WA fire is now bigger than Seattle; more residents evacuated; Fed raises rates again as it weighs how much further to go

ABORTION

• Planned Parenthood billboards will direct Idahoans to out-of-state abortion care (KREM TV)

AGRICULTURE & WATER

• Wheat harvest continues as Walla Walla County endures drought conditions (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Mabton residents clamor for solutions to drinking water problems at crowded meeting (Yakima Herald-Republic)
• Annual hop event highlights research, serves as unofficial kickoff to harvest (Capital Press)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Fed raises rates again as it weighs how much further to go (The Spokesman-Review)

CAP-AND-TRADE PROGRAM

• Why are gas prices so high in WA? Yakima senator blames Inslee (KIT Radio)
• OPINION: Inslee lied about the cost of the carbon cap and trade program (Donald Kimball, Communications Manager at Washington Policy Center/The Center Square)

CONGRESS

• McMorris Rodgers’ panel grills HHS Secretary Becerra on migrant child labor, with legislation nowhere in sight (The Spokesman-Review)

CORONAVIRUS

• COVID-19 variants now detected in Spokane’s wastewater (KXLY TV)

COURTS (STATE)

• New portal to issue refunds in overturned drug cases in Washington state (Axios – Seattle)

CRIME

• Unruly crowd in Capitol Hill blocks Seattle police from illegal street racing event (KOMO TV)
• Kia drove into Seattle Nordstrom, shot window during attempted robbery (MyNorthwest)
• This goes beyond mere shoplifting (KUOW Radio)
• Arson suspected in Pasco church fire (KNDO/KNDU)
• Some Seattle streets could see speed cameras to prevent illegal racing (The Seattle Times)

EDUCATION

• Superintendent says school programs, free meal programs continue to be affected by budget cuts (The Bellingham Herald)

ENVIRONMENT

• State Department of Natural Resource pauses King County timber auction (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Biden looks to provide relief from extreme heat as record high temperatures persist across the US (The Seattle Times)
• U.S.’ UFO program could be ‘just gross misconduct from Pentagon’ (MyNorthwest)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Spokane-area experiences a 25% decrease in blood supply, experts say, it’s an “emergency” (KHQ TV)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Gonzaga to build a new dorm, freeing up housing for upperclassmen (The Spokesman-Review)
• Washington State University launches online certificate program for medical professionals working in Indigenous communities (The Spokesman-Review)

HOMELESSNESS

• We can all learn from Burien’s homelessness debate (KUOW Radio)
• COLUMN: Vehicle homelessness ‘exploded.’ A Hilltop man’s story reveals a cruel, broken system (Matt Driscoll/The News Tribune)
• COLUMN: How bad is vehicle homelessness in Tacoma and Pierce County? It depends on who you ask (Matt Driscoll/The News Tribune)
• COLUMN: Businesses are buckling under the weight of vehicle homelessness. Who’s helping them? (Matt Driscoll/The News Tribune)

HOUSING

• Spokane removed parking minimums for housing near transit. Is the state next? (Washington State Standard)
• The new law giving mobile home residents a chance to buy their parks (Washington State Standard)
• Real estate leaders convene to share affordable housing strategies (Puget Sound Business Journal)

LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS

• Walla Walla sees opportunities for retail, housing in evaluating new taxing district (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Police Guild: Patrol officers staged ‘sick-out’ during Seattle’s busiest weekend (FOX 13)
• Clark County deputy back at work months after SUV crushed by snow-covered tree (The Columbian)

LEGISLATURE

• EDITORIAL: Win for cardrooms calls for lawmakers’ review (The Everett Herald)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Firework sales stay legal in south county, even if you can’t light them (The Everett Herald)
• Cowlitz County commissioners weigh future of mental health tax (The Daily News)
• Selah will pass police bodycam editing costs on to video requesters (Yakima Herald-Republic)
• Bellingham City Council adopts new state laws on drug use, ADUs (KGMI Radio)
• COLUMN: Seattle mayor didn’t complete, start 70% of police recruitment plan (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

MEDIA

• OPINION: Farewell and thank you, Tri-City Herald readers. It’s been an honor (Cecilia Rexus, editorial writer for the Tri-City Herald/Tri-City Herald)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• US Navy to name ship after renowned Nisqually Tribal activist Billy Frank Jr. (The Olympian)
• Village supporting homeless veterans asks Tacoma leaders for contract extension (FOX 13)
• Kilmer leads pinning ceremony honoring Vietnam Veterans (The Daily World)

PARKS

• 2 national parks in WA rank among best for summer in the country (The Seattle Times)

PRIVACY

• WA homelessness group exposed sensitive data on kids, young adults (Crosscut)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• COLUMN: Multiagency drill a stress test for the system (Sue Lani Madsen/The Spokesman-Review)

SPORTS

• Washington hosts world-class pickleball tournament near birthplace of sport (KIRO7/MyNorthwest)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Washington state maintains high credit rating in latest report (The Center Square)

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• Yakima looks at how to use opioid lawsuit settlement money (Yakima Herald-Republic)

TECHNOLOGY

• Microsoft under investigation over concerns bundling Teams with Office eliminates competition (AP/MyNorthwest)

TRANSPORTATION

• Next phase of $133M airport noise cancelling project approved by Seattle Port Commission (The Center Square)
• WA ferry passengers are about to see a transformed Colman Dock (The Seattle Times)
• WA Department of Ecology funds $16.3M in grants for zero-emission vehicles (The Center Square)
• Public transit is now free for youth. But what happens when you turn 19? (KUOW Radio)
• Who knew a small lane switch on I-5 could create such chaos? (MyNorthwest)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• WA fire is now bigger than Seattle; more residents evacuated (The Seattle Times)
• Dryness, heat fuel Northwest wildfire risk (The Columbian)
• Washington is in for a long wildfire season (KWHT Radio)
• Lightning caused Whitman County wildfire that has burned more than 500 acres (The Spokesman-Review)

WILDLIFE

• Endangered Southern Resident orca baby gets a name (Axios – Seattle)