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Friday, October 18

Moms hold above-average share of Washington Legislature
Mothers of young children remain vastly underrepresented in state capitols across the country, according to a new report. But Washington does better than most states when it comes to having moms at the table. Among U.S. states, Washington has the 10th-highest percentage of state legislators who are moms of kids under 18, the analysis from the Vote Mama Foundation found. This year, 17 of Washington’s 147 state lawmakers — about 11.6% — are moms of minor children, the report found. Continue reading at Axios. (Axios Visual)

Voting begins in Washington’s 2024 general election
Ballots for the general election are on their way to the mailboxes of the state’s 4.9 million registered voters. Friday marks the start of Washington’s 18-day voting period, which will end at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.In a few short weeks, voters will know who the next president, governor and hundreds of other elected officials will be. Want to have a say? Make sure to turn in your ballot to a state ballot drop box, county elections center or have it postmarked and in the mail by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Continue reading at the Washington State Standard. (Lindsey Wasson)

Washington Board of Education wants to overhaul high school graduation requirements
The Washington Board of Education has launched a multi-year initiative to rework the state’s high school graduation requirements, arguing that the current standards fall short of “fully preparing all students for success.” The initiative, “FutureReady,” is part of the Board of Education’s 2025 legislative platform, which was approved by members on Thursday. The board is requesting an additional $273,000 in the upcoming 2025-2027 budget from the Legislature for FutureReady. Continue reading at KNKX. (SDominick)

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Axios
Moms hold above-average share of Washington Legislature

Capital Press
Ecology fines Washington blueberry farm again
Bird flu strikes Eastern Washington chicken farm
Sportsmen group scores win from Washington Supreme Court

Everett Herald
Everett mayor: 55 jobs could be affected by budget cuts
Council to vote on $13M for housing in Everett, Lynnwood and Arlington

News Tribune
Did Tacoma school district know for years that teacher was abusive? A mother says yes

Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon releases findings from racial equity audit
How small businesses can prepare for and recover from disasters

Seattle Times
WA drivers can’t put down their phones, new data shows

Spokesman Review
Whooping cough surging in Spokane and statewide as school year begins
Feeding young minds: County libraries use federal program to provide snacks to children and teens
‘Our community deserves resources’: Mujeres in Action releases Spanish-language voter pamphlets, bilingual voter information videos coming next week

Vancouver Business Journal
Local businesses support “Pick It Up, Vancouver”

Washington Post
What to expect for winter weather in the U.S. this year
Regulators open new probe of Tesla ‘Full Self-Driving’ after crashes
Alone with dementia: Solo adults often slip through caregiving cracks

WA State Standard
Tux and gown alert: Washington will have an inaugural ball after all
Washington Board of Education wants to overhaul high school graduation requirements

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Here’s when are ballots mailed in Washington
What do this year’s earthquakes mean for the Pacific Northwest?

KNKX Public Radio
Voting begins in Washington’s 2024 general election
Boeing faces a new FAA review as a key supplier plans temporary furloughs

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle students want more mental health funding — and say in how it’s spent

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane residents save money through home performance program
Health experts emphasize importance of keeping vaccinations up-to-date amid rising illnesses

Web

Cascadia Daily News
WCC president leaving legacy of growth, mentorship — especially for women of color
Former nonprofit leader under state investigation for alleged ‘inappropriate relationships’ with youth

The Urbanist
Tacoma set to slash ‘Vision Zero’ road safety budget by 90%
Judge demands crowd control reforms before lifting SPD’s consent decree

Thursday, October 17

Amazon accused of violating WA’s ban on noncompete agreements
Washington banned noncompete agreements for workers who make less than $100,000 annually in 2020. The Legislature then passed an amendment this year to strengthen enforcement of its ban and bring the threshold for exemption to a roughly $120,000 annual salary. The lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court this month accuses Amazon of tucking a noncompete agreement into its offer letter for workers in its warehouses and retail stores. In a statement this week, the company disputed the allegations in the case and denied that its policies broke Washington law. Continue reading at the Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

This normally quiet Cascades volcano has been trembling. Why scientists say you shouldn’t worry.
Seismically, Mount Adams, located in southern Washington state, is relatively calm. So the alert earlier this month by the USGS that there has been a flurry of earthquakes around Adams got some attention from volcano watchers. The recent earthquakes have been small — ranging from magnitudes of 0.9 to 2.0 — but the federal government has only one seismometer in the vicinity of Mount Adams, the second-tallest volcano in Washington state, so it is difficult to get precise information about their locations and depths. The agency is using the recent rumblings as an opportunity to learn more about this sometimes overlooked volcano. Continue reading at the Washington Post. (Sofia Jaramillo)

