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Tuesday, January 7

Bill would give WA jails independent oversight
After wrongful death claims shuttered one Washington jail last year and threatened to close another, a lawmaker is again trying to create an independent oversight board for the state’s 50 local jails. Little is known of what happens behind many jail walls in Washington state. At least 64 people have died in local jails since 2022, after the Washington State Department of Health began collecting this information. But not all jails report these deaths or the reasons for them to the department. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Galanda Broadman law firm)

Federal cuts threaten Washington crime victims’ advocacy programs
Advocates and agencies are asking lawmakers in Olympia to provide stable funding for crime victims’ support services after several years of declining federal funding. The instability comes from funding dependent on income generated by prosecutions, which can vary from year to year, leading advocates to ask the state to provide a consistent commitment. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Genna Martin)

Progress on student isolation & restraint
During the 2023-24 sessions, the House Education Committee devoted itself to building a bipartisan solution to ban the use of student isolation and chemical restraint in public schools. House Bill 1479 from Rep. Lisa Callan, D-Issaquah, passed the House with a bipartisan vote but died in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee last year for a second time in the last biennium. Despite the blow to the legislative ban last session, money was divvied out to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to help school districts phase out the practice. Continue reading at Washington Observer. (Disability Rights Washington)

Print

Axios
Seattle drivers face growing traffic woes
Life and loss among southern resident orcas
Over one-third of Seattle-area home listings top $1M

Capital Press
Tariffs could create trade benefits, after initial pain
Washington greenhouse gases rise after COVID drop
Beekeepers face downward trends for pollination services
Group 1, 2 herbicides bordering on obsolete, researchers say

The Daily News
Boschma family eyes donating Ridgefield property for a new home for regional law enforcement training academy

Everett Herald
Lynnwood Council VP resigns from post
Edmonds seeks community input on police chief search
Bothell pharmaceutical company to pay $4 million to resolve allegations

Islands’ Weekly
Child care and early learning central to debate over how to close WA budget gap

Kitsap Sun
Conservation effort in North Kitsap continues with $6.3 million purchase of forest

News Tribune
With spending outpacing revenue, Pierce County calls on Legislature to fund services (Jinkins, Bronoske, Mena, Conway, Nobles, Krishnadasan, Leavitt)

New York Times
Live Updates: Meta to End Fact-Checking Program in Shift Ahead of Trump Term

Olympian
WA tribes crucial to salmon recovery, conservation throughout decades of work with state

Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon lends $22M for project near Spring District
Major player in Moses Lake battery tech boom to shut down factory
Downtown Seattle tops peer cities for residential building — for now

Seattle Times
Meta moves to end fact-checking program
Bill would give WA jails independent oversight (Saldaña)
Fault lines emerge as Seattle Council takes up housing plan
DNR board to vote on future of net-pen fish farming in WA
Seattle police officer who killed Jaahnavi Kandula with patrol car fired
Editorial: Diesel or hybrid ferries? How about simply reliable

Skagit Valley Herald
Guemes Island Ferry returns to service
Battery energy storage facility near Burlington approved
Public hearing held on extending moratorium on agritourism businesses

The Skanner
Boeing Still Needs a Culture Change to Put Safety Above Profits, According to the Head of the FAA

Spokesman Review
Spokane to pay $500,000 to fiancee of man killed by police in 2022
Outgoing state Sen. Andy Billig appointed to Spokane Airport Board (Billig, Riccelli)
Northwest lawmakers reflect on Capitol riot as Congress certifies Trump’s win 4 years later
A University of Washington study on menopause revealed health disparities between rural and urban women
‘Every neighborhood should have one of these’: The NATIVE Project to open new Children and Youth Services Center next month

Washington Post
Indians slam MAGA ‘war’ over H-1B skilled visas as ‘racist’
CFPB issues rules to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports
Trump, Republicans prep ambitious but fraught plan for tax cuts and more
Zuckerberg ends fact checks on Facebook and Instagram, calling election a ‘tipping point’ on free speech

WA State Standard
After 24 years as WA insurance commissioner, Kreidler prepares to retire
Reward up to $20,000 offered for information on each of three WA wolf killings
Health insurers limit coverage of prosthetic limbs, questioning their medical necessity

