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Monday, April 25

New WA financial aid program will offer low-interest loans for graduate students, not just undergrads
Washington is developing a new low-interest loan program to make it cheaper for college students to borrow money for school — and in an unusual move, the state is making it available to some graduate students, too. The program will provide low-interest loans to low-income undergraduates and graduate students in high-demand fields of study, with an interest rate target of 1%. That’s much lower than what’s typically offered; current federal direct loan interest rates sit at 3.73% for undergraduates and 5.28% for graduate students, while some private student loans charge an interest rate of 10% or higher. Continue reading at The Seattle Times.

Police agencies here lag in diversity and want to change that
With few exceptions, police departments in Snohomish County are disproportionately made up of white officers and support staff, even as the communities they cover continue to diversify, according to an analysis by The Daily Herald. In Mountlake Terrace, for example, 35 of 38 police department employees reported they were white. The city is under 70% white, according to Census estimates. And in Everett, over 82% of the department was white, underrepresenting Black, Asian, Latinx and multiracial communities. Continue reading at The Everett Herald.

Biden visits WA state, signs order protecting forests, discusses health care costs
President Joe Biden made an appearance at Green River College in Auburn on Friday, speaking to a closed room of press, local elected officials and several other individuals about growing the nation’s economy, lowering the cost of health care and his administration’s attempts to help American families burdened by the costs of rising inflation. Biden opened by talking about the importance of community colleges such as Green River and the one where his wife and first lady Jill Biden teaches in Virginia. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Cheyenne Boone)

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Bellingham Herald
Here’s how Bellingham plans to fight crime, graffiti and litter downtown
Youth speakers lead this Mother Earth Day celebration in Bellingham
A half-million tires in Puget Sound are leaching harmful substances. Here’s how to help
Are COVID community levels remaining low in all seven Whatcom County regions?

Capital Press
Inslee goes full throttle against natural gas

Columbian
Opinion: In Our View: Light rail on I-5 Bridge right for today, tomorrow

Everett Herald
Lake Stevens uses eminent domain to build new Powerline Trail
In dire search for housing, mother asks: ‘How much worse can it get?’
Police agencies here lag in diversity and want to change that
Elected leaders narrow options for Everett light rail stations, tracks
Snohomish County early learning centers receive $4M to expand
Officer shoots person in Edmonds after domestic violence call
‘Cohousing’ group plans community of 32 cottages in Marysville
Letter: Congress must resume Child Tax Credit immediately
Letter: State has enough money for schools; levies aren’t needed
Letter: Swing pendulum on police reforms back to center
Comment: Allowing some to police others reverses civil rights
Comment: Using forests for carbon credits may defeat purpose
Editorial: The future’s riding on wheels of a bus
Letter: Protecting state forestlands will store more carbon
Comment: Oil — and its inflation — touches much in our lives

High Country News
What does it mean to live well on an overheating planet?
Why rural communities struggle to bring in much-needed federal grants

Indian Country Today
Indigenous leaders convene at UN, push for human rights protections
The Wrap: ‘This is the moment to change it all’

The Inlander
Sixteen young Montanans will be first in the nation to take their climate change case to trial

International Examiner
Opinion: Opportunity for AANHPI small businesses greater than ever in WA state

News Tribune
A new child care center coming to Pierce County will have a barn, livestock, 200 spots
Two Tacoma apartment projects bringing 438 market-rate units approved for tax breaks
Does Pierce County want to end homelessness? Decision by Dammeier next week will tell
A half-million tires in Puget Sound are leaching harmful substances. Here’s how to help

New York Times
Wildfires Burn More Than 150,000 Acres in Three States
Coach’s Prayers Prompt Supreme Court Test of Religious Freedom

Olympian
Port to discuss option agreement for 130 acres of land near Olympia Regional Airport
Here’s part of the story behind the Olympia police chief finalist withdrawing from process
Olympia and Tumwater are proposing a joint fire authority. What does that mean for you?
Editorial: Whew! Thurston County’s Habitat Conservation Plan will make permits more predictable
Biden visits WA state, signs order protecting forests, discusses health care costs
Thurston County correctional deputy arrested, fired for using job to solicit sex

