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Wednesday, October 16

Washington’s cap-and-trade rebate pot for farmers still almost full
Washington farmers and truckers have barely touched a $28.5 million pot of money the state set aside to partially refund them for the cap-and-trade taxes they paid on fuel in 2023. They have claimed $1.86 million, or just 6.5% of the money, the Department of Licensing reported Tuesday. The department started taking applications Aug. 26. It and farm groups expected the money to go quickly. Lawmakers set up a $30 million fund to offer partial refunds ranging from $1,000 to $4,500. The Licensing Department took $1.5 million to run the program and planned to send out the money first-come, first-served. Continue reading at Capital Press. (Don Jenkins)

WA program to clear roadside encampments needs more money to keep going
Washington’s work cleaning up encampments along state highways is helping get unsheltered people into housing. But the state Department of Transportation says expanding the program and maintaining its progress will require more money. In the two years since the right-of-way safety initiative launched, the department has helped close 47 encampment sites in five counties. Two of the 49 originally targeted sites are still active. At the end of August, 1,208 people living in the encampments accepted housing, and 891 are still in housing, according to the department. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (Laurel Demkovich)

Washington unveils five-year plan to ease record-high homelessness
More than 200,000 Washington residents – a record number – experienced homelessness or housing instability during July 2023, according to a new report from the state Department of Commerce, which outlines statewide goals for addressing this issue over the next five years. The State of Washington Homeless Housing Strategic Plan lays out a five-year plan for addressing the state’s housing affordability crisis as one way to address the record number of Washington residents who are unhoused or housing-unstable, and also spells out a strategy to provide more emergency housing across the state. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Paul Christian Gordon)

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Axios
Seattle starter homes require six-figure salary

Capital Press
Washington’s cap-and-trade rebate pot for farmers still almost full

Everett Herald
Boeing seeks to line up billions in financing as strike goes on
Edmonds celebrates opening of $30M affordable housing development

The Inlander
The story of Dan Evans, the former Washington governor and U.S. senator who died last month, is a reminder of a saner, more reasonable political era

News Tribune
City of Tacoma has directed millions to preventing youth violence. Is it working?
Yes, those huge girders now cross I-5, but more lane closures coming near Fife this week
Warehouse construction is booming in Pierce County. New real estate report shows how much

Port Townsend Leader
City of Port Townsend building its 2025 budget
With steelhead populations up, fishery management town hall set
More steps left for Dabob Bay conservation area expansion to deliver ‘big wins’

Puget Sound Business Journal
US industrial market metric hits record high
Eastside city proposes $2M World Cup fund
Employers are leaving out a coveted benefit as health plan costs soar
SBA is out of disaster loan money. Here’s what businesses can do now.

Seattle Times
As Ellensburg grows, the town’s best hiking area tries to keep pace
US agency adopts rule to make it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions

Spokesman Review
From bullhorns to petitions, you can get arrested for these 5 things at a WA polling place
As housing crisis ravages Washington, a state agency says it needs $1.2 billion to address the problem

Washington Post
Everyone loves rooftop solar panels. But there’s a problem.
CEO pay fell last year despite a strong stock market, study finds

WA State Standard
Bonneville Power Administration unveils plans for $3B in grid upgrades
WA program to clear roadside encampments needs more money to keep going

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Members of Congress voice support for Boeing machinists on strike ‘
Terrible for everyone’: Emotions run high at Shoreline School District meeting about possible closure
Experts, researchers prepare for Pacific Northwest tsunami: ‘You don’t know when this is going to happen’

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Microsoft settles video gamers’ lawsuit over Activision takeover
Western Washington University to cut jobs over $18 million deficit
Over a month in, negotiations stall between Boeing, machinists union
Lawsuit claims UW School of Medicine’s BIPOC Physicians Directory is racist
Chelan County’s new law punishes drivers for using parking lots to get around traffic

KUOW Public Radio
As leaves fall, some street parking rates rise in Seattle
How new flu, RSV vaccines could help protect more kids this year

KXLY (ABC)
12-year-old arrested for bringing loaded handgun to Shaw Middle School
Spokane landlords must register property with city or face consequences, says City Council

