Capitol Buzz: CDC tells states to prepare for COVID-19 vaccine by early November; Washington state files suit against e-cigarette company JUUL for targeting teens Washington House Republicans sent this bulletin at 09/03/2020 10:10 AM PDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Capitol Buzz: September 3, 2020 09/03/2020 10:11 AM PDT CORONAVIRUS CASE COUNTS & COUNTY UPDATES Washington state reports 438 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday and four deaths (The News Tribune) COVID-19 cases have quadrupled in Whitman County in just 2 weeks (The Spokesman-Review) Pullman: More testing, less partying (The Lewiston Tribune) Clark County reports 18 new COVID-19 cases, no new deaths Wednesday (The Columbian) 28 new cases of coronavirus announced in Tri-Cities region on Wednesday (KEPR TV) ‘Really impressive’ drop in Tri-Cities COVID cases. Beware contact tracing scam (Tri-City Herald) 29 new COVID-19 cases in Yakima County Wednesday; Yakama Nation relaxes some restrictions (Yakima Herald) Health District: Community spread of COVID-19 decreasing in Spokane County (KXLY) New COVID-19 cases lower in Pierce County on Wednesday, but two new deaths reported (The News Tribune) Thurston County announces one new death and nine more COVID-19 cases (The Olympian) State reports eight more positive COVID-19 cases in Whatcom County on Wednesday (The Bellingham Herald) COVID-19 claims two more lives in Adams County, bringing death total to eight (iFiberOne) Coronavirus: Early signs of deceleration (Columbia Basin Herald) North Central Washington counties show improvement in COVID-19 cases (NCW Life Channel) BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR Mayor Woodward questioning Gov. Inslee after he claims Washington has strong economy (KHQ TV) Jobless claims fall to 881,000 but layoffs remain elevated (AP/The Seattle Times) Clouds gather over restaurants in Clark County as summer winds down (The Columbian) Apocalypse: Now What? Is it safe to eat out now? (Crosscut) Study: Washington is No. 1 state to work during the pandemic (Puget Sound Business Journal) CONGRESS & FEDERAL GOVERNMENT $100 million in rental assistance distributed to Washington counties (KING TV) COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT COVID-19 has killed more police officers this year than all other causes combined, statistics show (The Seattle Times) EDUCATION & SCHOOL SAFETY ‘We deserve to go fight for this’: High school athlete group including UW QB commit Sam Huard advocates for reinstatement of fall sports season (The Seattle Times) Families concerned about students falling behind hiring tutors for ‘pandemic pods’ (KIRO TV) Local virtual academy enrollment driven sky-high by COVID-19 (The Daily News) A first day of school like no other around Kitsap County (Kitsap Sun) School starts this week for thousands of Pierce County students. Are districts prepared? (The News Tribune) Elementary schools could open this month for in-person learning, health department says (The News Tribune) Lynden Christian quietly starts in-person (Lynden Tribune) Latest COVID infection rate metrics have Wenatchee School District superintendent hopeful about reopening schools soon (KOHO Radio) COLUMN: With school starting at home, parents will get new view on kids’ educations (Sue Lani Madsen/The Spokesman-Review) GENERAL NEWS Inslee extends 26 proclamations related to in-person services during COVID-19 pandemic (The Seattle Times) PNW startup can detect coronavirus on indoor surfaces, to stop outbreaks from silent spreaders (KIRO TV) Hispanic group accuses county of rushing re-open, ignoring Latino community (KPQ Radio) HEALTH CARE CDC tells states to prepare for COVID-19 vaccine by early November (The New York Times/The Seattle Times) CDC asks Washington to have COVID-19 vaccine sites ready by Nov. 1 (KIRO TV) CDC tells state health departments to prepare for potential vaccine as early as November (The Spokesman-Review) Why wasn’t the public notified sooner about a COVID-19 outbreak at a Bremerton hospital? (The Seattle Times) Washington Secretary of Health: Vaccine must be proven safe, effective before use (The News Tribune) State health report finds aerosol-generating procedures may have spread virus in St. Michael outbreak (Kitsap Sun) A new test in town: Confluence Health provides some patients with rapid COVID-19 tests (Columbia Basin Herald) HIGHER EDUCATION Here’s how WWU plans to address community concerns over the spread of COVID off campus (The Bellingham Herald) More than 1,000 Saint Martin’s University students benefit from Saints Care Emergency Fund (iFiberOneNewsRadio-KMAS) HOUSING Seattle landlords offering more concessions to renters amid pandemic: report (Seattle P-I) For CARES Act rental assistance, both tenant and landlord must live in Spokane (The Spokesman-Review) LOCAL GOVERNMENT Local officials say falling COVID-19 numbers merit more Phase 2 activities in Yakima County (Yakima Herald) King County’s latest Covid-19 emergency spending offers some help for businesses (Puget Sound Business Journal) MILITARY & VETERANS National Guard headed to Pullman to help slow coronavirus (AP/Kitsap Sun) OTHER STATES Oregon’s COVID-19 deaths reached a new record in August (The Oregonian) Coronavirus in Oregon: 140 new cases and three deaths reported Wednesday in lowest daily count since June (The Oregonian) Oregon hopes to pay ‘waiting week’ jobless benefits in November (The Oregonian) TECHNOLOGY Apple and Google make it easier to opt in to virus tracing (The New York Times/The Seattle Times) TRANSPORTATION Ferry service