Peninsula Daily News
Biden order to protect old-growth forests
COVID cases rise; face masks are urged
Study: Olympic glaciers doomed

Puget Sound Business Journal
SpaceX, Amazon’s Project Kuiper land NASA funding for satellite communications
Is your pay structure fair? How to approach a pay equity audit.
$58M deal shows healthy investor appetite for West Seattle apartments, bridge or not
Amazon one-fifth of the way to its HQ2 hiring goal
Union efforts are on the rise. Here’s what businesses need to know

Seattle Times
Washington is offering more college aid than ever, plus new admission guarantees. Will students buy in? (Hansen)
New WA financial aid program will offer low-interest loans for graduate students, not just undergrads (Sullivan)
Nurses suing King County, Pioneer Human Services after alleged sexual assaults by clients
The myth of ‘pregnancy glow,’ and what expectant parents need to know about mental health
‘It’s a feud’: Brand new homeless shelter sits empty as leaders squabble (Chopp)
Police misconduct is costing Washington taxpayers millions.
Where you live in WA may determine whether you get stuck in jail before trial (Goodman)
Biden’s executive order in Seattle spotlights importance of old-growth forests in fight against climate change
‘It’s unconscionable’: Biden attacks drug prices at speech at Green River College
Column: Crime is up in Seattle. So why are city residents less fearful?

Skagit Valley Herald
Sedro-Woolley park site of Earth Day celebration

South Seattle Emerald
Environmental activists hold Earth Day protest as Biden visits Seward Park
Rainier Beach Iftar meal focuses on Ramadan and stewardship
Duwamish alive! Coalition: Stewards of the river
Weekend reads: up in smoke

Tri-City Herald
Tri-Cities scientists ‘magically’ mining metals from water to power cellphones to cars
‘Empty-gesture theatrics.’ Pasco firm to pay $125K in alleged illegal Snake River water case
After 675 Tri-Cities area COVID deaths, some good news this week
Tri-City high schools are overcrowded. 2 districts will ask voters to fix that next February
Benton County sued for millions. Deputies claim ex-sheriff harassed and retaliated
Officials dig in on $75M national clean energy research lab in Tri-Cities
National center in Richland, WA, to speed transition to clean energy future

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Long-term care program in Walla Walla in need of advocates amid shortage
Retiring Walla Walla Police Chief Scott Bieber says goodbye to department, not to Walla Walla
Complaint yields deeper look into neurosurgery issues at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla

Washington Post
U.S. says Russia ‘failing’ in war aims; Biden taps Bridget Brink as Ukraine envoy
France’s Macron wins presidency, holding off Le Pen’s far-right threat to upend Europe and relations with Russia
Twitter shares jump on reports a deal with Musk could come as soon as Monday
Dow sinks 400 points, oil prices slide amid fears of economic slowdown

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima Valley leaders discuss role of transportation system in region’s economy
Efforts to build the East-West Corridor move forward in Yakima
Efforts gain momentum to add back a missing piece of Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Yakima
With Yakima Valley’s abundant sunshine, more homeowners turning to solar energy
Daily Record: National publication highlights CWU Police Department
KUOW: Olympic Peninsula glaciers expected to disappear in 50 years

Broadcast

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Former Bremerton football coach who lost job for postgame prayers takes case to Supreme Court
Hundreds march through downtown Seattle to support newly unionized Starbucks employees
Teen arrested for allegedly organizing street races in Pierce, King counties
Lawmakers strike the word ‘marijuana’ from all state laws, calling term racist (Morgan)

KUOW Public Radio
NLRB sues Starbucks for retaliating against 3 workers involved in unionizing
Biden unveils protection plan for old-growth forest during Seattle visit
Olympic Peninsula glaciers expected to disappear in the next 50 years

KXLY (ABC)
Cheney Public Schools names new superintendent

NW Public Radio
What The ‘Bring Them Home’ Law Means For MMIP

Web

Crosscut
U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in WA school prayer case
From WA to Alaska, coastal tribes face displacement with insufficient financial help
How rent relief fraud allegations left Thurston County tenants hanging

