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Friday, October 11

Washington homeownership program attempts to rectify past inequities
Real estate investors and developers hailed the Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate cut and what it could mean for transactions in the months ahead. Likewise, optimism is spreading in the housing market as mortgage rates ease. In Washington, an uptick in real estate transactions, both commercial and residential, would also benefit a little-known housing program launched earlier this year. A $100 recording fee on all real estate transactions in the state, paid by the buyer, is funding the state’s Covenant Homeownership Program (CHP). Continue reading at The Puget Sound Business Journal. (Andrew Unangst)

Lack of shelter and housing fuels domestic violence in WA, advocates say
Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women in the United States, according to the federal Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services. In Clark County, the number of people who said they’re homeless due to domestic violence more than doubled from 808 people in 2022 to 1,794 in 2023, according to newly released numbers from the Council for the Homeless management information system. Federal funding cuts that may hit domestic violence programs next year will make the situation even more dire if the state doesn’t commit to permanent funding, they say. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Alexis Weisend)

Citizen panel says Washington lawmakers deserve a 14% raise
State lawmakers in Washington will get a 14% raise over the next two years, pushing their annual pay above $70,000, under a recommendation adopted Thursday by a citizen salary-setting panel. Most legislators currently earn $61,997 annually. They’d receive a 7% increase on July 1, 2025, bringing their pay to $66,411 and another 7% a year later, upping their salaries to $71,126. Statewide executives and judges will get wage hikes too, though increases settled on by the Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials are not quite as hefty. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Jerry Cornfield)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Aberdeen attempting to restrict RV parking

Axios
Seattle’s downtown office space: Boom to bust
How Indigenous land acknowledgements can miss the point

Capital Press
Washington apples aid in hurricane relief
Climatologists downgrade chances La Nina will form
Washington pump-storage project faces historic challenge
Commentary: Federal forest management is stuck

Everett Herald
Everett takes next step toward new AquaSox stadium
Mukilteo council denies controversial rezone for up to 200 homes

Kitsap Sun
Welcome pole representing tribal history installed on Bainbridge Island

News Tribune
Tacoma will soon get 170+ new, distinctive street signs. Here’s what’s happening
Health department warns of suspected norovirus outbreak at Tacoma buffet restaurant
Proposed warehouse near popular Pierce County trail would remove more than 450 trees
DNR agrees to sell Pierce County unused timber land for affordable housing development

Puget Sound Business Journal
SBA disaster loan funding will run out ‘very soon’
Power crunch challenges boom in Washington town
Washington homeownership program attempts to rectify past inequities

Seattle Times
WA State Parks won’t reopen Cama Beach cabins
Seattle tenant hotlines, legal aid could face sweeping budget cuts
Seattle Public Schools plans to name schools for closure in two weeks
FAA’s ‘failing system’ of monitoring Boeing blasted by federal watchdog
Lack of shelter and housing fuels domestic violence in WA, advocates say

Spokesman Review
City to concentrate extra officers in downtown Spokane over 30-day crackdown on ‘predatory’ crime
Could your teens sleep in a little longer? Spokane School Board ponders changes to calendars and start times
Though still without plan to pay for more cops, Spokane Valley City Council opts against property tax increase for 16th straight year

Washington Post
Racism was called a health threat. Then came the DEI backlash.
Death rates for working-age and young Black people rose during pandemic
As drug middlemen influence grows, independent pharmacies face fresh challenges

WA State Standard
Washington not on pace to fill growing job gap
Citizen panel says Washington lawmakers deserve a 14% raise (Trudeau)
Opinion: Energy projects, preemption and politics

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
New report finds Seattle is one of worst major US cities to drive in
Police say bullet from drive-by shooting hit window of Seattle high school
Family of Afghanistan refugees living in Lacey ‘thriving’ in school, workplace
Historic cabins at Cama Beach State Park will permanently close, commission decides

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
After 12 years, SPD could soon be free from federal supervison
Bullet goes through second-story window of Nova High School in Seattle
Washington AG, 17 others push FDA to loosen restrictions on abortion drug
Environmental advocates push for more efforts to reduce lead contamination in schools
Relatives of passengers who died in Boeing Max crashes will face off in court with the company

KUOW Public Radio
Worst whooping cough outbreak in a decade has infected thousands
Is an uptick of rumblings under Mount Adams cause for seismic concern?

