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Monday, August 19

Climate change is already reshaping PNW shorelines. Tribal nations are showing how to adapt
Tribal nations along the coasts of Washington and Oregon are navigating impacts ranging from ocean warming and acidification, which threaten culturally and economically important fisheries, to increased coastal flooding and erosion from sea level rise and storm surges. The effects of climate change are most acutely felt in Indigenous communities, with roots that run thousands of years and generations deep in the land; those on the coast are particularly vulnerable. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ivy Ceballo)

Drought in the West has cost hydropower industry billions in losses in two decades, analysis finds
Persistent drought in the West over the last two decades has limited the amount of electricity that hydropower dams can generate, costing the industry and the region billions of dollars in revenue. When there isn’t enough hydropower available, utilities are forced to purchase energy from fossil fuel producers, mostly from natural gas companies, that drive up emissions. The purchase of gas-powered electricity to supplement a lack of hydropower drove carbon dioxide emissions up 10% over the 18 years, the study found. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

For homebuyers impacted by racist housing covenants, Washington state offers zero-interest loans
A new program aimed at reducing the impact of racist housing deeds, which once forbade selling homes to various minority groups in Washington state, is taking shape. The Covenant Homeownership Program, run by the state’s Housing Finance Commission, offers prospective homebuyers from those communities no-interest loans of up to $150,000 to cover down payments — one of the biggest hurdles to buying a home — and closing costs. Borrowers repay the loan upon selling or refinancing of their home. Continue reading at KUOW. (Tierra Mallorca)

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Axios
DoorDash spends over $1M to fight Seattle minimum wage law

Capital Press
Clean-energy transformation gets cool reception in Western Washington
Washington farm group seeks lawmakers’ help in dispute with Health Department

Columbian
Homeless camping bans vs. sit-lie laws in WA. What’s the difference?
Clark Public Utilities encourages qualifying customers to apply for energy credit

Everett Herald
New roundabout planned for US 2 through Sultan
With new facility, Mountlake Terrace to treat chemical that kills coho
After 47 citations, Sea Mar sues to save Marysville residency program
Comment: Our county is growing; trees must grow with us

News Tribune
Renton-based firm with litigious property-owner history just bought 3 more Tacoma sites
Controversial gunshot-detection technology to be deployed in Tacoma soon. Here’s where
Tacoma homeless shelter to embark on $20M expansion ‘to respond to an increase in need’

Peninsula Daily News
Wildfire spreads to 445 acres

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle, county streamline approach to homelessness
Downtown Seattle’s recovery is a step closer to 2019 benchmark
Seattle restaurants near tipping point as minimum wage hike looms

Seattle Times
WA state’s sex offender registry: What to know
WA State Patrol lost unknown number of emails
The island where WA has confined hundreds for sexual violence: What to know
Climate change is already reshaping PNW shorelines. Tribal nations are showing how to adapt

Skagit Valley Herald
Child care pilot partnership set to begin
More farmland preserved along I-5 corridor

South Seattle Emerald
Seattle’s Public Safety Committee is considering exclusion zones for drug use, sex work. The public has thoughts.

Spokesman Review
Challenges ahead as Spokane pivots from warehouse for the homeless
Medical Lake, Elk residents rebuild from devastating wildfires one year ago
What have first responders learned a year after the Gray and Oregon Road fires?
Getting there: Large construction projects persist countywide, creating delays as crews forge on
Opinion: Washington is eyeing a delivery tax to fund roads, but the idea is full of potholes

Washington Post
Alcohol played a part in 2.6 million deaths in 2019, WHO says
The movement to diversify Silicon Valley is crumbling amid attacks on DEI

WA State Standard
AI will play a role in election misinformation. Experts are trying to fight back
Fewer Washington kids are going to foster care despite steady stream of child neglect reports
Drought in the West has cost hydropower industry billions in losses in two decades, analysis finds

Wenatchee World
Thunderstorm sparks fires in Chelan County

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima Council to consider Terrace Heights annexation, new “stay out of drug areas”

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
”This is what the future is what wildland wildfire looks like’: How one county is becoming fire proof

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
JBLM beaches reopen for swimming, new safety measure in place
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge celebrates 50th anniversary
Two retired Washington ferries to be recycled in Ecuador after decades of service

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Outages leave thousands of Seattle residents without power, likely due to weather
Expert links Seattle’s rental price drop to zoning reforms, increased housing supply

KNKX Public Radio
Tacoma PD to launch gunshot detection system pilot program
New affordable housing units could curb displacement in this Tacoma neighborhood