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Port of Bellingham, Harcourt come to agreement over legal battle about waterfront land

Crosscut
Washington unveils five-year plan to ease record-high homelessness

MyNorthwest
Tacoma ferry back in service after mechanical issues
Lack of Chinook salmon keeps Southern Resident orcas on endangered list
King County workers begin efforts to clear Burien encampment near courthouse

The Urbanist
Seattle finalizes design for expanded Elliott Bay trail in Belltown
Inspector General quietly terminates audit into Seattle Police mutual aid

Tuesday, October 15

Director defends WA Cares Fund, says claims the long-term care program is insolvent are false
As more people near the age of retirement, leaders of Washington’s long-term insurance care program, known as WA Cares, want to prepare families for the financial and emotional impact of that transition. WA Cares is a one-time benefit starting at $36,500, adjusted over time with inflation. Workers can access their lifetime benefit once they’ve paid into the program for 10 years, or less if they have a sudden need. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Amanda Cowan)

Washington looks to resolve conflicts that block housing for homeless people
Housing developers and local governments can now go through a state-led dispute resolution process if a city refuses to permit emergency and temporary housing for people who are homeless. Earlier this month, the Department of Commerce launched the program to encourage more permitting of shelters, transitional and emergency homes, and permanent supportive housing, which includes services like mental health support or employment resources. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Dan Reynolds)

How are Washington kids still getting guns, despite strict laws?
Washington ranks ninth in the country for gun-law strength, according to Everytown for Gun Safety this year, making it one of the strictest states. The Legislature passed a law earlier this year which requires gun owners to report stolen firearms to law enforcement within 24 hours or face a fine of up to $1,000. Yet despite Washington’s relatively strict gun laws, children are still obtaining guns. Continue reading at KNKX. (David Ryder)

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Capital Press
U.S. Chamber, 22 states join fight against Biden H-2A rule
Labor Department debars Washington farm labor contractor

Columbian
Ogden cottages offer below-market rent and a chance at community in Vancouver
Director defends WA Cares Fund, says claims the long-term care program is insolvent are false

Everett Herald
Boeing’s endless ‘doom loop’ gives no respite to CEO Ortberg

Issaquah Reporter
WA women 9th in nation for breast cancer diagnoses, analysis finds

News Tribune
These Pierce County school districts are bursting at the seams as others in WA shrink
Concerned about the validity of Pierce County elections? Watch the process for yourself
Skaters, grab your boards: City giving $1M to build new skate park in downtown Tacoma

Peninsula Daily News
Community colleges grappling with chance of paying back funds

Puget Sound Business Journal
IRS processing $10B in ERC claims
The National Observer: Baby boomers stay in workforce longer

Seattle Times
WA’s older forests capture carbon better than nearly any other

Spokesman Review
Invasive giant hornet reported seen in Kitsap County, Washington
Spokane City Council approves proposal preventing evictions, rent increases if landlord is not registered
‘Not enough’: Spokane’s budget for sheltering homeless people in unsafe winter weather will cover 100 beds for 38 nights

Washington Post
TikTok faces blowback in Congress over child safety revelations
10 million pounds of meat recalled over listeria concern: What to know
Climate change may be coming for your house. Look up your level of risk.

WA State Standard
Pierce County to begin paying jurors $100 a day
Overdose deaths are down nationally, but up in many Western states
Washington looks to resolve conflicts that block housing for homeless people

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Small town fights to keep only newspaper from folding
PNW seismic monitoring expanding to volcanoes and underwater
These are Washington state’s 10 most expensive ZIP codes, new report shows
‘Show up with a good heart’ | Behind the preparations for Seattle’s Indigenous People’s Day celebration

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Pierce County to pay jurors $100 in pilot program
Boeing enters $10B credit agreement with group of banks, report says
Two WWU students found dead on campus within 24 hours of each other
Troubled Boeing signals it may raise up to $25 billion to shore up finances
Residents voice their displeasure as a new warehouse considered in DuPont
Possible Northern Giant Hornet sighting has Department of Agriculture abuzz