KXLY (ABC)
Downtown community identifies pressing issues for Core Pilot Program

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Little Lilly timber sale approved by Board of Natural Resources

Thursday, October 10

The elderly caregiving crisis is an economic problem
Kamala Harris’ proposal to create a Medicare benefit for long-term home care targets an underappreciated part of the economy: caregiving. The sector is staffed by underpaid and unpaid workers — mostly women — carrying out crucial jobs that will only become more important as the population ages. Even as they’re in high demand and the care sector becomes an increasingly large part of the economy, care workers don’t make very much money. A better system would keep more women in the workforce, and raise the economic prospects of those who do this work for a living. Continue reading at Axios. (Sarah Grillo)

Federal oversight of Seattle police could end in ‘next few months,’ DOJ predicts
After more than 12 years and expenditures topping $200 million, the city of Seattle and its Police Department might be “within the next few months” of ending federal oversight of SPD, according to documents filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. The documents were requested by U.S. District Judge James Robart, who has overseen the implementation of a top-to-bottom overhaul of SPD and its accountability systems. Robart has scheduled an Oct. 16 hearing on the status of the settlement agreement between the Department of Justice and the city. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Luke Johnson)

WA districts received $2.6 billion in federal COVID relief funding. Here’s how they spent it
Washington school districts received over $2.6 billion in federal COVID relief funds and have spent $2.5 billion so far, according to September data from the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Like all other states, Washington received funds through three packages, known as ESSER I, II and III. ESSER stands for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, and the combined total for schools nationwide is nearly $200 billion. Continue reading at the WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

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Associated Press
Boeing withdraws contract offer after talks with striking workers break down
Social Security’s scheduled cost of living increase ‘won’t make a dent’ for some retirees

Aberdeen Daily World
100+ Harbor Women Who Care succeeds again

Axios
Inflation falls to 2.4%, lowest in three years
The elderly caregiving crisis is an economic problem
Seattle scientist David Baker wins Nobel Prize for work on proteins

Capital Press
Washington dairy, under fire from EPA, to close
WSU Wheat Academy registration opens Oct. 10
Ag exporter, port strike settlement in Clean Water Act lawsuit
Forest officials say unexpectedly windy weather pushed prescribed fire beyond boundaries
Editorial: The EPA pulls ag back from the brink

The Daily News
Longview committed to bike lanes for safer roads and in light of $2M price tag to remove

Everett Herald
Boeing at risk of junk rating amid stalling negotiations with union
Comment: Nation’s flood insurance system is badly broken

High Country News
In rural Washington, a ‘constitutional sheriff’ and his growing volunteer posse provoke controversy (Goodman)

News Tribune
Glass meant for recycling in Tacoma is temporarily going to landfill. Why the change?
Update: Police activity causing significant backups on Tacoma Narrows Bridge cleared
WA, with other states, sues TikTok for effects on youth mental health. Here’s what to know
Townhome projects proposed in Tacoma and Lakewood. ‘We hope to do more,’ developer says
Maxine Mimms, founding director of Evergreen’s Tacoma campus, has died, college announces

Olympian
‘I have a home.’ New affordable housing project opens doors to homeless seniors in Olympia

Puget Sound Business Journal
Boeing pulls contract offer to machinist union
VC funding in Seattle area tops $1B in third quarter
SBA disaster loans for businesses: What to know and how to apply

Seattle Medium
Dozens Displaced, 22 Units Damaged In Seattle Apartment Building Fire

Seattle Times
What’s new and what to watch for in upcoming ACA open enrollment period
Federal oversight of Seattle police could end in ‘next few months,’ DOJ predicts

Spokesman Review
Though years away, major changes could be in store for the bell schedules and school calendar at Spokane Public Schools
No tenant evictions or rent increases for landlords not registered with the city? Spokane council to take up proposal next week

Washington Post
Social Security issued its smallest benefits hike in years. Here’s why.
Earth’s wildlife populations have disappeared at a ‘catastrophic’ rate in the past half-century, new analysis says

WA State Standard
UW professor wins Nobel Prize in chemistry
WA districts received $2.6 billion in federal COVID relief funding. Here’s how they spent it

Wenatchee World
CyrusOne nears completion on new data center in Quincy
Wenatchee Rescue Mission pallet shelters slowly filling up in phased approach

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Medical emergency exposes ferry concerns on Guemes Island
‘Let’s Go Washington’ fined $20,000 by Public Disclosure Commission
Former Marysville superintendent receives over $400K severance package
‘Worse than ever’ | Community members voice safety concerns about crime near Seattle’s Magnuson Park

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Former Marysville Schools superintendent to get $400K severance
Does King County have the most retail theft? Nordstrom believes so
UW biochemist wins Nobel Prize for breakthroughs in protein design
Beleaguered Aurora business owners say they welcome SPD ‘spy cams’
Language spoken by Puyallup Tribe will be added to certain street signs
City Council approves $50K hiring bonuses for new Seattle Police officers
Upset families to rally ahead of Seattle school board meeting about closures
Seattle to become first city in nation with EMTs administering this lifesaving medication
EvergreenHealth temporarily suspends certain elective surgeries due to hurricane supply shortages