Wenatchee World
Chelan County Sheriff’s Office implements new patrol supervisor policy

Yakima Herald-Republic
City eyes education to address Yakima’s most dangerous intersections

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle’s 20-Year housing plan sparks debate
How Jan. 6 changed Olympia’s Capitol Campus (Dhingra)
SPD fires officer who hit and killed woman in crosswalk, calling incident ‘tragic on every level’

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Group defaces Mercer Island school with ‘anti-Semitic and racist’ graffiti
Meta replaces fact-checking with X-style community notes
Seattle traffic worsens: Drivers lose 63 hours to congestion in 2024
Washington AG suing T-Mobile over alleged failure to secure sensitive data
GI Bill education benefits expanded for millions of veterans
WSU researchers taking steps to protect apples from climate change
WSU wins lawsuit filed by former football coach Nick Rolovich over vaccine mandate

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle expands school zone speed cameras to curb traffic violations
Seattle police officer who fatally struck Jaahnavi Kandula fired from department

KNKX Public Radio
Officials inspect Tacoma ICE detention center after legal battle

KUOW Public Radio
What will WA lawmakers accomplish this year?
Biden ban puts more of Northwest off limits to oil drilling
$20,000 reward offered after third endangered gray wolf killed in Washington state

KXLY (ABC)
Judge rules in favor of Washington State University in Rolovich vaccine case
Spokane City Council approves $1 million project for safer school intersections
Spokane City Council approves half million-dollar settlement for police shooting
Spokane officials aim to curb overdoses through proposed alcohol impact area downtown

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Potential tariffs could impact annual WA imports of $7 billion from B.C.

Crosscut
Federal cuts threaten Washington crime victims’ advocacy programs

MyNorthwest
Seattle Police Department fires officer who hit and killed Jaahnavi Kandula

The Stranger
The Legend of the Ninety-Nine Lawsuits
Seattle Police Department Fires Officer Kevin Dave for Killing of Jaahnavi Kandula

The Urbanist
WSDOT Report Proposes Expansion Path for Washington’s Intercity Bus Network
Opinion: Washington State’s Path to Tax The Rich in 2025 (Frame)

Washington Observer
Nguyễn tapped to run Commerce (Alvarado)
Progress on student isolation & restraint (Callan)

West Seattle Blog
BEACH WARNING: Stay out of the water at Fauntleroy’s Cove Park, after pump-station overflow
TRAFFIC CAMS, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Tuesday info

Monday, January 6

From Woodinville to Olympia, cities across WA expand renter protection
Efforts to pass renter protections at the state level stalled in 2024, but cities across Washington — from Olympia to Woodinville to Spokane — expanded local ordinances and policies aimed at protecting tenants. One of the most significant proposals in the Washington state Legislature in the 2024 session would have prohibited landlords from raising rent by more than 7% a year and limited certain types of fees. It failed to advance. Despite the lack of movement at the state level, several major cities implemented policies that extended notice periods for rent increases, imposed limits on excessive fees, required relocation assistance and protected tenants against retaliation for installing air conditioning units. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Kevin Clark)

‘A very, very small number’ of teens receive gender-affirming care, study finds
How many transgender teens in the U.S. are receiving medical care related to gender transitions? According to a peer-reviewed research letter published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, the answer is very, very few. It’s a key data point as Republican lawmakers in Congress and around the country continue to focus on transgender youth in contexts ranging from sports to bathrooms to doctors’ offices. In a legislative sprint over the last few years, half of U.S. states have enacted bans on gender-affirming care. Some of those laws have been blocked in court, and one such legal case was just argued in the U.S. Supreme Court in December. Continue reading at KNKX. (Rory Doyle)

New minimum wage & more Washington laws going into effect in 2025
Some people ring in the new year with resolutions for going to the gym or finally learning Spanish. Along with new resolutions, Washingtonians will have several new laws go into effect today. The state is raising its minimum wage to $16.66 an hour in 2025, a 38-cent increase from 2024 ($16.28 per hour), due to increased housing and food costs as calculated by the state Department of Labor & Industries. Washington had the highest state-level minimum wage in the nation in 2024 (Washington D.C.’s wage is $17), though the federal wage is still $7.25. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Joe Nicholson)

