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Tuesday, June 20

Child care costs more than college in Washington state
The average annual cost of sending a toddler to daycare in Washington tops $14,000, according to a new report — and it’s about $2,100 more than sending your child to the University of Washington for a year. The report released last week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows how deeply families struggle to stay afloat while working and paying for child care — and how some have been forced to quit jobs to stay home with a kid. Child care costs have increased by 220% since 1990, outpacing inflation, per the report. In Washington state, the average annual cost for center-based toddler care is $14,355. That’s 39% of a single parent’s median income or 12% of a family’s, according to the report, which is based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 National Database of Childcare Prices. Only five other states — Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York — and Washington, D.C., had a higher average annual cost for this type of care. Continue reading at Axios. (Tory Lysik)

How much money does your family need to survive in Washington? This report says $77k a year
About one in three Washington households are not making enough money to make ends meet, according to recently released data from a national research group called United for ALICE. Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) describes people who are working, making more than the Federal Poverty Level, but not making enough money to cover their basic needs where they live. In 2021, the Federal Poverty Level for a family of four with two children in childcare, was $26,500 a year. ALICE data says the same family in Washington needs $77,328 per year minimum just to survive. ALICE data provides a better picture of what needs to be done to “leverage local resources to have an impact on the things that matter in particular, how can we help people have more productive fulfilling lives.” Continue reading at KNKX. (Ted S. Warren)

State will launch ‘refund bureau’ for fines paid in overturned drug cases
Thousands of people whose drug possession convictions got nixed by the state Supreme Court’s Blake decision will soon have a simpler path to get money back for fines they paid. Next month, the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts will launch the Blake Refund Bureau, an online portal through which people can obtain reimbursements for court-ordered fines or fees tied to convictions vacated as a result of the landmark 2021 ruling. There have been 262,767 convictions for felony drug possession since 1971, according to the Washington State Patrol. Of those, it is estimated 150,000 people could be owed money when their convictions are vacated. An additional 150,000 misdemeanor marijuana charges may also be eligible for vacation, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts. Lawmakers earmarked $50 million for reimbursements and $47 million to help defray costs to courts, prosecutors and defense attorneys tied to vacating charges and adjusting sentences of incarcerated or supervised people with convictions under the old law. Continue reading at Everett Herald.

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Associated Press
Microsoft says early June disruptions to Outlook, cloud platform, were cyberattacks

Axios
“Hidden” costs of homeownership in Seattle area tops $20K
Child care costs more than college in Washington state

Columbian
Clark County and its cities to gain $27 million in opioid crisis settlement
Camas’ Everett Street analysis enters 3rd phase; city hopes to improve corridor for walkers and drivers
Editorial: In Our View: Terminal 1 site wise investment for region (Cleveland)

Everett Herald
State will launch ‘refund bureau’ for fines paid in overturned drug cases
World Refugee Day event set for Tuesday at Everett Community College
Comment: UW sending new professors on a bus tour of state
Comment: Historical argument for making community college free
Comment: Our real inflation problem is expansion of wealth gap
Editorial: You’re now paying for the carbon from car’s tailpipe
Editorial: Federal, state courts respect Native kids, tribes

Olympian
Those with past drug conviction fines can be reimbursed online starting in July. Here’s how
WA Supreme Court upholds Voting Rights Act. Franklin County must change its elections
Tri-Cities flower shop that wouldn’t serve same-sex wedding has new LGBTQ-friendly owner
WA State Historical Society releases ‘Black Washington’ app in time for Juneteenth holiday
Olympia’s third Juneteenth Celebration Festival spotlights Black joy and healing
Trustees vote to raise tuition, other student fees at The Evergreen State College

Peninsula Daily News
Fire near lake at 10 percent contained
Port of Port Townsend to apply for $2.3 million grant

Puget Sound Business Journal
Deal gives WA company huge share of mass-timber production
CEO pay climbed again in 2022, but gains are tapering