70% of Washington public school students now have access to free meals
Nearly 800,000 kids are eating free meals in school after the Legislature expanded access — but the state will need to come up with more money if it wants to continue the program. That’s according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, which announced on Tuesday that 70% of Washington’s kids now have access to school meals at no cost to students or families. But the state underestimated how many students would participate — leading Superintendent Chris Reykdal to request an additional $17.6 million in the 2025-2027 budget cycle to continue feeding this many kids. Continue reading at the WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

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Bellingham Herald
Avian flu is killing chickens at Pasco-area poultry operation. More being euthanized
It’s not just you. Washington reported more spam calls than almost any state, study says
How bad is WA’s whooping cough outbreak? Cases have reached highest levels since 2015

Capital Press
THE YEAR OF THE WILDFIRE: 30,000 firefighters do battle across 7 million acres of the West
Editorial: EPA comes up short, again

Columbian
Vancouver looks at cuts to police, fire, roads and community services to close $43M budget deficit

Everett Herald
Mukilteo council members fire back at mayor’s budget plan

The Inlander
With proper management techniques, cattle herds can help increase plant biodiversity and soil health
Olympia sees heavy metals as a problem for medical marijuana. So why isn’t it the same for the recreational market?

International Examiner
City Council designates Chinatown-ID a drug banishment zone, under controversial ordinance

News Tribune
LGBTQ youth center accused Pierce County AIDS group of stealing $200K. Lawsuit has settled

Peninsula Daily News
Hood Canal bridge to receive $51M for repairs

Puget Sound Business Journal
Boeing to raise up to $25B to stave off cash crunch
Seattle’s most prominent industry is shrinking fast
Amazon backs nuclear power project near Tri-Cities

Seattle Times
Amazon scores another victory in WA warehouse safety trial
Amazon accused of violating WA’s ban on noncompete agreements

South Seattle Emerald
A Month Into Strike, Boeing Employees Continue to Press for Company Change — and Accountability

Spokesman Review
Westboro Baptist Church protest over transgender athlete forces East Valley to end school early Friday
Opinion: Washington’s supply chain at risk with EV mandates

Tri-City Herald
Tri-Cities is new home to a Seattle startup’s $30M fusion energy research outpost
Richland schools make cuts, asks teachers to limit supplies as ‘financial hardship’ looms
Amazon’s huge investment in small modular nuclear reactors in Eastern WA and beyond

Washington Post
Senate report: How private equity ‘gutted’ dozens of U.S. hospitals
As hospitals get bigger, medical debt is harder for patients to shake
This normally quiet Cascades volcano has been trembling. Should we worry?

WA State Standard
70% of Washington public school students now have access to free meals (Riccelli)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
City of Tacoma stops glass recycling because of low demand
Leader of Washington’s child welfare agency won’t seek reappointment

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Sound Transit police gear up with new bike patrol
Local CenturyLink customers dealing with weeks-long outages
Seattle Children’s opens Psychiatric Urgent Care Clinic for struggling kids and teens

KUOW Public Radio
SPD’s on track to exit consent decree despite flawed police contract, federal judge says

KXLY (ABC)
Bird flu outbreak detected at Franklin County farm
More affordable housing could soon come to Spokane Valley
Judge rules 12-year-old Shaw gun suspect must undergo psych evaluation
Kid with loaded gun at Spokane school showed two students, threatened one
Downtown billboard criticizes Spokane Mayor Brown for lack of emergency shelter plan

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Road to Artist Point closed for the winter
Group of women inspire next generation to donate to Whatcom nonprofits

MyNorthwest
Washington restaurants’ profits plummeting, solutions are scarce
TSA at SEA Airport begins using new technology to verify travelers’ identities

The Urbanist
Updated Seattle Growth Plan adds five neighborhood anchors, bigger fourplexes

Washington Observer
Remember the constitutional sheriff of Klickitat County?

West Seattle Blog
Ten ‘neighborhood centers’ proposed for West Seattle, and other changes in newly unveiled zoning maps

Wednesday, October 16

Washington’s cap-and-trade rebate pot for farmers still almost full
Washington farmers and truckers have barely touched a $28.5 million pot of money the state set aside to partially refund them for the cap-and-trade taxes they paid on fuel in 2023. They have claimed $1.86 million, or just 6.5% of the money, the Department of Licensing reported Tuesday. The department started taking applications Aug. 26. It and farm groups expected the money to go quickly. Lawmakers set up a $30 million fund to offer partial refunds ranging from $1,000 to $4,500. The Licensing Department took $1.5 million to run the program and planned to send out the money first-come, first-served. Continue reading at Capital Press. (Don Jenkins)

WA program to clear roadside encampments needs more money to keep going
Washington’s work cleaning up encampments along state highways is helping get unsheltered people into housing. But the state Department of Transportation says expanding the program and maintaining its progress will require more money. In the two years since the right-of-way safety initiative launched, the department has helped close 47 encampment sites in five counties. Two of the 49 originally targeted sites are still active. At the end of August, 1,208 people living in the encampments accepted housing, and 891 are still in housing, according to the department. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (Laurel Demkovich)