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Associated Press
Surgeon General calls for cancer warning on alcoholic drinks

Aberdeen Daily World
Top 10 news stories of 2024
Ocean Shores Walk-In clinic takes crucial next step
Commissioners bring three more cities under Emergency Management umbrella

Axios
Graffiti removal by drone underway in Washington state
Ellensburg among America’s most expensive small towns

Capital Press
Yakima County dairies appeal to 9th Circuit
Reward offered in Washington wolf poaching
WSDA: We need public’s help to stop Japanese beetles
Union seeks to rescind visas for farmworkers bound for Washington

Columbian
Boschma family eyes donating Ridgefield property for a new home for regional law enforcement training academy

The Daily News
Walsh-sponsored bill headed to WA Legislature would allow private family cemeteries
‘Perfect storm’ of factors hits Washington apple farmers, driving bankruptcies, consolidation

Everett Herald
Tulalip Tribes aim to boost salmon habitat at Allen Creek
Snohomish County allocates more money for public safety
Sound Transit repairs will affect Link service for two months
A year after door blowout, Boeing touts safety improvements
‘A game of chicken’: Downtown Everett businesses react to proposed stadium
Comment: Eco-Nomics: Looking back and forward on the climate crisis
Editorial: Legislation that deserves another look in Olympia (Orwall, Ryu, Ortiz-Self, Lovick, Liias)

The Inlander
Washington lawmakers prepare for the upcoming legislative session in a budget year with a new governor (Riccelli)
Designed to improve quality of life for ALS patients, modular, eco-friendly homes also show what the future of homebuilding could look like
Opinion: It’s too easy for Spokane land speculators to sit on their property without redeveloping it; land value taxation could break the logjam
Opinion: America has been in a public health crisis since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fever is getting worse

International Examiner
DESC’s Navigation Center shelter to close in Little Saigon in March as staff and guests move to new low-barrier shelter downtown

News Tribune
Join us for our 2025 Washington Legislative Preview Q&A with state lawmakers (Pedersen, Jinkins)
Ex-prisoner sues WA state DOC, saying it didn’t protect her from sex assault by cellmate
She sued Puppyland after her $6K Dachshund died. Here’s why the lawsuit won’t go to trial
Trump promises funding cuts. What could that mean for Pierce County’s homeless services?
King tides around Puget Sound mean potentially dangerous high water — and coming spring

New York Times
Net Neutrality Rules Struck Down by Appeals Court
Biden Bans New Oil and Gas Drilling Along Most U.S. Coasts
After Fierce Lobbying, Treasury Sets Rules for Billions in Hydrogen Subsidies
Biden Withdraws Proposed Regulations on Student Loans and Trans Athletes

Northwest Asian Weekly
Joe Nguyen appointed to head of WA state’s Department of Commerce (Nguyen)

Peninsula Daily News
Marine Center receives $15 million

Port Townsend Leader
Jefferson County has new coroner, following shift in state law
Still 20% higher than state average, county’s unemployment inches up

Puget Sound Business Journal
Six stories that could impact your business in 2025
Playbook for 2025: Child care crisis likely to hit the office
Managers are hiring, but workers are still getting ghosted
Controversial new business requirement faces another delay
At Sea-Tac Airport, 2024 was a bullish year for international travel
Economist: ‘Problematic’ WA employment trend signals looming slowdown

Seattle Medium
Washington State Rep. Jamila Taylor Details Her Key Legislative Priorities (Taylor)
Seattle Police Respond To Robberies, Shootings, And Standoffs To Start 2025
Washington Jurisdictions Boost Minimum Wage, Seattle Set For Major Changes In January 2025

Seattle Times
WA agency asks for help in fight against invasive bug
From Woodinville to Olympia, cities across WA expand renter protection
Fewer than 1 in 1,000 US adolescents receive gender-affirming medications, researchers find
Editorial: Leaked email shows need for dialogue about revenue
Opinion: Protect WA’s waters and tribal sovereignty: Ban commercial finfish net-pen aquaculture

