Federal judge fines WA agency $100 million for mental health failures; Washington residents express concerns before annual crime report release

AGRICULTURE & WATER

• Grain merchant predicts poor yields for Walla Walla Valley wheat growers (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Vancouver wells see a slight drop in PFAS (The Columbian)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Northwest ports vie to recapture competitive edge amid sluggish recovery (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• Seattle extends COVID-era rules for home-based businesses (Axios – Seattle)
• Walla Walla, Columbia counties see positive signs in May job growth (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Hayden Island holds its breath as Interstate Bridge Project takes shape (The Columbian)

CENSUS

• How Seattle-area demographics have changed since 2000 (Axios – Seattle)

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• COLUMN: Dear Fremont: We need to talk about Lenin and your statue of the genocidal tyrant (David Volodzko/The Seattle Times)

CONGRESS

• They opposed the infrastructure law. Now, some in the GOP court its cash (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Supreme Court was drawn into last four elections, and likely again in 2024 (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times)
• Federal Judge approves Seattle’s multi-million dollar suit against Monsanto (The Center Square)

COURTS (STATE)

• Why many judges in WA aren’t ordering alleged abusers to turn in guns (InvestigateWest/The Seattle Times)
• Court upholds protective order against lobbyist who stalked WA lawmaker (The Seattle Times)

CRIME

• Washington residents express crime concerns before annual crime report release (KOMO TV)
• Low-income domestic violence survivors face uphill battle in obtaining court-ordered protections (InvestigateWest/Yakima Herald-Republic)

EDUCATION

• Inside Seattle Schools’ budget: Staff cuts, but no teacher layoffs or school closures (KUOW Radio)
• Seattle Schools digs itself out of deficit — for now (The Seattle Times)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• Rising drowning incidents in King County raise public health concerns: Alcohol, drug involvement, and lack of resources among key factors (KOMO TV)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Northwest electricity demand is projected to increase 25% in the next decade (Oregon Capitol Chronicle/Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Big batteries by a school? Project stirs concerns as WA seeks clean energy (The Seattle Times)
• Solar development maps: where is there less conflict? (NW News Network)
• Microsoft data center partners with wholesale energy firm for renewable resources (The Wenatchee World)
• CenturyLink fined nearly $1M for disconnecting service during pandemic (MyNorthwest)

ENVIRONMENT

• Ridgefield troubled waters: Failures in stormwater system send runoff into an already ailing Gee Creek (The Columbian)
• EDITORIAL: Look around — the climate has already changed (Yakima Herald-Republic)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Biden takes aim at ‘junk’ insurance, vowing to save money for consumers being played as ‘suckers’ (AP)

FISH

• Proposed geoduck farm on Henderson Inlet tidelands draws opposition from residents (The Olympian)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Retiree medical costs are expected to moderate but remain high (The New York Times/The Seattle Times)
• Syphilis cases rising as drug to treat them in short supply. Local docs asked to ration (The News Tribune)
• Old St. Michael campus in Bremerton to be razed as work begins on new Silverdale hospital tower (Kitsap Sun)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• UW report offers solutions to help prevent deaths during WA heat waves (The Seattle Times)
• WSU students had an early role on Titan project, years before implosion (The Spokesman-Review)

HOMELESSNESS

• EDITORIAL: Homeless aren’t newcomers, but our neighbors (The Columbian)

HOUSING

• Study: Washington ranks No. 8 among states for increased home value since 2016 (The Center Square)
• COLUMN: Squeezed homebuyers are just what the economy needed (Conor Sen/The Seattle Times)

LEGISLATURE

• BLOG: Senator Chris Gildon: I am stunned by the indifference Democrats “are showing to the pain being felt by everyday Washingtonians.“ (Shift)

LGBTQ

• Fight or flight: Transgender care bans leave families and doctors scrambling (The New York Times/The Seattle Times)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Centuries-old discriminatory policies cast long shadow on Puget Sound region (Washington State Standard)
• Rare WA Attorney General opinion to decide if Franklin commissioners must repay thousands (Tri-City Herald)

MEDIA

• ‘It’s what listeners like’: AM radio purveyors on the Palouse hope automakers heed call to keep their medium alive (The Spokesman-Review)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Veterans face Aug. 9 deadline for retroactive toxic exposure benefits (The Spokesman-Review)

OTHER STATES

• Rural Oregon gets more control over fish and wildlife policy (Capital Press)

PARKS

• EDITORIAL: As crowds pack parks, where can we go to relax? (The Everett Herald)

PRIVACY

• Data privacy laws take off in 2023, more action ahead (Pluribus News)

SPORTS

• Two Seattles on display as thousands attend MLB All-Star festivities (The Seattle Times)
• Seattle police, FBI, other agencies working to keep All-Star fans safe (The Seattle Times)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Federal judge fines WA agency $100 million for mental health failures (The Seattle Times)
• Judge holds Washington state in contempt for not providing services to mentally ill people in jails (AP)
• Disabled man from Bellingham reaches $13 million settlement with DSHS (KGMI Radio)
• Governor’s office declines request to forward Aron Christensen case to WA Attorney General (The Daily News)
• WA prison workers tout education, work programs in bid to keep site open (The Seattle Times)

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• Fentanyl caused almost all Tri-Cities overdose deaths this year. ‘Too many people dying’ (Tri-City Herald)

TECHNOLOGY

• COLUMN: California and Canada must call tech giants’ bluff on news (Brian Merchant/The Seattle Times)

TRANSPORTATION

• How do you survive Seattle traffic during All-Star Week? Use free public transportation (MyNorthwest)
• 20-year traffic veteran tapped to reduce Seattle’s safety woes (The Center Square)
• Trent bridge to reopen this week after 3-year closure, bringing relief to nearby businesses, nonprofits (The Spokesman-Review)
• U.S. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg touts Washougal train project (The Columbian)
• Paine Field or Sea-Tac? A tale of two prices (The Everett Herald)
• Port of Everett welcomes back ferry rides to Jetty Island (The Everett Herald)

TRIBAL ISSUES

• FBI, tribal police investigating two shooting deaths on Yakama Reservation (Yakima Herald-Republic)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Fire season on track to match ‘some of the most devastating wildfire years’ in Washington (FOX 13)
• WA wildfire season is heating up but smokejumpers are ready (The Seattle Times)
• McEwan fire in Shelton now 55% contained, fire officials say (The Olympian)
• Officials to Inslee, Cantwell: Outlook ‘very good’ on Columbia River Gorge wildfire (The Center Square)
• Tunnel Five Fire 80% contained; Highway 14 remains closed in the Gorge (The Columbian)
• ‘Farnham Fire’ chars over 130 acres in Douglas County (Source One News)