KUOW Public Radio
Need anti-withdrawal meds? In King County, call this 24/7 hotline
For homebuyers impacted by racist housing covenants, Washington state offers zero-interest loans
Get ready for your first light rail moment, Lynnwood. Sound Transit plans meet cute for transit newbies

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane City Council approves grant to help meet childcare needs for families
Spokane program supports children’s mental health in early learning environments

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Ferndale box first in Whatcom County to dispense free Narcan kits 24/7
Love or hate them, Bellingham’s abundant urban deer are challenge to manage

The Urbanist
South Shoreline Light Rail Brings Suburban Retrofit with Thousands of Homes

West Seattle Blog
VIDEO: County reps’ Town Hall and more @ 34th District Democrats’ August meeting (Fitzgibbon, Alvarado)

Friday, August 16

Classrooms nationwide need more back-to-school cooling
Classrooms nationwide need more cooling during back-to-school season now compared to past decades, a new analysis finds. Maintaining a comfortable and healthy environment in schools is key to kids’ educational success, but that’s getting harder amid a warming climate. Like other buildings, schools must adapt to a changing climate — and that can mean costly upgrades. Continue reading at Axios. (Axios)

Missing children, unmarked graves, unanswered questions: Washington’s Native American boarding schools
A new report from the U.S. Department of the Interior documents the atrocities carried out over the course of close to 150 years at government maintained and supported Native American boarding schools. The report lists 417 schools across 37 states and U.S. territories, including 17 boarding school sites in Washington state. It confirms that close to 1,000 children died while attending federally operated or federally supported boarding schools and identifies 74 marked and unmarked burial sites at 65 different school sites. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)

Why WA’s foster care system is shrinking fast
The number of children in Washington’s foster care system dropped by almost half in the past six years, reflecting a shift in approach that prioritizes keeping families together. A law that took effect in July 2023 accelerated the agency’s push in this direction. It raised the judicial standard for ordering a child removed from “serious threat of substantial harm” to “imminent physical harm.” The number of children placed in foster care fell by 14% in the year after House Bill 1227 passed. Continue reading at The Seattle Times.

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Aberdeen Daily World
Aberdeen City Council attempting to build better, together

Axios
UW getting up to $21M as part of cancer “moonshot”
Classrooms nationwide need more back-to-school cooling
Navigating Seattle’s closed-off “Healthy Streets” post-COVID

Capital Press
Winter wheat production up by a third in Oregon, Washington
Commentary: Inaction on traceability is unacceptable

Everett Herald
After tax measure failure, Everett could offer buyouts
Council approves Paine Field plan with $297M in potential improvements

Kitsap Sun
State commission demands Bremerton judge provide medical info that led to delays

News Tribune
School leaders’ Suncadia trip cost nearly twice the figure initially given, records show
Can you get pulled over for changing lanes in an intersection in WA state? Here’s the law
Tacoma homeless shelter to embark on $20M expansion ‘to respond to an increase in need’
Is Pierce County doing enough to address homelessness? Tacoma city leaders don’t think so
Opinion: New State Department ruling makes international adoption harder for hopeful parents

New York Times
Realtors Resist Changes in Commissions

Northwest Asian Weekly
Seattle City Council weights controversial SODA zones in downtown, CID

Olympian
‘Deeply concerning.’ WWII tank leaking radioactive waste into ground in WA, feds suspect

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle, county streamline approach to homelessness
The National Observer: What killed the ‘Great Migration?’

Seattle Times
Why WA’s foster care system is shrinking fast
Report: Incarcerated people still routinely isolated in WA prisons

Spokesman Review
Study finds unhealthy air quality from wildfires can affect fertility treatments
In farewell to McMorris Rodgers, Fairchild summit showcases progress, pitfalls for military families

Tri-City Herald
$500,000 in HVAC fixes needed as students head back to this Tri-Cities high school

Washington Post
Hearing about leaked Social Security numbers? Here are some tips.

WA State Standard
To lower prescription drug costs, states head to the courthouse
Farmers say proposed drinking water requirements would drive up costs
Can 230 new units of affordable housing curb displacement in this Tacoma neighborhood?

