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Thursday, October 5

Gov. Inslee asks White House to aid Spokane County wildfire survivors
In a letter to President Joe Biden, Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday asked for financial assistance and a major disaster declaration to help Spokane County wildfire survivors. The Gray and Oregon Road fires killed two people, destroyed 700 structures, and torched over 20,000 acres in August. Hundreds of people lost their homes, and Inslee declared a statewide emergency as thousands were forced to evacuate. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Daniel Kim)

Washington may avoid child care cliff, but many providers are still struggling
Washington is unlikely to see a huge drop in child care services even as federal pandemic aid supporting providers dries up. Expiration of the funds led to nationwide concerns that millions of children could lose care. About $24 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act was distributed to states to help keep child care centers open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. That funding ran out on Saturday. Washington officials, however, say the state used most of its almost $390 million in federal child care stabilization funds, as well as new state revenue, to support child care centers beyond the pandemic. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Getty)

Sen. Patty Murray now 2nd in line to be president after McCarthy’s dismissal
After Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s ouster from his position as speaker of the House, Washington’s U.S. Senator Patty Murray is now second in line to the presidency. Typically, the line of succession after the president is the vice president, then the speaker of the House, then the Senate Pro Tempore, which is the role Murray holds. Her office confirmed that with no leader in the House — just an “acting” speaker — Murray is now second in line to the presidency. This will be the case until the House elects a new speaker. Continue reading at KOMO.

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Bellevue Reporter
Washington minimum wage to top $16 an hour next year

Bellingham Herald
Gas prices increase across Whatcom County and Bellingham, and they’ve hit a new threshold

Capital Press
Washington breaks biodiesel law for 14th straight year

Columbian
Clark County, La Center consider restricting camping on public property
WSU Vancouver relaunches on-campus child care to smiles for children and parents
Vancouver establishes affordable housing fund with money to come from developers that get tax exemption

Everett Herald
800K Washingtonians must restart student loan payments this month (Berg)
Comment: Companies eventually will have to track their emissions
Comment: Flood of misinformation isn’t the problem; demand is
Letter: Handicapped parking law should be better enforced

News Tribune
Where were Manuel Ellis’ hands during deadly encounter with Tacoma cops? Expert testifies
‘It’s unreal’: What recent vehicle thefts at the Tacoma Mall reveal about a broader problem
Opinion: It’s one of Pierce County’s unhealthiest places. A local man wants to change that

Olympian
Video played for jury shows part of Manuel Ellis’ encounter with police the night he died
Dad died after medics waited outside his home, lawsuit says. His son called 911 twice

Puget Sound Business Journal
Alaska Airlines launches startup incubator for aviation tech
Kaiser workers in SW Washington, Oregon join massive strike
IRS in lawmakers’ crosshairs over tax-credit moratorium

Seattle Times
New WA air-quality monitors draw critique from environmental justice advocates
Gov. Inslee asks White House to aid Spokane County wildfire survivors
As Seattle gas prices soar, so does interest in electric vehicles
Deadly bird flu jumps to harbor seals in Salish Sea, first for West Coast
Editorial: Seattle can’t enforce laws until King County fixes jail staffing

Skagit Valley Herald
La Conner School District puts mastery-based learning on display (Wellman)

Spokesman Review
Inslee asks Biden to declare Gray and Oregon Road fires ‘major disaster’ to unlock more federal aid

Tri-City Herald
Clean energy projects could cover 19K acres near Tri-Cities. Will they create enough jobs?

Washington Post
A coordinated ‘swatting’ effort may be behind school shooting hoaxes terrorizing kids across U.S.

WA State Standard
Washington may avoid child care cliff, but many providers are still struggling
First Amendment advocates fight growing number of U.S. book bans

Yakima Herald-Republic
Agreement will add personnel and negotiators to Yakima Valley SWAT team

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
New SeaTac minimum wage among highest in US
‘Week Without Driving’ challenge aims to make policymakers aware of public transit problems
Research uncovers new details on earthquake threats in western Washington
Gov. Inslee asking President Biden for federal aid amid Gray, Oregon Road fire recovery
600 employees have left, retired from Providence Everett since 2021, union says

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Sen. Patty Murray now 2nd in line to be president after McCarthy’s dismissal

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle mayor signs bill to increase downtown hotel fees, boosting revenue for tourism
Mother, sister of Manny Ellis expected to testify in trial of Tacoma police officers

KNKX Public Radio
Washington state’s efforts to trade timber revenue for carbon credits

KUOW Public Radio
NPR’s Climate Week: A spotlight on solutions
Push to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day continues in Congress
Bellevue leaders ‘not proud’ of delays to open parking lot for people living in vehicles
Freeze! Police! What happens when people get caught doing drugs in Seattle?