MyNorthwest
Supreme Court tackling case about praying football coach
Hundreds march through Downtown Seattle to support newly unionized Starbucks employees
Puget Sound orca whales struggle with inbreeding as scientists search for answers
Biden: ‘No one should suffer or die because they cannot afford insulin’
Report: SPD flouting of mask mandates throughout pandemic ‘indicative of a serious culture issue’
King County turning former homeless hotel into temporary housing for refugees
Starbucks Seattle’s Reserve Roastery votes to unionize as CEO labels organizers ‘vocal minority’
Washington Supreme Court rules against Edmonds gun storage law
Seattle schools to relax physical distancing requirements for students, staff
Tacoma City Council unanimously passes ‘spectator ordinance’ to reduce street racing

The Stranger
Seattle Can Have More Trees and More Housing at the Same Time
How to Get Banned from Public Comment at Seattle City Council

West Seattle Blog
SCHOOL START TIMES: Proposed changes dominate discussion at community meeting with Seattle Public Schools board members
CORONAVIRUS: Here’s how local trends are going
FOLLOWUP: Rally planned Monday to urge city to save threatened tree

Friday, April 22

Half the glaciers on these WA mountains have melted — the rest are next, study finds
Half of the glacier on the Olympic Mountains in Washington have melted since 1900, a study says. The rest of the glaciers will mostly disappear in the next 50 years, by 2070, according to predictions in a new study called “Glaciers of the Olympic Mountains, Washington — The Past and Future 100 Years.” It was published April 19 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface. Continue reading at The Olympian. (National Park Service)

Here are the details of President Biden’s Earth Day plans in Seattle
President Joe Biden’s plans during his upcoming visit to Washington state were detailed at a White House press briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday. It is his first trip to Washington state since he was elected in 2020. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (Pete Caster/News Tribune)

Justices: State law supersedes Edmonds gun storage requirement
The Washington Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously affirmed a state Court of Appeals opinion that the city of Edmonds ordinance regarding safe gun storage is pre-empted by state law. The Edmonds law, passed in 2018, required gun owners to keep their firearms locked up and inaccessible to others, especially children. It did not apply to firearms carried by or under the control of owners. It did apply to weapons kept at home and in vehicles. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Andy Bronson/The Herald)

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Associated Press
Supreme Court: State law preempts city gun storage ordinance
Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
Pot shop robberies, deaths fuel calls for US banking bill

Aberdeen Daily World
Nonprofit offers ‘a safe place where you know you can come to’

Bellingham Herald
Here are the details of President Biden’s Earth Day plans in Seattle
75% of Washington citizens believe global warming is happening. See what your county thinks
Time in the White House and fighting for the Sacred Sea. A Lummi matriarch tells her story
Here’s what a federal official learned about pandemic funds in Bellingham classroom visit

Capital Press
Washington farm to pay $125,000 to Ecology in irrigation dispute
Yakima River Basin snowpacks rally like ‘crazy’

The Daily News
Lower Columbia College reports enrollment, staffing challenges
OSAA: Clatskanie High School on probation following investigation of racist behavior

Everett Herald
In ‘Midtown,’ Snohomish aims to balance small town flavor with growth
Justices: State law supersedes Edmonds gun storage requirement
What we know: Washington coronavirus outbreak at a glance
Comment: Earth can heal itself but humans must do their part
WaPo comment: Disease models are rarely correct but can be useful

News Tribune
Here are the details of President Biden’s Earth Day plans in Seattle

Olympian
Gov. Inslee appoints former SPSCC trustee Fuller to UW board
Lacey makes environmental decisions for 2 controversial apartment proposals on Hicks Lake
Half the glaciers on these WA mountains have melted — the rest are next, study finds

Peninsula Daily News
Peninsula school districts mulling cutbacks

Puget Sound Business Journal
Google opens Kirkland office, plans another $100M in local investments
Verizon raises retail wages as Snohomish County workers launch union push

Seattle Medium
Study: Race Is Central To Identity For Black Americans And Affects How They Connect
Dunn Renews Efforts To Establish Hate Crime Reporting System
Washington Has 6 Of 26 US Counties With Unaffordable Homeownership
Alzheimer’s Drugs Decision Has Deeper Impact On Health Of Blacks, Other Minorities