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Guaranteed income being studied on Olympic Peninsula
Drones as first responders: A new path forward takes shape in Washington

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Tacoma police to deploy ShotSpotter technology
WSDOT progresses on fish habitat restoration despite challenges
‘It’s been like a warzone here’: Auburn father hopes new police tech will find his son’s shooter

KUOW Public Radio
San Juans’ sea stars start long crawl back from near-extinction
2 men face RICO charges for violent home robberies in Western Washington that targeted Asian Americans
Missing children, unmarked graves, unanswered questions: Washington’s Native American boarding schools

KXLY (ABC)
Extracurricular activities saved in Moses Lake schools thanks to successful fundraising efforts

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Medicare slashes costs for 10 key medications

Crosscut
WA State Patrol admits losing an unknown amount of public records

The Stranger
We Arrest Because We Care
Council Sacrificed $7.75 Million in Mental Health Funding to Mayor’s Plan to Avoid New Taxes on Big Businesses

Thursday, August 15

Whatcom County launches 24/7 Narcan dispenser program with first location operational
A new county initiative to increase access to opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, launched this week. On Tuesday, Whatcom County Health and Community Services announced that it had opened the first of a series of naloxone dispensers to be placed across the county. The dispensers can be accessed 24 hours a day, and are free to use. According to WCHCS Health Officer Amy Harley, they’re designed to increase access to the potentially life-saving drug even at times when it wouldn’t otherwise be available. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (Rachel Showalter)

Behavioral health grants from the state Department of Commerce will fund new and renovated Inland Northwest facilities
Last week, the state Department of Commerce announced it would be disbursing nearly $13 million in behavioral health grants to the Inland Northwest. This funding, which comes from the state’s capital budget, will allow health providers to build or renovate behavioral health facilities to increase capacity in the region. This year, grants were distributed to projects that would fulfill regional needs, increase access to those under age 18, or build intensive treatment facilities that could support individuals needing long-term placements. Continue reading at The Inlander. (Young Kwak)

Possible price hike on personalized plates would help WA wildlife
If you’ve got a personalized license plate, it may surprise you to know that the money you paid for it went toward caring for and protecting wildlife in Washington. That may help soften the blow of a price hike on plate renewals that the state Department of Fish and Wildlife will ask lawmakers to approve next year. Today, it costs $52 to buy a personalized license plate and $42 to renew each year. The agency will seek to boost the renewal fee to $52. A hike of $10 a year would generate an estimated $1.6 million per biennium, according to agency staff. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (WA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife)

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Axios
Medicare drug talks yielded $6 billion in savings
Seattle’s young adults face economic setbacks, but some make gains

Bellingham Herald
Whatcom County launches 24/7 Narcan dispenser program with first location operational

Capital Press
Commentary: Bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act offers a lifeline for forests
Editorial: Removing ‘burdensome impediments’ to renewable energy projects

Everett Herald
Boeing faces steep climb in catching up to Airbus
Larsen tours Whidbey Island transit facility with eyes on expansion
New $50M rehab hospital near Lynnwood is ‘more than just a building’
Council approves Paine Field plan with $297M in potential improvements
DelBene presents $960K check for Snohomish County work on Chinook Marsh

High Country News
Indigenous celebration of Hanford remembers the site before nuclear contamination

The Inlander
A pilot program in Spokane is addressing the mental wellness of students and teachers in child care centers
Behavioral health grants from the state Department of Commerce will fund new and renovated Inland Northwest facilities
“Pedestrian interference” tickets spiked during Expo celebrations; meanwhile, Spokane Police are now enforcing the Proposition 1 camping ban

International Examiner
“From The Heart of a Dragon” documentary highlights past and present entrepreneurs and cultural workers creating community in the CID

News Tribune
There’s a plan to replace I-5 bridges over Nisqually delta. Here’s how to give input
Train clips tanker truck on Tacoma’s Tideflats. Here’s what we know about fuel spill
Rigging the system.’ Is Tacoma’s grease-trap policy killing its small-restaurant scene?
Opinion: My experience as a Black and Asian woman informs and improves my work in the House

New York Times
Wind Beat Coal Two Months in a Row for U.S. Electricity Generation
U.S. Announces Prices for First Drugs Picked for Medicare Negotiations
Canceling Subscriptions Could Get Easier Under New Biden Administration Rules

Olympian
There’s a plan to replace I-5 bridges over Nisqually delta. Here’s how to give input

Puget Sound Business Journal
Federal judge overturns $72M verdict against Boeing
‘First-of-its-kind’ housing project breaks ground at JBLM

Seattle Times
Does light rail solve I-5’s traffic congestion?
White House says deals struck to cut prices of popular Medicare drugs that cost $50 billion yearly

Skagit Valley Herald
Concerns expressed about proposed energy storage facility
Skagit County report shows water quality has improved since monitoring began

Spokesman Review
Spokane’s Proposition 1 is now being enforced
Low summer flows on the Spokane River prompt city’s water conservation rules

Washington Post
Surprise jump in retail sales casts aside recession fears
White House touts $6 billion in Medicare drug price savings
Internet giant’s foes on both coasts consider what it takes to crack a monopolist

WA State Standard
Possible price hike on personalized plates would help WA wildlife
Prisoners still routinely isolated in WA, despite efforts to cut solitary confinement
Can 230 new units of affordable housing curb displacement in this Tacoma neighborhood?

