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Tuesday, August 16

Crews begin removing oil, fuel from sunken boat near San Juan Island
Commercial divers and salvage teams on Monday began removing remaining diesel and other potential pollutants on the Aleutian Isle, a 49-foot vessel that sunk Saturday west of San Juan Island. Crews will get to the vessel, which is in 100 feet of water, using two decompression chambers, according to Petty Officer Michael Clark of the U.S. Coast Guard 13th District Pacific Northwest. A safety zone of 1,000 yards around the sunken vessel west of Sunset Point was put in place Monday as well as specialized marine mammal-deterrence teams staged in Snug Harbor by the Washington Department of Fish and Game, according to the Coast Guard. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Infrastructure money to almost double zero-emission buses on road
The infrastructure law is set to almost double the number of zero-emission buses on U.S. roads with a single year’s funding, the Federal Transit Administration announced Tuesday. The agency said it has awarded $1.6 billion through a pair of programs to transit operators across the country. The money will be used to purchase about 1,800 buses — including 1,100 that aren’t dependent on fossil fuels — and to construct maintenance and charging facilities while training workers. The funding is one of the most direct ways the $1 trillion infrastructure package promises to cut carbon emissions from transportation, the nation’s biggest source of greenhouse gases. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Bill O’Leary)

With student loan decision expected soon, US wipes out debt for 208,000 borrowers
Students who used federal loans to attend ITT Technical Institute as far back as 2005 will automatically get that debt canceled after authorities found “widespread and pervasive misrepresentations” at the defunct for-profit college chain, the Biden administration announced Tuesday. The action will cancel $3.9 billion in federal student debt for 208,000 borrowers, the Education Department said. The debt is being forgiven using a federal rule known as borrower defense, which is meant to protect students from colleges that make false advertising claims or otherwise commit fraud. Continue reading at The Associated Press.

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Associated Press
Environmental groups sue US over Puerto Rico dredging plan
With student loan decision expected soon, US wipes out debt for 208,000 borrowers

Bellingham Herald
More heat is headed toward Whatcom. How hot will it get? And what else is on the way?
This job fair seeks to connect refugees to jobs and services in Whatcom County

The Daily News
Port of Longview moves forward with ongoing storage, rail projects

Everett Herald
Snohomish County eyes another motel-to-shelter project in Edmonds

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Fishing vessels sinks, leaking diesel and threatening sensitive areas

Peninsula Daily News
Monkeypox vaccine coming to Clallam County

Seattle Times
Is a colder than average, third La Niña winter in store for Seattle?
Starbucks says labor board helping pro-union workers in Seattle, elsewhere
Crews begin removing oil, fuel from sunken boat near San Juan Island
Hungry for more student interest, WA teachers test a free science curriculum

Underscore News
Yakama Nation, other tribes call on governor to reject Goldendale energy project

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Storms rain on parade of Walla Walla Valley wheat growers, causing further delays

Washington Post
Justice Department opposes release of Mar-a-Lago affidavit
Trump-allied lawyers pursued voting machine data in multiple states, records reveal
Infrastructure money to almost double zero-emission buses on road
Post-Roe, more Americans want their tubes tied. It isn’t easy.

Yakima Herald-Republic
Smaller apple harvest predicted for 2022 in Washington
Calling climate leaders: Yakima accepting applications for city sustainability committee

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Residents of Puyallup mobile home community slated for closure struggle to find affordable housing
Mayor signs legislation to protect reproductive rights in Seattle
Local moms band together, push for change after losing sons to overdoses
Suicide rates are rising among Black youth. How advocates are trying to break the stigma around mental health

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle becomes sanctuary city for those seeking abortions

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle mayor signs bills in support of reproductive rights and gender affirming care

KUOW Public Radio
How dramatic pandemic shifts affected Northwest birds
NW has dodged wildfire smoke this summer (so far), but fires still being fought across Washington
Washington State Ferries looks to the next generation to staff — and bring diversity to — future crews
WA activates alerts for missing Indigenous people – and forecasts more alerts overall

Q13 TV (FOX)
Oil spill clean-up hits new snag, as biologists raise killer whales concerns
Snohomish County buying up hotels as transitional housing for people facing homelessness

Web

MyNorthwest
Divers trying to recover oil from sunken fishing boat in San Juans
Mayor signs bill package expanding abortion protections, access in Seattle
Wildfires threaten nearby Leavenworth; 12+ fires burn across WA state