KNKX Public Radio
Will ranked choice voting come to Whatcom County?
How are Washington kids still getting guns, despite strict laws?
Alaska’s seafood industry lost $1.8 billion last year, NOAA report says

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle is a UNESCO City of Literature. Advocates want you to read all about it
Listeria deli food recall hits Washington state, impacting Albertsons, Kroger, and other stores

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane business fed up with ongoing trash and drug paraphernalia cleanup
Spokane City Council votes to restrict rent hikes, evictions from unlicensed landlords

Web

Cascadia Daily News
WWU to cut 55 positions, $18M in major restructuring
Lummi Nation, community members mark Indigenous Peoples Day

Crosscut
Washington state lawmakers may get a 14% raise over next two years (Trudeau)

MyNorthwest
Tolling increases are generating big money for WA

The Urbanist
Seattle breaks ground on West Coast’s first residential highrise of 2024
Opinion: Unclogging Seattle’s water permit gauntlet would help address housing crisis

Monday, October 14

WA’s older forests capture carbon better than nearly any other
Just inland from the Pacific Northwest’s rainforest drip line, with more than 10 feet of rain a year, are the forests dominated by Douglas fir, western red cedar and hemlock, growing in the mild climate with some 70 inches of rain a year, in a thick rumpled green cloak in the Cascade lowlands. These big trees, in their roots, needles and branches, hold more carbon longer than any young plantation, fast-growing and cut on quick rotations. They are world champion climate change fighters. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

Washington is sitting on $2.2B in unclaimed property. Some could be yours.
Last year, Washington’s unclaimed property program received a record amount of money, which it holds until an owner claims it. Currently, $2.2 billion is available to be claimed, according to a new report from the Department of Revenue. Unclaimed property is often considered lost, forgotten or abandoned. Between July 2023 and June 2024, Washington’s program received a record $365 million in unclaimed property. That comes from about 12.4 million pieces of property. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

2 years in, Washington’s alert system for missing Indigenous people is working
Washington state was first in the nation to implement alerts specific to Missing Indigenous Persons more than two years ago. By the end of August this year, the State Patrol had issued 114 of those alerts, with the subject being located in all but 13 cases. Law enforcement officials say these alerts play a crucial role in locating teenage runaways and have proven valuable in longer-term cases as well. Continue reading at KUOW. (Connie Samuels)

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Associated Press
Republican lawsuits target rules for overseas voters, but those ballots are already sent

Aberdeen Daily World
Aberdeen attempting to restrict RV parking
PUD begins budgeting, looks at 3% rate hike

Axios
Embattled Boeing to slash 10% of workforce in latest blow

Bellingham Herald
Sumas group wants out of Nooksack water-rights lawsuit

Capital Press
Upper Snake reservoir volumes slightly above average
Scout says Horse Heaven recommendation has ‘little value’
Grants go to support veteran, underserved and starting farmers

Columbian
Vancouver tiny home community ready to welcome families struggling with housing and homelessness

Everett Herald
Boeing will stop production of the Everett-built 767 in 2027
Housing authority agrees to pay $200K in Lynnwood voucher case
Amid high asthma rates, Snohomish County seeks climate solutions

Kitsap Sun
New Booz Allen Bremerton facility will employ 50 in maritime technology
At Bremerton’s Quincy Square, mural addition remembers more than just the famous artist

News Tribune
Haven’t been vaccinated against respiratory illnesses? Now’s the time, here’s where to go
Pierce County has more homelessness, gets less federal money than Snohomish County. Why?

Puget Sound Business Journal
Boeing to slash 17,000 jobs, cut production in Everett
Disaster relief for small businesses: Loans, grants and programs to know

Seattle Times
WA has some of the world’s most carbon-dense forests
Listeria recall spreads to WA, hitting Kroger, Albertsons, Trader Joe’s and others

Spokesman Review
FAA’s ‘failing system’ of monitoring Boeing blasted by federal watchdog
Bob Ferguson asks Spokane judge for swift decision on abortion pill lawsuit against FDA
Volunteers plant over 1,000 trees to improve ecosystem at Spokane County conservation area
‘Building a prison for children’: Overcrowded youth detention centers in Washington draw concern (C. Wilson)
No calls, no texts, no problem: A month after cellphone restrictions instituted, Spokane Public Schools teachers report benefits

Tri-City Herald
Benton sheriff hopes to buy the newest 4-legged weapon in fight against child predators
WA flood season right around the corner. Here’s how experts say to prepare in La Niña year

Washington Post
Boeing will shed 17,000 jobs as financial woes deepen
The vast divide between Republicans and Democrats over fast food
A utility promised to stop burning coal. Then Google and Meta came to town.