Yakima Herald-Republic
Federal Report on Indian boarding schools doesn’t tell full story, local experts say

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
SR 520 toll rate increase starts today. Here’s what you should know
Tacoma Police Department is dispatching unarmed officers to some calls
The new statewide approach to recruit more police officers in Washington
Back to school: Mental health is top of mind for Seattle students, advocates
Washington homeowners are paying the price for wildfires before they ignite
Downtown Seattle surpasses pre-pandemic hotel demand, total visitors nearing 2019

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
SR 520 bridge toll rates to increase Thursday
Southlake Union Streetcar could be offline until fall
Alaska Airlines flight attendants reject tentative contract
Olympia decriminalizes some psychedelic drugs like mushrooms
Whatcom County installs first 24/7 dispenser for opioid reversal medication
More states moving to green fleets for public transportation with help from federal funding
Pro-Palestinian protesters who blocked road near Sea-Tac Airport to have charges dropped
Justice Department defends Boeing plea deal against criticism by 737 Max crash victims’ families

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Audit finds Marysville School District’s future is ‘in doubt’
King County sees downturn in fentanyl-related deaths, yet the crisis persists
‘There are no quick fixes’: WSF director tackles long-standing issues in first 5 months

KNKX Public Radio
Shellfish harvesters have to consider biotoxins later in fall and winter
Grid storage research facility in Richland promotes better energy storage

KUOW Public Radio
FCC adopts an alert system for missing Indigenous people
Medicare negotiated drug prices for the first time. Here’s what it got
What’s an ‘entheogen’? Magic mushrooms are now a low priority in Olympia

KXLY (ABC)
Cheney teachers rally for better pay, smaller class sizes and more resources
Kalispel Tribe receives $130k grant to expand dental care in Pend Oreille County
Parking requirements in Spokane expected to change drastically over the next few years

Web

MyNorthwest
Alaska Airlines flight attendants reject tentative contract
Sound Transit preparing for Lynnwood light rail opening on Aug. 30

The Urbanist
Where Did King County Metro’s Ridership Go?

Washington Observer
A new look for ballot initiatives

Wednesday, August 14

‘I really don’t know where we go from here’: Analysis highlights Washington child care crisis
A statewide research analysis published in July revealed the lack of access to child care has resulted in a $6 billion loss to Washington’s economy. Despite state investments that kept child care businesses afloat during the pandemic, the child care crisis remains severe, according to the study by Child Care Aware of Washington. The study found challenges such as disruptions, turnover, absenteeism and lost income due to child care issues amounted to $6.9 billion in 2023 in Washington. Continue reading at The Columbian. (Amanda Cowan)

WA Supreme Court ruling in Amazon case sets ‘precedent’ on price gouging
Washington’s Supreme Court ruled last week in favor of consumers who say they were victims of price gouging on Amazon’s digital store at the start of COVID-19 lockdowns. That’s significant because, unlike most states, Washington does not have a statute preventing excessive price increases in times of emergency, like the aftermath of a natural disaster or a global pandemic. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Brandon Garcia)

Rising costs for Washington school districts outpace state funding, report finds
In recent years, districts are spending a lot more money to keep Washington’s schools running — but state funding isn’t keeping up. That’s according to a new report from the League of Education Voters, which found school districts have increased spending on staff by 19.7% between the 2019-20 and 2022-23 school years. Districts are spending well above state-funded levels for operating staff, especially for office support and custodians — 40% of whom are hired using more funds than allocated by state lawmakers. Districts are also spending about 5% more on teachers and 11% more on teachers’ aides, or paraeducators, than they’re funded for by the state. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

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Axios
Inflation drops below 3% for the first time since 2021
What to watch when Medicare releases first negotiated drug prices
What a “no taxes on tips” policy could mean for U.S. tipping culture
Climate change-worsened wildfires drastically increased odds, severity of 2023 wildfires

Capital Press
WDFW removes wolf in Dominion pack
Washington cap-and-trade rebates start Aug. 26
Washington Fish and Wildlife chair: Let’s look at moving wolves

Columbian
Biden grants UW-led team $21M to develop cancer surgery technology
‘I really don’t know where we go from here’: Analysis highlights Washington child care crisis

Everett Herald
New artwork will greet Lynnwood light rail riders
Snohomish County set to launch $1.4M mobile opioid treatment program

News Tribune
State seeks comment on plan to demolish the old General Administration building
Hundreds of trees are coming to one Tacoma neighborhood. But will the city water them?

