Click here for our Daily E-Clips policy.

Daily E-clips on break 12/16-12/17

The Daily E-clips is briefly pausing publication on 12/16 & 12/17 as HDC staff is attending the 2024 Legislative Advance.

In the meantime, help us make the Daily E-clips better by taking this short survey! Your feedback is appreciated.

Clips will resume Wednesday, 12/18 before taking a holiday hiatus from 12/23-1/3.

Friday, December 13

Why there’s an ‘outrageous’ lack of drug detox beds for WA youths
Physically withdrawing from drugs is a critical and potentially dangerous moment in addiction recovery. But across Washington, only two detox beds are reserved for youths, The Seattle Times has found. The Washington State Department of Health licenses detox beds for youths, but doesn’t monitor how many are staffed and open; The Times reached every substance use facility and psychiatric hospital licensed to detox youths to determine which beds are operational and dedicated to adolescents and teenagers. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Victoria Chittenden)

State fines insurance companies for violations of state laws
Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued a total of $576,500 in fines to insurance companies, agents, brokers, and unlicensed entities for violating state insurance laws and regulations in October and November 2024. Among the largest fines were $100,000 levied against PacificSource Health Plans for improperly processing claims, $130,000 against Delta Dental and its healthcare benefits manager, Wyssta, for improper claim denials, and $100,000 against Lemonade Insurance Company for using an incorrect base loss cost in property policies. Continue reading at KIRO 7. (KIRO 7)

New law guarantees college tuition for WA families receiving SNAP food benefits
Students from low-income families will soon have their college tuition guaranteed as early as their sophomore year in high school. Completing the FAFSA is one of the most accurate predictors of whether a high school senior will go to college, according to the National College Attainment Network. However, for many, that may not result in enough aid for students to pursue higher education. One Washington organization passed a law that will take the guesswork out of this transition. Continue reading at KXLY. (KXLY)

Print

Aberdeen Daily World
Group seeks salmon habitat restoration projects

Auburn Reporter
Proposals seek new rules for transgender athletes in WA schools

Axios
Seattle’s home office era fades
WSU unveils its newest apple, Sunflare
World Cup could pump $929 million into Seattle
Trump appears to side with union in port contract dispute

Bellingham Herald
Washington’s voter-approved natural gas measure snared in two lawsuits
Ferguson names Tim Reynon new director of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs
‘Begging for a change’: Dangerous Whatcom County intersection converted to a four-way stop

Capital Press
Columbia River salmon, steelhead returns average 2.3 million each year

Indian Country Today
Washington state emerging as a national leader in climate battle

News Tribune
Nationwide milk testing ordered for bird flu. Why isn’t WA first on the list?
Ferguson names Tim Reynon new director of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs
Popularity of Tacoma & Pierce County makes cost of living here “challenging for sure.”
Gig Harbor’s newest City Council member continues dad’s 36-year legacy of public service
Why are gas, groceries, housing so expensive in Pierce County? Tacoma economist explains
Pierce County’s plan to tackle homelessness in 2025 includes $30M in spending, plans show

Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon-backed housing project opens in Bellevue
Seattle’s World Cup organizers plan to blaze a new path
Here’s what to expect for the national rental market in 2025

Seattle Times
WA back on top of national ranking of best bike states
Upper Columbia River in Northeast WA listed as a Superfund site
2 more WA youth detention center staffers accused of misconduct
Why there’s an ‘outrageous’ lack of drug detox beds for WA youths
This land handout will bring apartments to Lynnwood light rail station
Nearly $2M awarded to 12 WA police agencies from gun store settlement

Skagit Valley Herald
Antisemitic comments disrupt Sedro-Woolley City Council meeting

Spokesman Review
The city of Colville is planning to shut down its homeless camp
‘I think it would have saved him’: Parents of 2019 WSU hazing victim help push anti-hazing bill to Biden’s desk
New firefighting hangar at Spokane International Airport touted as investment in ‘the future of wildfire response for our state’

