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Friday, June 21

WA paid $100 million over mental health delays. Here’s where it’s going
Up to $100 million could soon be poured into building housing for patients recently released from Washington’s state psychiatric hospitals, with the hope that increasing housing supply will stop patients from returning to the criminal justice system. The funds will come from a round of fines that a federal judge imposed on the state Department of Social and Health Services in 2023, after the agency failed to comply with a court order to quickly evaluate and treat patients who were waiting for a spot at one of the state’s psychiatric hospitals. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)

U.S. Supreme Court upholds law that prevents domestic abusers from owning guns
The U.S. Supreme Court Friday upheld a federal law that bars people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from owning a firearm. In an 8-1 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the opinion that “our Nation’s firearm laws have included provisions preventing individuals who threaten physical harm to others from misusing firearms.” Justice Clarence Thomas, a staunch advocate of the Second Amendment, was the lone dissent. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Ethan Miller)

Could your retail and online deliveries soon be taxed in Washington?
A proposed fee, or tax, may soon be added to retail and online deliveries in Washington. It could generate significant revenue for maintaining city and county roads. State lawmakers are considering this option as they grapple with rising transportation costs and declining gas tax collections, which traditionally fund road maintenance. The proposed “retail delivery fee” would apply to taxable retail items delivered by motor vehicles, including packages from Amazon and goods shipped by companies like UPS. Continue reading at MyNorthwest. (Steven Senne)

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Axios
Battling AI’s error problem: Experts craft BS detector
SCOTUS upholds limits on domestic abusers’ gun rights

Capital Press
Northwest summer outlook cools off

Columbian
Forest proposal doesn’t ban logging but still likely to anger industry
Vancouver Schools of Arts and Academics will limit cellphones in classrooms; district could follow suit as it looks at issue this summer

Everett Herald
Sheriff: New police pursuit policy under review amid state rollback
Long after AIDS crisis peak, LGBTQ+ health care still limited in Everett

News Tribune
Rankings out for most LBGTQ-friendly cities. Here’s who Tacoma beat for Top 10 rating

Puget Sound Business Journal
35 Washington ZIP codes rank among the Wealthy 1000
The National Observer: Court ruling on FTC noncompete ban coming soon

Seattle Times
How beavers are helping and harming salmon restoration in WA
Graffiti at Seattle Holocaust center sparks hate crime investigation
Seattle police officer fired after using sexist, racist slurs against neighbor
WA paid $100 million over mental health delays. Here’s where it’s going

Spokesman Review
Spokane mayor picks 4 finalists to be next police chief
After nearly 20 years driving the bus, Spokane Transit Authority CEO Susan Meyer announces retirement

WA State Standard
The number of job openings has declined sharply in every state
Electricians in Puget Sound region approve contract offer, end strike
Opposition heats up over proposed wood pellet mill in western Washington
U.S. Supreme Court upholds law that prevents domestic abusers from owning guns

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘A very big hassle’: Permit backlog stalls Snohomish County food trucks
‘To be targeted was shocking:’ Seattle’s Holocaust Center for Humanity vandalized
All agree that Jesse Sarey’s death was a tragedy. Now a jury will decide if it was a crime
2 members of Seattle police command staff under criminal investigation, still on the job
Environmental, health and labor groups petition FEMA for resources for extreme heat, wildfire smoke
After 4 years of reduced ferry service, Bremerton businesses near the dock are struggling to stay afloat

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Marysville School District declared ‘financially insolvent’ by the state
Jury to begin deliberating in murder trial of suburban Seattle officer who killed a man in 2019

KNKX Public Radio
Seattle police officer fired for off-duty racist comments
Trial of Auburn police officer in death of Jesse Sarey sent to jury

KUOW Public Radio
Everett Herald’s new owner appears to censor story about layoffs
Lots of rumbling under Mount St. Helens, but scientists say no cause for alarm

KXLY (ABC)
Idaho libraries brace for new law that could lead to lawsuits
‘Restructuring operations’; Major changes made on Spokane radio stations

Web

Crosscut
WA mobile home complaints over rent hikes, policies surged in 2023

MyNorthwest
Lawmaker: High grocery prices due to ‘Corporate Greed’
Delayed construction leaves Puyallup mobile home park site vacant
Could your retail and online deliveries soon be taxed in Washington? (Liias)
Supreme Court upholds gun control law intended to protect domestic violence victims