West Seattle Blog
UPDATE: Thousands lose water in West Seattle, after big break at 24th/Kenyon
TUESDAY: Confirmation process begins for new SDOT director Greg Spotts

Monday, August 15

Washington has new hotline for monkeypox information
Washington’s Department of Health has set up a new hotline to answer your questions about the monkeypox virus, aka MPV. The number is 1-833-829-HELP. The hotline will be operational from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays, and between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (outside of state holidays). Operators will answer any questions about risk factors, vaccine information, testing, and treatment. Just be aware that they won’t be able to schedule any appointments for you. Language assistance will be available in 240 languages. Continue reading at KUOW. (Gilles Lambert)

Proposal would keep worker heat protections in place all year in WA
New rules for people working outside in Washington may be in place year-round under a proposal from the state Department of Labor and Industries. For the past two years, L&I has released emergency rules for the summer which add to guidance already in place. The rules require rest breaks, water and shade for those working in the heat. They apply to construction, agriculture and delivery jobs, among other industries. This year’s emergency heat protections are in effect from June 15-Sept. 29. But staff members said temperatures are rising and they could be high outside of summer months. In May 2021, for example, the high temperature reached 92 degrees in the Yakima area, according to the National Weather Service. Continue reading at Yakima Herald-Republic. (Emree Weaver)

Energy secretary agrees Tri-Cities assets ‘irresistible’ for growing a clean energy hub
The Tri-Cities is well positioned to move from “cleanup to clean energy,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on her first visit to the Tri-Cities. Leaders representing Tri-Cities economic and other interests pitched the concept to her at a roundtable discussion, with their message bolstered by Granholm’s tours of the Hanford site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland Thursday and Friday. The Tri-Cities has an “irresistible mixture” of assets for a clean energy economic future, Granholm agreed. And it has the benefit of being in a state that’s already No. 2 in the nation for clean energy as President Biden focuses on clean energy goals and signs new legislation with clean energy development tax incentives into law, she said. Continue reading at Tri-City Herald. (Bob Brawdy)

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Associated Press
So-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law confuses some Florida schools
Thao, Kueng say they rejected plea deal in Floyd killing
Starbucks asks labor board to halt union votes temporarily
Seattle ambulance contractor pays $1.4 M in fines

Aberdeen Daily World
$50 million secured for North Shore Levee project in Aberdeen and Hoquiam

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom returns to CDC’s ‘low’ COVID community level, but these two regions would be ‘high’
Environmental report on Cherry Point Refinery dock begun in 2006 released Friday
Bellingham Starbucks workers strike
One and a half weeks since its first confirmed monkeypox case, has Whatcom seen more?
Bellingham’s blue buses are electric
Here’s how Bellingham is getting millions more to fight climate change

Columbian
Editorial: In Our View: Put vaccines on back-to-school to-do list (Stonier)

The Daily News
RiverCities board walks back limits on age, income for youth passengers

Everett Herald
Lynnwood’s microtransit test begins this fall, others possible
‘It’d be a miracle’: Providence tests new treatment for meth addiction
A daily pill could virtually end HIV, if people only knew to get it (Liias)
Proposed map shifts every Everett City Council district
Editorial: Nurses and hospitals need our care, support now

Indian Country Today
Quileute Tribe opens K-12 school on higher ground
$1B added to tribal broadband program
Fifty years later and Congress is ready to act on climate change

The Inlander
History seems to repeating itself between the Roaring 1920s and whatever it is the 2020s will be remembered for

Kitsap Sun
Requirements for electric vehicle charging stations on the horizon in Kitsap County

Peninsula Daily News
Clallam County considers rehousing allocations
Affordable housing units get upgrades
Jefferson County to consider opioid settlement allocation

Seattle Times
These areas of WA are likely to get hotter — but people keep moving there
How King County’s efforts to help at-risk students created a record that could jeopardize their privacy
Vessel carrying 2,600 gallons of fuel, oil sinks near San Juan Island
Column: How the media privileges white victims

Tri-City Herald
Energy secretary agrees Tri-Cities assets ‘irresistible’ for growing a clean energy hub
COVID takes a turn in Tri-Cities. Here’s the latest on infections and deaths

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
E-Bikes gain popularity in Walla Walla

Washington Post
Trump-allied lawyers pursued voting machine data in multiple states, records reveal
More dangerous heat waves are on the way: See the impact by Zip code.
Trump’s secrets: How a records dispute led the FBI to search Mar-a-Lago
As Congress funds high-tech climate solutions, it also bets on a low-tech one: Nature

