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Monday, June 12

As summer nears, Washington at ‘epicenter’ of wildfire threat
As smoke smothered the East Coast this week, a dry May increased the potential for more serious fires later this summer in Western Washington — with a new forecast showing the region has one of the worst outlooks in the nation. The National Interagency Fire Center released its updated fire report on June 1 and it noted all but the southeastern tip of Washington were at “above normal” fire potential for July to September. According to the fire center, this means “a greater than usual likelihood that significant wildfires will occur.” Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Ryan Berry/The Herald)

John McCoy, Tulalip tribal leader who served in WA legislature for 17 years, has died
Former Washington State Sen. John McCoy, a Tulalip tribal leader, died Tuesday of natural causes. He was 79. McCoy, a Democrat, served in the state Legislature representing the 38th District covering Marysville, Tulalip, and parts of Everett for 17 years. He served as a Washington House Representative from 2003-2013, and as a state Senator from 2013-2020 before retiring. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Louie Balukoff/AP file)

Here’s what airport group decided about possibility of new facility in Pierce, Thurston
After more than three years of investigating potential locations for Washington’s next major airport, a Legislature-created group on Friday didn’t recommend any of three greenfield sites in Pierce and Thurston counties that have been the sources of controversy over the past several months. In its final meeting before it sunsets June 30, the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission voted 11-1 to submit a report to the state that will simply highlight a recent survey that showed most members preferred a yet-to-be-identified greenfield site to house any new aviation facility. Continue reading at Tacoma News Tribune.

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Bellingham Herald
This is the No. 1 problem Bellingham renters face. Housing advocates want protections
Retired vet lost millions to fraud, family says. Would stronger laws have protected him?
How is AQI calculated? Here’s how you can monitor your local air quality in Washington

Columbian
Highway 14 sees more collision during construction
Editorial: In Our View: Law enforcement training center is welcoming
Washington considering worker protections as wildfires persist

Everett Herald
As summer nears, Washington at ‘epicenter’ of wildfire threat
Troubled deputies at center of $1.5M settlement in Maltby man’s death
Lynnwood sex offender gets credit for prison time served in Netherlands

News Tribune
They call ‘The Jungle’ home. Soon they’ll be forced to move out of the Tacoma encampment
Here’s what airport group decided about possibility of new facility in Pierce, Thurston (Fey, Keiser)

Olympian
John McCoy, Tulalip tribal leader who served in WA legislature for 17 years, has died
State is working on a plan to protect Nisqually delta while increasing I-5 traffic through it
This Western WA tribe is becoming a leader in clean energy sustainability. Here’s how

Seattle Times
Fentanyl crisis, continued: A new approach
What to expect with WA ban on toxic chemicals in consumer products
WA renames 5 geographic sites that had slur about Indigenous women
Editorial: Do your part to help prevent WA wildfires
Opinion: Train more providers in abortion care to fill reproductive-health gaps

Tri-City Herald
‘Big feelings’. How one Tri-Cities after-school program teaches tweens to manage emotions
Opinion: Nuclear energy is tough sell in WA, and safety issue at Richland plant won’t help

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla, College Place look to amplify arts, culture by forming creative district

WA State Standard
In northwest WA, trouble brews over river bacteria locals say is flowing in from Canada
Crop growers and Cantwell press for Washington state Farm Bill priorities
Where are electric vehicles most popular in Washington state?
Orange lane stripes added to a stretch of I-5

Wenatchee World
‘Communities die if they don’t grow’: Lack of affordable housing and how it tangles a knot in a well oiled community machine
Early wildfire forecasts predict above normal fire season
Senators set to visit Wenatchee to discuss farm bill
Opinion: Here’s a school district prioritizing student mental health

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Justice for Jesse’: Dozens gather Sunday to demand action, 4 years after police killing
Ricky Klausmeyer-Garcia, whose struggle with substance use disorder helped change Washington law, laid to rest (Davis)
Port of Seattle cargo operations continue after disruption amid labor negotiations
Despite recent rain ongoing drought conditions lead to above-normal wildfire potential

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Port of Seattle remains shut down; Consumers could feel impact

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Former Lacey hotel to house up to 120 people experiencing homelessness

KNKX Public Radio
El Niño has officially begun. Here’s what that means for the U.S.
Former WA state Senator and tribal policy champion John McCoy dies at 79