Thursday, June 20

Biden administration acknowledges harms of Columbia River dams on Indigenous people
The hydropower dams on the Columbia River flooded villages, disrupted economies and ways of life, and continue to harm people indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, according to a first-of-its-kind federal report released Tuesday. The report provides a summary of the historic, ongoing and cumulative harm to eight Columbia Basin tribes caused by 11 dams built in the Columbia and Snake rivers. It marks the first time the federal government has detailed these harms. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Erika Schultz)

To help fund roads, WA lawmakers eye fee on delivery of online purchases
A fee tacked onto the delivery of many retail and online purchases could generate millions of dollars a year for maintaining city and county roads in Washington. State lawmakers now must decide if it’s an option worth pursuing as they, and local government leaders, wrestle with increasing costs of transportation upkeep and decreasing collections from the gas tax — the primary source of money for road work. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Mustafa Hussain)

Covid is back in Washington just in time for your summer vacation
As Covid continues to settle into everyday life, health experts are noticing it has certain patterns, and a few other changes from the first few years the virus struck. Summer Covid is a thing. This is not what health officials expected from the virus. Sure, there’s the common winter cold and flu season. Officials began noticing Covid cases were on the rise in early June. Viral levels in wastewater, both nationally and in Washington state, were getting higher and higher. As of early June, Washington state was trending slightly higher than the national average. Continue reading at KUOW. (Tim Mossholder)

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Associated Press
US acknowledges Northwest dams have devastated the region’s Native tribes

Axios
SCOTUS ruling on Idaho abortion law could affect Washington

Columbian
This law is a lifeline for pregnant workers even as an abortion dispute complicates its enforcement
Cantwell’s bill would boost AI training for small businesses as Clark County companies incorporate technology

Everett Herald
On Juneteenth: ‘We can always say that there is hope’
Boeing lost track of up to 400 faulty 737 Max parts, whistleblower says
‘Financially insolvent’ Marysville schools to get unprecedented oversight
Comment: Juneteenth marked end to slavery; freedom’s taken longer

The Facts Newspaper
City of Seattle awarded nearly $3.2 million to support residential and small businesses transition from fossil fuels to clean, energy efficient appliances

The Inlander
The risk of wildfires is causing some in Spokane County to lose their homeowners insurance

News Tribune
Unable to find one itself, county to pay someone to locate new homeless shelter site
42 families had to move to make room for Puyallup apartments. Why is the lot still empty?
Someone I know uses pronouns I don’t understand. What now? A beginner’s guide to pronouns

Port Townsend Leader
Shellfish harvesting halted for toxicity

Puget Sound Business Journal
IRS ERC tax-credit backlog rises to 1.4M claims
Editor’s notebook: This is a workforce lost in space
Washington is one of the most expensive states for child care

Seattle Times
Seattle commission recommends against new test for police recruits
‘Everyone can do something’ to help pollinators, Woodland Park Zoo says (Liias)
WA police officer run over, seriously injured while trying to arrest suspect
Defense in Auburn Officer Nelson’s murder trial rests without his testimony
King County Council approves crisis care centers plan, mental health funding
Biden administration acknowledges harms of Columbia River dams on Indigenous people

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit County Clean Water Program set for reauthorization
Judge considers whether to dismiss Skagit County from wrongful death lawsuit

Spokesman Review
Resurrected reality TV series ‘Cops’ to return to Spokane County despite local, nationwide critiques
Opinion: It’s time to stand up for our most vulnerable citizens

Washington Post
Supreme Court upholds Trump-era tax provision on offshore earnings
How small chemical labs are skirting a U.S.-China crackdown on fentanyl
You don’t have to run your air conditioner 24 hours a day. Here’s what to do
Democrats seek to repeal Comstock abortion rule, fearing Trump crackdown

WA State Standard
Johnson & Johnson pays $123 million to WA following opioid lawsuit
To help fund roads, WA lawmakers eye fee on delivery of online purchases (Liias)
Washington sees steep rise, then slow down in prescriptions to treat opioid addiction

Wenatchee World
Eastmont School District cuts 2 art teaching positions
Washington Apple Commission announces new leader
Stemilt fined $350K after trench cave-in buries, injures worker
WVC to receive funding from Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative
Chelan-Douglas Land Trust acquires 221.6-acre conservation easement
East Wenatchee City Council approves $6 million road improvements on 19th Street
Chelan, Douglas counties deal with organic material waste laws; Winton Manufacturing provides service

Yakima Herald-Republic
Pacific Power outlines program for shutting down power during wildfires