Skagit Valley Herald
Extension granted on process to relicense Skagit River dams

Spokesman Review
Inslee reflects on tenure during exit interview
Bill headed to WA Legislature would allow private family cemeteries
Housing prices across Spokane skyrocket, pricing many out of the market
It would be Pierce County’s largest geoduck farm. Locals fought it. Now the state decides
ACLU calls on Idaho Supreme Court to intervene in new, ‘disastrous’ public defense reform
A University of Washington study on menopause revealed health disparities between rural and urban women
Opinion: Keep public land in Latah Valley public
Opinion: Safe firearm storage saves lives

Tri-City Herald
WA consumers pay eggs-tra as bird flu affects grocery prices
Hanford nuclear guards reject contract proposal. Contractor to order them back to work

Washington Post
AI’s next leap requires intimate access to your digital life
Trump aides ready ‘universal’ tariff plans — with one key change
Nippon Steel, U.S. Steel file lawsuits against Biden, others over handling of blocked deal

WA State Standard
Ferguson taps Seattle state senator to lead WA Department of Commerce (Nguyễn)
Tanker deliveries of Canadian oil rise in Washington after export terminal expansion
‘Perfect storm’ of factors hits Washington apple farmers, driving bankruptcies, consolidation

Wenatchee World
Former director takes interim role at Chelan-Douglas Land Trust
Chelan County hosting public hearing on short-term rental code changes
WA bolsters protections as NCW immigrant communities brace for potential mass deportations under Trump administration

Yakima Herald-Republic
WA DOH launches winter seasonal hazards dashboard
Yakima Valley School may close if Gov. Inslee’s budget is approved
Prosecutors seeking additional evidence in Yakima New Year’s stabbing
Ellensburg city prosecutor preparing charges against Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice
Failed WA candidate heads to D.C. to support Jan. 6 rioters and plot 3rd run for Congress
Boats in WA waters must stay 1,000 yards from endangered killer whales. How far is that?
New law on pedestrian-vehicle crashes takes effect, but likely won’t change charging decisions locally

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
How Amazon’s return to work is expected to impact Seattle traffic
These new laws are going into effect in Washington state tomorrow
Only about half of Southern Resident orca calves survive. Here’s why
Shelton animal sanctuary says 20 large cats are dead from avian flu outbreak
King County bus drivers demand safety improvements after colleague’s murder
Grieving orca who captured nation in 2018 is carrying dead calf for second time
One year later, a Washington mother continues to fight for justice after son’s death
Garfield High student killed by gunfire inspires philanthropy on his ‘heavenly birthday’
Residents experiencing health impacts as water woes persist in Oak Harbor community

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Army soldier in Las Vegas Cybertruck blast trained at JBLM special operations program

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
New public zone map aims to enhance accuracy of weather warnings in western Washington

KNKX Public Radio
WA cities expanded renter protections as state efforts stalled
Climate change is helping invasive species take root in Washington
‘A very, very small number’ of teens receive gender-affirming care, study finds

KUOW Public Radio
More Canada crude is coming, but trade war could hamper flow

KXLY (ABC)
Eastern Washington legislators get ready to tackle big issues in upcoming legislative session (Riccelli, Graham)

NW Public Radio

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Skagit farmland preservation efforts buck WA trend of agriculture loss
Battery energy storage system approved for industrial land west of Mount Vernon
Opinion: County growth plan must protect farming

Crosscut
How did Washington spend $6.5B in federal pandemic aid?
State Sen. Joe Nguyễn to head WA Department of Commerce (Nguyễn)
Officials inspect Tacoma ICE detention center after legal battle
Why wildlife officials are killing some PNW owls to save others
Six WA cities pass anti-homeless laws after Grants Pass decision
Rep Tana Senn to lead WA Department of Children, Youth & Families (Senn)
WA immigration advocates prepare for new legal challenges to DACA
New minimum wage & more Washington laws going into effect in 2025

The Stranger
Having an IUD is Great. Getting One Can Be Terrible (Walen)
City Attorney Ann Davison’s Office Strikes Deal with SPD Officer who Killed Jaahnavi Kandula

Washington Observer
Recommended tax reading (Frame)
A milder medical mergers proposal (Walen)
Pain management options for IUDs (Walen)
Reining in credit-card fees on tips, taxes (Saldaña, Hasegawa)
Lower blood-alcohol levels for motorists (Lovick)
Another knife-fight over recycling policy? (Fey)
Revising qualifications for child care providers (Senn)

West Seattle Blog
WEEK AHEAD: Schools are back in session tomorrow

Friday, December 20

Note: Thanks to those who responded to our survey last week, your suggestions and comments are being reviewed and considered. The Daily E-clips will be on holiday hiatus for the next few weeks and will resume regular publication on Monday, January 6.