Seattle Medium
There Can’t Be Reparations Without Climate Justice

Seattle Times
Push for National Reparations Legislation Slows, Activists and Elected Officials Press On
WA ferry service on several routes won’t return to normal this year
As Pell Grants return for incarcerated students, how will higher ed shake out in WA prisons?
Amtrak’s Seattle maintenance-base plans would take over a Sodo street
Juneteenth draws thousands to Seattle celebrations
Editorial: Run buses to Mount Rainier

Spokesman Review
‘We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams’: Juneteenth creates space for grassroots organizing
Large wildfire in Walla Walla area threatening homes and agriculture
Getting There: North Spokane Corridor work gets underway to span Spokane River
Opinion: Reimagining downtowns in Washington

Wenatchee World
Affordable housing forum opens the floor to questions from Wenatchee valley residents on housing crisis

Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima Valley students training for hard-to-fill jobs receive WAVE scholarships
Yakima airport director says Sea-Tac flights could return in November
With water cuts a reality, Yakima Basin farmers find new ways to stretch a precious resource
Opinion: WA Cares isn’t perfect, but it’s a necessary start

Broadcast

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle police work to rebuild relationships at Juneteenth celebration, recruit new officers
Washington officials say now is the time to prepare for wildfire smoke
Why did Seattle City Council halt a 900-unit SODO housing proposal?
Juneteenth celebration event in Olympia focuses on past, present, and future of country

KNKX Public Radio
How much money does your family need to survive in Washington? This report says $77k a year
June temperatures briefly passed key climate threshold. Scientists expect more such spikes

KUOW Public Radio
WA lawmaker hails tribes’ victory in SCOTUS adoption ruling (Stearns)
Kids in this small Washington town worry about food when school is out for summer
How to lose money if you’re a working woman? Have kids

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Juneteenth celebration brings entertainment, education to community
More than 150 graduate from Northwest Indian College
Opinion: NOAA keeps our working waterfronts healthy and safe
Opinion: Juneteenth: Reflect. Act. Celebrate.
Opinion: Council member: Bellingham protects Lake Whatcom water with land purchases

MyNorthwest
No more co-pays for breast cancer screenings in Washington (Wilson)
Striking researchers, postdocs reach tentative agreement with UW
Seattle to get new area code as 206 runs out of numbers

West Seattle Blog
TUESDAY: City Council briefing on ‘racing zone’ designation that could pave way for speed cameras on Alki, Harbor, West Marginal
FOLLOWUP: Westside Pickleball League cleans NCSWAC courts, adds lines, hosts tournament

Friday, June 16

Supreme Court preserves law that aims to keep Native American children with tribal families

The Supreme Court on Thursday preserved the system that gives preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption proceedings of Native children, rejecting a broad attack from some Republican-led states and white families who argued it is based on race. Continue reading at Associated Press. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

1 in 3 owners are ‘house poor’ in this WA city, and it isn’t Seattle

Four years after Tacoma was crowned the hottest housing market in the U.S., the city has earned a more dubious distinction — the highest rate of financially strapped homeowners in any large Washington city. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)

Pride flags being stolen across Tacoma. Police investigating thefts as hate crimes

For Joe and Josh Hargrave, the LGBTQ Pride flag stolen from the second story of their Old Town Tacoma home was an attack on them. “This is who I am as a person,” Joe said. “That flag represents the core of me.” The Hargraves’ theft is one of at least nine Pride-flag thefts that occurred in Tacoma and Ruston last weekend. Tacoma police are investigating the thefts as hate crimes. Most of the thefts, according to Tacoma Police spokesperson Shelbie Boyd, were in the city’s North End. Continue reading at The News Tribune.