WA State Standard
Boeing to cut 17,000 workers
Washington is sitting on $2.2B in unclaimed property. Some could be yours.

Wenatchee World
New program will enhance experience for Yakima Valley visitors
Residents celebrate Filipino Community Hall’s inclusion on historic register

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Understanding the earthquake risk in the northwest
Apparent bomb scare during police chase shuts down I-90 for hours
Boeing strike enters second month, costs company more than $1 billion

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
400 hotel workers walk off the job in Seatac, demanding better conditions
Strike authorized: Elysian Brewery workers vote to strike as contract talks stall

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Boeing workers face uncertainty amid looming layoffs
Over 100 hotel workers strike at Seattle Airport hotels for better pay
‘City doesn’t have our back’: Lake City business manager frustrated after break-ins

KNKX Public Radio
State arts commission adds award highlighting Indigenous artists
Boeing will lay off 10% of its employees during strike by factory workers

KUOW Public Radio
When Seattle’s tip credit expires in 2025, will tips end as well?
2 years in, Washington’s alert system for missing Indigenous people is working

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane opening navigation center at Cannon Street homeless shelter
New WA pilot program aims to change lives in opioid crisis through new treatment
Commissioner Hilary Franz reviews 2024 wildfire season, says “nature is still in charge”

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Port commission expansion isn’t a new idea, but still sparks public debate
Port of Bellingham, 104 years in: How does it work and what does it control?

Crosscut
How are Washington kids still getting guns, despite strict laws?
Washington State University reports whooping cough outbreak

MyNorthwest
Atmospheric river forecast for western Washington region

Washington Observer
Should Washington lawmakers get a raise? (Trudeau, Cleveland)

Friday, October 11

Washington homeownership program attempts to rectify past inequities
Real estate investors and developers hailed the Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate cut and what it could mean for transactions in the months ahead. Likewise, optimism is spreading in the housing market as mortgage rates ease. In Washington, an uptick in real estate transactions, both commercial and residential, would also benefit a little-known housing program launched earlier this year. A $100 recording fee on all real estate transactions in the state, paid by the buyer, is funding the state’s Covenant Homeownership Program (CHP). Continue reading at The Puget Sound Business Journal. (Andrew Unangst)

Lack of shelter and housing fuels domestic violence in WA, advocates say
Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women in the United States, according to the federal Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services. In Clark County, the number of people who said they’re homeless due to domestic violence more than doubled from 808 people in 2022 to 1,794 in 2023, according to newly released numbers from the Council for the Homeless management information system. Federal funding cuts that may hit domestic violence programs next year will make the situation even more dire if the state doesn’t commit to permanent funding, they say. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Alexis Weisend)

Citizen panel says Washington lawmakers deserve a 14% raise
State lawmakers in Washington will get a 14% raise over the next two years, pushing their annual pay above $70,000, under a recommendation adopted Thursday by a citizen salary-setting panel. Most legislators currently earn $61,997 annually. They’d receive a 7% increase on July 1, 2025, bringing their pay to $66,411 and another 7% a year later, upping their salaries to $71,126. Statewide executives and judges will get wage hikes too, though increases settled on by the Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials are not quite as hefty. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Jerry Cornfield)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Aberdeen attempting to restrict RV parking

Axios
Seattle’s downtown office space: Boom to bust
How Indigenous land acknowledgements can miss the point

Capital Press
Washington apples aid in hurricane relief
Climatologists downgrade chances La Nina will form
Washington pump-storage project faces historic challenge
Commentary: Federal forest management is stuck