Seattle Times
The changing public opinion around climate change — and where King County ranks
How President Joe Biden’s visit is affecting Seattle-area roads, freeways and transit service
Readers share what it takes to be a true Seattleite and PNW local
WA state Supreme Court rules against Edmonds gun storage law
News updates as President Biden visits Portland and Seattle Thursday
Opinion: On this pivotal Earth Day, let’s recommit to our shared future
Opinion: With time running out, Biden must double down on his ambitious vision for climate action

South Seattle Emerald
Welcome to Seattle, President Biden and Second Gentleman Emhoff!
A Q&A with Nikole Hannah-Jones about what’s next after ‘The 1619 Project’
Police use more force against BIPOC individuals, report shows

Washington Post
She wants a right to euthanasia. But she also wants to live.
Russia seeks ‘control’ of southern Ukraine and path to Moldova, commander says
Mark Meadows was simultaneously registered to vote in three states
Seeds of hope: How nature inspires scientists to confront climate change
Billions of federal dollars to cut emissions will come with few strings attached

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
President Biden visiting Seattle: Itinerary, traffic impacts
Biden order aims to protect old-growth forests from wildfire
Police shoot man armed with rifle in Seattle’s Squire Park neighborhood
‘We have a crisis on our hands’: Land in Tacoma will be developed into mixed-income housing
Refugees to be housed in Redmond hotel initially intended for homeless residents

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Biden speaking at Seattle-area events
Pierce County hands over property to be used for affordable housing

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
President Biden continues Seattle trip with more Earth Day events scheduled
Has Biden been a boon for Washington state? Democrats say yes but GOP says no (Liias, Fey, Gregerson)
Madison Park residents watch as President Biden rolls through neighborhood
Biden begins Earth Day trip to Seattle Thursday after stop in Portland, Oregon
How to celebrate Earth Day around Puget Sound this weekend
Google opens Kirkland Urban campus, announces $100M investment into Washington state

NW Public Radio
Dozens Of Northwest Places Have A Slur In Their Name. People Are Coming Up With Replacement Names
The Fight For Legacy Forests, Part Five: How Older Trees Are Defined, And How That Could Impact Timber Harvests
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Gifts $20 million To Washington State University

NW New Network
Washington lawmakers of color announce departures, one calls the work environment ‘toxic’ (Harris-Talley, Johnson, Das, Jinkins)

Q13 TV (FOX)
President Biden arrives in Seattle for Earth Day remarks, events announced for Friday
Biden issuing Earth Day order to protect old-growth forests from wildfire
Glaciers on the Olympic Peninsula will have melted away by 2070, researchers predict
WA Congresswoman pushes for housing crisis solutions at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Web

Crosscut
Seattle launches New Deal-inspired income program for artists
How your favorite IPA is contributing to climate change

The Stranger
The Filmmakers of Midday Black Midnight Blue on Finding Salvation Filming in Washington State
So When Can I Take Magic Mushrooms in Oregon?

Thursday, April 21

Biden to issue Earth Day order to safeguard old-growth forests
President Biden will sign an executive order on Friday in Seattle laying the groundwork for protecting some of the biggest and oldest trees in America’s forests, according to five individuals briefed on the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it was not yet finalized. Biden will direct the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to inventory mature and old-growth forests nationwide, three of the individuals said. He will also require the agencies to identify threats to these trees and to use that information to write policies that protect them. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Salwan Georges)

Summer wildfire smoke leaves mark, as Whatcom air quality ranked among 25 worst in U.S.
Wildfire smoke has choked portions of Whatcom County’s summers in recent years, impacting the quality of the air we all breathe. The American Lung Association has noticed, handing Whatcom County a failing grade for its air quality for a second straight year and placing it among the top 25 most polluted counties in the United States based on daily particulate matter. The Bellingham metropolitan area, which is basically all of Whatcom County, tied the Boise, Idaho, metro area (which includes a portion of eastern Oregon) for 24th most polluted by daily particulate matter, according to the American Lung Association’s 2022 State of the Air report, which was released Thursday, April 21. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (Warren Sterling)

As COVID policies loosen, health officials urge caution
State health experts urge people to keep wearing masks in public even as they’re no longer federally or locally required on buses, ferries, planes and trains. Transit agencies across the Puget Sound region, including Everett Transit and Community Transit, announced Tuesday they’ve ended mask mandates for passengers. It is a “new era of this pandemic,” said Kathleen Custer, president of Amalgamated Transit Union 1576, the union that represents Community Transit drivers. She said the union has been frustrated by the agency’s apparent refusal to assist drivers with mask enforcement. Continue reading at The Everett Herald.