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima Council looks at program supporting free transit rides for Yakima youths
Yakima Valley Memorial, MultiCare officials extend timeline for merger discussions
Proposal would keep worker heat protections in place all year in WA

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
New WSDOT video shows benefits of wildlife crossings, with more coming to Washington
Here’s what Washington state was granted for infrastructure projects

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Fishing vessel sinks off San Juan Island; Coast Guard responding to fuel spill
What’s behind Harborview Medical Center’s capacity crisis
Black-owned coffee shop in Shoreline targeted with new threats of racism

KUOW Public Radio
A community conversation about Seattle and the overdose crisis
Washington has new hotline for monkeypox information
‘Incredibly lucky’: endangered orcas dodge diesel spill off San Juan Island
Seattle considers fixing equity gap in cannabis industry
Take two for Seattle’s social housing initiative

Q13 TV (FOX)
Clean up efforts continue after diesel, oil spill near San Juan Island; scientists concerned about orcas

Web

MyNorthwest
Harborview Medical Center 30% over capacity, will stop accepting non-emergency patients
Universal healthcare campaign gains momentum in Washington state

West Seattle Blog
WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: SDOT announces September 18th reopening date
CORONAVIRUS: Updated West Seattle, countywide numbers
FOLLOWUP: Repairs yet to begin on ferry, pilings damaged in Fauntleroy crash

Friday, August 12

House poised to send Inflation Reduction Act to Biden for his signature
Today, the House returns to Washington for the expected passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping package that aims to lower health-care costs, combat climate change, raise taxes on some large companies and reduce the deficit. The legislation would then go to President Biden for his signature, handing the president the latest in a summer string of legislative victories. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)

King County, Seattle form coalition to boost mental health facilities and workforce
King County has lost nearly a third of its residential mental health beds since 2018, and residents wait an average of 44 days for such treatment, county and city officials announced Thursday. The data points to the severely under-resourced state of the county’s behavioral health system. It was announced as part of the formation of a new coalition of King County and Seattle government leaders, state representatives and health care workers who plan to rebuild and add more resources to the region’s depleted mental health workforce. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Greg Gilbert / The Seattle Times)

A New Agency Seeks to Hold Washington’s Killer Cops Accountable
Charleena Lyles. John T. Williams. Manny Ellis. More than two years after thousands flooded streets across Washington to #SayTheirNames, police accountability advocates are finally seeing the state’s response to their demands for impartial investigations of cops who kill on the job. Last week, the skeleton crew of employees staffing Washington’s new Office of Independent Investigations (OII) finally moved into their offices. The agency, while off to a slower start than initially projected, represents a first-in-the-nation victory for survivors of police violence. Once the department hires its remaining key staff members and finalizes its operating protocols, it will stand as the only statewide agency in America that investigates cops when they use deadly force, rather than allowing local departments to investigate their own. Continue reading at The Stranger. (Tyler Gross)

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Bellingham Herald
Here’s how Bellingham is getting millions more to fight climate change

Capital Press
La Nina getting stronger, expected to stay for fall

The Daily News
Seattle hospital to refuse some patients due to capacity

Everett Herald
Monroe to start building walking, biking path along U.S. 2
Commentary: Face check: No, IRS isn’t sending 87,00o agents to audit you

News Tribune
Tacoma faces revenue shortfall as council heads into budget season. How big is the hit?

Olympian
CDC lowers Thurston County’s COVID-19 risk level. Here’s what that means for you

Puget Sound Business Journal
Coalition launched to tackle King County’s behavioral health crisis
SDOT sets reopening date for West Seattle Bridge

Seattle Medium
Under New Leadership, Commission Is Looking To Bring About Significant Changes In Police Training

Seattle Times
Sound Transit 3: Progress in West Seattle, paralysis in Chinatown International District
Health insurer ordered to stop selling in WA
Some WA families will have to pay again for school meals. Here’s how much
WA schools, child care centers must continue to follow COVID protocols
Harborview Medical Center will temporarily stop accepting some patients due to capacity issues
King County, Seattle form coalition to boost mental health facilities and workforce (Macri)
West Seattle Bridge reopening date announced

Skagit Valley Herald
Volunteers collect data on the shore of Fidalgo Bay
Skagit County transfer station closes again

Washington Post
FBI searched Trump’s home to look for nuclear documents and other items, sources say
World ignored monkeypox threats, including signs of sexual transmission
Under fire, Homeland Security watchdog delays probe — with GOP help
House poised to send Inflation Reduction Act to Biden for his signature
The corporate minimum tax could hit these ultra-profitable companies
CDC loosens coronavirus guidance, signaling strategic shift

