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Monday, September 8

Democrat who called RFK Jr. a ‘charlatan’ says U.S. is vulnerable to next pandemic
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced fierce questioning from members of both parties during a Senate Finance Committee hearing Thursday, including sharp criticism from Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, who called him a “charlatan.” Cantwell criticized Kennedy’s decision to cancel hundreds of millions in research funding for future mRNA vaccines, saying the research was needed for future pandemic preparedness. Kennedy responded to Cantwell saying “I’m happy to have a detailed discussion with you about it. You’re so wrong on your facts.” Continue reading at KNKX. (Andrew Harnik)

Let’s Go Washington launches initiative campaign on trans youth sports, parental rights
Heywood’s organization achieved significant victories last year when voters supported initiatives restricting natural gas use and overturning state laws limiting police pursuits. The state Legislature also passed Let’s Go Washington-backed measures banning income taxes and guaranteeing parental rights to access school records. The success came after Heywood invested more than $5 million of his own money into seven initiatives. “Someone has to stand up and fight back. And what I think I’ve done is given the voice. I’ve given voice to 1.2 million people who signed at least one of our initiatives,” Heywood said. Continue reading at King 5. (King 5)

While Seattle Population Spikes, Car Population Stalls Out
Seattle’s human population is growing fast, but its car population has stalled out. Between 2017 and 2023, Seattle added 35,000 households, but just 3,300 cars, new Census data has revealed — in news that is music to urbanist ears. Gene Balk broke down the data in his most recent “FYI Guy” column in the Seattle Times. “Census data shows the number of vehicles in the city has been effectively unchanged for years, even as the number of households has grown,” Balk wrote. “Because the number of cars has basically plateaued while the number of households has grown, the rate of car ownership has declined.” Continue reading at The Urbanist. (Peter Fitzgerald)

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Bellingham Herald
Bellingham ceremony kicks off tribal-led effort to preserve ancient forests
Whatcom County is vacating some past drug convictions; here’s how it works
The drinking rate is declining in the US, study says. What about Washington?

Capital Press
Fire risk moderates but unknowns remain
Feds urged to stop setting wages for farmworkers
Trump asks Supreme Court for speedy ruling on tariffs

Columbian
No school Monday as Evergreen Public Schools strike enters third week

Courier-Herald
Western states form vaccine alliance as Florida plans to end vaccine mandates

Everett Herald
Arlington City Council argues over lodging tax funds
Snohomish County Elections awarded for “outstanding service”
Everett approves first project labor agreement with union groups
Comment: Governors should opt-in to school choice scholarships
Comment: RFK Jr.’s misguided science shapes a dangerous policy
Letter: Legislature should bar research of UW primate lab
Letter: Tribal ceremony spoke to Snake River’s sacred role

Kitsap Sun
Effort to preserve tree farm acreage west of Bremerton lands Forest Service grant
Marvin Williams Center in Bremerton becomes charter school’s high school space
Kitsap utilities could receive millions in funding to improve countywide internet access
Opinion: State can do more to support families going back to school (Nance)

News Tribune
UW Tacoma employee sentenced after domestic-violence order violation
Tacoma private school announces abrupt closure days before start of school
Local patients to see effects ‘starting now’ in federal cuts to pediatric brain cancer care
Opinion: Tacoma leaders: Workers must have majority on labor task force
Opinion: We know what the Second Amendment was meant to protect. Not this

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle area’s wealthiest ZIP is not where you might expect

Seattle Medium
AI Expands Footprint with New Engineering Hub In Seattle Amidst Ongoing Legal Turmoil
Two Firefighters Arrested During Wildfire Response On Olympic Peninsula, Prompting Outcry Over Immigration Policy

Spokesman Review
How Seattle-area transit is pushing back against crime
Spokane air quality to improve next week as Tacoma Creek and Rattlesnake fires rage
Murray warns of looming government shutdown after top Republican calls Trump budget move ‘clear violation of the law’

