AGRICULTURE & WATER
- Military testing reveals hundreds of drinking water wells contaminated with PFAS in WA (The Seattle Times)
- Seattle Public Utilities ends request for limits on water use (The Seattle Times)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR
- Boeing appoints Stephanie Pope COO, positioning her as likely next CEO (The Seattle Times)
- Seattle’s Skillet to pay $324K for alleged wage-theft law violations, firings (The Seattle Times)
- Wenatchee USPS workers picket to raise awareness on proposed changes (The Wenatchee World)
CAP-AND-TRADE PROGRAM
- Inslee vows to assist families with energy costs, prevent gouging by oil firms (Washington State Standard)
- Inslee announces climate priorities for upcoming 2024 legislative session (The Olympian)
- Gov. Inslee unveils $941 million supplemental budget plan to fight climate change (The Center Square)
COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES
CONGRESS
- House passes McMorris Rodgers’ bill aimed at lowering health care costs, increasing transparency (The Spokesman-Review)
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers speaks on Lower Costs, More Transparency Act as bill heads to Senate (KREM TV)
- Rep. Newhouse seeks market, export promotions in Farm Bill update (The Center Square)
- Colville chairman speaks on Newhouse tribal policing bill (NCW Life Channel)
COURTS (FEDERAL)
- Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to WA ban on ‘conversion therapy’ for minors (Washington State Standard)
- Groups want court to revisit ruling limiting Voting Rights Act scope (AP)
COURTS (STATE)
- Closing arguments in police trial focus on Manuel Ellis’ last gasps (The Seattle Times)
- Adoptive parents sentenced in starving death of WA teen (AP)
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
- States crack down on organized retail theft (Pluribus News)
- WA leader of $6.8M pandemic fraud scheme pleads guilty (FOX 13)
- Person clings to side of semi to flee deputies after 100 mph chase, Washington cops say (The News Tribune)
- Bremerton man charged with murder arrested, woman charged for helping him to elude capture (Kitsap Sun)
- Suspect killed by police at Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester was wanted for murder (The Olympian)
DAMS
DRUG CRISIS
- Dozens in limbo due to meth, fentanyl contamination at Clare’s Place (The Everett Herald)
- Kitsap’s first one-stop drug recovery center in Poulsbo aims to break cycle of addiction (Kitsap Sun)
- Woman with enough rainbow fentanyl pills to kill 10,000 is sentenced in Tri-Cities (Tri-City Herald)
EDUCATION
- Enrollment woes leave Washington school closures on the table (Crosscut)
- WA House Rep to introduce financial education grad requirement (KONA Radio)
- Rude files high school financial education bill (KWHT Radio)
- Seattle Public Schools tight-lipped on ‘ethnic studies’ quiz stirring controversy online (KOMO TV)
- Teachers have been outed for moonlighting in adult content. Do they have legal recourse? (AP)
ENERGY & UTILITIES
- Olympic Pipeline leak released 25,000 gallons of gasoline (The Seattle Times)
- The future of nuclear energy will be decided in Idaho (Bloomberg News/The Seattle Times)
- OPINION: White House secrecy could drastically raise electric rates (Jasen Bronec, CEO of Inland Power, the largest nonprofit electric cooperative in Washington state/The Spokesman-Review)
FISH
HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS
HIGHER EDUCATION
- WSU, OSU block mid-year revenue payments typically sent to Pac-12 schools (Bay Area News Group/The Spokesman-Review)
- Harvard board keeps president as leader of Ivy League school following antisemitism backlash (AP)
HOMELESSNESS
HOUSING
- Spokane apartment management company accused of fraudulently obtaining thousands in rent relief (The Spokesman-Review)
- EDITORIAL: Include inclusionary zoning in housing debate (The Columbian)
INVASIVE SPECIES
LEGISLATURE
- Minimum wage, cannabis use, waiting period for guns: New laws going into effect in Washington in 2024 (FOX 13)
- Sen. Jeff Wilson proposes increased protections for signature gatherers (The Chronicle)
- Legislature must protect signature gatherers from harassment (KLCK Radio)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- Spokane awarded $9.2 million federal grant to overhaul pedestrian safety, install new bike lanes (The Spokesman-Review)
- Bellevue family whose house was destroyed in landslide receives $5M (The Seattle Times)
- EDITORIAL: Lynnwood’s steps protect online public comment (The Everett Herald)
MEDIA
OTHER STATES
- To revive Portland, officials seek to recriminalize public drug use (The New York Times/The Seattle Times)
- Oregon governor, Portland task force recommend more cops, public drug use ban, business tax breaks (Oregon Capital Chronicle/Washington State Standard)
STATE GOVERNMENT
- WA Ecology adopts new rules restricting ‘global warming’ refrigerants (The Center Square)
- Washington state phases out super-polluting gases used in refrigerators, air conditioners (KUOW Radio)
TRANSPORTATION
- Washington transportation department releases first rest stop plan in years, asks state for millions to fund renovations (The Spokesman-Review)
- State lawmakers consider making driver’s ed requirement for those under 24-year-old (KING TV)
- Washington may require driver’s ed for more young drivers (Axios – Seattle)
- Increased SR 167, I-405 tolls to be voted on this week (MyNorthwest)
- Numerous crashes on U.S. 2 by Leavenworth during lights festival (KONA Radio)
WEATHER & CLIMATE