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Monday, July 29

Amid mental health crisis, local senator forges path for mushroom therapy
When state Sen. Jesse Salomon proposed his first bill on “magic” mushrooms in 2022, he was mostly curious about the response it would get. In 2022, Salomon sponsored Senate Bill 5660 to create a framework for mental health practitioners to have “guides” or “trip-sitters,” who lead clients through psychedelic experiences after ingesting psilocybin. The trial will be the first in the country to study the impact of psychedelic therapy in patients with post-traumatic stress and alcohol use disorders. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Annie Barker)

WA Prisons Delayed Nearly A Third Of All Inmate Release Dates Last Year
An InvestigateWest data analysis found that nearly a third of the approximately 5,000 people released from Washington prisons in fiscal year 2023 were held beyond their earned release date, which takes into account good behavior and credit for time served in county jails before their conviction. The median delay was roughly a month, but some delays stretched well over a year — making it difficult for inmates trying to plan their new lives and costing taxpayers millions. Continue reading at KNKX. (Elaine Thompson)

Seattle Pursues Looser Police Hiring Standards After High-Profile Screening Failure
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) has been having a rough year, prompting a leadership change. SPD Chief Adrian Diaz was ousted from his position in May in the wake of an onslaught of lawsuits and scandals. Diaz was replaced with interim Chief Sue Rahr, who had previously served as the King County Sheriff among other law enforcement-related positions…The officer entrance exam, overseen by the Public Safety Civil Service Commission (PSCSC), [is used] as a scapegoat for SPD hiring issues. The most recent instance was at last week’s public safety committee meeting, when Rahr said she wished the PSCSC would reconsider the way they do candidate testing, instituting a testing process that is “much more low barrier and faster.” Continue reading at The Urbanist. (Seattle Channel)

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Capital Press
EPA releases ‘insecticide strategy’ proposal

Columbian
A new world coming: Bus maker Blue Bird embraces an electrified future
Thousands battle Western wildfires as smoke puts millions under air quality alerts
Despite early start, Vancouver schools, teachers union still negotiating as end of contract approaches
A domestic violence survivor signed a lease for a Vancouver apartment she could afford; it was a scam, and she wasn’t alone

Everett Herald
Amid mental health crisis, local senator forges path for mushroom therapy (Salomon)

News Tribune
TV show ‘Cops’ is back and filming in Pierce County. Why the sheriff thinks that’s OK
The state is shutting down JBLM’s DuPont gate for a week. Here’s what you need to know

Peninsula Daily News
NOAA grant to fund Highway 112 project

Puget Sound Business Journal
Tacoma Housing Authority opens first phase of Hilltop development

Seattle Times
Data centers guzzle power, threatening WA’s clean energy push
Inquiry into Garfield High shooting hindered by new law, other factors
Seattle restaurant owners feel weary as Storefront Repair Fund dries up
Inslee vetoed a study of data center power use. Here’s what other states are doing

Spokesman Review
Brush fire along U.S. Highway 195 causes roadblock, Level 1 evacuations; updates on nearby fires burning in region

Washington Post
Fake images are getting harder to spot. Here’s a field guide.
Every question you’ve ever asked about adoption in America
When all of the West is on fire at once, this is who deals with it
Biden endorses Supreme Court reforms, amendment to limit immunity
Alzheimer’s blood test shows 90% accuracy, outperforming other exams
They have jobs, but no homes. Inside America’s unseen homelessness crisis.