Washington Post
Meta suppressed research on child safety, employees say
Supreme Court says Trump can resume immigration raids in L.A. area for now

WA State Standard
Debate on investing WA Cares funds in the stock market heats up (Hasegawa)
Trump floats Portland, Oregon, for next National Guard deployment
Coast Guard issues contract for major icebreaker port expansion in Seattle
Holding ground will be Washington Board of Education’s goal in 2026 session
Washington, in break with FDA rules, acts to assure wide access to COVID-19 vaccines
Many Black, Latino people can’t get opioid addiction med. Medicaid cuts may make it harder
Trump administration investigates Medicaid spending on immigrants in blue states, including WA

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
14 large wildfires burn across Washington as crews face rugged terrain, shifting weather
Let’s Go Washington launches initiative campaign on trans youth sports, parental rights

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Mount Rainier National Park forced to close trails due to wildfire threat
Lightning sparks three new fires in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Bear Gulch Fire tops 10,000 acres as crews focus on repairs near Lake Cushman

KNKX Public Radio
Democrat who called RFK Jr. a ‘charlatan’ says U.S. is vulnerable to next pandemic

NW Public Radio
Federal bill could ban breaching Lower Snake River dams
Fourth year of local campaign to feed young people doubles its reach
Oregon, Washington, California form health care alliance to protect vaccine access
Immigration policies and labor needs: A look at the growing reliance on H-2A workers in the Pacific Northwest

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Water rights court travels to Lynden to better help public
‘Hands Across the Water’ flotilla to celebrate friendship with Canada
‘We have a duty’: Saturday rally raises awareness about Roadless Rule change

Cascade PBS
Report: WA could lose $2B, thousands of jobs from Trump’s tariffs
The Newsfeed: Gov. Ferguson defies DOJ threats to sanctuary laws
What happens to money set aside for unused Democracy Vouchers?
DOH: WA residents can access COVID-19 vaccine without prescription

The Urbanist
While Seattle Population Spikes, Car Population Stalls Out
Seattle Community Councils Push Against Restoring Neighborhood Growth Centers

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC CAMS, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Monday info

Friday, September 5

Ferguson warns Trump tariffs could cost Washington 32,000 jobs, billions in revenue
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson issued a stark warning about the potential economic devastation President Trump’s proposed tariffs could bring to the state, citing a new nonpartisan analysis that projects massive job losses and significant price increases for families across the region. Continue reading at King 5. (King 5)

Another hydrogen developer exits regional clean energy project
A billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded enterprise to kickstart a clean hydrogen industry in the Pacific Northwest took another hit due to energy companies getting cold feet. Portland General Electric and its partner Mitsubishi Power have quietly shelved a planned hydrogen production, storage and hydrogen-fueled generation complex near Boardman, Oregon. “Given the exit of an essential project partner in June, along with challenging project economics for utility customers and federal policy changes, PGE is no longer pursuing” the hydrogen complex, PGE spokesman Drew Hanson said via email. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (Tom Banse)

Girls were closing the gender gap in STEM. Then the pandemic hit
Efforts to close the gap between boys and girls in STEM classes are picking up after losing steam nationwide during the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools have extensive work ahead to make up for the ground girls lost, in both interest and performance. In the years leading up to the pandemic, the gender gap nearly closed. But within a few years, girls lost all the ground they had gained in math test scores over the previous decade, according to an Associated Press analysis. While boys’ scores also suffered during COVID, they have recovered faster than girls, widening the gender gap. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Ronaldo Bolaños)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Op-Ed: DNR commissioner defends setting aside forest land

Bellingham Herald
Hazy days: Regional wildfires sending smoke to Whatcom County

Capital Press
Rubio says USAID ‘officially in close-out mode’
Appeals court dissent lays out argument for Trump’s tariffs
Yakima River basin facing a very dry end to irrigation season