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
SPS families to rally ahead of school board meeting addressing school closure plan
Seattle City Council member holds community meeting over noise complaints in Magnuson Park

KNKX Public Radio
Rural areas hit hard by food insecurity, study finds

KUOW Public Radio
Timeline set for Seattle school closures. 5 possible schools yet to be named

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane launching pilot program to address downtown challenges
Proposed housing development would bring 1,000 new homes to Latah Valley

NW Public Radio
Walla Walla sees rise in overdoses
This transfer will help Grand Coulee Dam run more efficiently, save money

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Food security may be deemed a public health priority in Whatcom County
Bellingham Public Schools settles federal lawsuit over failing to report sexual assault

Crosscut
Small businesses continue legal battle over denied pandemic aid
First Response: The specialists helping patients heal from gunshots
Washington sues TikTok for underplaying youth mental health risks

MyNorthwest
Seattle city employees getting hit with paycheck issues due to a software change
Seattle first city to equip first responders with opiate overdose drug Buprenorphine

The Urbanist
King County Metro Faces Looming Fiscal Cliff
Harrell Cuts Social Safety Net to Fund 16% Boost to SPD
J Line Breaks Ground, Delivering Bus and Bike Upgrades by 2027

Wednesday, October 9

WA found a better way to remove homeless encampments. Will it stick?
Local governments have long removed tents and encampments. They have also long provided subsidized housing to formerly homeless people. But the two rarely went hand-in-hand. Since 2022, Washington has closed 47 encampments in five counties, bringing more than 70% of people from them – 1,200 people – inside…The state’s Encampment Resolution Program [is] a new approach that avoids scattering people cleared off the sides of highways and instead puts them in state-funded shelters and housing. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ivy Ceballo)

WA women 9th in nation for breast cancer diagnoses, analysis finds
Washington women were more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer despite receiving fewer mammograms than the national average in recent years, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society. About 137 women per 100,000 Washington residents were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2017 and 2021, the ninth-highest rate in the nation. But only 64% of the state’s women ages 40 and older received mammograms from 2021 to 2022, putting Washington at the 10th-lowest screening rate in the country. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

Are WA schools ready for earthquakes? We don’t know
Hundreds of public schools across Washington are located in areas where they could suffer damage in a major earthquake. But more than a decade after the state set out to evaluate school seismic risks, the information is difficult to access and harder to verify. In the past school year, more than 378,000 students attended schools with buildings constructed before the adoption of modern seismic codes and that have no risk evaluations or retrofits, according to data from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction obtained through a public records request. The majority of seismic risk data collected by school districts and the state is not shared with the public. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Grace Deng)

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Associated Press
Judge rules the FTC can proceed with antitrust lawsuit against Amazon
Boeing withdraws contract offer after talks with striking workers break down
On a screen near you: Officials are livestreaming the election process for more transparency

Bellingham Herald
Resiliency after flooding: Everson affordable housing community celebrates construction launch

Capital Press
Cranberry producers expect lower prices
Northwest winter wheat production up 23% over last year
USDA: EPA insecticide strategy potential breaking point for farms

Columbian
Huge Tri-Cities warehouse fire cost taxpayers $1M+. WA laws need to change, say officials
Suspicious device found near downtown Vancouver ballot drop box; ATF and bomb disposal unit respond
‘There’s nowhere for her to go’: Advocates say lack of shelter, safe housing fuel domestic violence in Washington

Everett Herald
Edmonds climate committee seeks new members
Boeing at risk of junk rating with S&P amid strike
Ousted Marysville superintendent to get over $400K in severance
Mukilteo council denies controversial rezone for up to 200 homes
Asbestos survey before Snohomish training was inadequate, report says

International Examiner
Nothing will improve in Little Saigon with the SODA bill

News Tribune
Tacoma faces $24 million gap in proposed 2025-26 budget. How will the city fill it?
Mount Rainier is getting shorter. Here’s what is happening with WA’s highest point

Port Townsend Leader
State researchers to use drones to survey seals and sea lions
$8.5 million for Puget Sound restoration and protection efforts

Puget Sound Business Journal
Why mortgage rates may not continue to drop
How business owners can navigate DEI backlash
Pagliacci Pizza settles class-action lawsuit for $830K

Seattle Times
Seattle parents press for more details on school closures
WA found a better way to remove homeless encampments. Will it stick? (Macri)
Boeing withdraws contract offer after talks with striking workers break down

Tri-City Herald
New $45B Hanford contract still in limbo. What a federal judge had to say about that
Record-busting freshman classes boost Tri-Cities college attendance. What’s driving it

Washington Post
U.S. deficit hits $1.8 trillion as interest costs rise
Social Security payments aren’t rising fast enough for most seniors
Nearly every household in America has a car. Here’s how to break free.
Scientists had said we can cool the planet back down. Now they’re not so sure.

