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Tuesday, October 25

Washington students may be leaving behind $50 million in federal aid
About $50 million in federal aid has been left on the table by Washington students that never filed a FAFSA, according to the office of the Governor. Low and middle-income families can find that the cost of college is either completely or significantly covered after aid. State programs also support students that choose technical education or apprenticeships. Many students ineligible for federal aid can still receive state aid, including undocumented immigrants and people that owe repayment of federal grants. Continue reading at KXLY. (Alexander Mils)

Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse
Waste management experts say the problem with plastic is that it is expensive to collect and sort. There are now thousands of different types of plastic, and none of them can be melted down together. Plastic also degrades after one or two uses. Greenpeace found the more plastic is reused the more toxic it becomes. An NPR investigative report found in 2020 that industry officials misled the public about the recyclability of plastic even though their own reports showed they knew as early as the 1970s and 1980s that plastic could not be economically recycled. Continue reading at KNKX. (Laura Sullivan)

Investigation finds software company’s algorithm could be artificially inflating rent prices in Seattle
A software company and nine property management groups are being accused of artificially inflating rents. An investigation found the software that sparked the lawsuit is used by management companies in Seattle. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District County in San Diego by renters. It alleges the property management companies and Texas-based software company RealPage formed a cartel to artificially inflate rent prices and decrease the supply of multifamily real estate in violation of federal law. ProPublica’s investigation found that “70% of apartments [in Belltown] were overseen by just 10 property managers, every single one of which used pricing software sold by RealPage.” Continue reading at KING 5.

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Associated Press
What is RSV? US children’s hospitals see rising number of cases

Bellingham Herald
‘Unacceptable and discriminatory act’ condemned at WWU

Capital Press
Tyson to pay $10.5 million to settle Washington chicken suit

Columbian
Vancouver resident recounts her journey with the foster care system and homelessness
Evergreen Public Schools paraeducators reject contract
Vancouver to fight lawsuit against Stay Safe Community

Everett Herald
Flash flood watch issued for Bolt Creek fire burn scar area
Comment: State’s current police pursuit law safe, effective

News Tribune
‘Where did our money go?’ Parents have questions after Gig Harbor preschool’s closure

Olympian
Port of Olympia commission votes 3-0 to sign letter in opposition to proposed airport
Olympia wants your thoughts on turning Capital Mall area into mixed-use urban center

Peninsula Daily News
Emergency declaration for COVID to wrap up in Clallam
COVID-19 emergency extended by board of Jefferson County commissioners
State Department of Natural Resources proposes forest lands set aside to store carbon

Puget Sound Business Journal
Trial date set for Amazon fraud suit against former employees
There’s $500M up for grabs. Here’s what small businesses want to see.

Seattle Times
After Whidbey crash, NTSB wants Otter seaplanes grounded pending inspection
Bolt Creek fire scar near Skykomish under flash flood watch
WA reaches $10M settlement with Tyson Foods in chicken price fixing
Editorial: Throw the book at Meta for intentional campaign finance violations

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit County sites considered for state Carbon Project

Spokesman Review
City of Spokane and Knezovich requesting emergency proclamation for Camp Hope
Grant County residents sheltering in place after fertilizer plant fire
Inslee, legislators lay out first legislative proposals for protecting abortion in Washington (Dhingra, Slatter)
Opinion: After two light years, the 2022-2023 flu season may bring more sickness

Tri-City Herald
4 Tri-Cities companies pay EPA fines over home renovations that likely had lead paint
What caused the fiery plane wreck at Tri-Cities Airport last month? New details
Richland School Board to consider ‘race, culture’ policy passed by Kennewick

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Flu is here, and it’s predicted to be a ‘harsh’ season
Veterans Administration teams with Drug Enforcement Agency for RX drug take back in Walla Walla

Washington Post
Female bodybuilders describe widespread sexual exploitation
Ashton Carter, defense chief who opened combat roles to women, dies at 68
Climate change threatens emperor penguins with extinction, officials say
Adidas ends massive deal with Kanye West after antisemitism controversy

Wenatchee World
Respiratory problems increase at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee due to wildfire smoke

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Investigation finds software company’s algorithm could be artificially inflating rent prices in Seattle
Kirkland chef restores stream to make it habitable for salmon and sees ‘amazing’ results
‘A failure’: How Washington’s cannabis program shut out Black business owners
WA Cares Fund projected to be solvent through 2098 in new analysis

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Residents near Bolt Creek Fire warned of possible extended closures of US 2 amid flash flood watch
Thousands of students missing out on aid as Washington has third-lowest FAFSA completion rate in US