Columbian
Kaiser Permanente suspends some gender-affirming care services for transgender youth
Despite risk of losing millions in grants, C-Tran committee opts to retain ‘3-3-3’ board composition

Everett Herald
Everett Transit plans for expanded service, more riders
South County Fire restores paramedic to Mill Creek station
Port of Everett set to begin final phase of bulkhead work, wharf rebuild
The fish tale about the suspect who didn’t get away in the Stillaguamish
Appeals court rules against Snohomish Co. firefighters who refused vaccine
Editorial: Speed limit reductions a good start on safety

Kent Reporter
Congresswoman Kim Schrier calls for Kennedy’s resignation

New York Times
Members of Congress Grasp for a Stopgap Deal to Avert a Shutdown
Two Valuable Satellites Are in ‘Perfect Health.’ They May Be Scrapped.
Americans’ Most Valuable Asset Isn’t Stocks or a Home. It’s Social Security.

Northwest Asian Weekly
Brothers arrested in CID drug bust

Olympian
Northwest Harvest CEO explains tariffs’ impact on food banks
WA Sen. Maria Cantwell slams RFK Jr. in heated hearing: ‘You’re a charlatan’
WA’s economy faces $2.2B hit and 32,000 job losses from new tariffs, OFM reports

Peninsula Daily News
Grants would help Clallam County with fair accommodation, training

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle-area home market sees shift in new listings
Swedish pauses part of First Hill expansion project
Seattle vaccine developer downsizes into coworking lab
SBA launches loan program for companies in one specific industry

Seattle Times
WA joins West Coast alliance to give COVID vaccine guidance
Girls were closing the gender gap in STEM. Then the pandemic hit.
‘You’re a charlatan’: Cantwell slams RFK Jr. for rejecting vaccine science
Trump administration investigates Medicaid spending on immigrants in Democratic states

Tri-City Herald
NW federal lab that employs 6,000+ Tri-Citians announces new director
$5M in fines and cleanup for gas leak that shut down historic WA hotel

Washington Post
Stephen Miller emerges as a key figure in Trump’s D.C takeover efforts
Key NIH leader questioned vaccines, according to whistleblower complaints
U.S. lost jobs for first time since pandemic in June; August jobs data falls short

WA State Standard
Another hydrogen developer exits regional clean energy project
WA could lose billions in revenue from Trump’s tariffs, new report says
WA Supreme Court will decide if natural gas measure passed by voters is legal

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Firefighter arrests prompt ‘non-interference zone’ ordinance
‘Not on our watch’: Seattle leaders brace for potential surge in ICE activity
Ferguson warns Trump tariffs could cost Washington 32,000 jobs, billions in revenue
Washington health officials recommends updated COVID-19 vaccine for all 6 months and older

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Central Washington wildfire prompts evacuations
Gov. Ferguson worried about what higher tariffs could mean for WA

KUOW Public Radio
What’s lobbying got to do with it?
New report predicts tariffs could send shockwaves across WA economy
Confused about your eligibility for the Covid shot? In Washington state, you’re covered

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane developers plan workforce housing units with city tax incentives
Washington joins West Coast health alliance, steps away from CDC guidance

Web

Cascadia Daily News
After years of budget cuts, Blaine’s interim superintendent wants to rebuild trust
Upthegrove’s plan to set aside older forests could conserve up to 15K acres locally

MyNorthwest
WA Senator confronts RFK Jr. over ‘perpetrating hoaxes’
Washington report: Tariffs could eliminate over 30,000 jobs
Hawaii becomes 4th state in West Coast Health Alliance for science-based vaccine guidance

The Urbanist
Sound Transit Eyes Double-Length Light Rail Vehicles for Next Major Purchase

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC CAMS, WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRANSIT: Friday + weekend info