Washington unveils five-year plan to ease record-high homelessness
More than 200,000 Washington residents – a record number – experienced homelessness or housing instability during July 2023, according to a new report from the state Department of Commerce, which outlines statewide goals for addressing this issue over the next five years. The State of Washington Homeless Housing Strategic Plan lays out a five-year plan for addressing the state’s housing affordability crisis as one way to address the record number of Washington residents who are unhoused or housing-unstable, and also spells out a strategy to provide more emergency housing across the state. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Paul Christian Gordon)

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Axios
Seattle starter homes require six-figure salary

Capital Press
Washington’s cap-and-trade rebate pot for farmers still almost full

Everett Herald
Boeing seeks to line up billions in financing as strike goes on
Edmonds celebrates opening of $30M affordable housing development

The Inlander
The story of Dan Evans, the former Washington governor and U.S. senator who died last month, is a reminder of a saner, more reasonable political era

News Tribune
City of Tacoma has directed millions to preventing youth violence. Is it working?
Yes, those huge girders now cross I-5, but more lane closures coming near Fife this week
Warehouse construction is booming in Pierce County. New real estate report shows how much

Port Townsend Leader
City of Port Townsend building its 2025 budget
With steelhead populations up, fishery management town hall set
More steps left for Dabob Bay conservation area expansion to deliver ‘big wins’

Puget Sound Business Journal
US industrial market metric hits record high
Eastside city proposes $2M World Cup fund
Employers are leaving out a coveted benefit as health plan costs soar
SBA is out of disaster loan money. Here’s what businesses can do now.

Seattle Times
As Ellensburg grows, the town’s best hiking area tries to keep pace
US agency adopts rule to make it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions

Spokesman Review
From bullhorns to petitions, you can get arrested for these 5 things at a WA polling place
As housing crisis ravages Washington, a state agency says it needs $1.2 billion to address the problem

Washington Post
Everyone loves rooftop solar panels. But there’s a problem.
CEO pay fell last year despite a strong stock market, study finds

WA State Standard
Bonneville Power Administration unveils plans for $3B in grid upgrades
WA program to clear roadside encampments needs more money to keep going

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Members of Congress voice support for Boeing machinists on strike ‘
Terrible for everyone’: Emotions run high at Shoreline School District meeting about possible closure
Experts, researchers prepare for Pacific Northwest tsunami: ‘You don’t know when this is going to happen’

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Microsoft settles video gamers’ lawsuit over Activision takeover
Western Washington University to cut jobs over $18 million deficit
Over a month in, negotiations stall between Boeing, machinists union
Lawsuit claims UW School of Medicine’s BIPOC Physicians Directory is racist
Chelan County’s new law punishes drivers for using parking lots to get around traffic

KUOW Public Radio
As leaves fall, some street parking rates rise in Seattle
How new flu, RSV vaccines could help protect more kids this year

KXLY (ABC)
12-year-old arrested for bringing loaded handgun to Shaw Middle School
Spokane landlords must register property with city or face consequences, says City Council

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Port of Bellingham, Harcourt come to agreement over legal battle about waterfront land

Crosscut
Washington unveils five-year plan to ease record-high homelessness

MyNorthwest
Tacoma ferry back in service after mechanical issues
Lack of Chinook salmon keeps Southern Resident orcas on endangered list
King County workers begin efforts to clear Burien encampment near courthouse

The Urbanist
Seattle finalizes design for expanded Elliott Bay trail in Belltown
Inspector General quietly terminates audit into Seattle Police mutual aid

Tuesday, October 15

Director defends WA Cares Fund, says claims the long-term care program is insolvent are false
As more people near the age of retirement, leaders of Washington’s long-term insurance care program, known as WA Cares, want to prepare families for the financial and emotional impact of that transition. WA Cares is a one-time benefit starting at $36,500, adjusted over time with inflation. Workers can access their lifetime benefit once they’ve paid into the program for 10 years, or less if they have a sudden need. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Amanda Cowan)

Washington looks to resolve conflicts that block housing for homeless people
Housing developers and local governments can now go through a state-led dispute resolution process if a city refuses to permit emergency and temporary housing for people who are homeless. Earlier this month, the Department of Commerce launched the program to encourage more permitting of shelters, transitional and emergency homes, and permanent supportive housing, which includes services like mental health support or employment resources. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Dan Reynolds)

How are Washington kids still getting guns, despite strict laws?
Washington ranks ninth in the country for gun-law strength, according to Everytown for Gun Safety this year, making it one of the strictest states. The Legislature passed a law earlier this year which requires gun owners to report stolen firearms to law enforcement within 24 hours or face a fine of up to $1,000. Yet despite Washington’s relatively strict gun laws, children are still obtaining guns. Continue reading at KNKX. (David Ryder)