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Associated Press
Supreme Court preserves law that aims to keep Native American children with tribal families

Everett Herald
Paine Field training center’s new lab: a 12-ton Boeing 767 fuselage
Everett police seek to keep zones banning drug offenders
Video: Experts at mental health panel discuss staff shortages
Comment: Carbon capture and storage is getting a second look

News Tribune
Pride flags being stolen across Tacoma. Police investigating thefts as hate crimes
How did a cooling housing market prompt ‘doomsday’ fears for Pierce County’s homeless?

Olympian
Thurston County workers request ‘fair wage’ amid prolonged contract negotiations
WA Supreme Court upholds Voting Rights Act. Franklin County must change its elections
Can you leave a child home alone in WA state? What parents should know for summer
Work begins on new apartments, downtown biz asks for help, city to hear food hall plan

Port Townsend Leader
PUD to get $13.8 million for high-speed internet in county

Puget Sound Business Journal
Independent contractor rules are changing again. Here’s why.
As cargo demand grows, Boeing Field crafts a plan for the future

Seattle Medium
Seattle City Council Chooses Treatment Over Jail
Language Justice Advocates Seek To Improve Immigrants’ Sense Of Belonging

Seattle Times
WA tribes celebrate as Supreme Court upholds Native child welfare law
Why are there so many dead fish along Lake Washington?
1 in 3 owners are ‘house poor’ in this WA city, and it isn’t Seattle
What’s behind the ‘momentous’ move to close a WA for-profit psych hospital
Pregnant woman fatally shot in Belltown was restaurant owner Eina Kwon
Opinion: Here’s how you and I likely contributed to homelessness in Seattle
Opinion: I am raising a daughter in Idaho, where shaming women is the law
Opinion: Forest ‘thinning,’ aka logging, is not going to save us from wildfires
Editorial: Shooting deaths in Belltown leave unspeakable, familiar grief

Washington Post
UPS union approves nationwide strike for this summer

Wenatchee World
Canadian smoke reaches Wenatchee Valley, expected to be gone for weekend

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Keeping Families Together Act may have harmful unintended consequences, critics say (Ortiz-Self)

KKNW
State Representative Chipalo Street, Elmer Dixon, President, Executive Diversity Services and more (Street)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Burien city officials face public hearing for involvement with encampment relocations
Pregnant Seattle restaurant owner killed in random attack enrages community: ‘City council needs to go’
‘There’s no repercussions’: Seattleites concerned over ruling limiting enforcement of graffiti-related property crimes

KUOW Public Radio
King County Council tightens oversight of youth diversion programs
Dockworkers reach tentative deal with West Coast ports, averting strike
UW reaches deal with postdocs and researchers, ending strike

NW Public Radio
WA Supreme Court rules state’s Voting Rights Act is constitutional

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Bellingham eyes 1,500 acres for Lake Whatcom Watershed protection
Community flocks to Commercial Street to celebrate Juneteenth

Thursday, June 15th

Washington’s bold new abortion protections in spotlight at White House
Four Democratic state lawmakers will head to the White House on Thursday to share how Washington established itself as a haven for those seeking abortions since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision a year ago. State Sens. Manka Dhingra and Patty Kuderer and Reps. Drew Hansen and My-Linh Thai will join legislators from 15 other states and senior Biden administration officials to discuss how states are moving to safeguard reproductive health care access since the court ended federal protections when it overturned Roe v. Wade. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Getty Images)

Native adoptions can give priority to tribal families, Supreme Court rules
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a federal law, intended to rectify past government abuses, that gives preference to the foster care and adoption of Native American children by their relatives and tribes. In a 7-2 decision, the court left in place the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), which was passed to remedy what Congress said was a disgraceful history in which hundreds of thousands of Native American children were removed from their homes by adoption agencies and placed with White families or in group settings. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Minh Connors/The Washington Post)

Washington employers push back on new worker heat-protection rules
Lorena, a former farmworker from Sunnyside, toiled day and night tending to blueberries in Washington’s Yakima Valley for close to a decade. By year six, Lorena’s employer had elevated her to a supervisory role – which she said she personally took as an opportunity to better advocate for her fellow farmworkers out in the sweltering summer conditions. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Jen Dev/Crosscut)

