Click here for our Daily E-Clips policy.

Friday, October 4

As America’s Marijuana Use Grows, So Do the Harms
As marijuana legalization has accelerated across the country, doctors are contending with the effects of an explosion in the use of the drug and its intensity. Tens of millions of Americans use the drug, for medical or recreational purposes — most of them without problems. But with more people consuming more potent cannabis more often, a growing number, mostly chronic users, are enduring serious health consequences. From Washington State to West Virginia, psychiatrists treat rising numbers of people whose use of the drug has brought on delusions, paranoia and other symptoms of psychosis. Continue reading at The New York Times. (Sonny Figueroa)

Delayed farm bill punted until after election with Congress stuck on how to pay for it
Sweeping legislation that would set food and farm policy for the next five years is in limbo, waiting for lawmakers to decide its fate after the election. The latest deadline for the farm bill passed unceremoniously at midnight on Sept. 30, without a push from lawmakers to pass a new farm bill or an extension. Congress must approve a new federal farm bill every five years. The previous farm bill from 2018 expired a year ago. With no agreement in sight at the time, lawmakers extended the law to Sept. 30, 2024. The delay creates further uncertainty for farmers, who are facing declining prices for many crops and rising costs for fertilizer and other inputs. Continue reading at Getty Images. (Justin Sullivan)

$240 million will go toward tribal salmon hatcheries across the Northwest
Tulalip tribal leaders, representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Gov. Jay Inslee and partners discussed plans Thursday for millions of dollars in federal funding to go toward salmon hatcheries. It comes after the Departments of Commerce and Interior announced in July that $240 million from the Investing in America agenda would go toward supporting fish hatcheries producing Pacific steelhead and salmon. Continue reading at King 5.

Print

Associated Press
Port strikes extend a new era of American labor activism

Capital Press
WDFW kills third wolf from Onion Creek pack
9th Circuit: EPA lawfully denied request for stricter CAFO

Everett Herald
Timeline of Marysville schools turmoil
Highway 529 reopening pushed to mid-November
‘A blessing’: Tulalip celebrates money to improve hatchery
Marysville school board votes to remove Robbins as superintendent
Paine Field among WA airports wanting to prepare for electric planes

International Examiner
Interim Wing Luke Museum director Kamahanahokulani Farrar Law seeks stability for the organization

News Tribune
Worker fatally crushed by mill machine had called for help 4 times, WA officials say
Mayor Victoria Woodards voices support for TPD Chief Avery Moore: ‘Not lost my trust’
Opinion: Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Puget Sound face violence

New York Times
As America’s marijuana use grows, so do the harms
The job market is chugging along, completing a solid economic picture

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle’s World Cup organizers reveal fan hub site
Millions of businesses have a new reporting deadline coming up
New jobs data called ‘best of both worlds’ for businesses and workers

Seattle Times
Seattle-area home shoppers find some relief in ‘shoulder’ season
Hackers target Seattle-area school district for ransomware attack
Auburn strips requirement of shelter from homeless camping ordinance

Spokesman Review
Who could take over SRHD’s opioid treatment services? Four organizations want to try
Spokane’s funding in jeopardy for a program crucial to keep people out of homelessness
Opinion: Long prison sentences don’t keep us safe
Opinion: Rail investment powers economic growth and community connectivity

WA State Standard
Salmon lawsuit ends in settlement but tensions over hatcheries simmer
Six Washington airports want to charge ahead preparing for electric aircraft
Delayed farm bill punted until after election with Congress stuck on how to pay for it

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Let’s Go Washington’ hit with four violations
$240 million will go toward tribal salmon hatcheries across the Northwest
Seattle man says he was attacked on King County Metro Bus because of his race
Police share what they’ve learned from child sex offenders that could protect kids

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Marysville School District names new interim superintendent
Congress examines economic impact of ongoing housing shortage crisis
University of Washington faces federal complaint over campus anti-Semitism
Feds bust fentanyl ring targeting Lummi Nation, other tribes in multiple states
Census shows 3 whales lost from endangered Southern Resident orca population