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Associated Press
Cannabis shop robberies, deaths fuel calls for banking bill
Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
Commuter airline to buy 75 Washington-built electric planes
CDC asks Justice Department to appeal judge’s travel mask mandate ruling

Bellingham Herald
Summer wildfire smoke leaves mark, as Whatcom air quality ranked among 25 worst in U.S.
Here’s what’s now open at Hovander Homestead Park as flood repairs continue

Capital Press
Statement describes Easterday’s post-plea actions

Everett Herald
As COVID policies loosen, health officials urge caution
Stanwood chief picked to lead Bellingham Police Department
What we know: Washington coronavirus outbreak at a glance
Column: When pieces of cloth become social battlegrounds
WaPo Comment: Were masks really such an imposition on liberty?

High Country News
Air quality report card flunks the West
EVs’ demand for copper escalates threat against Apache’s Oak Flat

Indian Country Today
NW tribe opposes water release for farmers
Earth Day across Indian Country
On Earth Day ‘the world is not on track’

The Inlander
Sixteen young Montanans will be first in the nation to take their climate change case to trial
Despite indicators of a healthy retail sector, some pandemic uncertainty can be hard to shake

Kitsap Sun
Face masks now optional on ferries, buses, planes and more after court ruling

News Tribune
Pierce County, Tacoma strike deal to develop long-vacant parcel into affordable housing
‘We’ve got an epidemic of lawlessness,’ Pierce County executive says in address

Olympian
Thurston County adds 189 new COVID-19 cases but hospitalizations hold steady
Board that oversees Thurston County public health to expand to eight members
Neighbors weigh in on troubled property as Thurston Commission OKs condemnation plan
Washington state COVID cases tick up. Should you be worried?
Pot shop customers can help protect WA cannabis retailers against robberies. Here’s how
Concerned about crowded emergency rooms? This Lacey proposal aims to help

Peninsula Daily News
Grant to aid plans for housing
County to lease encampment to OlyCAP

Port Townsend Leader
Jefferson Transit no longer requiring masks on buses

Puget Sound Business Journal
Why faculty morale is a major factor in higher education’s workforce problem
Report: New home construction is up, but projects are stalling at a higher rate
Pierce County to transfer 3-acre property to Tacoma for affordable housing
Washington health officials weigh in on mask mandates amid latest rise in Covid cases
As salary offers soar, here’s how much wages are rising in Seattle

Seattle Times
‘The ugliest building in downtown Seattle’ or ‘a piece of public art’? Either way, King County is closing it down
President Biden to make Portland and Seattle appearances starting Thursday
Seattle CEO and big-business antagonist Dan Price accused of assaulting woman after dinner meeting
Some unvaccinated Seattle-area firefighters are pushing to get their jobs back
Alaska Air cuts its growth plan for the year, but earnings beat expectations
Lagging behind national trend, Seattle workers not in hurry to return to the office
A first as the world warms: New forecasts could help predict marine heat waves
Editorial: Require safety courses for pistol-packing Washingtonians (Salomon)

Skagit Valley Herald
Anacortes updates Maritime Strategic Plan
Program uses the outdoors as a way to promote good health

South Seattle Emerald
A day to serve, a day to be well, and a day to connect across the Atlantic

Tri-City Herald
After 34 years, this Tri-Cities police chief is calling it quits
This new Tri-Cities prosecutor partnership promises justice for abused children
WA state charges Tri-Cities doctor with unprofessional conduct
Deal close in ‘ghost cattle’ scam that toppled one of NW’s largest ranch families

