Washington law enforcement org weighs in on upcoming changes to pursuit law; 46 pro-Palestinian protestors arrested for blocking road to Sea-Tac airport

AGRICULTURE

• ‘Appley McAppleface’ need not apply: In a week, apple naming contest gets 7,000 entries (Capital Press)
• New ‘salmon-safe’ wine certification is now available for WA vineyards. How it works (Tri-City Herald)
• OPINION: WA is losing farms and food-producing land. Does anyone care? (Pam Lewison, fourth-generation farmer in Eastern Washington and director of the center for Agriculture at the Washington Policy Center/The Seattle Times)
• EDITORIAL: Apple-naming contest fun celebration of state icon (The Everett Herald)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• High inflation is costing Americans an extra $1K a month (FOX 13)
• Boeing pushes back on whistleblower’s allegations and details how airframes are put together (AP)

CONGRESS

• House Speaker Mike Johnson pushes towards a vote on aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan (AP)

CORRECTIONS & JAILS

• Deaths at rural Washington jails highlight perilous conditions: ‘Failures at almost every level,’ critics say (KUOW Radio)
• Songer claims move by commissioners to close Klickitat County jail is personal (KIHR Radio)
• OPINION: People incarcerated in WA prisons have political power now. Here’s how we’re using it (Christopher Blackwell, 43, is an award-winning journalist currently incarcerated in Washington; and Antoine Davis is a licensed minister at Freedom Church of Seattle currently incarcerated at Washington Correction Center/The News Tribune)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Supreme Court gives some military veterans more generous educational benefits (AP)
• Supreme Court allows Idaho to enforce its ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth (AP)
• OPINION: Supreme Court upholds constitutional safeguards against undue building fees (Olivia Johnston, contributor, Mountain States Policy Center/Capital Press)

COURTS (STATE)

• Man sentenced to life in prison for killing 22-year-old woman 30 years ago in Spokane could be released in 2½ years after second resentencing (The Spokesman-Review)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• 46 pro-Palestinian protestors arrested for blocking road to Sea-Tac airport (KOMO TV)
• 46 people arrested in pro-Palestinian protest at Sea-Tac Airport (The Seattle Times)
• AG Ferguson announces DNA collection from thousands of violent offenders (FOX 13)
• Teen suspect in Renton homicide was on electronic home monitoring for a pending drive-by shooting case (FOX 13)

DRUG CRISIS

• Yakima County corrections staff enlists dog to combat drugs in county jail (Yakima Herald-Republic)

EDUCATION

• WA’s incoming high school juniors will be allowed to enroll in college courses this summer (Washington State Standard)
• EDITORIAL: Time for school graduation waiver has passed (The Columbian)

ENVIRONMENT

• Foam coolers, takeout containers will be banned in Washington starting June 1 (Washington State Standard)
• Why environmental justice matters, from the founder himself (The Seattle Times)
• Bellingham explores wastewater facility upgrades due to air emissions violation (The Center Square)

FISH

• Statewide fishing season opens April 27, redesigned fishing app launched (Columbia Basin Herald)

GUN RIGHTS

• WA Supreme Court to consider emergency stay on high-capacity magazine ban (The Center Square)
• EDITORIAL: Continue to defend law banning high-capacity gun magazines (The Seattle Times)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Seattle plastic surgery provider illegally blocked bad Yelp reviews, judge rules (The Seattle Times)
• OPINION: State-funded drop-in center in Yakima is a positive for our community (Jodi Daly, CEO of Comprehensive Healthcare/Yakima Herald-Republic)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• There’s a lot happening with the FAFSA. Here’s what to know now. (The Washington Post/The Seattle Times)

HOMELESSNESS

• Growing Seattle encampment unmoved despite public drug use, local safety concerns (KOMO TV)
• COLUMN: Democrats fight to keep homeless living in unsafe housing, claim ‘science’ of drug contamination isn’t settled (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Washington law enforcement org weighs in on upcoming changes to pursuit law (The Center Square)
• In reversal, more states allow high-speed police chases (Stateline/Washington State Standard)
• Washington rescue dogs graduate as skilled K9s (MyNorthwest)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Federal Way mayor launches Violent Crime Task Force after deadly week (The Center Square)

OPERATING BUDGET

• Fueled by federal pandemic money, Washington state’s spending has skyrocketed (The Center Square)

OTHER STATES

• Dozens arrested after protesters block traffic on I-5 in Eugene (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• No veto this year: Little signs Idaho library bill to allow lawsuits over ‘harmful’ books (Idaho Statesman/The Columbian)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• This law said teachers could hurt kids to ‘correct’ them in Washington. One boy shared his story to change that (KUOW Radio)

SPORTS

• Interest in women’s basketball, sports growing throughout western Washington (KING TV)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• WA homeless youth program closes after contractor ‘misspent’ $330k (Cascade PBS)
• Washington police use of force database project faces delays (The Center Square)
• Corrections officer assaulted as inmate was about to be released (Peninsula Daily News)

TAXES

• Spokane County assessors address concerns with the rise in property taxes (KHQ TV)

TRANSPORTATION

• Washington’s average gas price over $1 more than national average (KOMO TV)
• Hundreds of flights delayed after protest blocks SR 518 to SEA airport for hours (KING TV)
• Crews begin $1.8 million project to repave Vantage Highway in Kittitas County (KAPP/KVEW)

WATER

• How many acres get lower Snake River water? Irrigators, Corps differ by 44,500 acres (Capital Press)

WOLVES

• Wolf killings in Oregon at all-time high while population remains stagnant (The Oregonian)