Broadcast

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
11-year-old victim of alleged hate crime in Bellingham tells his story
Pride flag raised at city hall after Newcastle City Council reverses decision
Supreme Court rules against Redmond couple, upholds tax on foreign income
Announced Everett Herald layoffs will cut newsroom staff in half according to union
A call to restrict cell phone use in schools is gaining support amid youth mental health crisis
Relatives of people killed in 2 Boeing Max crashes ask the US to fine the company $24.8 billion

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Parents and staff demand answers about Marysville School District’s financial crisis
Newcastle City Council flips decision to raise Pride flag at City Hall after public outcry
Seattle’s Holocaust Center for Humanity vandalized, hate crime investigation underway

KNKX Public Radio
Goodbye plastic air pillows: Amazon shifts to paper filling in packages

KUOW Public Radio
Covid is back in Washington just in time for your summer vacation

KXLY (ABC)
New Washington mental health program for people under 25

Web

Cascadia Daily News
WSDOT plans for $85M fish passage project at I-5, Guide Meridian
New bill aims to ensure permanent funding for Northwest Straits Commission
Washington to launch Apple Health Expansion program for undocumented immigrants
Bellingham community rallies around hate crime victim; letter writing campaign scheduled

MyNorthwest
1 of 2 late-night Tacoma shootings involve sheriff’s deputies
State sends reinforcements to review Marysville’s struggling school budget
Pride flag raised at Newcastle City Hall after City Council reverses decision

Tuesday, June 18

State law means more ‘middle housing’ is coming to Renton
House Bill 1110 was passed last year by the Washington Legislature to allow more “middle housing,” which describes housing such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, courtyard apartments, cottage housing and townhomes. Intended to encourage more development of middle housing, the bill requires cities to allow a broader range of housing in areas with mostly detached single-family homes. Continue reading at The Renton Reporter. (City of Renton)

Washington voters want their lawmakers working all year long, poll finds
Most Washington voters want their lawmakers to be at the Legislature in session during the entire year, according to a new poll from the Northwest Progressive Institute, a non-profit based in Redmond. Of the 615 voters polled, 59% said they would support changing the Washington Constitution to allow the state House and state Senate to be in regular session year-round. The Constitution currently limits odd-year sessions to 105 days and even-year sessions to 60 days. The Legislature or the governor can call a special session, but those can’t last longer than 30 days. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (Laurel Demkovich)

Eviction or intervention? Debating Washington’s eviction program as cases surge
The spike in evictions, and backlog of cases, in King County has prompted a debate over how well Washington state’s plan is working to help tenants facing evictions. Washington’s current eviction program…officially began in 2022. The state pays for attorneys to represent low-income tenants facing eviction. The Rental Housing Association of Washington, or RHAW, advocates for independent landlords in the state, many of whom find themselves in a position to go to court when a tenant doesn’t leave their unit. Starting in late 2023, some parts of Washington state began experiencing spikes in evictions shortly after pandemic-era protections began phasing out Continue reading at KUOW. (Allan Vega)

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Associated Press
Judge orders railway to pay tribe nearly $400 million

Axios
Scoop: Senate Dems line up behind Heinrich, Schumer’s bump stock ban
Biden moves to help half a million undocumented people married to citizens

Bellingham Herald
An Eastern WA salmon fishing tradition is being stopped. State says it got too popular
Bellingham officials raise Juneteenth flag in show of strength; challenged to ‘do the work’

Capital Press
Hops industry appears headed into market correction
Study suggests taking Washington farmland to create riparian buffers (Van De Wege)
Washington farm settles with AG over harassment, assault allegations

Columbian
Music publishers urge states to investigate Spotify
Lost chances to treat overdose survivors are documented in new Medicare study
Washington’s deadliest route is a well-traveled road that runs from Fife to Everett

Courier-Herald
State superintendent of schools says student privacy won’t diminish

Everett Herald
Marysville school board president resigns amid turmoil
Everett inches closer to Park District affordable housing plan
Lawmakers to confront Boeing CEO on mounting quality and safety issues
Editorial: U.S. Supreme Court ‘ducks’ reason on bump stocks

Federal Way Mirror
Opinion: People and their behaviors drive the legislative bus | Livingston (Wilson, Taylor)

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Washington’s wildfires: where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going

News Tribune
We all scream when an ice cream truck spills tasty cargo on WA state highway
An Eastern WA salmon fishing tradition is being stopped. State says it got too popular
The biggest Juneteenth celebration in Washington is in Tacoma. Expect live music, food
Opinion: Students don’t have to take on massive debt. The trades need workers and they pay well

