Lawmakers have passed legislation granting benefits and protections, but allowing Lyft and Uber to continue to treat drivers as contractors.
Tag Archives: Washington (State)
‘Atmospheric River’ Threatens to Pummel the Pacific Northwest
Heavy rains in the mountains of Oregon and Washington are expected to cause flooding starting on Monday, forecasters said.
The Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker Is Armed to the Teeth
The diminutive predator is a terrible swimmer but thrives in the intertidal zone thanks to odd evolutionary adaptation.
Hacker Who Sold Pirated Video Games Gets More Than 3 Years in Prison
Gary Bowser, 52, pleaded guilty for his role in a group that sold pirated video games for devices like the Nintendo Switch, costing companies more than $65 million, prosecutors said.
The Tsunami Could Kill Thousands. Can They Build An Escape?
A major quake in the Pacific Northwest, expected sooner or later, will most likely create waves big enough to wipe out entire towns. Evacuation towers may be the only hope, if they ever get built.
Rejected Mail Ballots Are Showing Racial Disparities
Auditors in Washington State found that the mail ballots of Black voters were being rejected at four times the rate of white voters. Similar trends have been seen in other states.
Fraud Ring That Staged Car Crashes Cost Insurers $1 Million, U.S. Says
Nearly two dozen people have been indicted on charges related to the elaborate scheme, which took place from 2017 to 2020 in Washington State, the authorities said.
Record Rain and Snow Shut Down Roads and Schools in Washington State
Crucial routes through the Cascade Mountains remained closed on Sunday as responders assessed the damage.
A Tribe’s Bitter Purge Brings an Unusual Request: Federal Intervention
After cutting 306 people from its rolls, the Nooksack tribe is moving to evict those who remain in tribal housing. The dispute has raised questions about individual rights and tribal sovereignty.
Winter Storms Threaten to Disrupt Travel in the Northwest
Parts of Oregon and Washington were also bracing for single-digit temperatures as the Southern United States recorded temperatures more than 25 degrees above normal.
Washington State Senator Doug Eriksen Died After Covid Infection
Doug Ericksen was a Republican who helped lead opposition to Washington State’s Covid-19 emergency orders and vaccine mandates.
Flooding in Washington Brings Death and Devastation to Dairies
Near-record flooding in Washington State drowned cattle, demolished homes and damaged equipment. Broken supply chains are making it even harder to recover.
Landslides and Torrential Rains Batter British Columbia
Dozens of drivers were trapped by landslides, and the city of Merritt warned of a “mass sewage backup.” The rainfall was part of a system that also pummeled Washington State.
20 People Rescued From Flooded R.V. Park in Oregon
Some campers were airlifted from a recreational vehicle park after floodwaters covered the only bridge in and out of the area.
Tree DNA Sends a Poacher to Prison in 2018 Maple Fire Case
Loggers seeking a prized hardwood started the fire in the Olympic National Forest, prosecutors said. The use of timber DNA evidence was a first in a federal criminal trial.
Liberal Hypocrisy Is Fueling Inequality
Why do states with democratic majorities fail to live up to their values?
Metallurgist Admits She Falsified Test Results for Steel Used in Navy Submarines
For more than 30 years, Elaine Thomas altered test results for more than 240 steel productions while working for a foundry that provides metal for U.S. Navy submarines.
Immigration Detainees Are Owed $17 Million in Back Pay, Jury Says
The detainees had been working for $1 a day in a for-profit detention center in Tacoma, Wash., a labor practice that a federal jury said violated state law.
Some Residents Taking Fighting Wildfires Into Their Own Hands
As wildfire seasons worsen, a growing number of rural residents are buying and outfitting fire rigs and other equipment to protect their property and themselves.
The Lummi Nation’s Secret to Saving Fragile Ecosystems
The Lummi Nation has a long, proud history of contesting ecologically unfriendly projects. Can it pull off one more big win?
Liberal Voters Hold Firm to Biden’s Stronger Safety Net
In the deep-blue Seattle district represented by Pramila Jayapal, a leading progressive in Congress, voters see the Democrats’ left wing as ascendant and want it to play hardball against moderates.
‘Long Overdue’: Liberal Voters Hold Firm to Biden’s Stronger Safety Net
In the deep-blue Seattle district represented by Pramila Jayapal, a leading progressive in Congress, voters see the Democrats’ left wing as ascendant and want it to play hardball against moderates.
The Sunday Read: ‘I Had a Chance to Travel Anywhere. Why Did I Pick Spokane?’
After 18 months of pandemic parenting isolation, one writer knew just where the cure might lie: a minor-league baseball game in eastern Washington.
More ‘Murder Hornets’ Are Being Found and Destroyed
Officials hunting the Asian giant hornet in Washington State have so far destroyed three nests, and plan to eradicate a fourth — very carefully.
