ABORTION
AGRICULTURE
BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR
- Electricians in Puget Sound region vote down contract offer as strike nears 10 weeks (Washington State Standard)US inflation cooled in May in a sign that price pressures may be easing (AP)The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits jumps to the highest level in 10 months (AP)
CANNABIS
- Cannabis industry concerned over new tax break for WA medical marijuana patients (The Center Square)
COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES
CONGRESS
- U.S. lawmakers attempt pay bump after 15 years of frozen salaries (Bloomberg/The Spokesman-Review)House votes to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for withholding Biden audio (AP)Preventing CCP land acquisition: Newhouse’s proposed legislation (KPQ Radio)OPINION: Congress must continue efforts to protect children online (Reilly Dever, Seattle resident and pediatrician with experience in policy and health tech innovation, and Mary Beth Bennett, Seattle pediatrician who focuses on health communication, environmental justice, and family financial well-being/The Seattle Time
COURTS (FEDERAL)
- Supreme Court preserves access to abortion medication (FOX 13)Supreme Court, siding with Starbucks, makes it harder for NLRB to win court orders in labor disputes (AP)9th Circuit weighs Endangered Species Act pre-emption of Klamath water rights (Capital Press)
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
CYBERSECURITY
DRUG CRISIS
- As deadly overdoses decline, Snohomish County builds on what’s working (The Everett Herald)More Clark County street drugs include more than one illicit substance. Combination makes treatment more difficult (The Columbian)
EDUCATION
- State-funded meals limiting eastern Washington school district’s options (The Center Square)Moses Lake School District deficit more than $13 million after cuts (Columbia Basin Herald)A ‘step backwards?’ Pasco adopts controversial new high school attendance boundaries (Tri-City Herald)COLUMN: Parents have a right to know about their kids in school (Chad Taylor/The Chronicle)
ENERGY & UTILITIES
ENVIRONMENT
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE
FISH
FOOD SAFETY & SECURITY
HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS
HIGHER EDUCATION
- UW President Ana Mari Cauce to retire after decade in the job (The Seattle Times)University of Washington President Cauce to retire in 2025 (KUOW Radio)UW president talks former pro-Palestinian encampments, move to Big Ten (KOMO TV)
HOMELESSNESS
- Nonprofit gifts birthday parties to 15,000 kids experiencing homelessness in Washington (KING TV)EDITORIAL: Utilitarian but sturdy restrooms should be a relief (The Everett Herald)
HOUSING
- For older renters, Western WA’s housing boom can sow insecurity (Cascade PBS)Pacific Northwest still cool on built-to-rent houses (Axios – Seattle)
LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS
LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Spokane Sheriff asks county to renew bonus program amid low recruitment (The Center Square)Burien police chief resigns, takes job as top cop in Des Moines (MyNorthwest)What will civilian oversight of law enforcement look like in Olympia? Now there’s a plan (The Olympian)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- Constantine blames state property tax protection for hindering $35M shortfall fix (The Center Square)Seattle’s budget crisis could threaten affordable housing funds (FOX 13)Off-duty guard accused of killing teen removed from public safety committee (The Seattle Times)
MENTAL HEALTH
- How a college football star helped launch Washington’s new youth mental health helpline (Washington State Standard)New mental health and addiction recovery center coming to Tri-Cities by 2025 (KAPP/KVEW)
MILITARY & VETERANS
OTHER STATES
- New test results suggest Portland Public Schools students aren’t learning enough math, but holding steady in reading (The Oregonian)Portland to provide thousands of free air conditioners this summer; those in need can now call 311 (The Oregonian)
PARKS
SCHOOL SAFETY
- As Seattle police increase their presence at Garfield High School, community opinion remains mixed (KING TV)Between gun tragedies, Garfield students discuss gun violence prevention (KNKX Radio)Cadet claimed abuse by Tacoma JROTC instructor. Now the district will pay undisclosed sum (The News Tribune)Family raises concerns over restraint tactics at Vancouver school after 5-year-old’s concussion (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
SOCIAL MEDIA
- As Instagram updates its features to prevent youth cyberbullying, Inland Northwest organizations weigh in on how social media affects the communities they serve (The Inlander)COLUMN: Survey finds news consumers on social media often find sketchy stories (Brier Dudley/The Seattle Times)
SPORTS
TRANSPORTATION
- Closures coming with I-90 summer construction (Snoqualmie Valley Record)Tacoma crash victim’s family alleges officials knew dangers of intersection (The Seattle Times)Thefts of charging cables are another obstacle to appeal of electric vehicles (AP/FOX 13)
TRIBAL ISSUES
WATER
- Major drought for Yakima Basin growers means paying more for irrigation water (The Center Square)EDITORIAL: West must get real about looming water crisis (Capital Press)
WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE
- Wildfire season expected to come earlier and be slightly more active than usual in Washington (KING TV)Northwest leaders try again for more federal money for prescribed burns to prevent wildfire (States Newsroom/Washington State Standard)Yakima County bans outdoor fires through September (Yakima Herald-Republic)Fire burns national monument land near Rattlesnake Mountain on Hanford nuclear site (Tri-City Herald)Pioneer Fire on Lake Chelan up to nearly 1,200 acres after wind (KPQ Radio)EDITORIAL: New wildfire strategies could make a difference this summer (Yakima Herald-Republic)
