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Washington State Standard
After 30 days on Idaho fire line, Army soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord head home
LAVA FIRE, BOISE NATIONAL FOREST – One of the last things U.S. Army Capt. Bison Carcelli did before wrapping up his 30-day mission helping fight wildfires in Idaho was haul hoses up and down mountain roads to protect evacuated homes near Lake Cascade. Since Aug. 19, about 250 U.S. Army soldiers from the 14th Brigade […]
WA districts are banning student cellphone use. Here’s how it’s going
When a school district in southwest Washington began a cellphone ban this year, superintendent Asha Riley said teachers and administrators saw positive results right away. Students were talking more to each other in class, she said. One math teacher noted they were solving problems collaboratively, instead of plugging them into calculators on their phones. Woodland […]
Rent is eating up a greater share of tenants’ income in almost every state
There were 21 states where a majority of tenant households spent 30% or more of their incomes on rent and utilities last year, compared with just seven states in 2019. Nationwide, about 22 million renters are shouldering that percentage. Anyone paying more than 30% is considered “cost burdened,” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban […]
Scrubbers: The shipping industry’s greenwashing deception
Scrubbers, most of which use seawater to rinse some pollutants out of the ship’s exhaust, may sound like a good thing because they take sulfur and other pollutants from burning fossil fuels out of the air — but don’t be fooled. Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) on ships, colloquially known as scrubbers, transfer enormous amounts […]
Inflation has slowed, but the economy remains a big issue for voters in picking a president
Inflation hit a three-year low last month, just as the presidential election is heating up. But the high cost of housing and other necessities will keep the economy central to both of the major campaigns, as seen this week in the first debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The Consumer Price Index, a measure […]
Oregon election officials say data entry error added 306 noncitizens to voter rolls, two voted
The Oregon agency that issues driver’s licenses erroneously registered more than 300 non-citizens to vote, though state officials say only two people actually cast ballots. State Elections Director Molly Woon told the Capital Chronicle that she received a call late Thursday afternoon from the administrator of the Driver and Motor Vehicle Services division of the […]
‘We want what’s fair’: Boeing workers on strike in Washington take to the picket lines
Standing on the picket line outside Boeing’s Everett plant on Friday, Phil Westburg said not much has improved for aircraft machinists in the Puget Sound region since 2008, the last time he and other members of his union walked off the job. “We’re paying more now for a doctor’s visit and we lost our pension,” […]
Soy foam product seen as safer firefighting alternative to ‘forever chemicals’
In the search for a more eco-friendly firefighting foam, soybeans may be the answer to moving away from “forever chemicals.” Forever chemicals has become the common term for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. The Environmental Protection Agency calls them widely used, long-lasting chemicals that break down very slowly over time. They also […]
Kitsap Transit secures most of funding needed for ferry replacement
The local agency that operates passenger ferries between the Kitsap Peninsula and downtown Seattle will receive $13.5 million in federal funding to replace an older vessel with mechanical problems. Kitsap Transit and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell’s office announced the grant award this week and said the money would cover nearly 80% of the replacement ferry’s […]
Boeing machinists reject contract offer, go on strike
Thousands of Boeing workers who build commercial airplanes in Washington went on strike Friday after they overwhelmingly rejected a deal their union reached with the aerospace giant last weekend. The International Association of Machinists District 751 said 94.6% of voting members rejected the contract and 96% voted in favor of the strike. The union represents […]
Almost 700,000 WA households receive $200 credit on their electric bills
Nearly 700,000 Washington households received a $200 credit on their electricity bills in recent weeks – one of the state’s most visible investments to date under a climate law that is now in the hands of voters. State Department of Commerce officials estimated 685,113 low- and moderate-income households got the one-time credit as of Thursday, […]
A look at what Washington’s long-term care benefit might pay for
What could Washington’s new $36,500 lifetime long-term care benefit get you? According to a state workgroup, about 2,281 home-delivered meals, 80 days in an adult family home, seven years of transportation services, or $15,000 worth of adaptive equipment and technology to help with a disability. The Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Commission, a group of […]
Study finds prevalence of firearms is driving soaring gun deaths in U.S. – not mental illness
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for free, immediate support 24/7. The prevalence of firearms in the U.S. – not mental illness – is driving the surge in gun deaths across the country, a new study concludes. The research led […]
Washington climate auction prices remain low as repeal vote looms
Washington’s largest air polluters snapped up all available carbon emission allowances in this month’s state-run auction – and they did so at a relatively low price for a third consecutive time. The Sept. 4 auction was the last regular sale before voters decide the fate of the Climate Commitment Act and its cap-and-trade program in […]
College credit program for WA high schoolers sees enrollment jump now that it’s free
About 10,000 more students enrolled in Washington’s College in the High School program in the first school year that the dual credit courses were free for all students. That’s according to data from the Washington State Education Research and Data Center as well as the Council of Presidents, an association representing Washington’s public four-year colleges […]
The nation’s last refuge for affordable homes is in northeast Ohio
At 43, Sharon Reese is a housing market refugee — forced to return to her Ohio hometown after 18 years in Las Vegas, despite a successful career training dancers for nightclub acts. “If you don’t have between $600,000 and $800,000, you’re not buying a house out there,” Reese said. “Las Vegas has lot of opportunity, […]
Majority of state attorneys general seek warnings for youth on social media
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is leading a bipartisan campaign with 41 state attorneys general who are prodding Congress to require a U.S. surgeon general warning for young people on social media platforms. Rosenblum, president of the National Association of Attorneys General, sent a letter on Monday to Congress urging action amid heightened concern about […]
Ferguson, Reichert clash on crime, abortion and Trump in first debate
SEATTLE – Washington gubernatorial candidates Bob Ferguson and Dave Reichert clashed over public safety, abortion rights, and Donald Trump throughout an acrimonious hour-long debate Tuesday. The first face-to-face meeting between the two men in the election was marked by sharp exchanges in which Ferguson, a Democrat and the state’s attorney general, and Reichert, a Republican […]
Thousands of Washington state employees take part in lunch hour walkout
Thousands of state employees across Washington walked off the job for an hour on Tuesday demanding livable wages and safe staffing levels amid negotiations for their next two-year contract. The Washington Federation of State Employees, which represents 50,000 state government, higher education and public service workers, encouraged its members to walk out this week during […]
Residents leaving Alaska have now outnumbered those arriving for more than a decade
As Alaskans from different organizations convened at the University of Alaska Anchorage to brainstorm ways to reverse the state’s continuing population outmigration, a leading state economist delivered some bad news. Dan Robinson, research chief at the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, revealed that the latest data shows that Alaska has now had 12 […]
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