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Capital Press
Longshore union, shippers reach tentative deal

Columbian
Editorial: In Our View: Ensure WA Cares Fund goes according to plan
Bonneville Power Administration employs helicopters, more as it tends power lines in effort to prevent wildfires
Mill Plain Vine on track to finish early, under budget, says C-Tran board
Daybreak Youth Services suspends clinical services
Evergreen Public Schools teachers rally amid contract negotiations

Everett Herald
Kayak Point to close this summer for $20M park renovation
Hat Island receives $3M loan for high-speed internet connection.
Report: Homelessness, mental illness trending up in Snohomish County
Paine Field reopens after brief evacuation for ‘suspicious package’

The Inlander
Spokane’s police chief isn’t happy about a new law broadening the ombudsman’s power to investigate
As Jerry White prepares to pass the Spokane Riverkeeper torch to someone else, he reflects on the accomplishments of the last decade — and the work that remains
Opinion: Uncomfortable conversations hold the key to unraveling the biases entrenched in our language

News Tribune
Supreme Court upholds adoption law aiming to keep Native American children with tribes
Can a new Pierce County academy help Washington better serve its ailing veterans?

Olympian
New tax district might be in Olympia’s future to raise $350 million to tackle sea level rise
Thurston County Auditor’s Office warns voters of new door-to-door canvassing effort

Peninsula Daily News
Discovery Bay closed to recreational shellfish harvesting
Clallam County restricts burning

Puget Sound Business Journal
Another strike by concrete drivers looms over region, Teamsters say
Here’s why it costs more to build new construction homes in Washington
Workers can’t get vacation from office emails. It’s burning them out.
Bipartisan group renews push for affordable-housing tax credit

Seattle Times
Students ask Lake Washington district to recognize Eid as school holiday
Judge blocks Seattle from making vandalism arrests, citing censorship concerns
Starbucks settles with unionized employees denied work at Husky Stadium
Column: Harrell’s approach to fentanyl crisis: Heavy on spectacle, light on substance
Editorial: Keeping Seattle schools racially segregated is the result of choices

Skagit Valley Herald
City councils brought in on countywide homeless, behavioral health projects

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Judge: Walla Walla City Council members did not violate open meetings law

Washington Post
Native adoptions can give priority to tribal families, Supreme Court rules
Documents show how conservative doctors influenced abortion, trans rights

WA State Standard
Washington’s bold new abortion protections in spotlight at White House (Dhingra, Kuderer, Hansen, Thai)
Pincher patrol: Over 400K invasive crabs trapped, killed as fight goes on

Wenatchee World
Senators send Biden letter asking for resolution on tariffs
Douglas County PUD approves rate change for large cryptocurrency miners

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Tacoma police: Pride flag thefts may be part of hate crime trend
When can a teen be charged as an adult in Washington state?
Tentative contract agreement reached by West Coast dockworkers, shippers
Councilmember says Tacoma camping ban has reduced number of homeless camps

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Tentative 6-year contract reached for West Coast port workers
Seattle court ruling halts enforcement of graffiti-related property crimes
Seattle Public Schools address summer hunger with free meal sites

KNKX Public Radio
Abortion care training is banned in some states. A new bill could help OB-GYNs get it

KUOW Public Radio
Signs of recovery after world’s worst underwater pandemic

KXLY (ABC)
Avista customers report unexpected bill increases

Q13 TV (FOX)
Tentative deal reached for west coast longshoremen

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Opinion: City’s ’emergency’ Lake Whatcom moratorium should become long-term

Crosscut
Washington employers push back on new worker heat-protection rules
Empleadores de Washington se oponen a nuevas reglas de protección contra el calor para los trabajadores

MyNorthwest
Supreme Court preserves law that aims to keep Native American children with tribal families
Port of Seattle reaches tentative agreement with Dock Workers Union
New portal set up to reimburse fines of overturned drug charges
Mail service may change in rural Snohomish County