Thursday, September 4

WA, OR, CA form West Coast Health Alliance to preserve vaccine advice, standards
The Democratic governors of California, Oregon and Washington said Wednesday they are forming an alliance to coordinate vaccine recommendations for their states. Meanwhile, Florida announced plans to become the first state to phase out all vaccine mandates, including ending requirements that kids be vaccinated against dangerous diseases before enrolling in schools. Continue reading at Cascadia Daily News. (Hailey Hoffman)

Dogs get greater access to roam aboard Washington State Ferries
You may notice more furry travel companions on your next Washington state ferry ride. A new trial program gives dogs more access to ferries — to the delight of some owners. For the next six months, Washington State Ferries is piloting an updated pet policy and allowing dogs on leashes in all passenger areas, except food galleys. Continue reading at KUOW. (Noel Gasca)

Immigration groups ask appeals panel to reinstate refugee programs
Immigration attorneys asked a federal appeals court Wednesday to restore two injunctions against the Trump administration’s move to suspend refugee processing and to reinstate funding for refugee resettlement. Attorneys from the International Refugee Assistance Project pushed for three judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to lift a stay the court issued earlier this year that narrowed a ruling from a district court judge in Washington state. Continue reading at The Washington State Standard. (David Dee Delgado)

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Axios
West Coast watches for La Niña
Waymo’s self-driving cars debut in Seattle

Columbian
Critical forest lands in Clark County passed over for state protection
Busy upper Main Street in Vancouver will get an upgrade thanks to $2M transportation grant

Everett Herald
Stillaguamish Tribe warns rat poison is killing eagles
A new online tool could aid in local planning to increase tree coverage

The Inlander
A portion of the Spokane River ran dry last week. Can we do more to conserve water?
Some Washington cities still refuse to allow the sale of recreational cannabis more than a decade after legalization
Op-Ed: Lowering the legal blood alcohol limit for driving is the right decision to make Washington’s roads safer

Kitsap Sun
No plans to close Bremerton Planned Parenthood clinic, nonprofit says
Jury turns down claim by Kitsap court employee fired for refusing COVID shot
What is the West Coast Health Alliance? Governors want to restore trust in vaccines

News Tribune
More bad budget news for the city of Tacoma. Possible cuts being identified

New York Times
For Donald Trump, Everything Is an Emergency
The Message for Big Tech in the Google Ruling: Play Nice, but Play On
White House Orders Agencies to Escalate Fight Against Offshore Wind
Trump Administration Targets Financial Relief for Undocumented Students

Olympian
WA, OR, CA to launch ‘West Coast Health Alliance’ amid CDC’s ‘destruction’
Unauthorized immigrant population in WA has grown, report says. Here’s how much

Seattle Times
WA joins West Coast alliance to give COVID vaccine guidance
WA Supreme Court will decide fate of the natural gas initiative
Editorial: Public deserves answers about arrests at Bear Gulch wildfire

Spokesman Review
Washington Supreme Court to hear appeal of natural gas initiative
West coast states form vaccine recommendation alliance amid CDC instability

Washington Post
Judge rules Trump administration cannot withhold funding from Harvard
Trump’s pick for Fed board plans to keep White House job while serving on central bank
GOP senator accuses RFK Jr.’s efforts of effectively denying people the coronavirus vaccine

WA State Standard
WA plan to conserve 77,000 acres of older forests draws fire
Immigration groups ask appeals panel to reinstate refugee programs
Ex-head of WA youth prisons alleges whistleblower retaliation in $4.75M claim
As Florida plans to end all vaccine mandates, Western states form vaccine alliance

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Autonomous rideshare expanding to Seattle, Waymo announces
Seattle hotels celebrate record summer revenue, but challenges remain
Judge grants motion to lift federal oversight of Seattle Police Department
Washington, Oregon and California will issue their own vaccine recommendations, separate from CDC

KNKX Public Radio
The Understory: Discovering Seattle’s earthquake history through underwater forests