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Whitman College partners with Umatilla Indian Reservation for educational opportunity
Walla Walla Community College teacher won’t lose job after not getting vaccinated for COVID-19

Washington Post
Biden announces millions in new aid and a ban on Russian-affiliated ships
Rents are rising everywhere. See how much prices are up in your area.
Musk says he’s lined up $46.5 billion for his Twitter buy
What to know about the latest student loan forgiveness waiver
Biden to issue Earth Day order to safeguard old-growth forests
GOP turns to false insinuations of LGBTQ grooming against Democrats
Opinion: That ‘homeless person’ could be someone’s son. Mine, for instance.

Yakima Herald-Republic
State officials get a close up look at Union Gap, and its transportation issues
Yakima City Council adopts redistricting plan, adding third Latino district

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
President Biden to arrive in Seattle Thursday
Seattle law clinic helps target ‘wage theft’

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
President Biden to arrive in Seattle Thursday
Tacoma City Council unanimously passes ‘spectator ordinance’ to reduce street racing
Survey details how riders got hurt on Seattle scooters
Pot shop robberies, deaths fuel calls for US banking bill
Coronavirus: Justice Department to appeal ruling that voided indoor transportation mask mandate

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Biden to begin Earth Day trip to Seattle Thursday after stop in Portland, Oregon
With slight rise in COVID cases, Washington health officials see optimism in other trends

KUOW Public Radio
Delivery apps boomed during the pandemic. Gig workers say it’s time for companies to pay up.
The number of people fleeing Ukraine has surpassed 5 million
An unhoused woman built herself a weatherproof shed. Seattle just knocked it down

Q13 TV (FOX)
Seattle City Attorney drops nearly 2,000 cases to ease backlog
SPS to relax physical distancing in schools starting Monday
Scientists working to uncover mystery of disappearing salmon population in Pacific Northwest

Web

MyNorthwest
Joe Biden to arrive in Seattle Thursday night for his first visit as president
Tacoma City Council unanimously passes ‘spectator ordinance’ to reduce street racing
‘Focus remains on hospitalizations,’ WA health secretary says amid slight uptick in omicron cases
King County Metro involved in 104 preventable accidents over last four years
Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
Washington leaders rally around push to change banking laws for pot shops amid rash of robberies
Seattle Public Schools employee faces child molestation charges
PETA activists superglue themselves to counter at Seattle Starbucks headquarters
Seattle city attorney details plan to address case backlog with focus on violent crimes
King County adds additional sheriff patrols to downtown campus following courthouse incident
‘If Starbucks can do it, why not us?’: Lynnwood, Everett Verizon workers join union push
Six Eastside Fire & Rescue firefighters fired over vaccination status
After initial hesitance, Puget Sound transit agencies officially end mask requirements

The Stranger
Sen. Patty Murray Sees a Path to Finally Letting Pot Shops Use Banks
It’s High Time for Cannabis Equity in Seattle

Wednesday, April 20

More pandemic fallout: The chronically absent student
Isaac [Mosley] is one of millions of public school students across the United States who is considered chronically absent — often defined as missing 10 percent of the days in a school year, whether the absences are excused or not. “Chronic absence has skyrocketed” during the pandemic, said Hedy Chang, the director of Attendance Works, a national group that promotes solutions to chronic absenteeism, which been linked to weaker academic performance and can predict whether a student is more likely to drop out before finishing high school. Continue reading at The New York Times. (Ilana Panich-Linsman)

Washington just designated its first seagrass sanctuary. Here’s why.
Last month, the state of Washington announced a new kelp and eelgrass protection zone off the shores of Everett. Covering roughly 2,300 acres, this marine plant sanctuary is the first of its kind. Officials hope the designation will help preserve the vital ecosystem seagrass provides, while also opening an avenue to understand the threats seagrasses face. Seagrasses, which comprise local favorites like eelgrass and are adjacent to our famous kelp forests, support all kinds of life. Continue reading at KUOW. (Katie Campbell)

‘Seattleites should feel safe’: City attorney plans to eliminate criminal case backlog by 2023
Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison says her office will eliminate the criminal case backlog, which was up to nearly 5,000 cases when she took office in January, before 2023 under a new plan. Davison, who inherited the backlog after taking over the office from Pete Holmes, announced the new plan Tuesday, saying it has been informed by former U.S. Attorney Brian Moran. “Today’s plan will eliminate the backlog by the end of the year. We will also improve the processes of the Criminal Division to prevent another miscarriage of justice like this backlog,” Davison said Tuesday in a statement. Continue reading at KING 5.