Yakima Herald-Republic
More seek shelter as homeless rate sees slight uptick in Yakima County, survey shows
State help activated for Canyon Road fire threatening Grandview homes, sewer plant
Yakama Nation leaders approve plans to build four more roundabouts on reservation
Yakima police see fewer domestic violence incidents a year into tracking data as new coalition’s efforts take hold

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
King County, Seattle, state leaders launch coalition to plan behavioral healthcare network
Harborview will divert patients with non-urgent needs as overcrowding strains the system
If you’re exposed to COVID, FDA now recommends 3 at-home tests
Democrats hope to pass the Inflation Reduction Act Friday
Ruling clouds future of southeast Alaska king salmon fishery

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Harborview Medical Center over 130% capacity; no longer admitting non-emergency patients
Days Inn facility in Everett to be converted to limited-time housing for homeless

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Woman, 80, banned from Port Townsend YMCA pool after clash over trans woman in locker room
Harborview Medical Center at capacity, stops taking non-urgent patients
West Seattle Bridge finally gets reopening date for this September after 2 1/2 years
Man left mental health facility before hitting woman with 35 lb. rock, court docs allege
Man accused of trafficking 44,000 catalytic converters as Beaverton Police bust theft ring

KXLY (ABC)
Washington state employees no longer required to get COVID booster

Q13 TV (FOX)
‘Unprecedented:’ Harborview Medical Center says hospital is 30% over capacity with patients

Web

The Stranger
A New Agency Seeks to Hold Washington’s Killer Cops Accountable
Transphobic Bullying Incident Prompts Port Townsend YMCA to Ban Member
Local Leaders Announce New Coalition to Address Behavioral Health Crisis

Thursday, August 11

DOH releases COVID-19 updates for Washington K-12 schools, child care
With school starting back in just a few weeks, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has updated its COVID-19 guidance for K-12 schools and for child care. “We are entering a new stage of co-existing with COVID-19 in our communities, knowing that COVID-19 is here to stay for the foreseeable future,” said Washington’s Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah. “DOH also recognizes the importance of being able to maintain in-person learning for children, and the fundamental links between education and long-term health outcomes.” The guidance for the 2022-2023 school year “takes lessons learned from the first two and a half years of the pandemic” that will help reduce COVID transmissions at schools and care facilities. Continue reading at The Auburn Reporter. (Olivia Sullivan)

Washington’s designated crisis responders, a ‘last resort’ in mental health care, face overwhelming demand
In a mental health crisis, police officers or EMTs may be the first to a scene. They’re not, however, tasked with evaluating whether the person in crisis must be involuntarily detained for treatment. That daunting decision is the responsibility of the designated crisis responder, a straightforward title for a complicated role. “I think a lot of times people don’t know [who we are] and so they’ll call and ask for a DCR, not really understanding what they’re asking for,” said Justina Nieciag, a licensed clinical social worker and a designated crisis responder in Lacey, overseeing crisis calls in Thurston and Mason counties. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

Historians privately warn Biden that America’s democracy is teetering
President Biden paused last week, during one of the busiest stretches of his presidency, for a nearly two-hour private history lesson from a group of academics who raised alarms about the dire condition of democracy at home and abroad. The conversation during a ferocious lightning storm on Aug. 4 unfolded as a sort of Socratic dialogue between the commander in chief and a select group of scholars, who painted the current moment as among the most perilous in modern history for democratic governance, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private meeting. The group that gathered in the White House Map Room last week was part of a regular effort by presidential historians to brief presidents, a practice that dates at least as far back as the Reagan administration. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Demetrius Freeman)

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Auburn Reporter
Free vaccination events provide required back-to-school immunizations
DOH releases COVID-19 updates for Washington K-12 schools, child care

Capital Press
Ecology agricultural advisory panel light on farm groups
Feds sued in bid to force decision on Rockies wolf protections

Columbian
Clark County has 3 cases of monkeypox

The Daily News
Council debates whether ADUs should be permanent housing or for visitors
Conservationists, BPA aim to wrap up $5.5M wildlife restoration project in Cathlamet by October

Everett Herald
Snohomish Health District hiring full-time monkeypox task force
Where shelter space has been scarce, Lynnwood explores ‘rapid rehousing’

The Inlander
Spokane cops have taken in a record-breaking number of guns this year; here’s the story of three of them

