The Capitol Buzz is a weekday summary of online news stories from across the state, highlighting policies, politics and other issues that affect Washingtonians.
AGRICULTURE & WATER
BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR
- Inflation is biggest concern for Pacific Northwest holiday shoppers (KQQQ Radio)
- Starbucks to shutter a 4th unionized Seattle store, citing safety (Puget Sound Business Journal)
- $32.5 million in grants from new Small Business Innovation Fund include local funding (KXRO Radio)
- Vancouver businesses say city’s upcoming tax hikes threaten local economy (The Columbian)
- COLUMN: Which King County neighborhoods have the most tech workers (Gene Balk/The Seattle Times)
COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES
CORONAVIRUS
- A year after the omicron surge, officials see a reduced COVID threat this winter (The Seattle Times)
COURTS (FEDERAL)
COURTS (STATE)
- KC Prosecutor’s Office uses data to better understand domestic violence cases (MyNorthwest)
- EDITORIAL: An appointment worth celebrating: Qué viva Sonia (Yakima Herald)
CRIME
- ‘I spent the night here to protect my business’: Local businesses fed up with crime (KHQ TV)
- Here’s how a North Thurston middle school teacher got caught in a child sex abuse sting (The Olympian)
ELECTIONS
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES
ENERGY & UTILITIES
- Solar projects progress over Yakima County’s protest (Capital Press)
- Clark Public Utilities signs deal to buy 10% of its energy from Eastern Washington dam (The Columbian)
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & THE WHITE HOUSE
HEALTH CARE & HOSPITALS
- Flu season wreaking havoc on kids in Washington state (MyNorthwest)
- Washington county says more kids are in hospital now than during the height of the pandemic (KNWN Radio)
- Some medications in short supply at local pharmacies as demand outstrips production (The News Tribune)
- Providence responds to critical letter from Everett, county councils (The Everett Herald)
- Providence Everett reviewing ER patient death (The Seattle Times)
HOMELESSNESS
- Thousands of U.S. schools, including in WA, fail to count homeless students (The Seattle Times)
- Spokane city and county leaders point fingers at state for dragging out I-90 camp timeline (KREM TV)
- Tents at new Tacoma homeless site leaked during Tuesday’s rain. City says it’s been fixed (The News Tribune)
LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Bellevue police chief calls loss of motorcycle Officer Jordan Jackson a ‘tragedy’ (KING TV)
- Fallen Bellevue officer was a protector of his family, says cousin (MyNorthwest)
- Seattle Police Chief wants to form department liaison to support families of murder victims (FOX 13)
- Man who carjacked semi-trailer on I-5 Friday emerged from it with knife, investigators say (The Olympian)
- Police: Man accused of carjacking, rolling semi charged officers with knife (KING TV)
LEGISLATURE
- Modular building on west Capitol Campus almost ready for Newhouse staff (The Olympian)
- Washington House Democrats elect leadership team for 2023 session (The Olympian)
- Mosbrucker named WPUDA Legislative Champion (Columbia Basin Herald)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
- Kuney to head Washington State Association of Counties (The Spokesman-Review)
- Seattle City Council set to spend over $500M on ‘affordable housing’ in two years (The Center Square)
- Spokane Sheriff’s use of helicopters, infrared imaging to survey Camp Hope at center of latest legal dispute (The Spokesman-Review)
- Spokane mayor vetoes 1% property tax hike (The Center Square)
- OPINION: City Council shouldn’t try to regulate food delivery apps (Jaime Gaines is a Spokane resident who has worked for DoorDash since April 2020/The Spokesman-Review)
OPERATING BUDGET
OTHER STATES
- In California, 10% of Legislature now identifies as LGBTQ (AP)
- OPINION: Magical thinking won’t fill fuel tank (Eric Fruits, Cascade Policy Institute/Capital Press)
PRIVACY
SCHOOL SAFETY
- False reports of school shootings across western Washington caused ‘tremendous’ amount of stress (KING TV)
- Police respond for false alarm of shooting at Tacoma’s Lincoln High, other WA schools (The News Tribune)
- Three Whatcom, Skagit high schools receive false calls of an active campus shooter (The Bellingham Herald)
- Prank call for active school shooter prompts Clark County deputies to respond (The Oregonian)
- False report of active shooter at Rochester High School on Tuesday is under investigation (The Chronicle)
- Parents raise concerns after threats closed Meridian Elementary School for four days (KOMO TV)
STATE GOVERNMENT
TAXES
- Washington AG: Supreme Court should allow capital gains collection before ruling on tax (The Center Square)
- Washington plummets in state business tax index over capital gains tax (The Center Square)
TECHNOLOGY
TRIBAL ISSUES
WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE
WILDLIFE