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Associated Press
Seattle Seeks Volunteers to Help With Litter, Graffiti

Bainbridge Island Review
U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on WA state law to help ill Hanford nuclear workers

Bellingham Herald
City selects Stanwood police chief to lead Bellingham Police Department
Good luck getting solar any time soon. Here’s how Bellingham, Whatcom colleges plan to help
Here’s what a federal official learned about pandemic funds in Bellingham classroom visit
Employees at this Bellingham Starbucks are petitioning for a union election
As judge ends transportation mask mandate, agencies around Whatcom County make it optional

Capital Press
Washington mulls rule for working in smoke

Columbian
Vancouver sees wins, losses from Legislature (Cleveland)
Opinion: In Our View: Salary transparency will benefit workers (Randall)

The Daily News
Housing authority received more than 1,300 applications for voucher waiting list

Everett Herald
Swift Orange line to link Edmonds, Mill Creek to Lynnwood rail (Fey, Liias)
Community Transit, Paine Field, ferries drop mask requirement
What we know: Washington coronavirus outbreak at a glance
Comment: Even amid climate change harms, reason for optimism
Bloomberg Comment: What to expect when expecting inflation to linger

High Country News
How marijuana, legal and not, is reshaping the West

The Inlander
Downtown Spokane COVID test site reopens near CHAS this week

News Tribune
Tacoma police chief debuts citywide crime reduction plan focused on violent crime
With new federal rules in place, what is Pierce Transit doing about its mask mandate?

New York Times
More Pandemic Fallout: The Chronically Absent Student
With Inflation, Workers Are Facing Return-to-Office Sticker Shock
How America’s Farmers Got Cut Out of the Supply Chain

Olympian
Examiner expects to approve permit for off-campus emergency department in Lacey
Masks no longer mandatory on Intercity Transit buses and other vehicles

Peninsula Daily News
Transit masking is now optional

Puget Sound Business Journal
Sea-Tac Airport, Alaska Airlines announce changes to mask policies
Delta pilots picket at Sea-Tac Airport amid industrywide scheduling challenges
Amazon hires former US attorney general to conduct racial equity audit
Restaurants push Senate for more Covid-19 relief funding

Seattle Times
Startups promise Seattle home shoppers a way to buy a new home before they sell their old one
What Seattle learned from one year of electric scooters
What to know about Sea-Tac Airport’s new arrivals facility
How do you move the needle on literacy? This Eastside city is retraining teachers
Community Transit breaks ground on voter-approved bus corridor in Snohomish County
King County Metro could be more proactive about safety, audit finds
Editorial: WA insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler’s apology for racist slurs is inadequate
Sens. Dhingra and Saldaña: Women of color are changing the dialogue in WA’s Legislature

Skagit Valley Herald
Deputy secretary of education visits Sedro-Woolley school
Skagit Transit no longer requiring masks

Sol De Yakima
Mascarillas son opcionales en autobuses de Yakima Transit, Terminal Aérea de Yakima
Aeropuertos de Washington se apresuran a informar sobre cambio en uso de mascarillas.
Condado de Yakima priorizará salud pública, seguridad, servicios públicos para fondos ARPA

South Seattle Emerald
What led to an impending Hutchinson Park overhaul: an advocacy story
New intertribal parenting group offers Indigenous families a way to reconnect with tradition
Davison’s plan to clear case backlog includes dismissing nearly 2,000 misdemeanors

Spokesman Review
Former Bureau of Reclamation employee in Ephrata receives $1.7M age discrimination judgment
City to restart process for proposals for east Spokane homeless shelter, citing potential conflicts of interest
Northwest Flight Service relocates to new hangar, training facility at Felts Field

