Friday, June 9

Seattle’s tiny homes get a big upgrade
Faced with a growing homelessness crisis, Seattle’s choices in how it uses scarce land and funding can mean the difference between hundreds of people sleeping inside or on the street. That’s why the King County Regional Homelessness Authority has opposed the expansion of single-occupant dwellings, such as tiny homes, in the past. The agency’s leadership has suggested resources would be better served acquiring denser housing that’s permanent, such as hotels or apartment buildings. They have also criticized the quality of living conditions in tiny home villages, with a spokesperson once calling them – and later apologizing – “shantytowns.” They remain popular with local elected officials, though, who appear set on proliferating tiny homes, saying they are a way to bring people inside quickly. A new type of tiny community in Magnuson Park that opened this month appears to strike a partial compromise. Instead of one-room buildings with no indoor plumbing, the 22 new cottages are permanent structures with bathrooms and kitchens. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Greg Gilbert)

Student activists helped pass Washington’s new assault weapons ban
Last year, the K-12 school shooting database, an open-source public database that documents when a gun is fired or brandished or a bullet hits school property in the United States, recorded the highest number of incidents in 53 years of data collection. As of 2020, firearm-related deaths are the leading cause of mortality for kids and adolescents aged 1 through 19 in this country. Among the people fighting to change that are a group of Seattle youth. In their most recent victory, they helped pass Washington’s assault weapons ban. “It’s really important life-saving legislation, and students really need this,” Soni said. “Too often people with assault weapons come into schools and start shooting.” Continue reading at Crosscut. (Jason Redmond)

Where are electric vehicles most popular in Washington state?
High fuel prices, along with new government subsidies for electric vehicle purchases, may have some in Washington considering whether to ditch their gasoline-powered cars or trucks for plug-in models. So, how many motorists in the state have already made the leap? Where are they? And, when you factor in the population size in different regions, which are the places where electric vehicles are most popular? State Department of Licensing data offer insights. They also highlight how much slower EV uptake has been with car buyers outside of the Puget Sound region and in rural parts of the state. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Getty Images)

Associated Press
Trump charged over classified documents in 1st federal indictment of an ex-president

Axios
Seattle food banks see increased need, decreased donations

Capital Press
El Nino here, but not yet a big climate force in Northwest

News Tribune
Retired vet lost millions to fraud, family says. Would stronger laws have protected him?

Puget Sound Business Journal
SBA streamlines rules on disaster loans for small businesses
Customers are lining up for Boeing’s 777X. So what’s the delay?

Seattle Times
Seattle’s tiny homes get a big upgrade (Chopp)
Health care, not tech, is now the top player in WA’s unsettled job market
Amazon, Starbucks face WA class-action lawsuit over customer data
Plateau Pride returns to Bonney Lake for its second year
Opinion: Tribal and local officials welcome pledge to build Skagit fish passage
Editorial: NIMBYism overburdens America’s best airport

The Skanner
Judge Rejects Attempt to Block New Washington State Gun Restrictions

Spokesman Review
Thousands lose power as rain, wind hits Spokane area
Liberty Lake council upholds mayor’s veto on library ordinance
Last residents leave Camp Hope, once the largest homeless encampment in Washington
As historic smoke blankets the East Coast, Northwest leaders hope Congress will wake up to the wildfire threat

WA State Standard
Where are electric vehicles most popular in Washington state?
Orange lane stripes added to a stretch of I-5

Yakima Herald-Republic
Grandview School District names Robert Darling new superintendent
Old Naches Highway fire at 75% containment, control expected by Saturday

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Use of license plate readers spreading across Washington
How Pat Robertson led to a change in Washington state law
Sumner resident questions whether Sounder parking garage is needed

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Sea-Tac airport braces for pre-pandemic travel levels amid construction projects
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell says drug use legislation should be ready in July
LGBTQ Americans report increase in discrimination