KUOW Public Radio
Washington makes a major change to prison sentencing but not for people already behind bars
WA airport search committee disbands without site recommendation after turbulent process
What’s next for Seattle drug law? Mayor, council look ahead

KXLY (ABC)
‘Never Going Back’: Spokane Pride Parade returns, bringing color to downtown
Public invited to hear progress on North Spokane freeway this Tuesday
City council likely to vote on emergency ordinance on changes to ombudsman code

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Poor water quality test results rile Whatcom farmers
At 11th hour, Whatcom jail proposal faces competing demands
Workers at Bellingham REI unionize

MyNorthwest
Greatest point guard in WNBA history retires jersey at Climate Pledge Arena
Burien holds council meeting on mental health, encampment still at park
WA’s second carbon auction nets $500M, gas prices could jump
Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison ends Community Court

Friday, June 9

Seattle’s tiny homes get a big upgrade
Faced with a growing homelessness crisis, Seattle’s choices in how it uses scarce land and funding can mean the difference between hundreds of people sleeping inside or on the street. That’s why the King County Regional Homelessness Authority has opposed the expansion of single-occupant dwellings, such as tiny homes, in the past. The agency’s leadership has suggested resources would be better served acquiring denser housing that’s permanent, such as hotels or apartment buildings. They have also criticized the quality of living conditions in tiny home villages, with a spokesperson once calling them – and later apologizing – “shantytowns.” They remain popular with local elected officials, though, who appear set on proliferating tiny homes, saying they are a way to bring people inside quickly. A new type of tiny community in Magnuson Park that opened this month appears to strike a partial compromise. Instead of one-room buildings with no indoor plumbing, the 22 new cottages are permanent structures with bathrooms and kitchens. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Greg Gilbert)

Student activists helped pass Washington’s new assault weapons ban
Last year, the K-12 school shooting database, an open-source public database that documents when a gun is fired or brandished or a bullet hits school property in the United States, recorded the highest number of incidents in 53 years of data collection. As of 2020, firearm-related deaths are the leading cause of mortality for kids and adolescents aged 1 through 19 in this country. Among the people fighting to change that are a group of Seattle youth. In their most recent victory, they helped pass Washington’s assault weapons ban. “It’s really important life-saving legislation, and students really need this,” Soni said. “Too often people with assault weapons come into schools and start shooting.” Continue reading at Crosscut. (Jason Redmond)

Where are electric vehicles most popular in Washington state?
High fuel prices, along with new government subsidies for electric vehicle purchases, may have some in Washington considering whether to ditch their gasoline-powered cars or trucks for plug-in models. So, how many motorists in the state have already made the leap? Where are they? And, when you factor in the population size in different regions, which are the places where electric vehicles are most popular? State Department of Licensing data offer insights. They also highlight how much slower EV uptake has been with car buyers outside of the Puget Sound region and in rural parts of the state. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

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Associated Press
Trump charged over classified documents in 1st federal indictment of an ex-president

Axios
Seattle food banks see increased need, decreased donations

Capital Press
El Nino here, but not yet a big climate force in Northwest

News Tribune
Retired vet lost millions to fraud, family says. Would stronger laws have protected him?

Puget Sound Business Journal
SBA streamlines rules on disaster loans for small businesses
Customers are lining up for Boeing’s 777X. So what’s the delay?

Seattle Times
Seattle’s tiny homes get a big upgrade (Chopp)
Health care, not tech, is now the top player in WA’s unsettled job market
Amazon, Starbucks face WA class-action lawsuit over customer data
Plateau Pride returns to Bonney Lake for its second year
Opinion: Tribal and local officials welcome pledge to build Skagit fish passage
Editorial: NIMBYism overburdens America’s best airport

The Skanner
Judge Rejects Attempt to Block New Washington State Gun Restrictions

Spokesman Review
Thousands lose power as rain, wind hits Spokane area
Liberty Lake council upholds mayor’s veto on library ordinance
Last residents leave Camp Hope, once the largest homeless encampment in Washington
As historic smoke blankets the East Coast, Northwest leaders hope Congress will wake up to the wildfire threat

WA State Standard
Where are electric vehicles most popular in Washington state?
Orange lane stripes added to a stretch of I-5

Yakima Herald-Republic
Grandview School District names Robert Darling new superintendent
Old Naches Highway fire at 75% containment, control expected by Saturday