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Redfin: More than half of US homeowners have paid to protect homes from climate threats
Washington state one of 10 safest states in US, per WalletHub report
Western Washington’s poor air quality stifles learning in some classrooms

KNKX Public Radio
Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse
Children’s hospitals grapple with a nationwide surge in RSV infections

KUOW Public Radio
WA softened drug penalties last year. Now some South King County cities are cracking down
The PACT Act and you: what veterans need to know

KXLY (ABC)
Washington students may be leaving behind $50 million in federal aid
Spokane fish biologist appointed to Washington Salmon Recovery Board

Q13 TV (FOX)
Burn bans lifted for some counties

Web

Crosscut
Polluting WA gold mine broke environmental laws 3,539 times

MyNorthwest
Gov. Inslee touts state investments in school health center

The Stranger
Mayor Harrell Defunds Asian American Hate Crime Prevention by 50%

West Seattle Blog
FOLLOWUP: Zoning exceptions for new Alki Elementary? Extra time to comment
FOLLOWUP: Here’s what SPU says caused brown water for some West Seattle customers

Monday, October 24

Heartache, anger in Central Washington over drinking-water wells tainted by ‘forever chemicals’
The Hyatts’ well was one of 300 residential drinking water wells tested for contamination from two firefighting foam chemicals that seeped into groundwater flows from the Army’s Yakima Training Center. They are part of a class of “forever chemicals” — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS — that rank as one of the most pervasive sources of pollution on the planet. In the human body, the two firefighting foam chemicals may disrupt the immune system, interfere with hormones, increase the risk of prostate, kidney and testicular cancers, high blood pressure in pregnant women and harm the reproductive system, according to studies cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Jennifer Buchanan)

Judge to decide if Seattle police can be held liable in sex trafficking case
Women who say they were abused and sexually assaulted by a Seattle hip-hop artist will have to wait to learn whether the Seattle Police Department can be held liable for its handling of an alleged multistate sex trafficking scheme. Since at least 2017, interviews and records including police case files, emails and texts show that eight people — six women and the parents of two women — told police that women have been sexually abused and exploited for profit by [Solomon “Raz”] Simone against their will. But despite assurance from a lead detective that he was investigating claims, and had opened a case, the allegations languished. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)

At 10, she speaks out for Uvalde’s victims, but the girl she used to be is gone.
In the shooting’s aftermath, many of Uvalde’s children were plagued by post-traumatic stress, but, to most people, Caitlyne [Gonzales] wasn’t one of them. By September, she had become Robb’s most public survivor, a voice for her friends who were dead and for those who were alive but too daunted to say anything. She had spoken at rallies in Uvalde and Austin and to U.S. senators in Washington. She’d demanded that the people in charge of her school district fire the police officers who failed to save her classmates. But the girl Caitlyne had been before “that day,” as she’d started calling the May 24 massacre, was gone. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Katherine Frey)

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Associated Press
A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan

Bainbridge Island Review
Medicare open enrollment is October 15 to December 7

Bellingham Herald
You don’t need solar panels for solar power. Community solar sites can power your WA home

Capital Press
U.S. natural gas industry breaking production, export records

Columbian
Student enrollment a roller coaster in Clark County

The Daily News
Three Cowlitz County school districts ask for more time to spend pandemic relief funds

Everett Herald
‘Hungry to shop local,’ but obstacles abound in downtown Everett

Journal of the San Juan Islands
County Council Approves $3.5 Million Commitment to Affordable Housing

News Tribune
A commercial airport in East Pierce County? These people are mobilizing to fight it

Olympian
Olympia area officials, residents organize against Thurston airport proposal

Peninsula Daily News
North Olympic Peninsula counties to view COVID measures

Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon to switch security vendors, resulting in 1,200 Seattle-area layoffs
Seattle-area health care leaders warn hospital finances are in dire shape

Seattle Times
King County adds email, text ballot tracker ahead of WA election
Through Pacific Northwest drought and downpour, what will happen to the salmon?
Federal exam shows pandemic hit 8th grade math especially hard in WA
Judge to decide if Seattle police can be held liable in sex trafficking case
Heartache, anger in Central Washington over drinking-water wells tainted by ‘forever chemicals’
Column: Why Seattle needs to start taking wildfire smoke more seriously

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit County’s COVID-19 case rate at six-month low

Tri-City Herald
More COVID deaths in Tri-Cities area. Vaccines urged before holiday gatherings
World’s largest radioactive waste melter halted in Eastern WA. It was overheating

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Worsening inflation takes toll on everyday life in Walla Walla Valley
With old Walla Walla regional airport terminal set for demolition, Civil Air Patrol seeks new meeting space

Washington Post
Rishi Sunak, the next U.K. prime minister, says nation faces ‘profound economic challenge’ in first public remarks
At 10, she speaks out for Uvalde’s victims. But the girl she used to be is gone.
U.S. economy likely grew a lot last quarter. Most people didn’t notice.