News Tribune
A man died in custody of State Patrol and police in Tacoma. Here’s what’s known
MultiCare announces breach that could impact over 18,000 patients’ health data and records

Olympian
City of Olympia proposes using block grant money to expand Familiar Faces program
Washington state releases new COVID-19 school rules you need to know before school starts

Peninsula Daily News
Port Townsend City Council to consider welcome statement for transgender people

Puget Sound Business Journal
Colleges have slashed millions from travel budgets — and it may never come back
Downtown Seattle retail shows uneven signs of recovery

Seattle Times
Designated crisis responders, a ‘last resort’ in mental health care, face overwhelming demand
Judge faults federal plan to protect orcas from Alaska salmon harvests
New UW study shows how COVID lockdowns impacted Northwest birds
Seattle City Light proposes rate increases for 2023, 2024 as customer debt mounts
Column: Yes, mercy can co-exist with accountability in our justice system

Tri-City Herald
Tri-Cities biggest employer to share in $17B to develop next-generation computer chips

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Eastern Oregon school security summit raises awareness, sets plans in action
Columbia County’s search continues for emergency management director

Washington Post
Climate change’s impact intensifies as U.S. prepares to take action
Historians privately warn Biden that America’s democracy is teetering
How agents get warrants like the one used at Mar-a-Lago, and what they mean
Gas prices fall below $4 a gallon, the lowest point since March
Antarctica’s ‘sleeping giant’ risks melting, threatens spike in sea levels

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
SDOT to provide update on West Seattle Bridge opening timeline
Alaska Airlines taking a lead in using sustainable aviation fuel

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Snohomish County hopes to convert Days Inn into shelter
Outreach services are having trouble keeping up with rise in homeless
Poll: 7 in 10 Americans would vote in favor of legalizing abortion at state level

KUOW Public Radio
Floods, faulty toilets, and a slew of early defects at Seattle’s new youth jail
SCOTUS decision on Bremerton football coach creates uncertainty around school prayer
The promises and pitfalls of ranked choice voting

Q13 TV (FOX)
Gov. Inslee drops COVID booster mandate for WA state workers
WA DOH releases new COVID guidelines for schools
Unused COVID funding could go to peer navigation for homeless people
State’s new Missing Indigenous Person Alert System shows promising results

Web

MyNorthwest
BA.5 wave on downturn in King County, but numbers still high
Snohomish County purchases hotel in Everett to increase housing for the homeless

The Stranger
Guerrilla Gardening Enters Seattle’s War on the Homeless

West Seattle Blog
FAUNTLEROY FERRY-DOCK PROJECT: Community Advisory Group to reconvene
UPDATE: PCC/Luna building declared safe after Seattle Fire hazmat response for CO2 problem

Wednesday, August 10

Seattle makes interfering with abortion care a misdemeanor, prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy outcome
It will soon be illegal in Seattle to discriminate against someone for seeking or receiving an abortion, part of the city’s efforts to preserve reproductive rights locally after federal protections were removed earlier this summer. In a pair of bills passed on Tuesday, the Seattle City Council made it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their actual or perceived pregnancy outcome and added a statewide misdemeanor charge for interfering with health care to the city’s code, hoping to minimize interference and harassment against those seeking care in the wake of the Supreme Court undoing decades-old constitutional protections over abortions in June. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

Inflation eased in July from a year ago, as energy prices fell
July inflation climbed 8.5 percent over the past year, easing slightly thanks to falling gas and energy prices, and offering fresh hope to families and businesses that inflation may start to simmer down after months of gains. In one of the most encouraging signs in more than a year, inflation in July was also flat from the month before, as a major drop-off in gasoline prices helped offset increases in food and shelter. The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics marked the lowest month-to-month inflation reading since May 2020. June’s inflation report was bleak, notching a new pandemic peak of 9.1 percent over the year before, as prices at the pump averaged above $5 per gallon. But by July, families felt more relief in their gas and energy bills. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Brandon Bell)

Top 3 WSU police leaders retire after investigation
The Washington State University police chief and his two top subordinates say they will retire following an internal investigation that concluded they mishandled a complaint and subsequent punitive action against an officer accused of having sexual relations while on duty. The command staff chose to retire to avoid further administrative action, including the possibility of their employment with the university being terminated. According to an investigation report acquired by the Moscow-Pullman Daily News through a public records request, the officer at the center of the investigation is Sgt. Matthew Kuhrt, who has been accused of sexual misconduct. Continue reading at The Associated Press.