New York Times
A California Bill to Regulate A.I. Causes Alarm in Silicon Valley
Live Updates: Inflation Falls Below 3% for First Time Since 2021
How Extreme Heat Is Threatening Education Progress Worldwide
U.S. Said to Consider a Breakup of Google to Address Search Monopoly

Port Townsend Leader
$35M to boost peninsula economy
State finds first case of wasting disease in deer

Puget Sound Business Journal
Apartment renters seeing price relief as landlords sweeten deals
Day care facility breaks ground in Seattle after nearly 4-year delay
King County exec responds to businesses’ beefs about jail operations

Seattle Times
Marysville schools in ‘alarming’ financial condition, WA auditor says
WA Supreme Court ruling in Amazon case sets ‘precedent’ on price gouging

The Skanner
Pacific Northwest Tribes Battle for Funds Meant to Help them Adapt to Climate Change

Spokesman Review
‘The stakes are really high here’: Spokane Public Schools bans cellphone use in class
Sen. Maria Cantwell tours health facilities in rural northeast Washington to highlight need for services

Washington Post
Record-setting heat waves are baking the Arctic region
Inflation hits lowest level since spring 2021, most likely teeing up rate cuts

WA State Standard
Rising costs for Washington school districts outpace state funding, report finds

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Olympia City Council effectively decriminalizes psychedelic plants, mushrooms
Frustrated neighbors say campers are leaving an ‘unprecedented amount of litter’ behind
‘They failed the families’: Amazon missed multiple chances to stop selling chemical used in suicides

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Bigg’s Killer Whale population growing
Puddles the dog sniffs out invasive mussels
Lynnwood City Transit Center opening soon
FDA approves first auto-injector to reverse opioid overdose
Seattle first city to glide on Lime’s new seated electric vehicle
Yelm community raises enough money to save high school sports programs
Seattle City Council approves $12.5M for student mental health services amid public plea for more
Starbucks CEO replaced by Brian Niccol, a fixer who revived Chipotle when the chain was in distress

KNKX Public Radio
Music therapy uses sounds, lyrics and emotions to help patients

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle City Council considers ‘prostitution loitering’ law amid intense debate
Seattle City Council votes against restoring student mental health funds back to $20 million again

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane prepares to move to scattered homeless shelter model
How the Idaho library law might affect your child’s school libraries
Spokane Schools board of trustees will discuss restrictive new cell phone policy

Web

Cascadia Daily News
WWU draws heat for sale of two properties, records show one was never to be sold

Crosscut
50 years later, WA still feels the cultural reverberations of 1974

MyNorthwest
Why didn’t Washington make the top 20 in best states to live?
2 women rescued from human trafficking at Bellingham massage parlor

Tuesday, August 13

WA state accuses physician assistant of failing to properly treat Eastern WA inmates
A physician assistant has permanently surrendered his license to practice in the state of Washington after being accused of failing to provide adequate care to prisoners at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Richard T. Oliver was accused of failing to evaluate and treat potentially life-threatening illnesses, such as malignant melanoma. He also failed to completely assess or follow up on the management of chronic medical illnesses, such as diabetes, according to allegations in state documents. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Bob Brawdy)

Washington’s fentanyl-sniffing dogs: The newest tool in the fight against opioids
In a prison north of Olympia, a deaf, all-white pit bull mix named Ghost searches visitors for drugs. Ghost is one of just a handful of working K-9s in Washington who can sniff out fentanyl. Like many of these dogs in the state, he was trained by the Department of Corrections. The agency only keeps eight dogs for its prisons but trains around 12 a year, many of whom go to local courts, jails and law enforcement agencies. Usually, only K-9s assigned to prisons are trained to detect fentanyl, but that’s about to change due to bipartisan state legislation passed this year that will allow Washington to create a model program for training and certifying dogs to detect fentanyl. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Grace Deng)

Facts vs. Perception: Nationally and in Spokane, violent crime is down
Across the U.S., major cities are seeing a 6% decrease in violent crime compared to last year as the ‘COVID-era’ crime-wave subsides. Locally, Spokane’s preliminary citywide crime report, also known as a Compstat report, showed violent crime is down over 6% and property crime is down over 16% so far this year. According to the crime report, ‘violent’ crime includes: criminal homicide, rape, robbery, and assault. Continue reading at KXLY. (Pexels)