At least $5.5M in food and cash assistance lost to ‘alarming surge’ in card scams; Why U.S. government may still do business with Boeing, even as a felon

AGRICULTURE

• Washington State Department of Agriculture strengthens local food system with grant (KIRO TV)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Why U.S. government may still do business with Boeing, even as a felon (The Seattle Times)
• New owners, dress code for ex-Hillbilly Hotties coffee stands (The Everett Herald)

CENSUS

• New figures show Tacoma as one of Washington’s most populous cities. Where do we rank? (The News Tribune)
• Tri-Cities continues to grow, but by how much? See which cities have most growth in 2024 (Tri-City Herald)
• Washington state’s population officially tops 8 million people (KOMO TV)

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• At least $5.5M in food and cash assistance lost to ‘alarming surge’ in card scams (Washington State Standard)
• COLUMN: Declining number of kids in nearly all areas of WA (Gene Balk/The Seattle Times)
• EDITORIAL: 248 years is worth celebrating — but let the pros handle the fireworks (Yakima Herald-Republic)

COURTS (STATE)

• Clallam County Prosecutor sounds the alarm about planned changes to public defense rules (KONP Radio)
• Puyallup man walks out of courthouse after sentencing, remains missing (MyNorthwest)

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

• Suspect killed after firing shots at WA troopers on I-5 (FOX 13)
• A group of residents tries to crack down on prostitution along Aurora, but is it legal? (MyNorthwest)
• Seattle EV chargers repeatedly damaged by copper thieves (FOX 13)

DAMS

• ‘Armchair engineer’ sees bigger goal behind Snake River dam controversy (Capital Press)

DRUG CRISIS

• U.S. files forfeiture complaint for Ellensburg home allegedly used for drug distribution (KNDO/KNDU)

EDUCATION

• Bainbridge Parks launches conservation program for neurodiverse teens (Kitsap Sun)
• How a rural WA school overcame the pandemic slump (The Seattle Times)

HANFORD

• ‘Important moment’ reached for Eastern WA’s leak-prone Hanford radioactive waste tanks (Tri-City Herald)
• Radioactive waste removed from 21st underground tank at Hanford (KNDO/KNDU)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Would-be contractor accuses AGO, WSU employees of using company’s propriety data (The Center Square)

HOMELESSNESS

• After Supreme Court ruling, an advocate for homeless rights talks about what’s next (KNKX Radio)

HOUSING

• Seattle-area home values rebound, but offices take a hit (The Seattle Times)
• Most of Western Washington will see a rise in 2024 property values, but not everywhere (KUOW Radio)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit filed against Seattle Police Department (KING TV)

LEGISLATURE

• Washington’s new law targets spectators at illegal street races with fines, citations (KOMO TV)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• COLUMN: Tree Equity job lands you $60.83 an hour from city of Seattle (Jason Rantz/MyNorthwest)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Seattle veterans clinic closes after mold, ceiling leak reports (Cascade PBS)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon is getting hotter. This heat wave could break records (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Oregon girl one of 200 missing children found in nationwide operation (MyNorthwest)

POLITICS

CONGRESS

• Latinos eye seats in non-Hispanic majority U.S. House districts (Axios Latino)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Lawsuit accuses Bellingham Public Schools of failing to protect student from repeated sexual abuse (The Bellingham Herald)

SPORTS

• North Mason, WSU grad headed to Paris with U.S. Olympic track and field (Kitsap Sun)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• WA State Auditor’s Office finds fraud of nearly $900,000 at state agency (The News Tribune)

TRANSPORTATION

• Is the ferry you want ready to go July 4 week? Here’s what to know (The Seattle Times)
• After manmade tunnel creates hole north of Everett, Highway 529 reopens (The Everett Herald)
• Road now open: Illegal tunnel shut down SR 529 between Everett and Marysville for hours (MyNorthwest)

WEATHER & CLIMATE

• Fourth of July heat wave to bring highs in 90s, stoking wildfire fears (MyNorthwest)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Avista answers questions about its new power shutoff plan for wildfire season (KXLY TV)
• Western Washington braces for ‘above normal’ wildfire season (The Everett Herald)

WILDLIFE

• Mount Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan protected under Endangered Species Act (The Chronicle)
• Managing bear encounters in the East Cascades (NCW Life Channel)
• Feds draw up final plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls in PNW (The Seattle Times)