Earthquake risk data for Washington public schools is incomplete and out of reach; Can WA hack and burn its way out of a future of megafires?

ABORTION

• Abortion clinics — and patients — are on the move, as state laws keep shifting (KFF Health News/The Seattle Times)

AGRICULTURE

• ‘Back to basics’: Hops industry continues to adjust to changing market in 2024 harvest (Yakima Herald-Republic)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• A potential dockworkers strike could mean product shortages and high prices ahead of the holidays (AP)
• Data, pilot projects showing food service robots may not threaten jobs (States Newsroom/Washington State Standard)
• Latest talks between Boeing and its striking machinists break off without progress, union says (AP)
• Boeing strike delivers $1.4 billion hit to Washington’s economy (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• Schweitzer Engineering to hire hundreds of workers (The Spokesman-Review)

CHILD CARE

• OPINION: Business support for child care is strengthening Yakima’s workforce (Jonathan Smith, Yakima County Development Association executive director/Yakima Herald-Republic)

CONGRESS

• New report indicates ‘significant’ cost to economy from climate change, Sen. Cantwell calls for action (The Wenatchee World)

CORONAVIRUS

• New COVID subvariant poses winter threat, scientists say (Tribune News Service/The Oregonian)

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• COLUMN: Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on gender reassignment surgeries on transgender inmates (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

COURTS (STATE)

• Public safety advocates warn of effort to reduce public defender caseloads (The Center Square)
• A Pierce County teacher was charged with molestation. Now the students’ parents are suing (The News Tribune)
• Investors claim Everett firm used a Ponzi scheme (The Everett Herald)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Violent crime at Southcenter mall still near record-high following shooting (KOMO TV)
• OPINION: Erroneous perception of crime is a crime in itself (Craig Brown, Editor/The Columbian)
• OPINION: Long prison sentences don’t keep us safe (David Trieweiler, Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers/Yakima Herald-Republic)

CYBERSECURITY

• Recovery from cyberattack costs Seattle Public Library over $1 million (KUOW Radio)
• No Internet, no computers: Hack of Highline Public Schools still impacting staff, students (KING TV)

DRUG CRISIS

• Spokane drug counselor suspended following sexual affair, overdose and death of patient in her home (The Spokesman-Review)
• ‘Meeting people where they’re at’: Addiction treatment center supports rural Whatcom County (The Bellingham Herald)
• Opioid overdoses declining in Kitsap, according to recent data (Kitsap Sun)
• Sequim, first responders considering Naloxone distribution spots (Peninsula Daily News)

EDUCATION

• Board rules on disputed plan to replace program for ‘neediest’ Kennewick students (Tri-City Herald)
• Moses Lake School District addresses nursing concerns, passes Title IX resolution amendment (Columbia Basin Herald)
• COLUMN: Thank you, Gov. Evans, for opening public schools to people with disabilities (Kate Riley/The Seattle Times)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• Earthquake risk data for Washington public schools is incomplete and out of reach (Washington State Standard)
• Nearly 150 Snohomish County firefighters may have inhaled asbestos during training exercise (MyNorthwest)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Avista initiates first public safety power outage for over 1,500 customers on windy Sunday (The Spokesman-Review)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• OPINION: UW-Tacoma is welcoming a new class. Here’s how Tacomans can help them succeed (Mentha Hynes-Wilson, vice chancellor for student affairs/The News Tribune)

HOMELESSNESS

• Person found dead at abandoned I-5 encampment (KOMO TV)

HOUSING

• Seattle churches wanting to build affordable housing face testing times (The Seattle Times)
• Residents of senior mobile home park in Walla Walla fight 44% rent increase (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Seattle Police lost 23 guns and don’t know where they went (KUOW Radio)
• Thurston County Sheriff defends decision to pursue stolen pickup truck (KIRO TV)
• Vancouver police officer fatally shoots man after standoff in Walnut Grove area (The Columbian)
• Longview rolls back police pursuit rules to mirror state, follow more suspects (The Daily News)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Whistleblower brings $10 million wrongful termination claim against Pierce County city (The News Tribune)
• Orting whistleblower files $10 million claim against city (MyNorthwest)
• When will the investigation into Commissioner Clouse end? Thurston County has few answers (The Olympian)
• Budget presentation spells out big cuts for Everett amid deficit (The Everett Herald)
• COLUMN: Who is pulling the plug on Seattle’s public TV — and how to save it (Danny Westneat/The Seattle Times)

MEDIA

• COLUMN: Microsoft Democracy program manager on saving local news, media viability (Brier Dudley/The Seattle Times)

OPERATING BUDGET

• Washington budget outlook shows no signs of improvement (Washington State Standard)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon poverty remains relatively low overall – but higher for some groups, and in some places (The Oregonian)
• Oregon voter registration error was detected six weeks before top elections officials were told (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Feds postpone auction of two wind energy sites off Oregon coast as Kotek pulls out of task force (Oregon Capital Chronicle/Washington State Standard)
• Fees to park and camp at Oregon state parks set to rise in 2025 (The Bulletin/The Seattle Times)

POLITICS

STATE

• OPINION: From welcoming refugees to cross-aisle politics, Gov. Evans was an uncommon man (John C. Hughes, chief historian for the Washington Secretary of State’s oral history program/The Seattle Times)
• EDITORIAL: Dan Evans’ legacy offers many lessons for today’s leaders (The Seattle Times)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Student arrested following shooting threat at Shuksan Middle School (KGMI Radio/My Bellingham Now)

SECURITY

• Your Google Wallet may soon be able to carry your passport (TravelPulse/The Seattle Times)

SPORTS

• FIFA announces Seattle as 2025 Club World Cup host city (FOX 13)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Washington State Penitentiary inmates work to erase backlog of 250,000 license plates (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Washington state faces license plate shortage: Will non-embossed plates become the new standard? (KIRO TV)
• WA to pay $25 million in Evergreen student’s carbon monoxide death (The Seattle Times)
• EDITORIAL: Laying Washington’s death penalty to rest (Yakima Herald-Republic)

TAXES

• King County residents footing 83% of collective $7.6B in property taxes in 2024 (The Center Square)

TRANSPORTATION

• WSDOT faces criticism over timing, management of ‘monster’ weekend traffic projects (KOMO TV)
• More than half of Washington’s electric vehicle rebate funding is used up (Washington State Standard)
• Get ’em while you can: WA set to run out of EV rebates next month (The Seattle Times)
• Washington ferry prices to rise Tuesday, second increase in two years (KOMO TV)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Can WA hack and burn its way out of a future of megafires? (The Seattle Times)
• DNR supporting reforestation efforts with over $900,000 awarded to Washington communities (KREM TV)

WILDLIFE

• Wolves, bears and cougars under scrutiny as agricultural leaders argue for more regulations (KHQ TV)
• Stevens County Sheriff testifies in regard to recent depredations in the county (KREM TV)
• Why the Salish Sea’s new baby orca surprised researchers (KUOW Radio)
• How Washington plans to spy on seals, sea lions with drones (KUOW Radio)