Inslee says it’s been ‘an astounding 12 years’ as Washington governor
Jay Inslee knows the one place he won’t be going when he leaves office as Washington’s governor next month. Idaho. “I am not moving to Idaho. I do not have any property in Idaho. Some right-wing blogger started this rumor. It is objectively false,” he told reporters Thursday, adding he is staying on Bainbridge Island where he’s lived for years. Inslee answered the question, which he said he gets asked most these days, during a wide-ranging conversation with reporters on the legacy of his long tenure as governor, the future of the Democratic Party and the advice he’d share with his successor. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Jerry Cornfield)

Having an IUD is Great. Getting One Can Be Terrible
The appeal of the IUD is undeniable…but for a lot of patients, the pain that comes with an IUD insertion is way more than “a little.” And worse, the pain is often downplayed by providers—if it’s even addressed at all. When Rep. Amy Walen (D-48) accompanied a young woman to an insertion appointment, she found this lack of pain control horrifying. So horrifying that she’s prefiled a bill for the upcoming 2025 legislative session addressing it. House Bill 1077 would require clinicians to discuss pain management with patients before IUD insertions. Continue reading at The Stranger. (Liudmila Chernetska)

King County deploys new mobile crisis teams to assist with mental health emergencies
New mobile crisis teams have been deployed throughout King County, offering expanded access to immediate mental health care and alleviating the burden off other agencies that may be less equipped to handle a mental health crisis. The county added 10 teams on December 2 to support adults experiencing a mental health emergency. While the county previously had mobile crisis teams, this milestone marks a major expansion, made possible by funding approved by voters last year. The teams are part of King County’s broader push to expand and streamline mental health services, by providing dispatchers to talk to, teams to respond and crisis care centers where individuals in crisis can go.
Continue reading at KIRO 7.

Print

Axios
Starbucks union plans “escalating strikes” to start Friday morning

Capital Press
USDA gives three Northwest groups $34 million for rural internet

Columbian
‘Unlawful’ or ‘a critical next step’? Feds to update Columbia River dams’ environmental guidelines

Everett Herald
Police: Social worker unknowingly brought Suboxone into Everett jail

High Country News
Tribes sue after massive wind farm in Washington gets green light

The Inlander
Lawsuit seeks to block natural gas initiative, claiming it violates Washington’s constitution
CHAS Health commemorates 200 Inland Northwest people who died without homes this year

News Tribune
Why does it seem like everyone’s getting sick? Look out for these 6 winter illnesses in WA
Over 7,000 marijuana plants seized from illegal cannabis operation in Tacoma, police say
Eastern WA company admits selling juice from moldy, putrid concentrate for school lunches

New York Times
Starbucks workers begin a strike in 3 cities on Friday
Why it’s hard to control what gets taught in public schools
How drug overdose deaths have plagued one generation of Black men for decades

Olympian
Gov. Jay Inslee reflects on 12-year legacy. ‘Being governor is the greatest job’ in U.S.

Puget Sound Business Journal
UW president delivers ‘master class’ in leadership
Boeing lands its biggest 737 Max order of the year
Sweeping defense bill has small-business changes too

Seattle Times
What to expect on WA ferries as you travel for the holidays
Starbucks workers begin strikes that could spread to hundreds of US stores by Christmas Eve

Spokesman Review
Congress veering toward government shutdown after Trump, Musk sink bipartisan funding bill

Washington Post
Starbucks baristas to strike during holiday rush
These steelworkers want a U.S. Steel sale. Biden and Trump don’t.
This high school banned phones. Here’s what students have to say about it.
White House tells agencies to prepare for shutdown; House GOP to propose a third funding plan