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane Police Department offering free theft de-escalation training to local businesses
City council wants to add crosswalks at E 29th Avenue for pedestrian safety

Q13 TV (FOX)
CDC has stopped printing COVID-19 vaccination cards
Snohomish County warns of increase in infant deaths over unsafe sleep environments

Web

Cascadia Daily News
President: WWU’s future is bright amid ‘crisis of confidence’ in higher ed

Crosscut
WA authors are teaching AI how to write — without their consent

The Stranger
A Militia Adopted Three Highways in Washington (Ramos, Berg)

Wednesday, October 4

Fewer students enroll at state’s public colleges, study says
The decline in college enrollment during the pandemic has slowed, but the state’s public colleges continue to see fewer students than in previous years. The trend is threatening to impede the state’s progress toward education equity, according to a new report from the Washington Student Achievement Council. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Ryan Berry)

WA drafts permanent rules to better protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke
When wildfires tear through Northwest forests, pouring heavy smoke across Washington state, health officials’ guidance is often to simply stay inside. But that’s not an option for people who work outdoors. After two years of emergency rules guiding smoke response for employers and employees, the state is drafting a set of permanent rules. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)

WA Sen. Cantwell wants Congress to act on fentanyl crisis in NW tribes
On the heels of a string of overdose deaths in Lummi Nation, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell is calling for a congressional hearing to examine how the fentanyl crisis has disproportionately affected Native communities. Washington state has seen the biggest increase in overdose deaths in the nation — more than 21% reported between February 2022 and February 2023. And Native communities across the country continue to experience disproportionate increases in overdose deaths despite efforts to prevent and treat drug addiction and overdoses in their communities. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Daniel Kim)

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Associated Press
Thousands of US health care workers go on strike in multiple states over wages and staff shortages

Axios
Seattle just had its sixth hottest summer on record
Flyers rate Sea-Tac one of the worst airports in the U.S.

Capital Press
Ag stakeholders: Does Biden salmon announcement end dam breaching worries?

Columbian
Vancouver City Council considers restrictions on large warehouses ahead of moratorium’s expiration

Everett Herald
Helicopter crash in Copper Lake sparks environmental, health concerns
Washington’s Job Skills Program has trained employees for 40 years
Fewer students enroll at state’s public colleges, study says

Islands’ Weekly
Gov. Jay Inslee tours Kaleetan on way to Lopez Island (Ramel)

News Tribune
‘Can’t breathe, sir’: Jurors hear Manuel Ellis’ final words in trial’s opening remarks
More money for Sheriff’s Department but fewer deputy positions part of ’24-25 budget plan

Olympian
Park Service seeking comment on plan to return grizzly bears to Washington

Puget Sound Business Journal
Here’s how much more top tech CEOs make than median workers

Seattle Times
King County proposes millions in funding for cultural sector
Historic trial of Tacoma officers starts with wildly divergent accounts
Audits confirm issues with King County Regional Homelessness Authority
Out of 400 therapists in Washington, why just 32 confirmed openings for new patients
With NW tribes holding ‘too many funerals,’ Cantwell wants congressional hearing on fentanyl
Opinion: Is the state managing its public lands for all Washingtonians? Not yet

Skagit Valley Herald
Appeals to gravel pit expansion heard, county to make decision Friday

The Skanner
Washington State Minimum Wage Moving Up to $16.28 Per Hour

Snoqualmie Valley Record
Snoqualmie council talks transit, housing, crime with state reps (Ramos, Callan)

Washington Post
Climate change is driving amphibians to extinction, study finds
Supreme Court to weigh whether disability activists can sue hotels after online searches
Kaiser Permanente workers begin walking off the job; 75,000 expected to strike

WA State Standard
As union lawsuit falters, state readies Tukwila psychiatric hospital for patients
Building more homes is Oregon governor’s top priority for 2024 legislative session
Washington State Library cuts hours and leaves jobs unfilled as its budget takes a hit
Battery storage seen as ‘backbone’ of reliable electric grid but adoption uneven across US

