Capitol  Buzz

ABORTION

• Starbucks, joining Amazon, offers to cover travel costs for abortions (Puget Sound Business Journal)

AGRICULTURE & WATER

• $191 million in emergency relief funds now available to WA farmers (iFiberOne TV)
• Avian flu sweeping through Washington state, carried by migrating birds (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
• NW winter wheat outlook ‘considerably more optimistic’ after last year’s drought (Capital Press)
• EDITORIAL: County closes in on agritourism answers (Yakima Herald-Republic)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Gas prices on the rise again in Washington state (Nisqually Valley News/The Chronicle)
• Retail sales rise 0.9% in April as consumers show resilience (AP/The Columbian)
• COLUMN: From 2010 to 2020, gender gap in Seattle tech stayed largely the same (Gene Balk/The Seattle Times)

CANNABIS

• King County Council approves creation of Cannabis Safety Task Force (FOX 13)

COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES

• Amid baby formula shortage, local moms scrambling to feed babies (The Everett Herald)

CONGRESS

• McMorris Rodgers demands answers from FDA on baby formula crisis (The Center Square)
• A look at Puget Sound’s own history with Unidentified Aerial Phenomena as Congress hears UFO testimony (FOX 13)

CORONAVIRUS

• COVID-19 infections surging in some Washington counties (FOX 13)

COURTS (FEDERAL)

• Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson to defend state ban on conversion therapy (KIRO TV)

COURTS (STATE)

• EDITORIAL: State Supreme Court should rule for judicial transparency (The Seattle Times)

DAMS

• Airport board takes stand against breaching dams (The Lewiston Tribune)
• COLUMN: Inslee and Murray are targeting the wrong dams (Don Brunell/The Chronicle)

EDUCATION

• Issaquah School District parents unsure if returning to mask mandates will help (KOMO TV)
• Passions flare over Marysville School Board parental consent policy (The Everett Herald)

EMERGENCY POWERS

• Think we’re done with emergency orders? 29 are still in effect, with no plans to end them (The News Tribune)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• Scientists seek new monitoring systems as Snohomish County volcano is at ‘very high’ threat of eruption (FOX 13)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Washington wants to plug in to the next thing in fuel: hydrogen (Crosscut)

ENVIRONMENT

• WA Department of Ecology invites public comment on rule for landmark climate change program (KHQ TV)
• Port Townsend paper mill fined $27k for water violations (KONP)

HANFORD

• Department of Energy resumes Hanford B Reactor tours (KONA Radio)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• WA takes step toward expanding health insurance coverage for all residents, regardless of immigration status (The Seattle Times)
• Yakima County Commissioners aim to expand health board to 10 members to comply with state law (Yakima Herald-Republic)

HOMELESSNESS

• Money woes undermine successful Seattle shelter program, council member says (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• After long debate, Edmonds bans homeless people from living outside (The Everett Herald)
• Assisted living residence for formerly homeless people opens in Hazel Dell (The Columbian)
• Kirkland parents push back against homeless housing near school (KING TV)
• Large homeless encampment in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood being cleared Wednesday (KIRO TV)

IMMIGRATION

• Immigrants need a voice, citizen advisors tell Bellingham Council. Here’s what they want (The Bellingham Herald)

LEGISLATURE

• GOP Senate leader renews push for gas tax relief (MyNorthwest)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Snohomish County seeks input on spending American Rescue Plan dollars (The Everett Herald)
• Port of Seattle wants world’s first cruise-led green corridor (The Center Square)
• Former King County district commissioner testifies at his corruption trial (KING TV)

OTHER STATES

• Kotek wins Democratic nod in Oregon governor’s race (AP/The Seattle Times)
• Printing errors mar mailed ballots in Oregon, Pennsylvania (AP/The Seattle Times)
• Idaho Gov. Little turns back Trump-backed challenger (AP/The Seattle Times)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Bomb threat called in at Moses Lake High School unsubstantiated (iFiberOne TV)

SPORTS

• US Soccer equalizes pay in milestone with women, men (The Seattle Times)
• The Podium to host USA handball championships in 2023, 2024 (The Spokesman-Review)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• Washington State Ferries experiencing system network issues (KIRO TV)

TRANSPORTATION

• State agencies update Transportation Commission on $16.9B ‘Move Ahead Washington’ package (The Center Square)
• Where’s my electric car? State policy makes EVs hard to find and buy in Washington. (KNWN Radio)
• Nearly 43,000 died on US roads in 2021, most in 16 years (AP/The Oregonian)
• $10.4 million coming to Central Washington airports (KAPP/KVEW)
• OPINION: The future of ‘green’ air travel is here with sustainable aviation fuels (Michelle McMurry-Heath, physician-scientist and president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization/The Seattle Times)
• COLUMN: One of Tacoma’s most popular drives to close to cars forever. Here’s why and what it means (Matt Driscoll/The News Tribune)

TRIBAL ISSUES

• Federal Indian boarding schools implemented systematic cultural whitewashing, new report reveals (MyNorthwest)

WOLVES

• Washington wolf rule seen as invitation to more lawsuits (Capital Press)