WA State Standard
Immigration drives nation’s population growth
Inslee says it’s been ‘an astounding 12 years’ as Washington governor
Regulators to assess environmental risks of Northwest Hydrogen Hub
Aerial drones helpful in removing graffiti along WA highways, agency says

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Suspect in deadly Seattle bus stabbing identified by police
Tacoma to pay $14.9 million settlement after road-rage victim paralyzed in shooting
Who was Shawn Yim? Friends, riders and community leaders remember slain bus driver
Washington’s new governor goes on the record as he prepares for budget crisis, political shift

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Starbucks union goes on strike in 3 major cities
Over 2 million travelers expected at SEA Airport through end of the year
Fatal bus stabbing suspect not charged in 2023 deadly stabbing of roommate
WDFW confirms bird flu cases in cougars; advises public on safety precautions
Metro drivers demand action after fatal stabbing of colleague in University District
Chehalis juvenile rehabilitation facility takes steps to prevent contraband, new drug
King County deploys new mobile crisis teams to assist with mental health emergencies

KNKX Public Radio
Columbia River Basin officials miss goal on salmon return but see progress

KUOW Public Radio
Inslee looks back on his way out
Transgender woman sues Washington state corrections department over placement in men’s facility

NW Public Radio
Yakama Nation, city of Toppenish in court battle over warming center

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Port officials working ‘extra hard’ to get air service back at Bellingham airport
As Foothills Food Bank closes for the holidays, clients brave rain and cold to stock up

Crosscut
WA lawmakers fight to keep public records hidden — on your dime

MyNorthwest
Bezos saves $1 billion in taxes after moving out of WA
New bill filed would ensure no restrictions on the types of tires you can buy (Street)

The Stranger
Having an IUD is great. getting one can be terrible (Walen)
City Attorney Ann Davison stretches the truth in war on judge she doesn’t like

Thursday, December 19

Big roles in Washington state for two Native leaders
Casey Sixkiller and Chris Stearns will in January become the two highest-ranking Native Americans in Washington state government. Stearns, Navajo, who’s represented the 47th District in the state House of Representatives since December 2022, was nominated by House Democrats to be speaker pro tem, pending a confirmation vote by the House. He will be the second Native American to serve as speaker pro tem; Jeff Morris, Tsimshian, served as speaker pro tem from 2008-11. Continue reading at Indian Country Today. (Washington House Democrats)

Ferguson taps Mercer Island representative to lead children’s services agency
State Rep. Tana Senn will be the new head of the Department of Children, Youth and Families. Senn, a Democrat from Mercer Island, has served in the state Legislature since 2013. Her work has focused on improving education and increasing access to child care and youth mental health services. She helped craft the Fair Start for Kids Act, which passed in 2021 and made record investments into child care and early learning. In the Legislature, Senn has also worked on laws to close gender wage gaps and require zero-emissions school buses in districts across the state. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Legislative Support Services)

With RFK nomination, Washington state health leaders brace for local impacts
President-elect Donald Trump has named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a choice that worries some Washington state leaders, largely because of his position on vaccines. They anticipate funding cuts and increased vaccine skepticism under the next administration, and want to ensure local vaccination programs are safeguarded from a political shift. Public health officials are also worried about funding — Kennedy could cut funding for research into new vaccines, or reduce the federal budget for vaccine purchases and distribution. Continue reading at KUOW. (Meg Kinnard)

Print

Axios
Seattle-area home listings spike
Murder hornets have been eradicated in the U.S., officials say

Bellingham Herald
Pair of Mt. Baker Ski Area rescues over the weekend a reminder of the dangers of tree wells
Cold and dark? No problem. Meet the volunteers testing Bellingham’s stormwater for pollution

Capital Press
Court declines to rehear ‘Cody’s Beef’ lawsuit
Washington declares victory over fearsome hornets
Vote could establish natural grass sod checkoff program
Washington sawmill accused of violating water quality standards
Federal agencies to redo dam environmental review; stakeholder coalition protests

Everett Herald
Everett council chooses downtown site for potential AquaSox stadium
Inslee proposes taxing the wealthy and businesses to close budget gap
Editorial: Protect state’s youths from flavored vapes, tobacco (Nobles, Reeves)

Indian Country Today
Big roles in Washington state for two Native leaders (Stearns)
Officials fall short of salmon return goals in Columbia River Basin but see signs of progress

The Inlander
WSU is in a bind over the fate of its historic Jensen-Byrd building. If a hero developer appears, will it be enough?