Yakima Herald-Republic
How Quincy farmers uncovered a toxic truth in the fertilizer industry
Pacific Ag receives state grant for Sunnyside biomethane facility
Editorial: Health district’s Narcan program will save lives

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Catalytic converter thefts down in Washington, but repair costs still high for unlucky victims
Officials at Echo Glen Children’s Center were warned about an escape. Then, 7 teens still made it out

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
SDOT, Harrell create ‘first of its kind’ framework to hit city’s zero-emission goals
Tacoma city workers rally on steps of City Hall for a fair contract

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Seattle OPA unable to investigate fake tombstone case due to ‘conflict of interest’

KNKX Public Radio
Jurors hear about Manuel Ellis’ death during opening statements in Tacoma officers trial

KUOW Public Radio
Washington state is trashy, and there’s a study to prove it
WA drafts permanent rules to better protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke
Water usage around Seattle is down, but the recent rain still won’t help reservoirs
Latinos in WA are aging. Bilingual, bicultural resources for their caregivers aren’t keeping pace

KXLY (ABC)
Staffing shortages cause Spokane paramedics to work constant overtime
New behavioral health clinic providing mental health resources in northeast Spokane

Q13 TV (FOX)
Nationwide emergency alert test will hit mobile phones, TV today
Despite rainfall, Seattle Public Utilities still calling for customers to conserve water

Web

Crosscut
Lessons unearthed from the Northwest’s little-known histories
What WA leaders are watching for in the Manuel Ellis police trial (Lovick)

Tuesday, October 3

Washington minimum wage to top $16 an hour next year
Minimum wage workers in Washington will get a pay hike in January. The state’s minimum wage will rise to $16.28 an hour starting Jan. 1, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries has announced. That’s a 54-cent increase from the current hourly rate of $15.74, which is the highest of any state in the nation and more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Getty)

Billion-dollar disasters nearly tripled in WA over 20 years
Natural disasters causing at least $1 billion in damage nearly tripled in Washington state over the last 20 years, due primarily to wildfires and droughts, according to recent data. In addition to threatening homes and property, disasters are causing insurers to change how they factor climate and extreme weather risks into premiums. Continue reading at Axios. (Kavya Beheraj)

Opening statements to begin in historic trial of three Tacoma officers
Opening statements in the historic murder trial of Tacoma police are scheduled for Tuesday morning, beginning what is expected to be a high-profile test of Washington’s expanded power to hold law enforcement accountable. It is the first prosecution under a 2018 voter-approved initiative, which lowered the threshold to hold police officers accountable for on-duty deaths. It is also the largest Washington state prosecution against officers for an on-duty death since the 1930s. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Brian Hayes)

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Axios
Washington’s Hispanic poverty rate falls, but disparities linger
Billion-dollar disasters nearly tripled in WA over 20 years
Seattle’s “Week Without Driving” challenge

Bellevue Reporter
King County Councilmember calls for audit of juvenile diversion programs

Capital Press
Cranberry growers start harvest with smaller surplus
Feds propose airlifting grizzly bears into north-central Washington

Columbian
Officials ask feds for $600 million to help pay for new I-5 Bridge
Kaiser braces for possible health care worker strike involving thousands in Washington
Editorial: Long-term value of BRT remains to be seen

Everett Herald
What to know about COVID and other vaccinations in Snohomish County
Infants’ deaths from unsafe sleeping far outpace other accidents
Comment: Estate tax would be ample, fitting child care solution
Comment: Child tax credit works against child poverty; renew it

News Tribune
Jury seated in Tacoma police officers’ in-custody death trial. Here’s its makeup

Olympian
WA minimum wage to increase to $16.28 an hour next year
October solar eclipse to darken Washington skies. Here’s what to know about historic event

Peninsula Daily News
Rain is keeping park fires in check

Puget Sound Business Journal
SBA reopens small-business contracting program after legal setback
What graduates of WA colleges can expect in early-career salary

Seattle Times
How WA’s Asian demographics have changed dramatically
Opening statements to begin in historic trial of three Tacoma officers
These turtles nearly went extinct in WA. Now they may get federal protection
She got chemo in WA and Alaska — and the price difference was a whopper
Editorial: Positive outliers may hold keys to Black student success
Opinion: WA schools and students don’t have to settle for mediocrity