Washington Post
Skyrocketing car-insurance premiums are pushing inflation higher

WA State Standard
Democrats flip southwest Washington state Senate seat following recount (Cortes)
Tension mounts over state plan to transfer 192 acres in Spokane to private developer

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima Council looks at an adopt-a-block program and approves budget committee
Canton Landfill’s boundary, brush piles and recycling debated in hearing about permit

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Two more Green Hill workers arrested for sexual misconduct
Seattle City Council to consider new regulations for after-hours clubs
New proposal could have EV drivers in Washington volunteer to pay per mile (Fey)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
State fines insurance companies for violations of state laws
Biden pardons 3 Washington residents in biggest single-day act of clemency

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
WIAA to consider new rules for transgender athletes next year
Washington state considers forming separate sports division for transgender students
King County grapples with telecom wire thefts, urging public violence amid rising outages

KNKX Public Radio
On-duty medic and fire units often staff Seattle sporting events and concerts, leaving coverage gaps

KXLY (ABC)
Bill tackling child abuse in residential treatment facilities passes the Senate
President Biden pardons Colville woman, wiping clean 20-year felony record
New law guarantees college tuition for WA families receiving SNAP food benefits
Carbon Auction Prices surge following defeat of Climate Commitment Act repeal

Web

Crosscut
Dueling lawsuits fuel debate over WA natural gas initiative
Gun violence is declining, but King County still has work to do
Two Democrats appointed to fill Washington state Senate vacancies (Krishnadasan, Orwall, Obras)

MyNorthwest
Scammers continue to target small Washington businesses
King County expert urges parents to talk to children amid teacher abuse allegations

Thursday, December 12

Experts tackle the ‘all of us problem’ of housing in Snohomish County
What’s the solution to the housing crisis? Building more housing. It sounds simple, but getting to that point — and at the scale required to fix a problem that’s been worsening for more than a decade — is a big ask. On Tuesday, a panel of experts discussed how to do just that, in a virtual presentation hosted by Economic Alliance Snohomish County. Right now, most of the numbers in Snohomish County don’t tell a positive story. Based on occupational median incomes, more than two-thirds of workers in the county don’t earn enough on their own to rent the average apartment without being rent-burdened, or spending more than a third of income on housing. Continue reading at The Everett Herald. (Olivia Vanni)

WA’s carbon market prices increase after failed repeal effort
Prices in Washington’s fledging carbon market spiked this month, after the state’s Climate Commitment Act survived a hard-fought repeal effort in November. The state’s Dec. 4 auction raised nearly $272 million from some of the state’s largest climate polluters by selling about 5.3 million 2023 and 2024 allowances at $40.26 each and 2.2 million 2027 allowances at $26 each. One allowance represents one metric ton of emissions for the year it is labeled. Washington aims to cut emissions nearly in half by 2030, and become a mostly carbon-free state by 2050, while using the carbon market’s revenue for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Nick Wagner)

Unsheltered homelessness reduced slightly in Vancouver in 2024
There were 1,366 people experiencing homelessness in Vancouver in 2024, according to the annual homelessness counts presented to the city council on Monday night. The new data paint a picture that shows progress as well as ongoing challenges in addressing homelessness in Southwest Washington’s largest city. There was a 5% increase in the total number of people experiencing homelessness in 2024. But, for the first time in six years, there were more people living in shelters than outdoors. Continue reading at KNKX. (Troy Brynelson)

Print

Axios
Trump commits to protecting abortion pill access
Dueling lawsuits filed over natural gas ballot measure in Washington

Bellingham Herald
‘We’re here’: Whatcom service providers share ideas for aiding unhoused in encampments

Capital Press
Fish and Wildlife proposes federal protection for monarch butterflies

Everett Herald
Washington unions celebrate Kroger-Albertsons merger’s demise
Everett committee finds downtown AquaSox stadium more viable
Experts tackle the ‘all of us problem’ of housing in Snohomish County
Comment: Understanding the anger behind insurance CEO’s murder