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Use of license plate readers spreading across Washington
How Pat Robertson led to a change in Washington state law
Sumner resident questions whether Sounder parking garage is needed

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Sea-Tac airport braces for pre-pandemic travel levels amid construction projects
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell says drug use legislation should be ready in July
LGBTQ Americans report increase in discrimination

KUOW Public Radio
Seattle launches new effort to address youth mental health crisis
Finger-pointing and fallout in the wake of Seattle City Council drug law vote
Asian American history isn’t required in WA schools. A new group wants to change that

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Environmentalists finds fewer microplastics ‘than expected’ on Bellingham beach
Fentanyl deaths in Whatcom County still climbing

Crosscut
Student activists helped pass Washington’s new assault weapons ban (Peterson)
Cashmere senior challenges WA schools to speak out against racism

Thursday, June 8

State hauls in over $550M from second cap-and-trade auction
Washington’s second quarterly auction for pollution allowances will likely bring in more than $557 million, a higher-than-expected jump in revenue that the state can put toward programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. That cash infusion is on top of the nearly $300 million the state made from its first auction in February, and whatever the state will make in its final auctions later this year. The money generated by the auctions will pay for programs meant to limit climate change and its negative effects. Almost $2 billion of the revenue set aside by the Legislature this year will go toward electrifying ferries and ports, helping lower costs for heat pumps, investing in transit, helping tribal communities dealing with disproportionate fallout from climate change, and more. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

WA has strongest economy across all U.S. states, report says. What makes state the best?
WalletHub examined all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, and assessed their economic strength and performance based on 28 key indicators. These factors fell into three categories: economic activity, economic health and innovation potential. Washington ranks first overall out of all state economies, but it also ranks highly in other categories, WalletHub found. Of the three key dimensions, the Evergreen State ranked second for economic activity and innovation potential but is 14th for economic health. The state also scored well in key metrics. Here are the notable areas where Washington excels. Continue reading at Olympian.

State Sen. McCoy, who represented Tulalip and tribal causes, dies
Former state Sen. John McCoy — a Tulalip tribal member who often served as the only Native American voice in the state’s Legislature during his 17-year tenure — died Tuesday. Born on the Tulalip Reservation, John McCoy served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years. After retiring from the Air Force, he returned to Tulalip to take over as the executive director of governmental affairs and managed the tribe’s business. John McCoy ran for state representative as a Democrat in 2002 in the 38th Legislative District, representing Everett, Marysville and Tulalip. He won, and he continued to win reelection until 2013 when the Snohomish County Council selected him to fill a vacancy in the state Senate. As a lawmaker, he fought for tribal sovereignty, education and the environment. John McCoy pushed for the passage of the Native American Voting Rights Act to expand voting access in tribal communities. He was also key to the 2015 passage of “Since Time Immemorial” tribal educational practices at Washington K-12 schools. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Ted S. Warren)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Neo-Nazi flyers appear in central Grays Harbor
Hate should have no home on Grays Harbor
Where now? Fire departments examine path forward

Axios
Seattle employers embrace hybrid flexibility
Seattle’s No. 1 in pickleball courts

Bellingham Herald
Wildfire smoke causing air quality to drop in some parts of Whatcom County and beyond

Capital Press
Researchers build a robotic ‘bee’

Columbian
C-Tran electric buses hit the road in Clark County
Vancouver approves $1M to upgrade Safe Stay Communities

Everett Herald
State Sen. McCoy, who represented Tulalip and tribal causes, dies
Business Briefly: Port of Everett named Job Creator of the Year
Extra credit for financial literacy: Bankers teach kids the basics

The Inlander
As Camp Hope closes, Spokane politicians inch closer to a regional response to homelessness
Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium hopes to use federal grant money to clear the way for new homes

News Tribune
Should Manny Ellis’ drug use be discussed at trial of officers accused of killing him?
Pierce County school district agrees to settle sexual assault lawsuit for $7.6 million

Olympian
WA has strongest economy across all U.S. states, report says. What makes state the best?