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle Police released from federal oversight
Dogs get greater access to roam aboard Washington State Ferries
Confused about how vaccines will work this year? Here’s some clarity

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane River in crisis as wildlife habitats dry up

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Whatcom faces unfair costs in state water rights lawsuit, county says
More than 80 residents join Whatcom County government open house
Frequent helicopter flights over Bellingham belong to Homeland Security
A chaotic first day, but positivity fills Burlington-Edison’s new middle school
WA, OR, CA form West Coast Health Alliance to preserve vaccine advice, standards

Cascade PBS
Judge ends federal oversight of Seattle Police after 13 years
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles will hit Seattle streets this week
Firefighters suspect management complicity in Bear Gulch ICE raid

MyNorthwest
Seattle Police consent decree ends after 13 years of federal oversight
Thurston County proposal would restrict immigration agents’ access to firefighters

The Stranger
Slog AM: Florida Wants to End Vaccine Mandates, Washington Firefighters Say Leaders Sent Them Into Immigration “Trap,” Judge Lifts SPD Consent Decree

The Urbanist
The Sound Transit Board Signals a Return to Parochialism

West Seattle Blog
BACK TO SCHOOL: How Day 1 began at Madison MS

Wednesday, September 3

West Coast governors say states will establish their own vaccine guidelines
The governors of Washington, Oregon and California said Wednesday they’re forming a coalition to establish their own vaccine and immunization recommendations. The three Democratic governors — Oregon’s Tina Kotek, Washington’s Bob Ferguson and California’s Gavin Newsom — said their states formed a West Coast Health Alliance “to ensure residents remain protected by science, not politics” in response to what they called the Trump administration’s “dismantling” of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s credibility and independence. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

A new agreement could get Washington state workers the wage hikes they lost
Thousands of state government and community college employees in Washington are considering a new pact that would secure raises they lost out on in July when state lawmakers did not fund their contract. Nearly 5,300 members of the Washington Public Employees Association didn’t get a 3% pay hike other state workers received July 1 because they failed to approve their two-year deal in time for lawmakers to account for it in the state budget. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Jerry Cornfield)

Firefighters question leaders’ role in Washington immigration raid
Wildfire veterans believe top officials on the fire sent their crews into an ambush. Wildland firefighters were stunned when federal immigration authorities last week raided an active wildfire response in Washington state, arresting two firefighters and sidelining crews for hours. Wildfire veterans say the operation was nearly unprecedented, a breach in longstanding protocol that federal agents don’t disrupt emergency responders to check immigration status. Continue reading at KUOW. (Bear Gulch Fire Facebook page)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Learning to Grow’s next chapter (Chapman, Tharinger)
Grays Harbor County holds inaugural housing summit

Axios
Seattleites face new hurdles to get COVID shots
3 western states form vaccine alliance to counter feds

Everett Herald
Hot and dry weather sparks red flag, extended burn ban
How the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry route will get an electric upgrade

High Country News
Firefighters question leaders’ role in ICE raid near Bear Gulch Fire

New York Times
Snubbing Kennedy, States Announce Plans to Coordinate on Vaccines
Federal Courts Slow to Fix Vulnerable System After Repeated Hacking
Federal Appeals Court Reinstates an F.T.C. Commissioner Fired by Trump

Olympian
A college in Washington is one of the best in the US, ranking says. Here’s why

Peninsula Daily News
COVID-19 cases seeing surge at end of summer, official says

Port Townsend Leader
More than a thousand here without homes last year
Trails Connections offers updates on state initiative cycling highways
State AG leads coalition supporting Colorado law that bans conversion therapy for minors

Seattle Times
West Coast governors say states will establish their own vaccine guidelines
What the EPA’s plan to deregulate greenhouse gas emissions means for WA
Trump admin must restore health data, websites, per WA lawsuit settlement