The Inlander
Photos from the fight against fentanyl

Mercer Island Reporter
City briefs: State legislative priorities, sport courts opening

News Tribune
Tacoma Fire will get $2.5M in more funding, but city budget reveals difficulties ahead
Pierce County’s eviction rate among highest in state. Are more aid programs necessary?
Does WA Gov. Jay Inslee really plan to move to Idaho when he leaves office in January?
Opinion: Supporting caregivers: How WA Cares addresses long-term care needs in Washington

Peninsula Daily News
Student aid now simplified process

Puget Sound Business Journal
Kraken co-owner David Bonderman dies at 82
Affordable housing investor expands to WA with portfolio purchase

Seattle Times
New Federal Rule Limits Overdraft Fees at Large Banks
WA’s carbon market prices increase after failed repeal effort (Fitzgibbon)
These are Seattle’s highest- and lowest-income neighborhoods
King County, Seattle sue over natural gas initiative passed by voters
Seattle assistant principal resigns after arrest in sex trafficking sting
Tina Orwall chosen for vacant state Senate seat in South King County (Orwall, Obras)

Skagit Valley Herald
Hamilton approves budget, water systems plan update

Spokesman Review
Cantwell, McMorris Rodgers make year-end push to pass Kids Online Safety Act
Opinion: Legislature must address schools’ financial crisis

Tri-City Herald
Out of options, Franklin agrees to join $30M fix for Tri-City region’s failing 911 towers

Washington Post
Americans say their wages aren’t going up enough, report finds
The Postal Service’s electric mail trucks are way behind schedule
Biden commuting nearly 1,500 sentences, pardoning 39 in ‘largest single-day grant of clemency’

WA State Standard
With repeal measure rejected, WA carbon auction prices surge
Washington’s voter-approved natural gas measure snared in two lawsuits
Gig Harbor education leader to become WA’s newest Democratic state senator (Krishnadasan)

Wenatchee World
Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority to tap into $8.9M ‘reserves’ in 2025 budget

Yakima Herald-Republic
Spreading the word about pears, Washington’s ‘forgotten’ fruit
New WA apple will be called Sunflare, WSU announces at event in Yakima
Mabton residents and council raise concerns about police protection and next year’s budget

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Officials plan to file lawsuit challenging constitutionality of I-2066
Washington guarantees free in-state tuition for low-income students
Some WA districts propose more rules governing trans athletes’ participation in school sports
Body-worn video shows arrest of off-duty Edmonds cop after she allegedly pointed gun at driver

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Road sign with alarming message spotted along Lake Union
WIAA proposes new league for transgender high school athletes
Seattle expands opioid crisis response with buprenorphine pilot program
Amazon faces class-action lawsuit over claims of withholding full refunds
Are anti-graffiti drones the future of keeping WA’s roads clear of the vandalism?

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle City Council member pushes for ordinance to make Seattle nightlife safer

KNKX Public Radio
A river in Washington state now has enforceable legal rights
A state lawmaker is suing the nonprofit she created. Here’s why
Unsheltered homelessness reduced slightly in Vancouver in 2024

KUOW Public Radio
Washington voters agree — tax the wealthy
What Trump’s second term could mean for education in Washington state
Sea-Tac Airport says major expansion will do little harm. Neighbors don’t buy it
Washington voters approved a natural gas initiative. Lawsuit wants to blow it up

KXLY (ABC)
Washington DNR sues Inland Power over Gray Fire
WIAA says decision on transgender athlete amendments won’t be made until April
Spokane City Council reviews findings from community roundtables on homelessness crisis

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Albertsons gives up on Kroger merger and sues the grocery chain for failing to secure deal
County calls in outside aid as Sudden Valley recovers from destructive November windstorm

Crosscut
WA carbon auction hits high for 2024
Migrant brush pickers face risks, few protections in WA woods