KNKX Public Radio
Is it a park? Is it a bridge? Overlook Walk is both, and a key connection to the waterfront

KUOW Public Radio
Ports’ strike ends, as dockworkers reach agreement on wages
FBI busts up alleged Seattle drug ring. Arrests include prominent activist

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane residents concerned over plans for 425 new homes in Latah Valley
Varying opinions on proposed measures to address homelessness in Spokane
Health officials concerned as kindergarten vaccination rates decline in Spokane County
Spokane joins nation in helping Hurricane Helene survivors rebuild their lives from scratch
Spokane’s Manzanita House supports immigrants with legal aid and community empowerment resources

Web

MyNorthwest
‘Truly devastating:’ More Washington first responders deployed to North Carolina

Thursday, October 3

First-time homebuyers in Clark County can find financial assistance from nonprofits, state programs
As mortgage rates drop and first-time homebuyers plunge into the market, a variety of nonprofits and new state programs stand ready to help. Staff of first-time homebuyer programs say the most important first steps are education, understanding your financial situation and identifying possible sources of assistance. The state also provides down-payment assistance for veterans, people with disabilities and people whose families faced housing discrimination in Washington. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Amanda Cowan)

Washington officials say 100% of state agency fleets will be electric by 2040. Here’s how it’s going so far:
Transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions represent about 35% of overall emissions from Washington state government agencies. With the state’s push for residents to buy electric vehicles, some Washingtonians wonder why they should drop tens of thousands of dollars on an electric vehicle to help the planet when many of the police enforcing the laws of the road still drive gas-powered SUVs, pickups and sedans. The state plans to swap out 100% of Washington’s gas-powered government vehicle fleets for electric vehicles by 2040 with the help of a new state group called the Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council. Continue reading at The Spokesman-Review. (WA DOL)

State workplace inspectors will have access to immigration detention center in Tacoma
Washington state will be able to inspect workplace conditions at a federal immigration detention center in Tacoma, under a recently issued court order. U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle approved a permanent injunction last week barring the facility’s operator, The GEO Group, from denying Washington Department of Labor and Industries inspectors access to the site. Both sides in the case agreed to the injunction along with other terms to resolve the case. While last week’s order ends the dispute between Labor and Industries and GEO – at least for now – the company and Washington state are still sparring with other lawsuits over how much authority the state has to regulate the controversial Northwest ICE Processing Center. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Grace Deng)

Print

Associated Press
Tribes celebrate the end of the largest dam removal project in US history

Axios
Seattle’s new gateway to the waterfront opens

Capital Press
EPA to scale back vulnerable species pilot project
Editorial: Washington Supreme Court misses the point, again
Editorial: DOL offers H-2A workers collective bargaining by another name

Columbian
WA tribes receive $800K for wildland fire training
Vancouver is planning for the birds: Codes will help reduce bird collisions with buildings
First-time homebuyers in Clark County can find financial assistance from nonprofits, state programs

Everett Herald
10 years later, a safer crosswalk near a Bothell-area school
Nearly 3 weeks into strike, resolve remains for Boeing workers
Edmonds could lose 46 jobs, other cuts looming amid budget woes

News Tribune
Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore has returned to duty. City offers an explanation
‘Scrapping for solutions.’ Merchants work to stay afloat amid Point Ruston’s troubles
Homeless projects could be at-risk after veto of Pierce County Council funding proposal
New $16 million bridge extends popular Pierce County trail to 22 miles, into King County

Puget Sound Business Journal
SBA eases debt refinancing with big loan program changes
Amtrak selects contractor for $300 million Seattle rail yard project

Seattle Times
Hood Canal salmon run sees booming recovery as fish face extinction
Seattle superintendent gets raise, new contract amid budget challenges