Puget Sound Business Journal
Tulalip Tribes economic development leader John McCoy dies at 79
Seattle council member proposes local capital gains tax
Seattle Children’s cutting over 100 jobs in ‘management restructure’

Seattle Times
What’s going on with the Regional Homelessness Authority?
Indigenous people from across Pacific help build Swinomish clam garden
Shoreline legalizes ‘cottage housing’ clusters north of Seattle
As people work from home, Sound Transit bets $350M on 3 new parking garages
Seattle schools say they can’t stop area shootings, need help to deter them

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit, Whatcom counties begin burn bans June 9
Opinion: Local expertise on affordable housing should be matched by funding urgency

Spokesman Review
No staff cuts at Spokane VA due to budget deficit, regional director says after visiting Mann-Grandstaff

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Community Council releases latest study about accessible broadband internet

WA State Standard
State hauls in over $550M from second cap-and-trade auction (Nguyen)
Former state Sen. John McCoy dies at 79 (Robinson)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Overdose detection technology ‘Lifeguard’ could soon come to Seattle
6 arrested in scheme to steal $2.7 million in COVID relief funds meant for King County
‘Our identity, our consent, our data’: Women in tech seek stronger privacy protections for AI (Kuderer)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle mayor, city attorney react to failed city council vote on drug possession laws
Marysville among many Washington cities with limited drug treatment resources

KNKX Public Radio
How to stay safe from the smoke that’s spreading from the Canadian wildfires

KUOW Public Radio
2,400 UW researchers strike for raises, inclusivity
Teens are using 3D printers to make guns in Seattle area
Dockworkers slow down at West Coast ports amid ongoing labor dispute

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane Pride working alongside SPD to ensure safety during Saturday’s parade

Web

Crosscut
Jail or treatment? Seattle City Council is split on drug possession (Robinson)
UW researchers go on strike over contract negotiations

MyNorthwest
6 charged in ‘one of the largest’ rental assistance fraud cases ever
Boeing accused of stealing trade secrets in new lawsuit
Seattle Schools unveils new safety plan to decrease gun violence

Wednesday, June 7

WA ban on sale of AR-15s and other semi-automatic rifles can go forward, judge rules
A federal judge Tuesday denied an attempt to halt Washington’s new ban on the sale of AR-15s and other semi-automatic rifles. In his ruling, Judge Robert Bryan pointed to a number of reasons why he was denying the motion, including that the law’s challengers hadn’t shown that an injunction was in the public interest. “Considering the exceptional dangerousness of these weapons, the public interest in their regulation by the State far outweighs the Plaintiffs’ desire to purchase more assault weapons,” Bryan wrote. “In light of recent mass deaths caused by assailants using assault weapons, it is appropriate for governmental bodies to find ways to protect the public from dangerous weapons, within the limits of the Second Amendment.” Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Elaine Thompson)

Early fire conditions mark start of ‘a very long’ season
Washington’s heightened fire risk west of the Cascades is unusual this early in the year and is worrying officials. And if hot, dry conditions continue as predictions show, Washington is facing a late summer where the entire state will be at an above-normal risk for significant blazes. Resources to fight fires could be spread thin if both the eastern and western reaches of the state are badly parched this summer. The Department of Natural Resources has received new funding in recent years to increase their supplies, and those resources could come into service this year. Under 2021 legislation, the department added new firefighting aircraft, a new camera system that can help detect fires and more firefighters. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (David Ryder)

WA airport-coordinating commission to meet for final time. Will it recommend a location?
The Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission, tasked by state lawmakers with recommending a preferred location for Washington’s next major airport, will convene Friday for the final time before expiring at month’s end. Following more than three years of investigating possible airport landing spots and less than nine months after controversially narrowing options to three greenfield sites in Pierce and Thurston counties, the state-created commission could choose Friday to select one site to recommend to the state. The key question is whether such a recommendation would carry much weight. Continue reading at Olympian.

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Associated Press
Judge rejects attempt to block new Washington state gun restrictions

Aberdeen Daily World
By the numbers: State Patrol recounts busy Memorial Day Weekend

Capital Press
Yakima River Basin irrigators facing cutbacks

Columbian
Clark County homelessness up 9% from 2022 tally, according to Point in Time Count
Clark County Utilities board decides to join nuclear power feasibility study
Council for the Homeless’ Housing Solutions Center seeks hot weather items

Everett Herald
Snohomish, King counties train together for region’s next disaster
Lawsuit: Monroe prison neglected to care for back injury for 2 years

International Examiner
Pride Asia 2023 draws a crowd in Hing Hay Park

News Tribune
They rioted at Pierce County’s juvenile detention center. Now they face felony charges

Olympian
WA airport-coordinating commission to meet for final time. Will it recommend a location?