Washington Observer
A TVW-familiar face gets Keiser’s seat (Orwall, Keiser, Gregerson)
MAGA moms slam GOP-backed school attendance bill (Wellman)
Gun control advocates push again for permit-to-purchase (Berry)

Wednesday, December 11

Replacement picked for longtime Washington senator
Democrat Tina Orwall is the latest state representative to make the switch to the Legislature’s other chamber. Orwall was appointed by the King County Council on Tuesday to be the next senator representing the 33rd Legislative District, which covers communities in south King County, including SeaTac, Des Moines and Kent. Orwall replaces outgoing Sen. Karen Keiser who is retiring after 30 years in the Legislature. The council also approved Edwin Obras as Orwall’s replacement in the state House of Representatives. Obras is the deputy division director at the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Ethan Miller)

Rent stabilization, new faces and a big budget gap: A picture of WA’s upcoming legislative session
The election results in Washington state are now certified, and we have a clear picture of which lawmakers will be in Olympia for the start of the legislative session in January. Democrats have had a majority in Olympia since 2018 and still have control of the legislature after November’s election. Democrats even picked up a couple more seats to expand the majority, there are a lot of new faces and some important changing dynamics for both chambers. Continue reading at KNKX. (Lindsey Wasson)

New Washington state law aiming to protect ‘vulnerable road users’ takes effect Jan. 1
Starting January 1, 2025, Washington state will be implementing a new law intended to enhance safety for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and individuals using personal mobility devices. The law aims to reduce injuries and deaths from crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists by increasing the penalties for negligent drivers, according to a press release. Officials defined a “negligent driver” as someone who fails to exercise ordinary care while they’re behind the wheel, which then endangers another person. Continue reading at KOMO. (KOMO)

Print

Axios
Seattle area leads nation in economic growth
Kroger-Albertsons merger blocked in Washington state

Capital Press
Report: Northwest on path to more power outages
WSU’s new apple star gets a brand name: Sunflare
Washington Supreme Court to take up tribal sovereign immunity

Everett Herald
Marysville school board talks pros and cons of closure options
Edmonds considers disbanding police department amid budget woes
Comment: The problem with legal immigration? It’s broken
Editorial: Applying for financial aid key for students, economy

News Tribune
Albertsons ends merger with Kroger and sues it, seeking billions of dollars
Parts of toll road linking port to I-5 are nearly finished. Here’s when it’s set to open
Already in trouble, PNW restaurant chain now target of lawsuits in Washington, Oregon

Peninsula Daily News
WA Cares can provide long-term insurance benefits, director says

Puget Sound Business Journal
Albertsons terminates Kroger merger, sues for $600M
Boeing 737 Max production resumes, according to report
Job seekers in certain industries will face headwinds in 2025
SBA writes off billions more in Covid-era small-business loans
World Cup expected to generate massive windfall for Seattle area

Seattle Times
Greg Spotts says he’s stepping down as head of SDOT
Full cleanup begins at Lower Duwamish Superfund site
King County will send $70M to arts, culture organizations in 2025
Tax hike approved for Harborview; public health clinics still in doubt
US inflation ticked up last month as some price pressures remain persistent
U.S. life expectancy gap widens to 20 years among groups, Seattle researchers found

Skagit Valley Herald
Concrete Town Council passes town’s 2025 budget

Spokesman Review
New WA apple will be called Sunflare, WSU announces at event in Yakima
Spokane C.O.P.S., angered by need to compete for city funding, gets brief reprieve
Liberty Lake City Council ousts library board member, stunning some councilmembers
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends adding monarch butterflies to endangered species list
Judges reject proposed mega-merger of Kroger and Albertsons, sparing two Spokane Safeway stores from closure
Washington Department of Natural Resources sues Inland Power, claiming company has refused to reimburse costs related to Gray Fire

Washington Post
Albertsons ends merger deal, accuses Kroger of ‘self-serving conduct’
No daylight saving time? See how early or late you would be in the dark.
Progress on inflation stalled, threatening to complicate Republicans’ plans