Peninsula Daily News
Jefferson County adopts summer fire regulations

Puget Sound Business Journal
Major landlords targeted by class-action lawsuits over pricing
Thousands of businesses could see overtime pay costs spike in July
Comment: Washington employers must close pay gap
Comment: Opinion: How Washington schools can replenish the workforce pipeline
Comment: Seattle needs to take its Stadium District seriously

Renton Reporter
State law means more ‘middle housing’ is coming to Renton

South Whidbey Record
New pursuit law changes rules of the road

Spokesman Review
Is Spokane’s housing market finally leveling? The average home in the county saw a slight decrease in value this year

Tri-City Herald
Fire scorches 200 acres, threatens homes and knocks out power north of Pasco

Washington Post
Most Americans approve of DEI, according to Post-Ipsos poll
What to know about Juneteenth and its historical significance
Biden to waive penalties for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens
With obesity a major public health threat, U.S. panel releases guidelines for kids
Boeing CEO faces Senate hearing, hours after release of new whistleblower complaint

WA State Standard
Railroad owes nearly $400M to WA tribe, judge rules
Washington’s ferry system steers toward less choppy waters
Washington voters want their lawmakers working all year long, poll finds

Wenatchee World
Davis Canyon brush fire burns 2 acres
Peshastin Bridge closed, repairs to take about a month
Lake Chelan fire surpasses (sic) 3,800 acres, Stehekin meeting Tuesday
Leavenworth City Council votes to allow cottage homes in residential zones

Broadcast

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Former Seattle police chief Adrian Diaz comes out as gay
US Surgeon General says social media is a danger to youth mental health
Boeing’s CEO is appearing before a Senate panel as a new whistleblower emerges
Judge orders BNSF to pay Washington tribe nearly $400 million for trespassing with oil trains
‘Don’t be afraid to speak up’: Companies to pay $470,000 for failing to protect female farmworkers

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Public health, climate experts call summer heat a crisis as temperatures rise
Amazon Labor Union workers vote overwhelmingly in favor of an affiliation with Teamsters

KNKX Public Radio
Amazon’s struggling union joins forces with the Teamsters
Seattle Student Union says $2M telehealth plan isn’t enough

KUOW Public Radio
Eviction or intervention? Debating Washington’s eviction program as cases surge
More people die on south Seattle streets, where wide streets encourage fast driving
‘I am a gay Latino man,’ says former Seattle Chief Adrian Diaz after stepping down

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane County Emergency Management considering new alert for fast-moving wildfires

Web

Cascadia Daily News
What makes Whatcom’s trash and recycling system unusual?
City outlines next six years of transportation network improvements

Crosscut
Scientists seek ways to protect PNW rainforests from wildfires
UW grad students get 36% raise as academic unions gain traction

MyNorthwest
King County deputies recover 40 pounds of meth in massive drug bust
Marysville school board president steps down amid turbulent period for school district

The Urbanist
Metro Adding Hydrogen Buses, Auditor Casts Doubt on Fleet Electrification Strategy

Monday, June 17

Seattleites are driving less
Driving has fallen dramatically in Washington over the last few decades, and Seattle has the second-fewest miles driven among large U.S. cities, according to recent transportation data. Contributors to the state and city’s success, according to the Frontier Group’s analysis, include the 1991 Commute Trip Reduction law, which requires large employers to incentivize alternative commuting methods, and expanded investments in light rail and bus service. Continue reading at Axios. (Chona Kasinger)

Seattle strip club becomes first in WA to serve alcohol in decades
A Seattle strip club is the first in Washington to get a liquor license in nearly 50 years. A law passed this year paved the way by requiring the liquor and cannabis board to repeal a comparatively Victorian statute — the majority of U.S. states already allow alcohol in adult entertainment establishments. Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a bill dubbed the “Strippers’ Bill of Rights” in March. It took effect in June. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Lindsey Wasson)

Car crashes take deadly toll on Native Americans in Washington state
Fatal traffic crashes are up in Washington state, and they are hitting especially hard among Native American communities, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. Deadly crash rates are at least three times higher among Native Americans than any other race in Washington. “The fatality rates are so much higher than any other race within our state,” Washington Traffic Safety Commission tribal liaison Penny Rarick told a June 3 meeting of the Washington House Transportation Committee. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)