Spokesman Review
Nuclear waste confirmed to pass through Spokane next year
Washington officials say 100% of state agency fleets will be electric by 2040. Here’s how it’s going so far:
Port of Whitman County plans to restore Oakesdale mill, but clock is ticking before historic building deteriorates

WA State Standard
State workplace inspectors will have access to immigration detention center in Tacoma

Yakima Herald-Republic
Cowiche Creek Confluence Project gets nearly $11 million in federal funds to reduce flooding, improve wildlife habitat

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Washington state’s minimum wage to increase in 2025
‘Devastating effects’ | Manufacturer’s association warns of national cost of Boeing machinists’ strike

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Bridge tolls proposed on I-5
Long-awaited Seattle Overlook Walk opens Friday
LGBTQ+ artwork vandalized repeatedly in Bellevue
Marysville School Board poised to replace superintendent
How Washington schools are dealing with insufficient funding
Renton police chief criticizes low bail for suspect in fatal stabbing
Poulsbo to break ground on Nordic Cottage Project for low-income seniors
City of Tacoma & Police Chief issue statements about his administrative leave

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington business leaders push for partnerships against organized retail theft
Tacoma police chief to resume full duties after being placed on administrative leave
King County sheriff’s new $6 million ‘Guardian One’ helicopter gets high-tech upgrade

KUOW Public Radio
Sister seas on opposite shores face same foe: polluted runoff

KXLY (ABC)
Experts say Spokane’s summer air quality was the best in years
Despite calls to stop it, nuclear waste will move through Spokane next year
City of Spokane clears way for 400 new homes in Latah Valley – with conditions

Web

Crosscut
Jumpstart: The fight over how to spend Seattle’s big-business tax

The Urbanist
Transportation Chair Saka Questions School Zone Camera Expansion Plan

Wednesday, October 2

GOP legislative staff OK contract as Democratic employees say no
In the first-ever collective bargaining for legislative employees in Washington, Republican staff in the state House and Senate got contracts but their Democratic counterparts did not. Legislative assistants in the GOP caucuses unanimously approved two-year agreements with pay hikes of 3% on July 1, 2025 and 2% a year later, the same amount offered to other state employee unions. But Democratic caucus employees in the two chambers rejected proposed contracts, a stinging disappointment as some fought for the 2022 law that cleared the way for them to unionize and negotiate terms and conditions for the workplace. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Jerry Cornfield)

New grant will allow more Washington nurses to take Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner training
The State of Washington does not have enough nurses trained to best help victims of sexual assault. However, health leaders say a new federal grant will make some improvements. MultiCare Health System just received a $1.5 million grant that will allow them to create a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) training program. The program will start next year and allow the healthcare system to hold four trainings annually for the next three years. Continue reading at King 5.

Budgets in Washington state tighten as population growth slows
It’s budget season in Washington state, and lawmakers are looking at cuts. Proposed cuts at King County have the assessor worried he won’t have enough appraisers for the growing region’s new construction. The state government expects to miss its revenue forecast for this fiscal year by about $500 million. There are lots of reasons for these tight margins — including ones you’ve probably heard a lot about, like inflation — but there’s one driver you likely haven’t heard much about: slowing population growth. For the record: Washington state is still growing, just not as fast as it was. And new construction is still happening, although not enough to keep up with demand, by some experts’ estimations. Continue reading at KUOW. (Sharon McCutcheon)

Print

Capital Press
Northwest butterfly dropped from sweeping pesticide pilot program
Court told new federal reporting law makes millions ‘criminal suspects’

Columbian
Washington counties drop mental health lawsuit against state
Eastern Washington University warns of ‘date rape drugs’ circulating through campus
Birchstone hopes to bridge the gap; clinic in Vancouver will offer mental health urgent care starting this month
Washington, Oregon transportation commissions OK four tolling scenarios for Interstate 5 Bridge replacement

Everett Herald
Boeing weighs raising at least $10 billion selling stock
Snohomish County scores ‘C-‘ in annual health survey
Ferry prices just went up. Here’s what you need to know.
Stillaguamish, Snohomish river salmon projects get state help

