Capitol  Buzz

AGRICULTURE & WATER

• Washington wine grape harvest could be “biggest yet” (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR

• Deal that prevented rail strike still needs worker support (AP)
• Boeing to outsource finance jobs as it shifts hiring focus to engineering, manufacturing (Puget Sound Business Journal)
• Real estate brokerage Compass lays off workers in WA (The Seattle Times)
• Lewis County sees increase in unemployment rate, though it remains below June levels (The Chronicle)
• COLUMN: Seattle median household income hits $110,000, census data shows (Gene Balk/The Seattle Times)

CONGRESS

• The House just passed a bill that would make it harder to overthrow an election (KNKX Radio)

CORONAVIRUS

• Why omicron might stick around (The New York Times/The Seattle Times)

CRIME

• Undercover Tacoma cop investigating street racing outed on Instagram, charges say (The News Tribune)
• Town Hall offers these issues at play in rising downtown Bellingham crime (The Bellingham Herald)

CYBERSECURITY

• Washington ranked eighth-worst state in nation for cybercrime (The Center Square)

EDUCATION

• ‘It’s not our fault’ teens cry out as book bans accelerate in every state, including WA (The Olympian)
• It’s Banned Books Week. And in Walla Walla, efforts continue to remove books from public school libraries (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Lawyer bills Richland schools $30,000 for defending 3 board members from a recall (Tri-City Herald)
• EDITORIAL: Kids with cellphones make book bans pointless. So why is censorship raging in the U.S.? (Tri-City Herald)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

• Data shows alarming trend in assaults, incidents against Seattle firefighters (KOMO TV)
• Multi-agency airport emergency plan drill comes day after real crash at airport (KEPR)

ENVIRONMENT

• Inslee visits Nordic countries to talk energy, innovation, climate change (The Spokesman-Review)
• From Norway, Inslee touts Washington partnership on green energy (The Center Square)
• OPINION: Washington’s plastic bag ban is well-intentioned. In reality, it’s been a huge waste (Erin Caldwell is a lawyer at Microsoft/The News Tribune)

FISH

• Fishing season for salmon opens up on the Upper Columbia River (The Wenatchee World)
• European green crab populations remain low in Skagit County (Skagit Valley Herald)

HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS

• Ellensburg doctor who sold COVID-19 vaccine waivers has license suspended (KING TV)

HIGHER EDUCATION

• ‘You called us heroes, prove it’: University of Washington workers asking for better pay, safety improvements (KING TV)
• WSU state budget request seeks full funding for 7% raises over next two years (KQQQ Radio)
• Clark College students feel brunt of financial aid cuts: ‘Where’s that $1,000?’ (The Columbian)

HOMELESSNESS

• Seattle’s Chinatown protests against expanded homeless shelter (The Center Square)
• State rebukes Spokane’s demands for help with Camp Hope (The Center Square)
• City of Olympia dismantling RV encampments outside of local hospital (KOMO TV)

HOUSING

• Report finds Washington is one of the most expensive states to buy a home (KOMO TV)
• Seattle is America’s fastest-cooling housing market, Redfin says (The Seattle Times)
• Snohomish Council rejects tax break on housing for low-income families (The Everett Herald)
• Yakima City Council accepts funds shy of $1 million for new affordable housing projects (Yakima Herald-Republic)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

• ‘Going to be hard work,’ Seattle business owners react to new police chief announcement (KOMO TV)
• Spokane police officer under investigation for attempted sexual assault of sheriff’s deputy (The Spokesman-Review)
• Sedro-Woolley officer won’t face charges after shooting, killing man during February traffic stop (MyNorthwest)
• Lakewood Police vehicle stolen while officers on call (KOMO TV)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• Low staffing numbers keeping some suspects out of Pierce County jails (MyNorthwest)
• Clark County moves forward with jail takeover amid questions from public (OPB)
• State auditor: Mason County Fire District 12 misuses nearly $200k in public funds (KIRO TV)
• Tri-Cities council votes on allowing prayer. But 1 member says he will not participate (Tri-City Herald)

MEDIA

• COLUMN: Free Press roundup: Getting news from social media, slowing traffic (Brier Dudley/The Seattle Times)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• ‘One vet harmed is one vet too many’: Amid scrutiny in Congress, Oracle announces it will rebuild VA medical record system being tested in Spokane (The Spokesman-Review)

OPERATING BUDGET

• Projections lowered in latest Washington revenue forecast (AP/MyNorthwest)

OTHER STATES

• Oregon students’ reading, writing and math skills plummeted amid pandemic, first scores since 2019 show (The Oregonian)
• Portland Public Schools expands Head Start to full-day, reduces number of children served (The Oregonian)

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Sehome principal asks for trust as school works through ‘difficult’ football hazing event (The Bellingham Herald)

SECURITY

• Is Canada about to ease requirements for crossing the border? (KUOW Radio)

TRANSPORTATION

• People are mad at airports — including Sea-Tac (Axios Seattle)
• Is the next major Puget Sound airport in Pierce County? It’s not out of the question (The News Tribune)
• C-Tran CEO Donaghy airs I-5 Bridge replacement plan worries (The Columbian)
• EDITORIAL: Transparency and the let-California-decide strategy (Capital Press)

WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE

• WSDOT aims to reopen US 2 by Monday while crews evaluate Bolt Creek Fire (FOX 13)
• Higher temperatures, low humidity and winds continue fueling Goat Rocks Fire activity (The Chronicle)

WILDLIFE

• With a few cups of water, scientists use eDNA to study reclusive, rare creatures (NW News Network)

WOLVES

• Washington wildlife agency revisits pause on lethal wolf removal following new attacks (The Center Square)