Skagit Valley Herald
Skagit PUD receives grant for clean energy project

Spokesman Review
Spokane County getting $4.1 million from state for wildfire recovery
Getting there: WSDOT receives $72.8 million federal grant to repair ‘dilapidated’ railroads in Eastern Washington
Even after the pandemic, broadband is critical for rural education. $1 billion won’t be enough to reach everyone in Washington.
Opinion: State, local governments making gains in racial diversity

Washington Post
An epidemic of chronic illness is killing Americans in their prime

WA State Standard
Washington minimum wage to top $16 an hour next year
Washington watches as trial of 3 Tacoma officers accused of killing Manny Ellis gets underway (Lovick)

Wenatchee World
Public comment period open on grizzly bear reintroduction proposal

Yakima Herald-Republic
Burn ban lifted in unincorporated Yakima County

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
City of Seattle will pay more than $1.8 million to resolve family’s lawsuit, attorney
Watch Live: Prosecutors, defense offer opening statements in trial for the death of Manuel Ellis

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
‘Week Without Driving’ begins in King County, aims to highlight public transit shortfalls

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
State panel in damage control after confusion about eliminating sex offender notifications

KNKX Public Radio
Opening statements expected today in trial of Tacoma officers charged with killing Manny Ellis

KUOW Public Radio
The price to ride a Washington state ferry just went up
Washington state’s minimum wage is slated to rise in 2024
Jury seated in trial of Tacoma officers charged with killing Manny Ellis
Weekend vote to keep government open has WA state politicians calling for bipartisanship

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane Police note surge of retail crime in northeast Spokane

Q13 TV (FOX)
Opening statements to begin in Tacoma officers’ trial in death of Manny Ellis
‘We’re just struggling with the manpower‘; Thurston Co. Sheriff declares staffing emergency

Web

Cascadia Daily News
With shutdown averted, funding available to Whatcom flood victims

Monday, October 2

A new roadmap to speed the spread of electric vehicles in Washington state
When it comes to meeting Washington’s ambitious electric vehicle goals, bolder cash incentives and charging outlets in thousands more locations are needed now. Rules pushing drivers to forgo cars and trucks that run on gas for ones powered by batteries are needed soon. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Olivia Vanni/The Herald)

Women workers could bear economic brunt as federal child care funding ends
A huge chunk of pandemic relief funding that kept child care programs afloat for the past few years is set to run out Saturday, and policy advocates say the economic impact will be profound, with the ripple effect hurting labor force participation and consumer spending at a time when the country is still trying to avoid a recession. Parents struggled to pay for child care and child care centers strained to retain workers well before 2020, but the pandemic accelerated many of the industry’s struggles and without the federal money many would have shut their doors. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)

Washington is failing to aid child sex-trafficking victims
Washington state’s “Safe Harbor” law was supposed to address child sex trafficking in two ways. First, it would ensure that kids who are commercially sexually exploited are not charged as criminals. Second, it would create two receiving centers, one on the west side and one on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, where kids could get the treatment they need. Continue reading at Crosscut. (Moriah Ratner/InvestigateWest)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Federal officials, VIPs visit for port expansion project

Auburn Reporter
Dept of Health launches dashboard to track overdose death data

Bainbridge Island Review
Work continues on Hwy 305 fish passage on BI

Bellevue Reporter
Dept. of Commerce awards $35.4 million for solar power projects across the state

Columbian
As mediation program for tenants and landlords ends, evictions surge in Clark County (Cleveland)
C-Tran’s new ‘Red Vine’ service opens early and under budget
Editorial: Don’t spend money just because you have it (Robinson)

Everett Herald
A new roadmap to speed the spread of electric vehicles in Washington state
At Boeing’s Everett plant, new lawsuits allege further birth defects
Millions of dollars for ‘tree equity’ head to Snohomish County
Starting Sunday, ferry passengers will pay 4.25% more
Editorial: Pledge to honor treaties can save Columbia’s salmon

Federal Way Mirror
Opinion: Dear Government: Hold your horses when regulating trucks

Islands’ Weekly
State invests more than $81 million in salmon recovery

Journal of the San Juan Islands
Local pharmacy partners with WA Health Care Authority to address opioid misuse

News Tribune
She took a school district ‘in crisis’ from $5 million to $50 million. How did she do it?