WA State Standard
Audit finds cracks in Washington’s egg inspection program
WA to pay $15M to three former foster care youth in sex abuse case
In long-sought change, states must consider tribal rights when crafting water rules

Wenatchee World
Stehekin residents told to evacuate a Pioneer Fire grows
‘We’re just getting started’ | Haaland highlights major salmon recovery effort with $16M investment

Yakima Herald-Republic
Wildfire in Yakima Canyon closes SR 821 and prompts evacuations
Yakima County awards over $8.5 million to homeless service providers

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
2 homes catch fire in Wilderness Rim

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Joint lawsuit by Amazon and BBB aims to combat misleading, fake online reviews
‘Get Out Now’ evacuation ordered for Stehekin as Pioneer Fire containment level drops
Community volunteers provide added layer of security during Seattle’s Torchlight Parade

KNKX Public Radio
WA Prisons Delayed Nearly A Third Of All Inmate Release Dates Last Year

KUOW Public Radio
Calls for vigilance as Washington state battles historic wildfire surge
Smoke or sunshine? WA’s new air quality map tells you what’s ahead
Claws for concern: The green crab epidemic threatening Washington clams
King County judge finds state agency in contempt for keeping teen in adult jail

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Meet Washington’s robust voter registration system
Latino Business Youth program aims to shape next generation of business leaders
Whatcom, Skagit County tribes to receive millions in federal funds for fish hatcheries

MyNorthwest
Evacuation orders increased for 51-day Pioneer fire, only 10% contained

The Urbanist
Seattle Pursues Looser Police Hiring Standards After High-Profile Screening Failure

Friday, July 26

State announces where $16.4 million in asylum-seeker aid will go
Washington’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance announced unprecedented investments this week to create a more coordinated response to the state’s growing asylum-seeker crisis. Although King County first began seeing an increase in new arrivals nearly two years ago, the state’s $16.4 million distribution to more than 20 organizations marks the first large-scale effort to try to address asylum-seekers’ growing housing and legal needs. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert)

PNW tribal fish hatcheries get big boost from Biden administration
The Department of Interior and Commerce invested $240 million in fish hatcheries that directly support tribes in the Pacific Northwest. As part of the Invest in America agenda put forth by the Biden administration, the money will directly support Pacific salmon and steelhead fisheries essential to tribal communities. The investment is part of an agreement the administration and tribal communities in the Upper Columbia River Basin made to restore the salmon population to abundant levels. Continue reading at KIRO 7. (Jeff T. Green)

State to start investigating deadly police encounters
The State of Washington is about to change the way it investigates deadly police encounters. Starting December 1, the state’s Office of Independent Investigations will head up inquiries into cases where police are involved in deadly incidents. Currently, when a police officer kills someone, detectives from an outside neighboring or surrounding agency conduct the investigation. In 2021 state legislators voted to change that and created the new agency to handle all deadly use of force investigations. Continue reading at King 5.

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Aberdeen Daily World
Aberdeen city councilors rebuke Mayor Doug Orr

Capital Press
EPA urged to revamp pesticide evaluations
Editorial: BLM’s new rule a waste of paper

Everett Herald
Party planned for Lynnwood light rail as opening nears
Providence Everett launches early breast cancer detection program
‘Something’s gotta give’: Mukilteo ferry captain asks boaters to steer clear

News Tribune
Those summer sniffles could be COVID-19 as higher levels now detected in Pierce County

Puget Sound Business Journal
Kroger-Albertsons $24.6B merger temporarily halted
Seattle hotels report strong first half thanks to unlikely source
County jail to accept misdemeanor offenders busted in downtown Seattle

Seattle Times
State announces where $16.4 million in asylum-seeker aid will go
County representative blames Seattle City Attorney, not jail, for safety issues
Biden administration commits $240 million for hatchery fish amid decline of PNW’s wild salmon

Spokesman Review
The dead’s eyes, tissues and assorted parts are bringing new life to local patients
EPA awards Gonzaga $19.9 million to prepare Spokane for deadly effects of climate change
Comment: Find your apple: improving health and wellness for all of Washington state

Washington Post
What to know: A map of Oregon’s Durkee Fire, the largest in the U.S.
Extreme heat is wilting and burning forests, making it harder to curb climate change

WA State Standard
IT outage caused drop in blood donations in the Northwest
U.S. home prices hit a record high as sales fell. Here’s how housing experts explain the trends

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
State to start investigating deadly police encounters
Indigenous student barred from graduating in tribal regalia