Print

Axios
Seattleites are driving less

Bellingham Herald
Bellingham’s 116-acre land purchase will help connect existing paths, extend Bay to Baker Trail

Columbian
Columbia River Mental Health program fills medical gap, reaches out to homeless
Opinion: In Our View: It’s too soon to answer this I-5 Bridge question

Everett Herald
FAA investigating counterfeit titanium in Boeing and Airbus jets
Family: ‘Manic episode’ preceded trooper shooting man on I-5 near Everett
Comment: Ruling on abortion pill access may be short-lived
Comment: This conversation may be recorded
Editorial: Men, boys could use a little help to be better men (Lovick)

News Tribune
After LGBTQ resolution failed, this Pierce County school board meeting got heated
Puyallup schools won’t say what jobs they cut to tackle deficit. Here’s what we found out

Olympian
Look inside the creation of the Billy Frank Jr. statue that will represent Washington state in D.C. (Lekanoff)

Peninsula Daily News
Sequim chamber to host tax credit event

Puget Sound Business Journal
Noncompete ban faces first legal hurdle
Microsoft delays rollout of AI feature over security concerns
The National Observer: Changes coming to homebuying after lawsuit

Seattle Times
Seattle strip club becomes first in WA to serve alcohol in decades
SCOTUS homelessness decisions’ impacts in Washington could be unique
Violence prevention programs in school are one way to keep kids safe, experts say
Defense in Auburn officer’s murder trial rests without offering evidence or witnesses

Spokesman Review
Are extracurriculars the key to fighting skipping, isolation and phone addiction in kids? Spokane Public Schools hopes so
Comment: As Farm Bill talks continue, look to Washington’s contributions to food production, safety and security

Tri-City Herald
‘That’s not for me.’ Tri-Cities graduate overcomes homelessness to attend college

Washington Post
Surgeon general calls for social media warning labels
Closing asset loophole could add billions to tax collections, IRS says
What researchers have learned about summer learning loss and how to stop it

Yakima Herald-Republic
Crews make progress on fires near Zillah and Wapato; evacuation level lowered

Broadcast

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
SPD’s interim police chief focused on preventing future school shootings
Upcoming construction: SDOT to prepare bridges for next big earthquake
A middle schooler in Bellingham was allegedly attacked because he is black
State of Emergency declared as Pioneer Fire continues to burn along the north shore of Lake Chelan

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
HearMeWA: Washington launches youth hotline to address mental health, safety

KNKX Public Radio
Material could help prevent algal blooms in Moses Lake
The world is farming more seafood than it catches. Is that a good thing?

KUOW Public Radio
Car crashes take deadly toll on Native Americans in Washington state
As Boeing looks to buy a key 737 supplier, a whistleblower says the problems run deep
King County prosecutors have notified schools of 69 felony gun charges against students
Downtown Seattle’s ‘zombie’ office buildings could get second life as apartments under new rules

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane law enforcement officers will not face charges in deadly shooting of robbery suspect

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Skagit County approves controversial gravel mine

Crosscut
County audit details grim conditions at Capitol Hill youth jail

MyNorthwest
Seattle school to say goodbye to cell phones in the fall
UW fires director of primate research center after state probe into program
Pioneer Fire on north shore of Lake Chelan deemed ‘disaster,’ continues to spread

Friday, June 14

WA considers next steps with abortion pill stockpile after Supreme Court ruling
The governor’s office is considering what to do with Washington state’s stockpile of the abortion pill mifepristone in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday that maintained access to the medication. The medication in the state stockpile expires in about two years, and the governor’s office is considering its options, including distribution of the pills, Mike Faulk, a spokesperson for Inslee, said Thursday. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Charlie Riedel)

Local governments want say in crafting Washington’s new wildfire protection rules
The last time the state Building Code Council crafted rules for protecting homes from the threat of wildfire, city and county officials criticized them as confusing, expensive and overreaching. Those rules are gone. As the state looks at drawing new wildfire risk maps and implementing new codes, local governments want more say in hopes of producing regulations that are understandable, affordable and help the communities most at risk. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Stephen Brashear)

Off the Charts: 87% of Washington voters say child care is a priority
A majority of Washington voters across party lines identified child care as a priority—and that they want to see politicians tackle it. The poll reflects pressures Washington parents know too well. If you want to raise a child in this state, be prepared to drop an average of $14,000 a year on child care. And that’s if you find a spot—an estimated 600,000 Washington kids in need of care don’t have licensed child care, according to state data. Continue reading at KUOW. (iStock)