Yakima Herald-Republic
Stanford University to study foreign agricultural worker program in WA
Yakima City Council takes another look at regional crime center

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle homeless encampment under Ship Canal Bridge has some neighbors concerned

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Grocery store unions push back on Kroger-Albertsons merger
Biannual workshop held in King County for women interested in pursuing firefighting, EMS careers

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Snohomish County seeing uptick in business following reopening of US-2
Gas prices drop for 2nd straight week in Seattle, Washington state, nationally

KUOW Public Radio
Rain has finally arrived in the Northwest … watch out

KXLY (ABC)
City Council to discuss resolution on the future of transportation in Spokane

Q13 TV (FOX)
Weekend rain brings needed relief to exhausted firefighters
Researchers concerned about mental health risks of dabbing, highly potent cannabis products

Web

MyNorthwest
Gov. Inslee: State is doing everything it can to fight wildfires
Seattle Children’s seeing spike in RSV cases

West Seattle Blog
More brown water reported in The Junction (and beyond)

Friday, October 21

Gov. Inslee announces new measures to assure abortion access
Gov. Jay Inslee announced legislation he’ll seek to guarantee abortion access and ensure medical privacy in light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned the national right to abortion and sent the matter to the states. Inslee, speaking outside the Campus Services Building at Western Washington University in Bellingham on Friday, Oct. 21, described a constitutional amendment and new laws that would be proposed if the Democratic Party keeps control of the Legislature. Continue reading at OutletName. (Rachel Showalter/The Bellingham Herald)

Winds and rain clear Seattle’s smoky air
Go ahead. Breathe a sigh of relief. Or, just breathe — in and out. With rainfall and winds moving through the Seattle area Friday morning, the wildfire smoke that has clouded air for the past few weeks will begin to subside. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Kylie Cooper/The Seattle Times)

The unseen toll of nonfatal police shootings
The way Kenneth Gilbert Jr. and his father tell the story, it had been a busy morning running errands in east Atlanta when their pickup was suddenly cut off by a dark truck and forced onto the curb. Once Gilbert Sr. got back on the road, he said, the truck swerved back into their lane. Gilbert Sr. said he hit the gas and sped around it, making a sweeping motion with his hand as he shouted at the driver to “move over.” Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Brian Howey/Washington Post)

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Associated Press
2 arrested after 2 killed, tribal officer shot in Washington

Bellevue Reporter
Mentors wanted for the Social Equity in Cannabis Technical Assistance Program

Everett Herald
County officially won’t require drug treatment at new hotel shelters

Kent Reporter
Kent City Council unanimously passes public camping ban

News Tribune
Gov. Inslee announces new measures to assure abortion access
Army special ops will bring nights of helicopters, planes and gunfire to JBLM
‘Thank you rain,’ and ‘I can breathe.’ Tacoma residents react to long-awaited rainfall

Olympian
Hiring bonuses for WA school staff part of new Reykdal proposal to attract employees
2 teens alert Lacey council to threat of violence, partial lock down at area schools
Olympia mayor criticizes Lacey for lack of support on housing; Lacey mayor defends city

Puget Sound Business Journal
Academia becomes economic catalyst for downtown Tacoma

Seattle Medium
Amazon Donates $3 Million To Seattle And Bellevue Colleges To Provide Greater Access To Computer Science Degrees

Seattle Times
Winds and rain clear Seattle’s smoky air
Hiring in WA may be at a tipping point
WA Supreme Court expands protections against racism in civil cases
WA’s HIV prevention program out of funding in 3 months, forced to close

Skagit Valley Herald
Federal grant could pay for study of rail crossings in Burlington
Aviation commission submits options to state Legislature

Spokesman Review
Spokane International Airport breaks ground on first phase of $150 million terminal expansion project
Knezovich asks state to audit ‘financing,’ ‘communication’ regarding Camp Hope

Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
Local experts roll out new risk assessment tool rolls out

Washington Post
Mar-a-Lago classified papers held U.S. secrets about Iran and China
The unseen toll of nonfatal police shootings
Steve Bannon sentenced to 4 months in prison for contempt of Congress in Jan. 6 probe
Federal deficit shrank by half in 2022, Biden administration says, but new battles over taxes and spending loom
EPA to further slash emissions from climate super-pollutants

