Capitol  Buzz

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Fed attacks inflation with another big hike and expects more (AP)
• Washington Department of Labor & Industries proposes workers’ compensation rate increase (The Columbian)
• Boeing will outsource more corporate jobs to India (The Seattle Times)
• Supply chain issues cause delays at Yakima-area car dealerships (KAPP/KVEW)

CANNABIS

• Seattle mayor inks trio of bills to increase number of minority-owned pot shops (MyNorthwest)
• Here are 2 chances to let Pasco leaders know your thoughts on retail cannabis sales (Tri-City Herald)

CORONAVIRUS

• Fauci tempers Biden’s declaration that pandemic is ‘over’ (New York Daily News/The Seattle Times)
• Official: Canada likely to drop vaccine requirement to enter (AP)

EDUCATION

• Washington ranked No. 5 best state in the nation for teachers (The Center Square)
• Where will Seattle Public Schools find $91.4 million to pay for new teacher contracts? (KOMO TV)
• Ridgefield teachers ratify new contract (The Columbian)
• Snohomish County bus driver shortage creates ripple effect for schools (The Everett Herald)
• Free mental health services available for Walla Walla public school students (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• WA isn’t alone in book censorship. Here’s how one library is giving access back to students (The Bellingham Herald)

ELECTIONS

• Investigation uncovers truth behind voter fraud claims in Mason County (KING TV)

ENERGY & UTILITIES

• Inslee OK with nuclear replacing lower Snake River dams’ hydro power (The Center Square)

ENVIRONMENT

• OPINION: Expensive climate action plans aren’t always the greenest (Todd Myers, environmental director at the Washington Policy Center/The Spokesman-Review)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE

• Biden nominates Seattle business leader Roger Nyhus as ambassador (The Seattle Times)

GUN RIGHTS

• GOP AGs push Visa, Mastercard, AmEx not to track gun sales (AP)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• EDITORIAL: Life expectancy statistics should give us pause (Yakima Herald-Republic)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• New estimate for number of WA residents eligible for student loan forgiveness (The Seattle Times)
• Nearly 900,000 borrowers in Washington and Idaho are eligible for student debt relief, White House says (The Spokesman-Review)

HOMELESSNESS

• In scathing letter, state chides city of Spokane on Camp Hope response, accuses mayor of valuing ‘optics’ over ‘action’ (The Spokesman-Review)
• Spokane moves to control homeless activities (The Center Square)
• ‘A hazardous health concern for all of us’ | What it’s like living near the homeless camp on I-90 (KREM TV)
• Tacoma leaders postpone decision on homeless ban (FOX 13)

IMMIGRATION

• Undocumented immigrants can apply for WA COVID-19 relief funds (The Seattle Times)

INVASIVE SPECIES

• Spider season is here, beware of dangerous spiders in Washington (KONA Radio)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Family of man shot, killed by Longview police files wrongful death lawsuit (KIRO TV)
• King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall talks priorities for her department (KIRO TV)
• Mayor Bruce Harrell appoints Adrian Diaz permanent Seattle police chief (The Seattle Times)
• Agency that investigates police shootings visits Wenatchee (The Wenatchee World)

LEGISLATURE

• These 8 new Washington laws Tri-Cities should know about (KONA Radio)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Amid spike in suicides, King County Jail to restore visits, services (The Seattle Times)

MEDIA

• After 40 years at Seattle Center, Crosscut will move across town (Crosscut)
• Remembering Sandy Williams, the Spokane journalist and Black activist (Crosscut)
• EDITORIAL: As journalism goes, so goes democracy (The Columbian)

MENTAL HEALTH

• U.S. adults should get routine anxiety screening, panel says (AP/The Seattle Times)
• Skagit County to try new approach to mental health in minority communities (Skagit Valley Herald)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon tuition-free preschool delayed by weeks or months, families frustrated by lack of answers (The Oregonian)
• Oregon pursues air-conditioning laws amid worsening climate change (Stateline.org/The Seattle Times)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• ‘Serious, confirmed’ hazing incident leads to Sehome football’s forfeit of game (The Bellingham Herald)
• 3 Southridge teens arrested after threats and a scuffle with school administrators (Tri-City Herald)
• North Franklin School District teacher faces charges after allegedly assaulting minor (KEPR)

STATE GOVERNMENT

• WA state employees likely to get $1k bonuses for COVID booster, raises (The Seattle Times)
• Ex-WA state employee gets 5 years for pandemic fraud of jobless claims (The Seattle Times)

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• ‘It’s happening with younger and younger people’: UW expert talks about keeping youth safe amid rise in fentanyl use and overdoses (The Spokesman-Review)

TRANSPORTATION

• Sea-Tac Airport calls weekend wait times ‘unacceptable;’ more staff coming on to help (FOX 13)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• Western WA is covered by smoke again. But for how long? (KUOW Radio)
• Wildfires are still burning in Whatcom and B.C. Here’s what to expect for smoke (The Bellingham Herald)

WILDLIFE

• Uptick in bird flu cases likely this fall (KWHT)

WOLVES

• Washington wolf pack crosses line; Fish and Wildlife mulls lethal control (Capital Press)