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Capital Press
U.S. Chamber, 22 states join fight against Biden H-2A rule
Labor Department debars Washington farm labor contractor

Columbian
Ogden cottages offer below-market rent and a chance at community in Vancouver
Director defends WA Cares Fund, says claims the long-term care program is insolvent are false

Everett Herald
Boeing’s endless ‘doom loop’ gives no respite to CEO Ortberg

Issaquah Reporter
WA women 9th in nation for breast cancer diagnoses, analysis finds

News Tribune
These Pierce County school districts are bursting at the seams as others in WA shrink
Concerned about the validity of Pierce County elections? Watch the process for yourself
Skaters, grab your boards: City giving $1M to build new skate park in downtown Tacoma

Peninsula Daily News
Community colleges grappling with chance of paying back funds

Puget Sound Business Journal
IRS processing $10B in ERC claims
The National Observer: Baby boomers stay in workforce longer

Seattle Times
WA’s older forests capture carbon better than nearly any other

Spokesman Review
Invasive giant hornet reported seen in Kitsap County, Washington
Spokane City Council approves proposal preventing evictions, rent increases if landlord is not registered
‘Not enough’: Spokane’s budget for sheltering homeless people in unsafe winter weather will cover 100 beds for 38 nights

Washington Post
TikTok faces blowback in Congress over child safety revelations
10 million pounds of meat recalled over listeria concern: What to know
Climate change may be coming for your house. Look up your level of risk.

WA State Standard
Pierce County to begin paying jurors $100 a day
Overdose deaths are down nationally, but up in many Western states
Washington looks to resolve conflicts that block housing for homeless people

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Small town fights to keep only newspaper from folding
PNW seismic monitoring expanding to volcanoes and underwater
These are Washington state’s 10 most expensive ZIP codes, new report shows
‘Show up with a good heart’ | Behind the preparations for Seattle’s Indigenous People’s Day celebration

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Pierce County to pay jurors $100 in pilot program
Boeing enters $10B credit agreement with group of banks, report says
Two WWU students found dead on campus within 24 hours of each other
Troubled Boeing signals it may raise up to $25 billion to shore up finances
Residents voice their displeasure as a new warehouse considered in DuPont
Possible Northern Giant Hornet sighting has Department of Agriculture abuzz

KNKX Public Radio
Will ranked choice voting come to Whatcom County?
How are Washington kids still getting guns, despite strict laws?
Alaska’s seafood industry lost $1.8 billion last year, NOAA report says

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle is a UNESCO City of Literature. Advocates want you to read all about it
Listeria deli food recall hits Washington state, impacting Albertsons, Kroger, and other stores

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane business fed up with ongoing trash and drug paraphernalia cleanup
Spokane City Council votes to restrict rent hikes, evictions from unlicensed landlords

Web

Cascadia Daily News
WWU to cut 55 positions, $18M in major restructuring
Lummi Nation, community members mark Indigenous Peoples Day

Crosscut
Washington state lawmakers may get a 14% raise over next two years (Trudeau)

MyNorthwest
Tolling increases are generating big money for WA

The Urbanist
Seattle breaks ground on West Coast’s first residential highrise of 2024
Opinion: Unclogging Seattle’s water permit gauntlet would help address housing crisis

Monday, October 14

WA’s older forests capture carbon better than nearly any other
Just inland from the Pacific Northwest’s rainforest drip line, with more than 10 feet of rain a year, are the forests dominated by Douglas fir, western red cedar and hemlock, growing in the mild climate with some 70 inches of rain a year, in a thick rumpled green cloak in the Cascade lowlands. These big trees, in their roots, needles and branches, hold more carbon longer than any young plantation, fast-growing and cut on quick rotations. They are world champion climate change fighters. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

Washington is sitting on $2.2B in unclaimed property. Some could be yours.
Last year, Washington’s unclaimed property program received a record amount of money, which it holds until an owner claims it. Currently, $2.2 billion is available to be claimed, according to a new report from the Department of Revenue. Unclaimed property is often considered lost, forgotten or abandoned. Between July 2023 and June 2024, Washington’s program received a record $365 million in unclaimed property. That comes from about 12.4 million pieces of property. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

2 years in, Washington’s alert system for missing Indigenous people is working
Washington state was first in the nation to implement alerts specific to Missing Indigenous Persons more than two years ago. By the end of August this year, the State Patrol had issued 114 of those alerts, with the subject being located in all but 13 cases. Law enforcement officials say these alerts play a crucial role in locating teenage runaways and have proven valuable in longer-term cases as well. Continue reading at KUOW. (Connie Samuels)