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Resources stretched thin as wildfire season ramps up
Several wildfires force road closures across Washington
PNW tribal fish hatcheries get big boost from Biden administration
Local homeless sweep laws swiftly changing after supreme court decision
Campfire ban begins Friday in Olympic National Park and National Forest
Monsanto agrees to $160 million settlement with Seattle over pollution in the Duwamish River
Snohomish County man files federal complaint against county over neighbor’s shooting range

KNKX Public Radio
Octopus farming in the U.S. would be banned under a new bill in Congress
Monsanto agrees to settlement with Seattle over Duwamish River pollution

KXLY (ABC)
New program offering free groceries for kids every summer
People in Keller told to leave now for 30 thousand acre wildfire
Swawilla Fire evacuees uncertain if their homes will survive the flames
$8 million coming to Spokane to help the community during extreme weather

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Bellingham airport director ousted after less than a year
Formal probe of county’s handling of sexual harassment allegations dragging on
Opinion: Community organizer: We need more tiny home villages

The Urbanist
Seattle Looks to Rescue Sound Transit’s 4th Avenue Transit Street Plan

Thursday, July 25

Scoop: State law doesn’t block police from questioning teens, Seattle chief says
Interim Seattle police chief Sue Rahr issued a directive this month clarifying that a 2021 state law doesn’t stop police from questioning juveniles who witness crimes. The 2021 state law at issue requires that police connect minors to a lawyer before interrogating them as part of a criminal investigation. On July 9, Rahr issued an internal directive clarifying that officers can still question juvenile witnesses without connecting them with a lawyer, as long as the youths aren’t suspects and there isn’t probable cause to hold them in custody, SPD officials tell Axios. Continue reading at Axios. (Axios Visuals)

Washington farm groups cry ‘foul’ as health officials rewrite water policy
Washington farm groups Tuesday asked the state Health Department to drop its plans to more closely regulate drinking water systems that serve up to four residences on one farm. At the request of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, state health officials plan to require the farms to apply every five years to be exempt from being regulated as a public water system. Continue reading at Capital Press.

Washington cannabis regulators moved forward with a pair of changes to state code
Last week, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) approved a pair of rule changes that will impact how cannabis is taxed and tested in the state. The rulemaking action concerning taxation is further along in the process than the one concerning testing. It regards changes to the excise tax levied on medical marijuana. Cannabis products sold in the state are subject to a 37% excise tax in addition to other state and local sales taxes. The new rules would remove that tax for approved medical cannabis patients who buy from specific dispensaries. Continue reading at The Inlander.

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Axios
Scoop: State law doesn’t block police from questioning teens, Seattle chief says

Capital Press
Washington farm groups cry ‘foul’ as health officials rewrite water policy

Columbian
Poll: Washington women don’t trust Supreme Court
Jury awards former Port of Seattle police chief $24.2M over wrongful firing
Pursuing peer counseling that’s a cut above: Program aims to train barbers, beauticians to provide support

Everett Herald
‘It’s like the wild west’ on popular road for shooting near Granite Falls
Woman, 43, dies inside Snohomish County Jail, sixth death since September

The Inlander
Washington cannabis regulators moved forward with a pair of changes to state code
As Spokane inches toward a new shelter system, unhoused people take to parks to beat the heat

News Tribune
$18.9M project to close busy Pierce County thoroughfare. Here’s why and for how long

Olympian
DNR and Squaxin Island Tribe partner to conserve last major kelp bed in South Sound

Peninsula Daily News
The hidden first responders
Port Angeles Food Bank to go solar with state grant

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle jail faces capacity problem as frustration mounts in downtown

Seattle Times
How climate change is remaking this top WA job
Thousands of acres are burning in Yakima County, leading to evacuations

Skagit Valley Herald
Scam calls impersonating Sheriff’s Office: what to know and do

Spokesman Review
Evacuation level raised for growing Swawilla Fire on Colville Reservation
Providence to cut six family medicine resident spots and end sports fellowship

Washington Post
The fight to make landlords turn down the thermostat
Companies are reshaping operations to cope with a changing climate
U.S. economy grew 2.8% in second quarter, a robust unexpected strengthening