Wenatchee World
Second Safe Park under construction for those living in RVs on Wenatchee Valley streets
COVID-19 cases slowly downtrending; two monkeypox cases identified

Yakima Herald-Republic
Northwest elections officials amp up defenses against fraud claims ahead of midterms
Editorial: The signs are all around us … and they’re wrong

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Washington paid family leave program could hit $8.7 million deficit
Wildfire smoke FAQ: When will the air quality improve?
Police association calls on Rep. Johnson to retract comment that police ‘go around killing people’

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Government invests $2.8 billion in bolstering EV battery supply chain
‘Like breathing underwater:’ Seattle residents hope Thursday is last day of terrible air
Seattle hospitals experience record volumes of pediatric patients
Washington’s paid family leave premiums to increase Jan. 1

KXLY (ABC)
$150 million expansion project underway at Spokane International Airport
Dangerous ‘PFAS’ chemicals found in Spokane River
WSU lifting COVID vaccine requirement for most employees, contractors and volunteers
Washington Superintendent proposes giving educators hiring bonuses to reduce turnover

Thursday, October 20

COVID-19 linked to increase in US pregnancy-related deaths
COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims, according to a government report released Wednesday. The report lays out grim trends across the country for expectant mothers and their newborn babies. It finds that pregnancy-related deaths have spiked nearly 80% since 2018, with COVID-19 being a factor in a quarter of the 1,178 deaths reported last year. Continue reading at The Associated Press. (Rogelio V. Solis)

EPA’s deputy administrator gives Spokane high marks on clean-up efforts in visit to discuss infrastructure funding
Spokane’s past use of federal dollars to clean up environmental blights earned high marks from a delegation of top state and federal Environmental Protection Agency officials during a visit Tuesday. [Deputy EPA Administrator Janet] McCabe urged city officials to continue that tradition and put in applications for money that has been set aside in Congress by the infrastructure bill and the spending plan called the Inflation Reduction Act that passed earlier this year . She specifically mentioned $5 billion in grants supporting electrification of school buses, more charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and the administration’s new emphasis on environmental justice grants, intended to help underserved populations build pollution-prevention practices. Continue reading at The Spokesman-Review. (Dan Pelle)

Seattle’s air quality among the worst in the world due to wildfire smoke
Seattle’s air quality Thursday morning is the worst of any place in the world, according to IQAir’s Air Quality and pollution city rankings. The air quality in the region was measured at 238 on the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 7 a.m. Thursday, putting Seattle ahead of Portland, Ore., Beijing, China, Delhi, India, and Lahore, Pakistan in the top five. Seattle measured above 250 on the AQI by 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. An Air Quality Alert is in effect through Thursday evening for Seattle, as multiple fires continue to burn in the Cascades. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency urges people to stay inside, and released a map Wednesday showing the areas most affected by the smoky conditions. Continue reading at KING 5.

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Associated Press
Washington wildfire caused by pyrotechnic, police seek tips
Feds take legal action against e-cigarette manufacturers skirting regulations
COVID-19 linked to increase in US pregnancy-related deaths
Fewer Americans apply for jobless benefits last week

Aberdeen Daily World
Grays Harbor readies for tsunami drill

Bellingham Herald
Storms approaching Whatcom County carry several potential threats

Columbian
Air quality in Clark County remains unhealthy

Everett Herald
Housing authority pitches 1,500-unit ‘Park District’ in north Everett
‘Worst I’ve ever seen it’: As smoke floods region, Darrington AQI tops 450
Island County deputy accused of drugging, raping women
Comment: Race, class gender still shape how we view childhood

Kitsap Sun
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe transitional housing welcomes first tenants

News Tribune
Rain – a lot of it – will soon be washing away our smoky skies
Second health system in Tacoma hit with data breach, this one ensnaring employees

Olympian
Tired of smoky skies? Here’s how heavy rain this weekend will clear things up in Olympia

Peninsula Daily News
Friday rain expected to clear smoke

Puget Sound Business Journal
Banks, regulators start the dance to keep real estate off the books
More workers are looking for second jobs. Businesses can capitalize.
Group promotes new passenger ferry terminal for Seattle
Seattle saw greenhouse gas emissions drop, but it’s likely temporary

Renton Reporter
Government renames lake on Mount Rainier

Seattle Times
Medina Market, longtime Eastside grocery fixture, closes its doors
Seattle Councilmember Sawant says her property is being vandalized, criticizes police investigation
Few take respite in smoke shelter amid unhealthy Seattle air quality
Fewer drivers in Seattle’s Highway 99 tunnel could create need for bailout (Fey)