News Tribune
Pierce County animal shelter with 64 pets closes indefinitely for emergency maintenance

Olympian
Gov.-elect Ferguson names Tana Senn director of Department of Children, Youth and Families (Senn)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Everett makes call on $120M stadium proposal
The major storylines that could shape industrial real estate in 2025

Seattle Times
Evictions around Washington soar to record-high levels
Editorial: Federal anti-hazing law with WA roots would help save lives

Spokesman Review
Spokane Public Schools to sell or lease up to seven buildings after U-District purchase

Tri-City Herald
Gov.-elect Ferguson names Tana Senn director of Department of Children, Youth and Families (Senn)

Washington Post
The war against murder hornets is over, officials say. The U.S. won.
Government shutdown nears after Trump and Musk kill compromise
Americans rush to buy cars and appliances before Trump’s new tariffs

WA State Standard
Ferguson taps Mercer Island representative to lead children’s services agency (Senn)
New home chosen for Cal Anderson memorial on Washington Capitol grounds
Invasive ‘murder hornets’ found in Washington have been eradicated, officials say
Federal agencies to revise environmental study for Columbia River Basin dam operations

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
New rule could protect Bellingham’s trees
Landslide disrupts Amtrak service between Seattle and Vancouver
Portland-Seattle-Vancouver high-speed rail idea lands $49.7 million federal grant
Day after former Seattle police chief is fired, city releases romantic letter at center of case
Promising cancer trials: Bill Gates’ Everett lab now leading production of a rare, sought-after isotope

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle police officer who hit Jaahnavi Kandula will pay $5,000 fine
Tacoma basketball players attacked with racial slurs during game against Gig Harbor High School

KUOW Public Radio
Why Washington state aims to ban English ivy
Amazon faces multiple strikes as union targets holiday shopping rush
With RFK nomination, Washington state health leaders brace for local impacts

KXLY (ABC)
Idaho bans DEI policy and offices in public colleges and universities

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Healthy Children’s Fund rollout a complicated task, vexing some contractors
People whose NEXUS cards were revoked want answers — a court ruling could help

The Urbanist
Bellingham votes to end to parking mandates as part of housing push
Seattle Planning Commission pushes for bolder housing growth strategy
Shoreline votes to ditch parking mandates, legalize neighborhood cafes and stores

Washington Observer
Thoughts on the portability of wealth
Senn to head the Department of Child, Youth, and Family Services (Senn)

Wednesday, December 18

Gov. Jay Inslee pitches WA wealth tax and business tax increases
Seeking to cover a looming budget shortfall and stave off cuts to state services, Gov. Jay Inslee is throwing his support behind a proposed “wealth tax” on the state’s richest residents. His plan would start with a temporary one-year 20% business and occupation tax rate increase on bigger businesses, followed by a 10% boost in business tax rates. Inslee unveiled the tax proposals as part of his final budget proposal to the Legislature. He’ll leave office Jan. 15, when Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson is sworn in. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

Evictions around Washington soar to record high levels
Washington is on track to have more eviction filings this year than any other year on record. Nine counties, including King and Spokane, hit new high marks, and seven others are on their way. Washington’s policies, like its right to counsel program, have helped keep some of those people from becoming homeless, Thomas told the Senate Housing Committee on Friday. But he said without more action and funding, evictions will rise further. Some lawmakers are voicing similar concerns. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (Stephen Zenner)

Proposal would end flavored vape, nicotine pouch, and menthol sales in Washington state
Some Washington state lawmakers want to end the sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products, saying they stand to hook kids on products such as vapes and menthol cigarettes for life. Two Democrats — State Senator T’wina Nobles and State Representative Kristine Reeves — introduced the legislation in September. This week, State Superintendent Chris Reykdal put his support behind the legislation, saying that vaping is rampant in public schools. Continue reading at KUOW. (VAPES)