WA State Standard
Man’s suicide in basement cell prompts renewed calls for more jail oversight in WA
Comment: Why WA school budgets are getting tighter, and what can be done about it

Wenatchee World
Chelan Recycling Center a total loss after fire
Chelan County PUD billing statements return to ‘normal’
Fish and Wildlife Commission issues cougar, wolf decisions

Yakima Herald-Republic
Firefighters dealing with multiple wildfires in Yakima Valley: U.S. 12 closed in both directions

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
POLL: Washington voters on abortion rights
Washington small business program threatened by budget cuts
King County Council to decide on closing youth detention center
Washington restoring Capitol Lake in Olympia to its natural state
Majority of Washington voters say US Supreme Court ‘out of touch’
New evacuations ordered as 10 large wildfires burn across Washington
Airborne arsenic levels at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill could exceed safe breathing limits, analysis finds

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Black Canyon wildfire erupts overnight, reaches 6,500 acres in size
Prosecutors file Boeing’s plea deal to resolve felony fraud charge tied to 737 Max crashes

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Pierce County at odds over how to allocate $2.5M in funding to combat homelessness
Intentional encampment fire at Kinnear Park promotes arson and bomb squad investigation

KNKX Public Radio
Record dry conditions, lightning spark dozens of wildfires across Pacific Northwest

KUOW Public Radio
‘Defund is dead’: Seattle leaders say it’s time to hire more police
It has now been 15 years since the federal minimum rose to $7.25
3 babies hospitalized in King County amid whooping cough outbreak

KXLY (ABC)
Fire near Clarkston estimated at 100 acres
City of Spokane increasing water conservation guidelines as river flows drop
North Idaho library network declines to change policy on kids accessing materials

Web

Cascadia Daily News
First-of-its-kind hydrogen ferry built in Bellingham sets sail in California

MyNorthwest
Man killed in Pierce County deputy-involved shooting
King County Council sees heated comments over family justice center
School resource officers won’t be at certain Kent high schools in 2024-25
Snohomish County Jail sees its sixth death of an inmate since September

The Urbanist
Tacoma’s Almost Reality as an Olmsted-Designed Park City
Balducci Pushes Traffic Safety Framework for All King County Departments

Washington Observer
Adding up Olympia’s lobbying industrial complex

Wednesday, July 24

WA nears a plan to remove key culverts for salmon — after spending $4B
As the Washington State Department of Transportation spends billions of dollars removing concrete and metal pipes that block spawning salmon, another state agency is finally finishing a strategy to fix all the state’s fish migration barriers. Department of Fish and Wildlife officials last week revealed key parts of a plan to prioritize which of tens of thousands of these man-made blockages would, if replaced, bring back the most salmon. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Kevin Clark)

Shorter camping stay limits in WA state parks to begin in August
Campers in Washington’s state parks will soon find themselves unable to stay in one site quite as long. New rules approved by the Washington Parks and Recreation Commission limit camping stays to no more than 10 consecutive nights in one park in a 30-day period and a maximum of 90 days per calendar year in all state parks. The new limits go into effect Aug. 18 and will apply year-round. The parks system will honor existing reservations and enforce limits on new reservations after Aug. 18. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (Getty Images)

Washington Secretary of State launches new campaign to break down mail-in ballot process
The Washington Secretary of State’s Office has invested $1.8 million in an effort to battle misinformation surrounding mail-in ballots. The new campaign, created with the help of the creative agency Happylucky, uses stylized imagery and animation to promote mail-in voting and highlight its security. Videos published by the campaign break down the process from when ballots are sent out to how they are counted by local elections offices. It also explains how staff reach out to voters if there are any issues with their ballots. Continue reading at KXLY. (WA Secretary of State)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Fire breaks out at homeless camp

Axios
Washington’s wildfire season ramps up

Capital Press
Wautoma solar project next to step into the spotlight

Columbian
State agency will take over investigations into police use of deadly force investigations in Clark County

Everett Herald
With looming earthquake threat, Everett breaks ground on $80M reservoirs