Mercer Island Reporter
Minimum wage is going up in Washington

News Tribune
Tacoma Public Utilities rates are going up again. Here’s what to expect on your bill
White nationalists sued an infiltrator. They still can’t find him in Tacoma or elsewhere
‘We are struggling.’ Stubborn homeless camp impacts life near this Tacoma intersection

Puget Sound Business Journal
Affordable housing project aimed at families opens in South Sound
The NAR lawsuit rocked an industry. It’s now taking its toll on agents

Seattle Medium
Community passageways: disrupting the cycle of violence in Seattle
New initiative offers housing and support for homeless students at Shoreline College
Harrell unveils $8.3 billion budget for 2025-2026 focused on housing, safety, and equity

Seattle Times
Seattle shrinks school closure plan
Minimum wage is going up in WA. Here’s how much
Depression was rising among young people. COVID made it worse
DOJ awards $8M to WA tribes, nonprofits to combat domestic violence
8 in 10 WA Muslims experienced discrimination in past year, report says
FTC antitrust lawsuit against Amazon will proceed, some claims dropped
200+ women faced criminal charges over pregnancy in year after Dobbs, report finds

Spokesman Review
Eastern Washington potato manufacturer will lay off hundreds
Summer air quality met health-based standards for the first time since 2016

WA State Standard
GOP legislative staff OK contract as Democratic employees say no
Litigation looms over latest round of Washington state timber sales

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Kent officers shoot at driver of stolen U-Haul
Washington, Oregon considering adding tolls for Interstate Bridge
New consolidation plan would close 5 schools rather than 21, SPS says
State patrol pays $1.3M to trucker it falsely accused of causing 2022 crash
New grant will allow more Washington nurses to take Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner training

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle’s police horse program to trot into the sunset
Budgets in WA are tightening as population growth slows
Seattle Schools’ proposed closures trimmed from 21 to just 5 schools after backlash
King County gives away lockboxes to keep guns from being stolen, accidentally fired

NW Public Radio
Walla Walla Community College buys land to grow its Farm to Fork program

Web

MyNorthwest
Kent police chase ends with police firing at 19-year-old suspect
Boeing machinists strike continues with no end … or even talks in sight

The Urbanist
Week Without Driving Challenge Expands to 50 States from Seattle Launchpad

Tuesday, October 1

Washington state’s minimum wage set to increase Jan. 1. Here’s how much it will change
Washington state’s minimum wage will rise to $16.66 an hour next year, a 2.35 percent increase over 2024, the state Department of Labor & Industries announced. The new wage takes effect Jan. 1, 2025. The minimum wage for the coming year is calculated using the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. L&I compares the CPI-W in the year-over-year period ending in August. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Mykola Sosiukin)

Washington counties drop mental health lawsuit against state
Twenty-eight Washington counties have dropped a lawsuit they filed last year against the Department of Social and Health Services over the state’s handling of certain patients seeking admission to its psychiatric hospitals. The counties sued the state last August in Pierce County Superior Court, concerned about psychiatric patients being sent back to their communities because there wasn’t room at Western State Hospital and other state facilities. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)

The cost to ride a Washington state ferry goes up Tuesday. Here’s how much
The cost to ride a Washington state ferry goes up Tuesday, as rate increases approved back in 2023 will officially take effect. The Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) approved an overall 4.25% rate hike that went into effect on Oct. 1, 2023, with a second overall 4.25% increase to go into effect Oct. 1, 2024. For popular routes like Edmonds-Kingston, Seattle-Bremerton and Seattle-Bainbridge Island, the regular passenger fare will rise 40 cents to $10.25. Continue reading at King5. (King5)

Print

Bellingham Herald
Washington State Ferries to increase prices Oct. 1. Here’s how much it will cost you now
With winter weather looming, Whatcom County doesn’t have site for a severe weather shelter