West Seattle Blog
PORT CONTRACT: Tentative agreement announced
UPDATE: City Attorney clarifies federal judge’s graffiti-vandalism ruling

Wednesday, June 14

A new state law will improve economic security for people who’ve been incarcerated
Thanks to the tireless advocacy of people impacted by the criminal legal system and community leaders calling for reforms, Washington state policymakers this year enacted a law to improve the well-being of people moving forward with their lives after a conviction. They will now no longer face crushing financial debt imposed by courts if they are unable to pay fines and fees. This means thousands of people in Washington will have greater access to economic opportunity as they return home after prison. State Rep. Tarra Simmons, Washington’s first formerly incarcerated legislator, was the champion behind this new law in part because she, too, understands this experience firsthand. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

Plan B to land in vending machines on WA college campuses
Washington recently became the first state to pledge public funding for vending machines that carry emergency contraception — including Plan B, which prevents pregnancy within 72 hours after unprotected sex — at its public universities, technical and community colleges, hoping to address the growing need for reproductive health care on college campuses. Beginning in 2024, public colleges will be able to apply for a $10,000 grant that would support installation and upkeep of a vending machine, which generally carries Plan B, pregnancy tests, condoms, Tylenol and ibuprofen. The state has set aside about $200,000 total for schools to establish additional vending machines. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Kevin Clark)

State Sen. John Lovick remembers Sen. John McCoy
So much has been said about Sen. John McCoy this week following his passing. John was an advocate for the environment, for public education and for the best interests of tribal sovereignty and for all Native Americans. He was also a loving husband, a proud father, an Air Force veteran and — believe it or not — a computer technician at the White House in the early 1980s. He was a problem solver and a bridge builder, and he did it all with little fanfare and didn’t care about the credit. For John, finding a solution was the reward. I’ll miss my friend, but his legacy is all around us. Continue reading at Everett Herald.

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Bellingham Herald
WA’s statewide American Legion chapter suspended for ‘dysfunction.’ What happens next?

Capital Press
Farm groups, longshore union unite on preserving Seattle maritime industry
Why so many storms? Meteorologist discusses ‘very unusual’ and persistent weather pattern

Columbian
Washington Cares Fund lauded as valuable safety net
Vancouver residents voice concerns about housing, costs at forum with city councilors

The Daily News
Camera use by local police departments rises, but are they worth it? Experts disagree

Everett Herald
USPS mum on plan to merge rural mail delivery hubs in Snohomish County
Letter: State Sen. John Lovik remembers Sen. John McCoy
Comment: ‘State of emergency’ for LGBTQ+ rights no PR campaign

News Tribune
Does Pierce County Sheriff’s Department need civilian oversight? It’s under consideration
‘Representation matters.’ Here’s the story behind Tacoma’s first Miss Juneteenth pageant

Peninsula Daily News
New State Patrol troopers graduate
New tsunami siren to cost $45K

Puget Sound Business Journal
US House lawmakers aim to limit new Boeing KC-46 tanker purchases

Seattle Medium
Noose Incident Shakes Up Madison Park Business District
Harrell Launches New Mental Health Initiative Aimed At Youth
Washington State’s Ninth Grade Success Initiative Shows Promising Results In Boosting Academic Achievement

Seattle Times
As the West’s dam removal movement presses on, could the Lower Snake be next?
Plan B to land in vending machines on WA college campuses
Editorial: This whale-watching season, be an orca ally
Opinion: Moms for Liberty spreads its anti-LGBTQ+ hatred to the Northwest

Spokesman Review
City of Spokane announces tentative agreement with Spokane Police Guild
Retired Washington judges call on Roberts to act on ethics

Vancouver Business Journal
New Law Could Improve Washington’s Workforce

WA State Standard
State will launch ‘Refund Bureau’ for fines paid in overturned drug cases
Consumer complaints pile up against home and auto insurers
Comment: A new state law will improve economic security for people who’ve been incarcerated (Simmons)