Washington Post
How microdosing GLP-1 drugs became a longevity ‘craze’
Florida moves to end all school vaccine mandates, the first state to do so
The group behind Project 2025 wants a ‘Manhattan Project’ for more babies

WA State Standard
A new agreement could get Washington state workers the wage hikes they lost
Judge warns of ‘national police force’ in ruling Trump broke the law sending Guard to LA
Democratic AGs disclose FEMA failed to make grants for months to critical disaster program
Opinion: The No. 1 problem facing Washington farmers

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
State’s ‘most dangerous driver’ arrested following high-speed chase
Federal court rules against Snohomish firefighters in vaccine lawsuit
Judge to decide whether to lift federal oversight of Seattle Police Department
Northshore among Washington school districts launching ‘no cellphone’ policies
Thousands of King County security officers poised to strike, raising transit safety concerns
Washington, Oregon and California will issue their own vaccine recommendations, separate from CDC

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle Public Schools Board could vote on police on campus
Seattle to help Sound Transit with multi-billion-dollar budget gap
Staffing shortage shifts some 911 calls in Kitsap County to online reporting
Students in Seattle Public Schools head back to class with new safety upgrades
Pierce Co. children’s hospital will stop offering gender-affirming care to new patients

KUOW Public Radio
Breaking down recent immigration arrests, ICE activity in WA
Firefighters question leaders’ role in Washington immigration raid
Why some WA judges won’t make accused domestic abusers surrender their guns
Oregon, Washington, California form health care alliance to protect vaccine access

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Medicare pilot program will use AI to review eligibility for select procedures in WA state
Public comment period open on Trump administration’s proposed repeal of Roadless Rule
Opinion: Ferry terminals, San Juan Islanders’ lifeline, are fraying due to contracting

Cascade PBS
Columbia River energy project rejects fast-tracked federal permit
Kitsap Transit plans free access to Narcan at two stops

MyNorthwest
West Coast Health Alliance: West Coast states push back against ‘politicized’ CDC

The Urbanist
New Seattle Clinic to Provide Post-Overdose Stabilization Services
Facing Financial Headwinds, Harrell Stumps for West Seattle, Ballard Light Rail

West Seattle Blog
ZONING CHANGES: With big public hearing next week, last-minute Alki ‘Neighborhood Center’ proposal gets scrutinized

Tuesday, September 2

Electric vehicle ownership growing as Bellingham adds charging stations
Electric vehicles are surging in Whatcom County, with ownership doubling in two years, and the use of charging stations is growing exponentially, according to the city of Bellingham. There were 6,297 EVs registered in Whatcom County through Aug. 11, according to the Washington state open data portal. That figure was 3,223 in 2023. Statewide data isn’t available specifically for Bellingham. Continue reading at The Bellingham Herald. (Robert Mittendorf)

Washington’s hop farmers, a vital part of the world’s beer industry, are feeling the pinch of federal policies, a volatile market and environmental challenges
The challenges facing the Washington hop farmer are aplenty, mused Jeff Perrault, while staring out at several hundred acres of lush trellises on his family farm a few miles west of Toppenish. There are perennial challenges, like those bothersome spider mites that can chew through rows of hop vines 20 feet tall, ruining a harvest’s quality and quantity. There are also more immediate concerns: persistent drought conditions and a federal crackdown on immigration that has reignited calls to safeguard the workforce fueling Washington state’s and the broader nation’s agricultural economy. Continue reading at The Spokesman Review. (Nick Gibson)

$1.5B Columbia River underwater power project turns down Trump admin expedited permitting
A $1.5 billion project to bury a 1-foot-thick and 100-mile-long high voltage power transmission line under the Columbia River turned down fast-tracked federal permitting approval offered by a Trump administration executive order earlier this summer. Although the Cascade Renewable Transmission System project will move through a slower federal permitting process, it has to wait for permits from Oregon and Washington anyway. But this track may avoid alienating the two blue states. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (edb3)