A Derelict Warehouse as a Second Home?
Even his artsy friends were skeptical. But for $70,000, he knew he could find a way to make it work.
Washington State Will Require All Teachers to be Vaccinated
The policy is the strictest school vaccine mandate imposed to date by any state, allowing for only a few exceptions. School staff must be vaccinated by Oct. 18 or face possible dismissal.
Wildfires Limit Outdoor Travel and Activity Across the West
Excessive heat and wildfires could disrupt the booming outdoor travel industry, as travelers now have to take a hotter and longer fire season into account.
Reconsidering Outdoor Travel in the West, as Wildfires Burn
Excessive heat and wildfires could disrupt the booming outdoor travel industry, as travelers now have to take a hotter and longer fire season into account.
Heat-Related Death Toll Climbs to Nearly 100 in Washington State and Oregon
The heat wave in parts of the Pacific Northwest played a role in the deaths of dozens of people, some of whom lived alone.
Pacific Northwest Continues to Bake Beneath ‘Heat Dome’
A wave of ocean air provided some relief after Portland, Ore., reached 116 degrees on Monday. Temperatures will climb into the upper 90s there on Tuesday, forecasters said.
Pacific Northwest Bakes in Record-Setting Heat Wave
A high of 102 degrees was recorded on Saturday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, only the third time since 1945 that the high reached triple digits, the National Weather Service said.
University of Washington Police Officers File Racism Claims
Police officers at the University of Washington in Seattle, regarded as one of the nation’s most progressive cities, said they were the target of racist insults and harassment.
Washington State Allows Free Joints for Covid Jabs
The promotion, called “Joints for Jabs,” is one of many across the United States whose aim is to get more Americans vaccinated.
Protected Habitat, for a Population of One
Fifty years ago, Marty Bluewater fought to keep his home among the nesting birds of Protection Island. Now he’s fighting for the birds.
Western States Face Excessive Heat Warnings and Advisories
Temperatures in Northern California could hit 107 on Tuesday and areas across Washington could reach the lower 100s, the National Weather Service said.
3 Tacoma Police Officers Charged in Killing of Black Man
Prosecutors in Washington State said that Manuel Ellis had pleaded, “I can’t breathe,” after police officers punched him, squeezed his neck, pressed on his back and placed a spit hood over his head.
Along the Columbia River, Making a Monument of the Land
In the Pacific Northwest, Maya Lin’s ‘art landscapes’ celebrate the river’s partnership with Native American tribes.
Covid Vaccines Are Now on Wheels
Mobile Covid-19 vaccine clinics in vans and buses are rolling up to neighborhoods in Delaware, Minnesota and Washington State to reach people who have been unable to travel to vaccination centers.
Some Statues Tell Lies. This One Tells the Truth.
Billy Frank Jr. changed the country for the better and won rights for Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest.
Police Say an Antifa Activist Likely Shot at Officers. His Gun Suggests Otherwise.
Investigators said that Michael Reinoehl probably opened fire before officers killed him last year. But some key evidence raises questions about that conclusion.
Salmonella Outbreak Is Linked to Wild Birds and Feeders, C.D.C. Says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 19 people had been sickened in eight states.
Fed Up With Remote Learning, Governors Make a Push to Reopen Schools
A bipartisan group of governors decided to flex its muscle and get students back into classrooms, despite union resistance and bureaucratic hesitancy.
Seattle’s Virus Success Shows What Could Have Been
The Seattle area once had more coronavirus deaths than anywhere else in the United States. A year later, the region’s deaths per capita are lower than any other large metropolitan area.
D.C.’s Mayor Mourned Covid’s Unequal Toll. Her Sister Is the Latest Victim.
As the number of coronavirus deaths in the city reached 1,000 this week, three-fourths of the dead were Black.
On the West Coast, Avalanche Warnings and an ‘Atmospheric River’
The danger of avalanche is high in parts of the Cascade Mountains and areas farther south, the Northwest Avalanche Center said.
Woman, 90, Walked Six Miles in the Snow for a Vaccine
Frances Goldman had struggled for weeks to book a coronavirus vaccination in Seattle. So when she got a Sunday appointment, she didn’t intend to miss it — even if it meant braving the elements alone.
Oregon Is Vaccinating Teachers. It Might Not Be Enough to Reopen Schools.
Oregon is a case study in how Pacific Coast cities are lagging the country in resuming in-person teaching.
Scenes From a Record-Setting Winter Storm
The coast-to-coast storm brought heavy snow and frigid temperatures as well as prompted rolling blackouts.
A Plan to Keep Extremists Out of the GOP
Putting country before party would be easier if we changed electoral systems.
Help With Vaccination Push Comes From Unexpected Businesses
Microsoft, Starbucks and Amazon are among the companies offering the government assistance with logistics and operations.