WA State Standard
Replacement picked for longtime Washington senator (Orwall, Obras)
Gun group wants new taxes and permits for WA firearm sales (Berry)
Judges in Oregon, Washington, block Kroger-Albertsons supermarket merger

Wenatchee World
Wenatchee City Council approves ordinances changing zoning densities

Yakima Herald-Republic
State pollution board hears arguments about Caton Landfill operations near Naches

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
737 production restarts at Boeing’s Renton factory; Everett to follow
Edmonds School District cancels ‘Know Your Rights’ info session after online backlash
Albertsons gives up on Kroger merger and sues the grocery chain for failing to secure deal

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
King County judge blocks Kroger’s mega-merger with Albertsons
Albertsons gives up on Kroger merger and sues the grocery chain for failing to secure deal
Tacoma City Council passes budget, adds $2.5 million to maintain fire department staffing

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle renters see more space for their money amid construction boom
Seattle police near end of federal oversight, tackle crowd control policy changes
Shoppers relieved as court blocks Kroger-Albertsons merger in Washington state
New Washington state law aiming to protect ‘vulnerable road users’ takes effect Jan. 1
Albertsons gives up on Kroger merger and sues the grocery chain for failing to secure deal

KNKX Public Radio
Rent stabilization, new faces and a big budget gap: A picture of WA’s upcoming legislative session (Scott, Pedersen)

KUOW Public Radio
Albertsons sues Kroger and ends failed grocery megamerger
Secret payments, damning audit. King County’s youth violence prevention effort, mired in scandal

KXLY (ABC)
Two students arrested for threatening a shooting at Pullman High School
WIAA proposes separate “open division” for transgender high school athletes
Spokane County sees high rate of drug-dependent births compared to national average
City council unanimously approves continuation of $125,000 in funding for Spokane C.O.P.S.
The City of Spokane’s 2025-2026 budget accounts for more resources to help clean up downtown

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Shared well owners divided into three categories for water rights lawsuit
Burlington-Edison will close an elementary school, create middle school amid budget shortfall
Opinion: Nooksack irrigators, McMansion owners should face water-use-efficiency scrutiny

Crosscut
Alaska tribe, WA agency sign child and family services agreement
Bird flu is spreading at PNW farms — among animals and workers

The Urbanist
Seattle Reveals Midrise Zoning Proposal for Phase 2 of Growth Plan

Tuesday, December 10

How Washington is promising free college to low-income kids
Washington state plans to let low-income kids know by the 10th grade that they automatically qualify for free college, rather than making them wait on the outcome of financial aid applications in their senior year. The new system will make it so students whose families are on food stamps can start thinking about college or career training earlier, while eliminating the barrier that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can pose for some. Continue reading at Axios. (Maura Losch)

New guaranteed basic income program in WA aims to help Native parents
American Indian and Alaska Natives in Washington have a higher maternal mortality rate than any other ethnic group. Babies born to Indigenous people are more likely to have birth complications. Tribal communities disproportionately experience housing insecurity, poverty and worse health outcomes — disparities rooted in racism and discrimination, and forged by centuries of violence, cultural genocide and economic dispossession. To help reverse those dire trends, Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services launched the Nest in August 2023, the first guaranteed income program in the United States that specifically serves Native communities. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ivy Ceballo)

Voters upheld Washington’s major climate law. Advocates hope it’ll be a blueprint for other states
Washington state voters upheld one of the most ambitious climate laws in the U.S. in November, by rejecting a ballot initiative that would have repealed the state’s landmark cap-and-invest law, the Climate Commitment Act. This comes as a new Donald Trump administration is expected to roll back federal climate policies. The Climate Commitment Act took effect in 2023. It puts a cap on carbon emissions and raises billions of dollars for programs that help the state prepare for and adapt to climate change. One of the largest polluters in the state actually supports this law and framework. Continue reading at KNKX. (KNKX Graphic)