Capital Press
State ag officials blast EPA’s ‘insecticide strategy’
Kotek kick-starts multistate, tribal plan to increase native fish in Columbia basin

Columbian
Salmon lawsuit ends in settlement but tensions over hatcheries simmer
43 residential units, 33 businesses in Washington and Oregon could be hit by I-5 Bridge replacement

Everett Herald
As Boeing cuts health care, WA offers options for striking workers

Kitsap Sun
Unemployment claims in Washington increased last week

News Tribune
Tacoma Public Utilities employ five watershed inspectors to patrol the Green River Valley

Olympian
Washington state’s minimum wage set to increase Jan. 1. Here’s how much it will change

Puget Sound Business Journal
Lumen Field lands FIFA Club World Cup 2025 matches

Seattle Times
Is wildfire season over for WA?
WA ferry fares increase to make up for passenger decline
Washington counties drop mental health lawsuit against state
Abortion clinics — and patients — are on the move, as state laws keep shifting

Spokesman Review
62 insurance companies sue Inland Power over Gray fire losses
A stone-fruitless summer at Green Bluff transitions to a bountiful fall

Tri-City Herald
What changes are needed at this wildlife area popular with Tri-Cities residents?
Board rules on disputed plan to replace program for ‘neediest’ Kennewick students

WA State Standard
Minimum wage is going up in Washington. Here’s how much
Thousands of state and community college workers in WA reject new contract

Yakima Herald-Republic
Even after 2 years of drought, Central WA’s Roza Irrigation District can point to several successes

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Striking Boeing machinists losing company-paid health care coverage
One injured in shooting that prompted lockdown at Skagit Valley College
The cost to ride a Washington State Ferry goes up Tuesday. Here’s how much
‘A few surprises’ found in study of solitary confinement in Washington prisons

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Are increased assaults on Sound Transit linked to better crime reporting?
Community rallies behind Shoreline stores after string of robberies, break-ins
Seattle parents push back against potential salary increase for superintendent
$12.1 million project aims to boost Pierce County internet connectivity by 2026

KNKX Public Radio
How city leaders want to patch Seattle’s $250 million budget deficit

KUOW Public Radio
The grim reason fentanyl deaths are falling in King County

Web

Crosscut
Over half of sexual assault cases in King County end in plea deals

MyNorthwest
Washington State Ferries first attempt at hybrid-electric conversion faces delay

The Urbanist
Sound Transit Board forges ahead on West Seattle Link despite cost jumps
Opinion: Recognizing nondrivers can spur a revolution in transportation and housing

Washington Observer
So about those mature legacy forests…

Monday, September 30

‘A tool to control the thoughts and actions of people’: New Washington law seeks to stop book bans
Book bans in public schools and libraries all over the United States have been fueled in recent years largely by dozens of conservative activist groups working to suppress books about LGBTQ+ people and people of color. Last March, the state Legislature passed a law meant to slow efforts to ban books in Washington’s K-12 schools. The new law forbids public schools, charter schools and some tribal schools from banning books or other instructional materials just because they include stories of legally protected groups such as LGBTQ+ people and people of color. Continue reading at The Spokesman Review. (Tribune News Service)

More than half of Washington’s electric vehicle rebate funding is used up
Around 3,300 Washington residents have snapped up state-funded rebates to lease or purchase electric vehicles since the subsidies became available about two months ago. Funding for the program, which launched on Aug. 1, is expected to run out in October if people continue tapping the rebates at the current pace, according to Steven Hershkowitz, the state Department of Commerce’s clean transportation program managing director. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

Building housing in downtown Seattle just got easier
Soon, developers will have an easier time building apartments in downtown Seattle. That’s because the City Council voted 8-1 to exempt residential projects there, along with hotels and research labs, from a time-consuming process called “design review.” Design review meetings are one of the main places the public can weigh in on the impact of new buildings on their neighborhood and demand changes from developers. The city needs more housing, especially in downtown Seattle where experts say more residents would help offset the economic impact of remote work. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)