Everett Herald
Everett takes next step toward new AquaSox stadium
Mukilteo council denies controversial rezone for up to 200 homes

Kitsap Sun
Welcome pole representing tribal history installed on Bainbridge Island

News Tribune
Tacoma will soon get 170+ new, distinctive street signs. Here’s what’s happening
Health department warns of suspected norovirus outbreak at Tacoma buffet restaurant
Proposed warehouse near popular Pierce County trail would remove more than 450 trees
DNR agrees to sell Pierce County unused timber land for affordable housing development

Puget Sound Business Journal
SBA disaster loan funding will run out ‘very soon’
Power crunch challenges boom in Washington town
Washington homeownership program attempts to rectify past inequities

Seattle Times
WA State Parks won’t reopen Cama Beach cabins
Seattle tenant hotlines, legal aid could face sweeping budget cuts
Seattle Public Schools plans to name schools for closure in two weeks
FAA’s ‘failing system’ of monitoring Boeing blasted by federal watchdog
Lack of shelter and housing fuels domestic violence in WA, advocates say

Spokesman Review
City to concentrate extra officers in downtown Spokane over 30-day crackdown on ‘predatory’ crime
Could your teens sleep in a little longer? Spokane School Board ponders changes to calendars and start times
Though still without plan to pay for more cops, Spokane Valley City Council opts against property tax increase for 16th straight year

Washington Post
Racism was called a health threat. Then came the DEI backlash.
Death rates for working-age and young Black people rose during pandemic
As drug middlemen influence grows, independent pharmacies face fresh challenges

WA State Standard
Washington not on pace to fill growing job gap
Citizen panel says Washington lawmakers deserve a 14% raise (Trudeau)
Opinion: Energy projects, preemption and politics

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
New report finds Seattle is one of worst major US cities to drive in
Police say bullet from drive-by shooting hit window of Seattle high school
Family of Afghanistan refugees living in Lacey ‘thriving’ in school, workplace
Historic cabins at Cama Beach State Park will permanently close, commission decides

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
After 12 years, SPD could soon be free from federal supervison
Bullet goes through second-story window of Nova High School in Seattle
Washington AG, 17 others push FDA to loosen restrictions on abortion drug
Environmental advocates push for more efforts to reduce lead contamination in schools
Relatives of passengers who died in Boeing Max crashes will face off in court with the company

KUOW Public Radio
Worst whooping cough outbreak in a decade has infected thousands
Is an uptick of rumblings under Mount Adams cause for seismic concern?

KXLY (ABC)
Downtown community identifies pressing issues for Core Pilot Program

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Little Lilly timber sale approved by Board of Natural Resources

Thursday, October 10

The elderly caregiving crisis is an economic problem
Kamala Harris’ proposal to create a Medicare benefit for long-term home care targets an underappreciated part of the economy: caregiving. The sector is staffed by underpaid and unpaid workers — mostly women — carrying out crucial jobs that will only become more important as the population ages. Even as they’re in high demand and the care sector becomes an increasingly large part of the economy, care workers don’t make very much money. A better system would keep more women in the workforce, and raise the economic prospects of those who do this work for a living. Continue reading at Axios. (Sarah Grillo)

Federal oversight of Seattle police could end in ‘next few months,’ DOJ predicts
After more than 12 years and expenditures topping $200 million, the city of Seattle and its Police Department might be “within the next few months” of ending federal oversight of SPD, according to documents filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. The documents were requested by U.S. District Judge James Robart, who has overseen the implementation of a top-to-bottom overhaul of SPD and its accountability systems. Robart has scheduled an Oct. 16 hearing on the status of the settlement agreement between the Department of Justice and the city. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Luke Johnson)

WA districts received $2.6 billion in federal COVID relief funding. Here’s how they spent it
Washington school districts received over $2.6 billion in federal COVID relief funds and have spent $2.5 billion so far, according to September data from the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Like all other states, Washington received funds through three packages, known as ESSER I, II and III. ESSER stands for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, and the combined total for schools nationwide is nearly $200 billion. Continue reading at the WA State Standard. (Getty Images)