boosted to U.S. enclave of Point Roberts, which is cut off by Canada (NW News Network) Demand for the first Point Roberts ferry was strong, so these changes are planned (The Bellingham Herald) AGRICULTURE & WATER Farmworker housing nearing completion (Skagit Valley Herald) BUSINESS, ECONOMY & LABOR Boeing’s Dreamliner consolidation study leaves machinists union angry, uncertain (Puget Sound Business Journal) Review: Methanol plant on Columbia River would boost greenhouse gas emissions (AP/KOMO TV) Big Fish Games lays off 250 employees (Puget Sound Business Journal) OPINION: Ties between Washington state and Mexico are worth fostering (Héctor Iván Godoy Priske, Consul of Mexico in Seattle/The Seattle Times) CENSUS Report: Seattle is one of the fastest-growing large US cities (Puget Sound Business Journal) COMMUNITY & FAMILY ISSUES Man killed in Portland protest was reportedly from Spokane (The Spokesman-Review) OPINION: For Black lives to matter in WA, Skyway has to matter (Girmay Zahilay, member of the Metropolitan King County Council/Crosscut) COLUMN: For Black lives to truly matter, we must go beyond pervasive proclamations (Marcus Harrison Green/The Seattle Times) CONGRESS & FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Will Trump’s payroll tax deferral boost your paycheck? Maybe for a time, if your employer participates — but ‘it’s not free money’ (Chicago Tribune/The Seattle Times) President Trump says administration will ‘do everything in its power’ to defund Seattle (KOMO TV) COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT Seattle’s new police chief reassigning 100 cops to patrol to improve 911 response times, cut back on overtime (The Seattle Times) Seattle announces changes to police patrols: More patrols, shorter shifts, and less overtime pay (KNKX Radio) Outgoing Seattle police chief felt ‘destined to fail’ after cuts and public backlash (KUOW Radio) Family fears if police are cut from Seattle’s elderly abuse unit, the most vulnerable will be at risk (KING TV) Sheriff Johanknecht apologizes to family of Tommy Le; community leaders criticize her office for lack of oversight (The Seattle Times) Tommy Le’s family calls for action from King County Sheriff following outside review of 2017 shooting death (KUOW Radio) Vancouver police, Clark County Sheriff’s Office not sending officers to Portland (The Columbian) At least 24 people have been arrested at Portland protests more than once (KOMO TV) ‘Blue Lives Murder’ protest planned for Saturday (KEPR TV) DAMS EDITORIAL: Dam operator must atone for rubber spill into Puyallup River (The Seattle Times) EDUCATION & SCHOOL SAFETY Seattle Public Schools apologizes after sending a premature voicemail about start of school to families (The Seattle Times) ENERGY & UTILITIES US gives first-ever OK for small commercial nuclear reactor (AP/The Seattle Times) ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES & PARKS Ecology releases expanded rules for crude oil transport (KGMI Radio) GUN RIGHTS Recent protests linked to rising gun sales but new owners may face legal hurdles (KOMO TV) EDITORIAL: While I-1639 might be flawed, it’s been ruled constitutional (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) HOMELESSNESS ‘Law enforcement is not the solution’ to homelessness — but what is? (The Wenatchee World) Mount Vernon winter shelter loses its site (Skagit Valley Herald) LAND USE & PROPERTY RIGHTS Much at stake as deadline looms for comp plan proposals (Everett Herald) Mission Ridge says Chelan County is delaying its development plans (The Wenatchee World) LOCAL GOVERNMENT Private security, hired by Seattle parks after police cleared Cal Anderson, chased away on first night (The Seattle Times) ‘Bereft of leadership,’ Stevens County can’t make budget decisions or dispense CARES Act aid (The Spokesman-Review) King County Council passes implementation plan for $318 million education investment (Washington State Wire) OTHER STATES Oregon State Police deputized by feds; unclear how many will assist with Portland protests (The Oregonian) Portland businesses plan rally to clean downtown area Thursday (The Oregonian) Proposed Oregon ballot measure to take politics out of redistricting apparently dead (The Oregonian) Oregon Farm Bureau working to address mental health challenges (Washington Ag Network/KONA Radio) POLITICS NATIONAL EDITORIAL: Flag should be a symbol for all Americans (The Columbian) SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook moves to target misinformation before election (AP/Seattle P-I) TRANSPORTATION New I-5 ramp meters go live in Vancouver (The Columbian) Holiday travel is likely to be laborious this weekend (Everett Herald) Traveling this weekend? Here’s what you need to know before you go (The News Tribune) Need some good news? Intercity Transit set to expand bus service Sept. 20 (The Olympian) EDITORIAL: Tacoma is winner in Pierce Transit restructure. Will Puyallup, other suburbs lose? (The News Tribune) VAPING Washington state files suit against e-cigarette company JUUL for targeting teens (KOMO TV) Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson files suit against Juul, says e-cig maker markets to kids (The Spokesman-Review) Washington AG sues Juul, saying it targets minors (AP/The Bellingham Herald) WILDFIRE PREVENTION & RESPONSE Five homes destroyed as Yakima County wildfire grows to almost 35,000 acres (MyNorthwest) Evans Canyon Fire grows an estimated 18,000 acres overnight; 52,000 acres scorched (KEPR TV) Tri-Citians breathing smoke from Yakima County fire. Air is unhealthy for many (Tri-City Herald)