Washington Post
Mariupol ‘holding on’ despite calls to surrender; West to send fighter jets
You don’t have to wear a mask on planes. Do it anyway, experts say.
For Ala. families with trans kids, a countdown to decide their futures
The rise of solo judges nixing nationwide policies

Yakima Herald-Republic
Increase in Yakima County housing sales flattens a bit in March
Yakima tweaks school choice process in attempt to balance student populations at Davis and Ike
Masks optional on Yakima Transit buses, at Yakima Air Terminal
Opinion: We can’t stop wind, but we can stop COVID
Letter: Quit whining — things could be much worse
Letter: Putin’s cruel war helps us focus on gratitude

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Seattleites should feel safe’: City attorney plans to eliminate criminal case backlog by 2023
Lt. Governor says state legislators should earn higher salary (Heck)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Commuter airline to buy 75 Washington-built electric planes
Tacoma police chief outlines citywide crime reduction plan
Gig Harbor police officer fires at suspect who pointed gun at police
Delta pilots picket at SEA, citing fatigue from staffing shortfall
Groundbreaking held for new Snohomish County rapid bus line
Seattle city attorney details plan to reduce criminal case backlog
Puget Sound-area public transportation agencies drop mask mandate

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Tacoma Police Department working with Texas criminologists to take down violent crime
Bethel School District says they faces hundreds of job cuts if levy is not approved
Seattle City Attorney Davison announces plan to eliminate staggering case backlog

NKX Public Radio
‘It’s a huge deal’: Federal dollars speed up Port Angeles project
WA insurance commissioner apologizes for using racial slurs

KUOW Public Radio
Dozens of Northwest places have a slur in their name. People are coming up with replacement names
Washington just designated its first seagrass sanctuary. Here’s why.
Voice of the farmworker: How Spanish-language radio cultivated community in Yakima Valley
Seattle Now: POTUS in the PNW
DOJ may appeal mandate ruling, if the CDC says masks are still needed

KXLY (ABC)
Masks no longer required on Spokane Transit Authority buses
City to restart selection process for provider of new homeless shelter

NW Public Radio
Employees Say State Insurance Chief Used Racist Slurs, Mistreated Staff

Q13 TV (FOX)
State leaders pushing for pot shop banking legislation
Seattle attorney shares plan to knock down city’s backlog cases

Web

Crosscut
WA Supreme Court to hear fraud case concerning Value Village
Podcast | The toll that ’normal’ school takes on students of color
WA prosecutors who withhold evidence rarely face discipline (Dhingra)
As the light rail expands, so do housing options for UW students

The Stranger
City Attorney’s Office Will Decline to Prosecute Nearly 2,000 Cases to Help Clear Pandemic-Related Backlog
King County Deems Paying Real Rent to Duwamish an “Inappropriate” Use of Public Funds

Tuesday, April 19

Fed up with lackluster reading scores, Wenatchee schools turned to science
Until this year, Sofia was among the roughly 50% of students in Washington state who were reading below grade level. But under a model of instruction adopted by the Wenatchee School District in 2019, the third grader has now surpassed her age group in reading, according to the district’s assessments. She can rattle off the meaning of “morpheme” (the smallest meaningful part of a word) and spot prefixes and suffixes on the fly. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

Washington’s newest state park is taking shape, and it’s in Pierce County
A new state park that would incorporate the Nisqually River confluences with the Mashel River and Ohop Creek was just a dream in 1987 when state planners first proposed it. Now, 35 years later, Nisqually State Park is taking shape as the first state park with a campground co-managed with a tribal government. Washington State Parks wants to include the public on how facilities and trails should look at the state’s newest park. Continue reading at The News Tribune. (Steve Bloom)

Planes, trains and ferries: Where are masks still required while traveling in Washington?
Nationally, most major airlines have announced they have lifted their mask requirements, but in Washington state, some public transit agencies are still requiring them. Alaska Airlines announced Monday that passengers would no longer be required to wear masks in the air, and Sea-Tac International Airport said the TSA would no longer be requiring masks. However, other local transportation companies are keeping their mask requirements in place while they wait to see if the federal government appeals the ruling. Continue reading at KING 5.