond’s public transportation CEO picked to head Sound Transit
SPS walks back transportation contract decision, splits award between rival companies

Friday, June 3

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell says police sexual assault staffing woes, case backlog ‘unacceptable’
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said Thursday the Seattle Police Department’s critically low staffing in its sexual assault unit was “unacceptable,” following an internal memo published by The Seattle Times and KUOW showing that it had stopped investigating most new sexual assault cases involving adults this year. Advocates and personnel within the department had raised concerns about these issues for months. In the wake of the story, advocates said they felt “gaslit” by public officials’ responses when they assured them they stood with survivors of sexual assault. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Daniel Kim/The Seattle Times)

Inslee: Feds need to increase nuclear waste cleanup funds
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who has recently criticized the slow pace of cleaning up the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, toured the former nuclear weapons production site on Thursday and said more federal money is needed to finish the job. Hanford created more than two-thirds of the nation’s plutonium for nuclear weapons, including the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, at the end of World War II. Left behind was the most contaminated nuclear site in the nation. Continue reading at The Olympian. (AP/Ted S. Warren)

MultiCare set to pay $42M in wage-and-hours settlement; terms to be finalized in August
A Tacoma health system is set to pay millions in a class-action settlement over lost wages regarding meals and rest breaks in a lawsuit brought by two former workers. Tacoma-based MultiCare Health System has agreed to pay $42 million to settle the lawsuit brought by lead plaintiffs Tabitha Koshman and Jodi Schreiner. Thousands of health care workers are covered by the settlement. Continue reading at Tacoma News Tribune.