Kent Reporter
King County Council approves traffic safety study in Fairwood
Sheriff’s Office cuts school resource officers at Kentwood, Kentlake

News Tribune
Wreck with police caused her death, lawsuit contended. Now Tacoma will pay $2 million
‘Someone who never stopped caring.’ TNT columnist Matt Driscoll dies unexpectedly at 43

New York Times
Planet Sets Record for Hottest Day Twice in a Row

Olympian
The world’s first fully hydrogen-powered ferry just launched. It was built in Bellingham

Peninsula Daily News
Indigent defense caseloads may decrease
Public comment being sought on Project Macoma

Port Townsend Leader

Fire danger ‘very high’ in Jefferson County

County updates trails connection on comp plan

Puget Sound Business Journal
First Mode layoffs expected to affect up to half of its employees
Property tax assessment disparities are impacting these residents most

Renton Reporter
Peer counselor offers hope in Renton courts

Seattle Times
WA ferry workers bear brunt of delayed, angry passengers
What to do with all that lavender? WA farmers got creative and made oil
WA nears a plan to remove key culverts for salmon — after spending $4B

South Whidbey Record
Whidbey has a toad-crossing zone

Spokesman Review
Wildfires burn nearly 10,000 acres on Colville Reservation
Sunday was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth, scientists say
Spokane County nationally recognized for its Teen Text Line: ‘You’ll get the help you need if it’s within our ability’

Washington Post
Sunday was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth, scientists say
How ‘carbon cowboys’ are cashing in on protected Amazon forest
Delta under federal investigation as it cancels thousands of flights

WA State Standard
Shorter camping stay limits in WA state parks to begin in August

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle attorney pushes for increased safety along protected bike lanes
Interim Chief Sue Rahr talks progress, obstacles after 60 days leading Seattle Police Department

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Fires threaten towns, close interstate in Pacific Northwest as heat wave continues
Interim SPD Chief addresses gun violence, drug ordinance enforcement amid staffing crisis

KNKX Public Radio
Colleagues, political leaders, and family react to sudden loss of Tacoma columnist Matt Driscoll

KXLY (ABC)
Washington Secretary of State launches new campaign to break down mail-in ballot process

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Intalco Aluminum to pay $5M to feds over EPA violations
County OKs $150K Birch Bay incorporation feasibility study
Whatcom County Council asks executive for vast range of actions on homelessness

Crosscut
U.S. and Canada update 60-year-old Columbia River Treaty

MyNorthwest
WA to pay $15 million to 3 sisters who were sexually abused in foster home
‘Food is finished:’ Refugees in Kent call for help as health, food struggles remain

Tuesday, July 23

$2.5M in federal funding is at stake. Why can’t Pierce County agree on homelessness plan?
With the clock ticking on $2.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, Pierce County leaders seem farther apart than ever on their approach to homelessness. Democrats on the Pierce County Council want to use the money to build a temporary stability site somewhere outside Tacoma, saying it would provide important shelter for those experiencing homelessness. Continue reading at The News Tribune. (Tony Overman)

Thousands of low-income WA families qualify for a tax credit they aren’t claiming
Less than half of Washington residents eligible for a tax credit aimed at low-income working families received it last year — the first year it was available. Still, the state met its goal of reaching at least 40% of those eligible for the Working Families Tax Credit, according to a recent Department of Revenue report. The report said 45% of eligible households claimed the credit. It also found 86% of applicants were approved for it and 56% of applications were processed within 30 days. Continue reading at The WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

Federal court orders higher pay for foreign guest workers in WA orchards
Foreign guest or H-2A workers at Washington’s tree-fruit orchards will get paid more under a federal court ruling issued earlier this month, in the latest development in a yearslong court battle over how foreign agricultural workers are paid. Under the ruling from the U.S. District Court in Seattle in the case brought by Familias Unidas por la Justicia, or FUJ, a Burlington-based farmworkers union, the U.S. Department of Labor will reinstate prevailing wages set in 2022. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Genna Martin)