Olympian
Op-Ed: Olympia’s police work must be fully transparent to rebuild community’s trust
WA Department of Health now tracking unintentional drug overdoses. Here’s how it works

Seattle Times
Iranian American lawmaker in WA says disinformation led to death threat (Farivar)
King County needs thousands of new homes. Where will they go?
Feds find flaws in how WA oversaw more than $1B in pandemic aid for schools
Many WA residents to get a raise as minimum wage increases
WA unemployment system still suffering from COVID-era problems
For WA music venues, carrying a lifesaving drug comes with concerns
Lessons from George Floyd’s death prepare WA court for police murder trial
Editorial: Growing pains: The geography of King County felony convictions
Editorial: The effort to end downtown Seattle homelessness ended — now what?
Opinion: West Coast cities start to confront the limits of the liberal dream
Opinion: A ‘thank you’ from a tribal citizen
Opinion: Here’s one of the most effective ways to prevent overdoses

Washington Post
Nobel Prize in medicine awarded to pair who laid foundation for covid-19 vaccines
Pediatricians and parents struggle to get updated covid vaccine for kids
4 million have enrolled in Biden’s new student loan repayment plan

WA State Standard
Women workers could bear economic brunt as federal child care funding ends
A new roadmap to speed the spread of electric vehicles in Washington state

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
‘Disheartening and scary’: Student loan payments resume this week, how Washington’s tab ranks
Fire retardant has killed thousands of fish in the Pacific Northwest, including endangered salmon species
Federal student loan payments are starting again. Here’s what you need to know
Threat of government shutdown ends as Congress passes a temporary funding plan and sends it to Biden
‘She’ll forever be in our heart’: Mother of victim killed in shooting clamors against gun violence at Annual CeaseFire 5K

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Trial to begin for Tacoma officers charged in 2020 death of Manny Ellis
Millions of Americans brace for return of student loan payments in October

KNKX Public Radio
Dept. of Interior launches boarding school oral history project
Federal officials want your thoughts on grizzly reintroduction plans
Understaffed jails, treatment centers complicate Seattle’s plan to reduce public drug use
Seattle cop who made callous remarks after woman’s death has been administratively reassigned
While this year’s lamprey numbers look good, tribes say more needs to be done
Biden calls for ‘abundant’ salmon populations, directs agencies to honor tribal treaty rights

KUOW Public Radio
Japanese American survivors revisit a troubling past and vow to protect the Idaho prison camp where they were held
Washington Supreme Court says pandemic eviction ban was legal. Landlords beg to differ
Northwest’s pond turtles to get federal protection

KXLY (ABC)
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers could walk off the job this week

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Frustration with PeaceHealth has become a political issue

Crosscut
Republicans push for bipartisan commission to redraw WA Latino district (Jinkins, Billig)
Washington is failing to aid child sex-trafficking victims (Orwall)

The Stranger
Seattle Does Not Have a Spending Problem, Big Business Has a Greed Problem
Bad Apples: Response Delays, No-Shows, and a Questionable Use of Force

Friday, September 29

How a government shutdown would affect Washington
A federal government shutdown is looking more and more likely and the impacts in Washington state could be huge. If Congress fails to pass a stopgap measure by midnight Saturday that would fund the government through Nov. 17, a partial shutdown of the federal government will begin Sunday. For federal employees, the effects would be immediate and obvious, as most would be furloughed without pay. Continue reading at Axios. (Alice Feng)

Inslee’s COVID-19 eviction ban was legal, state Supreme Court rules
A divided Washington Supreme Court on Thursday rejected claims that Gov. Jay Inslee exceeded powers granted to him under state law when he imposed an emergency ban on evictions during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. Landlords sued over the restrictions, arguing Inslee overstepped his authority and violated the state constitution. The court ruling notes estimates showing that without the moratorium, 790,000 people in Washington would have been evicted from their homes during the pandemic. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Getty)

100+ WA districts are starting school year without fully funded special ed. Here’s why
Historically, Washington public schools have seen a shortfall in special education funding. In April of this year, the Legislature passed HB 1436, adding an estimated $417 million to the state special education budget over the next biennium and nearly $1 billion over four years. The bill increased the multipliers used in the state’s funding formula and brought the funding cap up to 15%. Continue reading at Olympian.