Seattle Medium
Harrell Launches Groundbreaking Project To Empower Minority-Owned Businesses”

Seattle Times
Seattle City Council narrowly rejects drug prosecution bill
How King County’s proposed hate crime hotline could work
It’s not just Sammamish, we’re going back in time on LGBTQ+ equality
WA ban on sale of AR-15s and other semi-automatic rifles can go forward, judge rules
Editorial: King County, WA can’t afford to lose behavioral health beds
Opinion: Don’t punish small farmers with ‘asylum surcharge’ on guest worker visas

Spokesman Review
Federal debt ceiling negotiations had ripple effects in Spokane

Vancouver Business Journal
Legislation will allow Vancouver to continue to be part of Main Street Program (Cleveland)

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
$3.7M baseball clubhouse coming to Borleske Stadium in Walla Walla

WA State Standard
Early fire conditions mark start of ‘a very long’ season
Judge declines to block enforcement of Washington’s semiautomatic gun ban

Wenatchee World
Wenatchee Pride Festival draws 4,000 to Memorial Park
Opinion: Legislature approves budgets and makes adjustments to police pursuit and drug possession laws

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle City Council rejects public drug use legislation
Nation’s top doctor says social media could pose risk to kids; Seattle Public Schools calls it an edge for their lawsuit

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
SPS releases letter detailing school safety changes following Ingraham High shooting

KUOW Public Radio
A new WA apple is on the way
Northwest approaches ‘peak dryness’ much sooner than expected
Unhoused and out of sight on King County’s Eastside
Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison says she’s not leading new ‘war on drugs’

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane Public Schools will provide free summer meals to kids under 18

NW Public Radio
Cowlitz County commissioners approve $1 million road striping bid

Q13 TV (FOX)
Federal judge rejects attempt to block Washington’s ban on sale of assault weapons (Peterson)
Washington adopts proposal to rename nature sites containing Indigenous slur
DOJ, FBI expected to announce multiple arrests in $6.8 million COVID-19 fraud scheme

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Whatcom, Skagit unemployment rates drop to 2023 lows
The Grizzly Committee: Whatcom to play a larger role in future grizzly populations
Nooksack streamflows ‘dramatically reduced’ as summer approaches
Lummi Nation: Canada failed to fulfill duties in B.C. terminal project

MyNorthwest
UW researchers, scientists go on strike

Tuesday, June 6

Editorial: Use WA capital gains tax bonanza on schools most in need of repairs
It was a controversial idea. Tax the state’s ultra-wealthy on the proceeds from the sale of stocks, bonds and businesses above $250,000 and direct the money to Washington’s K-12 schools, child care and early childhood education. It passed the Legislature in 2021 and this year survived a legal challenge at the state’s highest court. Now the first batch of golden eggs has hatched to the tune of $849 million in the state’s first year of collecting the capital gains tax, $600 million more than projected. In Olympia, those aren’t golden eggs. Those are Fabergé eggs. Now state lawmakers must remain true to the law and refrain from ogling the hundreds of millions of unexpected dollars with designs on using it elsewhere. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

How will ‘missing middle’ zoning impact Seattle housing?
Seattle’s job and population growth have outpaced the building of new housing. The city still needs to add at least 112,000 new units of market-rate and subsidized housing by 2044 to meet demand. And while apartments will continue to be a key part of that puzzle, they do nothing to add to the much-needed supply of homes people can own. Enter missing middle housing: two- to six-unit homes that provide greater density than single-family houses. Now, thanks to the state Legislature’s new missing middle zoning law, developers will be able to build four- to six-home projects across Seattle. So what’s next for the city? Continue reading at Crosscut. (Amanda Snyder)

Feds release plans for $2.6B in climate and fisheries spending
Washington state and Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest are positioned to score some of $2.6 billion for climate and fisheries programs the Biden administration unveiled on Tuesday. But how much of the money could eventually end up in this corner of the country isn’t yet clear. “Natural events are challenging us,” Cantwell said, adding that the programs outlined on Tuesday are geared toward “trying to build better natural infrastructure to help us weather the storm, really weather the storm, and try to save fish.” Continue reading at WA State Standard (Getty Images)