Skagit Valley Herald
Sedro-Woolley to keep yard waste facility open through November
Port of Skagit purchases two hangars at airport

Spokesman Review
Hundreds of jobs are coming to Moses Lake after two companies nab $200 million to develop materials for electric vehicle batteries
EPA’s deputy administrator gives Spokane high marks on clean-up efforts in visit to discuss infrastructure funding

Tri-City Herald
Highway 395 overpass is now open in Kennewick

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
A successful transition back to service for local prison reentry program the STAR Project

Washington Post
Liz Truss resigns as U.K. prime minister after six weeks in office
Former U.S. Navy leaders profited from overlapping interests on sub deal
Adderall shortage is so bad some patients can’t fill their prescriptions
Oceans are warming faster than ever. Here’s what could come next.

Wenatchee World
Wenatchee, Eastmont schools see higher-than-expected enrollment
DNR plans prescribed burn near Wenatchee, wildfires still active

Yakima Herald-Republic
EFSEC moves forward on two Yakima County solar farms
Yakima County Commissioners approve $2.8M contract for regional crime lab
EPA proposes new clean air rules on Yakama Reservation, other reservations in WA

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘The suffering here is egregious’: Massive backlog of mentally ill defendants waiting in jail for treatment
Preparations underway for flooding, landslides before rain returns to western Washington
Seattle’s air quality among the worst in the world due to wildfire smoke
Here’s what experts say are the impacts of exposure to unhealthy air quality
Orting School Board director resigns after being charged for involvement in Capitol riot

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle, Portland have world’s worst air quality again Thursday. When is rain expected?
Duck and cover: The Great Washington ShakeOut to take place Thursday
Much needed rain may cause landslides, road closures near Bolt Creek wildfire

KUOW Public Radio
Will blankets of wildfire smoke be our new seasonal normal?
Why haven’t firefighters ‘put out’ the Bolt Creek fire?

KXLY (ABC)
WA receives $200 million from DOE for battery manufacturing in Moses Lake

Q13 TV (FOX)
Seattle air quality: Some Puget Sound-area schools closed due to ‘unhealthy’ conditions
Seattle had the worst air quality in the world, but cleaner air is on the way
Great Washington ShakeOut is back Thursday

Web

Crosscut
The war in Ukraine has some WA residents living in prolonged fear

MyNorthwest
Customers, local grocers and experts weigh in on potential Kroger-Albertson’s merger

The Stranger
The County Canceled the SODO Shelter Expansion and No One Is Happy

West Seattle Blog
West Seattle Junction apartment building in deal to become ‘affordable housing,’ partly with public funding
SMOKE: Air-quality alert extended and other notes
VACCINATION: Monkeypox clinic in Admiral this Saturday

Wednesday, October 19

Inside the Bolt Creek fire — and the newly burning forests of the western Cascades
Spring this year in Washington was unusually cool and wet, while summer was hot and dry. Some seasonal weather events may be “flukes” but they build upon conditions destabilized by a warming planet, according to state climatologist Nicholas Bond. “Maybe it’s an early indication of climate change,” Bond said. Ongoing fires burning west of the Cascade crest could be a dress rehearsal for longer fire seasons, and longer periods of incessant smoke in urban or metropolitan areas, he said. “It’s not going to be every summer, by any means, but this is the sort of thing that’s going to be happening more.” Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

Very unhealthy: Air quality in east Vancouver, Clark County deteriorates
As the Nakia Creek Fire continues to burn in east Clark County, the air in Southwest Washington continues to deteriorate, pushing into the very unhealthy range in most of east Clark County, according to airnow.gov. Air quality readings in Clark County ran the gamut from 48 in Barberton to as high as 492 in areas around Camas — a reading in the hazardous range, according to purpleair.com. Most of the Portland-metro area is in the unhealthy range. Wildfire smoke has affected much of western Oregon and Washington with unhealthy to hazardous air quality readings up and down the Interstate 5 corridor. The National Weather Service in Portland said that the air quality advisory will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Taylor Balkom)

These four Whatcom County forest parcels considered for new state carbon project
Four parcels in Whatcom County are included in the state’s proposal for phase two of a plan to lease forest land for carbon offsets rather than logging. However, the Department of Natural Resources proposal includes 11,726 acres statewide, and needs to be narrowed down to 7,500 acres. To do so, DNR is asking for community input on which forests deserve protection. The carbon project is a way for DNR to protect forests while maintaining school construction funding. Instead of leasing forests for logging, it will lease the lands through a third party that will sell carbon credits to organizations as carbon offsets. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (WA Dept. of Natural Resources)