WA State Standard
WA women 9th in nation for breast cancer diagnoses, analysis finds

Yakima Herald-Republic
WA aviation group looks to restart discussion about state’s airport needs

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
3 injured in downtown Tacoma shooting
City’s minimum wage at center of heated debate in Olympia
Machinists’ strike could cost Boeing $1 billion a month, estimate suggests
Seattle City Council approves new hiring bonuses for SPD officers, use of surveillance cameras

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle’s Pier 70 is up for sale
Boeing pulls ‘final offer’ from negotiations
Washington Task Force One, Red Cross volunteers head to coast for disaster relief
Seattle City Council paves way for surveillance cameras in three crime-ridden neighborhoods

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle City Council approves $50,000 hiring onus for police officers
Seattle Catholic school converts old convent into affordable teacher housing
Seattle voters show increased optimism about city’s direction, new study finds
Seattle Children’s Hospital opens first mental health urgent care clinic in Washington
Boeing withdraws offer as ongoing strike impacts business, customers, and community
WA among over a dozen states suing TikTok claiming platform harms youth mental health

KUOW Public Radio
A welcoming space for recovery expands to Bellingham
Crime and drugs are Seattle voters’ top concerns, new survey finds
Your bus from the U District to downtown Seattle will arrive in three years
Seattle adding surveillance cameras to crime-fighting efforts in 3 neighborhoods

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane City Council considers expanding sit and lie ordinance beyond downtown
Spokane Fire reports decrease in Narcan treatment, though numbers may be misleading
Attorney General Bob Ferguson sues TikTok for creating app that’s addictive to young people

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Health center for homeless people to open in downtown Bellingham (Shewmake)

Crosscut
Seattle increases police hiring bonus to $50,000
Are WA schools ready for earthquakes? We don’t know

Tuesday, October 8

WA and other states sue TikTok, claiming it harms kids’ mental health
More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, alleging the popular short-form video app is harming youth mental health by designing its platform to be addictive to kids. The lawsuits stem from a national investigation into TikTok, which was launched in March 2022 by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from many states, including Washington, New York, California, Kentucky and New Jersey. All of the complaints were filed in state courts. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Damian Dovarganes)

Child care subsidies expanding for some WA families
Starting next month, eligible families across Washington will gain access to new state support to help cover child care costs. The expanded assistance will be available under a state law approved earlier this year and will be open to families enrolled in subsidized state child care programs for children under 3 and to staff at state-run preschools to cover care costs for their own kids. Washington’s programs for infants to 3-year-olds provide full-day care for eligible children paid for by the state or federal government. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

Washington is building hundreds of EV chargers, but is it enough?
Washington recently embarked on a $100 million program to dramatically increase the number of public electric-vehicle charging stations in the state, adding hundreds of stations between the Idaho border and the Pacific Coast, in urban and rural areas like Oroville. That’s in addition to the private stations people install in their homes. Gov. Jay Inslee announced in February that more than 5,800 new public chargers at more than 500 different sites around the state would be built by mid-2026. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Lizz Giordano)

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Associated Press
WA state taxpayers will be able to file their returns directly with the IRS

Bellingham Herald
Holly Street turn lanes aim to remove pinch point in downtown Bellingham bike lane project

Capital Press
USDA awards renewable energy grants to 29 Northwest projects
Federal court upholds Idaho water laws, ranchers’ stockwater rights

Columbian
As federal funding for crime victims plummets, advocates ask WA lawmakers for help

Everett Herald
Lake 22 to remain closed 2 extra months
‘A blessing’: Tulalip celebrates money to improve hatchery
Monroe police commander is a finalist for Burlington chief
Mountlake Terrace homes sell faster than anywhere else, report says

International Examiner
Chinatown-ID legacy business City Produce to relocate after ICHS acquires property for affordable housing project with LIHI

News Tribune
Pierce County teacher and drag king resigns from school district amid cyberbullying
Tacoma LGBTQ center’s board president resigns, alleging a toxic work environment

New York Times
Majority of Supreme Court Appears Receptive to Biden Administration Limits on ‘Ghost Guns’

Peninsula Daily News
Respiratory illnesses trending down, public health officer says

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle-area affordable housing efforts miss the mark
Seattle-area museums draw more visitors as revenue lags
Nordstrom CEO singles out King County as retailer’s ‘worst area’ for theft nationwide
The death of hybrid work? CEOs are clamping down, but the future may be more complicated.