Wenatchee World
Senators visit Wenatchee as farm bill negotiations ramp up
Waterville instructors add, expand AVID program to support students

Yakima Herald-Republic
Commissioners deny request to bring more land into Naches’ urban growth area
With fire season here, officials urge more people to sign up for Alert Yakima messages

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
More women are becoming boat captains in Puget Sound
Homelessness hits a record high in Whatcom County
New affordable housing development aims to serve working families in Seattle
Seattle City Council approves housing levy to lift property tax limit, sending it to voters

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle’s City Hall Park reopens with new safety measures, activities after 2-year closure
Student loan payments set to resume in October after three-year pause

KNKX Public Radio
Washington makes a major change to prison sentencing, but not for people already behind bars
‘It’s going to take all of us’ – Yakama Nation youth learn about Hanford’s legacy

KUOW Public Radio
Getting fish passage over Skagit dams will take decades

KXLY (ABC)
Millions of ARPA funds going to create more housing, service opportunities
Washington family wants government to pay $47 million for damage caused by devastating wildfire

NW Public Radio
As people move from big cities, Northwest rural communities see economic boost

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Floating ban on the South Fork Nooksack River being considered
Western approves operating budget with $2.2 million deficit
Bellingham to rehire paraeducators, teachers

Crosscut
Homelessness efforts in Yakima are moving toward permanent housing
Washington gas stations are leaking toxins into nearby groundwater (Doglio)
Washington counties, tribes get more than $110M in federal land aid

MyNorthwest
Seattle school bus drivers reach contract, strike avoided

Tuesday, June 13

Editorial: What good is that new payroll deduction?
A report updated last year for the federal Department of Health and Human Services determined that on average, an American turning 65 this year will incur about $121,000 in future long-term care costs over their lifetime. Very few people carry insurance to provide that care. At the same time, Medicare doesn’t pay for most care services; and Medicaid is only available after a person’s savings have been depleted to the poverty level. This new payroll tax supports a program called WA Cares, which is intended to provide a supplemental benefit of $36,500 — in effect up to $100 a day for a year in current dollars — for expenses for long-term care for seniors and those with disabilities to help pay for a range of services and needs. “That $36,500, even though it’s not $200,000, it’s enough that it can make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Ben Veghte, director of the WA Cares program, during an interview this week. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (WA DSHS)

Legislation boosts Port of Vancouver’s Terminal 1, will fund new dock for public market
Local lawmakers, port officials and Washington State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti gathered at the Port of Vancouver’s Terminal 1 on Monday to celebrate economic development. A recently approved expansion to a state economic development law, tax increment financing will be used to help rebuild the Port of Vancouver’s dock, which will one day be home to its public market. Tax increment financing is relatively new to Washington. Lawmakers approved it in 2021, though more limited tax increment financing tools existed before then. This session, Rep. Wylie, D-Vancouver, carried the bill to expand the tax increment financing law through the Legislature, with the support of the area’s other lawmakers. “To make this work, you have to start with a great project with great support,” said Wylie. Continue reading at Columbian. (Taylor Balkom)

WA to get over $370 million from lawsuit resolutions to fight opioid addiction
The state of Washington will get $371.8 million to fight opioid addiction after resolving a lawsuit against opioid producing and selling companies, the state Attorney General’s Office announced Monday. Half of that will be divided between the state’s 125 local governments, which are required to use the funds for opioid remediation. The rest will go to the state. Over $100 million will go to King County and its cities. Seattle alone will see about $26 million. Neighboring Pierce and Snohomish counties will receive $48.2 million and $47.3 million, respectively. To comply with opioid remediation requirements, the funds can be used for housing or educating people in treatment and recovery, school-based programs, distribution of naloxone and supporting first responders. Continue reading at Seattle Times.