Seattle Times
States sue TikTok, claiming its platform is addictive and harms the mental health of children
Biden sets a 10-year deadline for US cities to replace lead pipes and make drinking water safer
Supreme Court seems open to upholding regulations on ghost guns, hard to trace weapons used in crime

Spokesman Review
Washington AG seeks sanctions against Albertson’s in opioid suit
Spokane, Airway Heights earn state grants to speed up housing construction
WSU’s WADDL tests for animal disease to keep our food safe and catch the next pandemic before it starts

Tri-City Herald
Huge Tri-Cities warehouse fire cost taxpayers +$1M. WA laws need to change, say officials

Washington Post
States sue TikTok, saying its addictive features hook children
Supreme Court declines to intervene in Texas emergency abortion case
In landmark move, EPA requires removal of all U.S. lead pipes in a decade

WA State Standard
Child care subsidies expanding for some WA families
Washington’s inaugural ball canceled for 2025, as planning committee dissolves

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Pierce County leaders holding town halls on fentanyl crisis
Washington team helping with Hurricane Helene response
Man’s kidney transplant at Swedish was delayed due to racially biased equation, lawsuit alleges

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Gig Harbor teacher quits, cites cyberbullying
FDA approves first flu and COVID-19 combo home test
Hurricane Milton could impact the supply of IV fluids at local hospitals
‘Disturbing trend’: Renton police see increase in stolen guns, urge caution
Washington’s EV rebate program for low-income drivers nears end as money dwindle fast!

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Ferry workers presented Life Ring Awards for 100+ lifesaving efforts
Seattle City Council to vote on using surveillance cameras in crime ‘hot spots’
Seattle Restaurant Alliance suggests new minimum wage increase could hurt industry

KNKX Public Radio
As gun violence increases in the PNW, so does its toll on doctors
250 companies, schools and organizations pledge to provide overdose antidote naloxone

KUOW Public Radio
Washington offered state Medicaid to undocumented adults. Thousands still don’t have coverage

KXLY (ABC)
Washington ranked as one of the easiest states to vote
West Central neighbors divided on upcoming infrastructure projects
WSU lab tests for and tracks bird flu and chronic wasting disease to keep food supply safe

Web

Cascadia Daily News
New rapid DNA machine could speed up crime investigations at Whatcom Sheriff’s Office

Crosscut
Washington is building hundreds of EV chargers, but is it enough?

MyNorthwest
Massive toll system changes on the way
‘Vaccination is critical:’ Contagious, deadly rabbit disease rises again in Washington

The Urbanist
Harrell Officials Downplay Impact of Permitting Staff Cuts

Washington Observer
Democratic dreams of a supermajority

Monday, October 7

As federal funding for crime victims plummets, advocates ask WA lawmakers for help
The Victims of Crime Act State Plan is unique in how many different types of programs it supports. While much of the funds go to victims of sex abuses, the state plan serves a wide range of victims, including those of robbery, arson, identity theft and elder abuse, as well as loved ones of homicide victims. A few years ago, the state decided to kick in $40 million to keep funding for the state plan steady — but those supplemental funds are set to expire in June 2025. The Department of Commerce, which oversees the state Office of Crime Victims Advocacy, is requesting another $51 million for the 2025-2027 biennium. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Jamie Rose)

Plastic producers face fines for not using enough recycled material in their products
On Thursday, the Washington State Department of Ecology announced fines for 35 plastic producers for failing to use enough recycled plastics. The 35 companies identified were fined a combination of over $400,000 because the law required them to use between 10% and 15% recycled material. These are the first penalties levied since the law was signed in 2021. Ecology is responsible for making sure businesses comply with the law and registering them. The fines varied between $39 to $67,196. Continue reading at KIRO 7. (Washington State Department of Ecology)

What Washington’s EV rebates bought
Washington’s hot rebate summer saw thousands more electric rides hit the road thanks to a new subsidy for low-income drivers, now dwindling in supply. The Department of Commerce’s Electric Vehicle Instant Rebates program was conceived as a leg-up for low earners in the state who want to skip trips to the gas station, but can’t afford a new (or new-ish) EV. The program launched in August, and offered everything its name implies—$5,000 off the purchase of a qualifying new EV or $9K off a 36-month lease.1 That’s all on top of the slate of federal rebates for EVs. Continue reading at The WA Observer. (Denin Lawley)