The City of Seattle and the nonprofit Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) plan to open more than 100 new tiny homes in two villages this fall.

This would bring the number of tiny home villages the city has established to transition the homeless out of tents and derelict RVs to 13 — but critics said it fails to provide a long-term solution to homelessness.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell appeared to address that in a news release, which announced the new villages.

“Expanding available shelter is part of our broader, multi-layered strategy to meet urgent needs while simultaneously tackling root causes and increasing affordable permanent housing,” he stated.

The new communities would provide security, hygiene facilities, and storage as well as “a full range of tailored supportive services,” Harrell added.

Money for tiny homes would come from city’s budget

The two villages will be paid for by $5.9 million, included in the city’s 2025 budget.

It is unclear where they’d be located, but Harrell’s office said “LIHI will conduct community outreach in potential village location through mid-August,” and a site will be chosen “pending the success of those efforts.”

The city’s Unified Care Team (UCT) will be tasked with reaching out to people who are living in tents and RVs, and offering to move them into the new tiny homes.

Harrell said UCT efforts resulted in an 80% decrease in homeless camps between 2022 and 2024.

The latest tiny home project has the support of King County Executive Shannon Braddock who stated, “This is the type of action we need — more shelter and more services,” and Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes, who said “These new tiny home villages will help get people inside and off sidewalks, into a more stable and supporting environment.”

The latest found that 16,868 people were unhoused in King County in 2024, which was higher than the previous count in 2022.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

Crime rates dropped overall in Washington last year compared to the year before, according to the (WASPC).

WASPC’s new report found that the murder rate — though still higher than pre-pandemic levels — dropped by 18.8% between 2023 and 2024. Property crimes, which include car thefts and vandalism, declined 13.4%, while violent crime decreased 7.6%.

“This is a good trend and we think it has a lot to do with allowing law enforcement, and supporting law enforcement, to do the important work of holding people accountable for crime,” Kent Police Chief and WASPC Vice President Rafael Padilla said.

Padilla also credited recent changes in Washington’s law. He pointed out that car thefts increased dramatically after the state legislature placed strict limits on police pursuits in 2021, but began to decline after lawmakers loosened those restrictions in 2024.

And he actually sees the 31% increase in drug and firearms violations, which are categorized as “crimes against society,” as a positive sign.

“It is an indication that we are out back enforcing the law and holding people accountable,” he shared.

What led to Washington’s murder rate dropping

In 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court tossed out the state’s drug possession law, declaring it unconstitutional. In 2023, the Washington State Legislature passed a new law making drug possession a gross misdemeanor and giving law enforcement tools, Padilla said.

“The ability to take action and at least have an interaction where someone may be compelled to get help,” he said. “It’s also reducing the violence we see, and the secondary crime that we see, with open drug use and drug trafficking in particular.”

Though crime statistics are trending in the right direction, the WASPC report indicates there’s still work to be done.

Crimes against persons — half of which are domestic cases — ticked down only slightly, by .08%. Of the total arrests made between 2023 and 2024, 5.6% were juveniles.

“For a lot of communities, it still feels like things are unsafe. A lot of parents, they feel like their kids can’t safely go to a bus shelter or walk to school. We don’t want to discount those feelings, and collectively in the state, your law enforcement professionals are committed to doing even more,” Padilla said.

But law enforcement agencies in Washington State continue to do more with less. The report shows that out of 50 states and the District of Columbia, Washington ranked last for the number of officers per person: a statistic that hasn’t changed for more than a decade.

The rate of police per 1,000 civilians is 1.38 while the national average is 2.31.

“Imagine what we could do if we right-sized our law enforcement staff?” Padilla asked

He said it would put agencies in a position to not only respond to crimes, but to increase their presence in communities to prevent them.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) said the first 911 calls came in at 1:20 a.m. Thursday, about a fire in a detached shed in the backyard of a home in the 900 block of 20th Avenue.

“First units arrived on scene and reported smoke and flames coming from the shed, then it was quickly extending to the adjacent homes,” SFD Public Information Officer David Cuerpo said.

Nearby homes were evacuated, and the response was upgraded to a 2-alarm, to bring in more resources, Cuerpo said. At one point, 100 firefighters, 12 engines, six ladder trucks, and Rescue 1 were on the scene.

Seattle firefighters respond to a 2-alarm fire in the Central District. (Photo: John Odegard, SFD)

Cuerpo explained that homes are close together and the streets are narrow in the neighborhood, which can be a challenge for fire crews.

“Fortunately, because it was overnight, we didn’t have a lot of traffic in that area,” he said.

One firefighter sustained minor injuries. No one from the evacuated homes was harmed.

7 buildings damaged in Seattle fire

“In total, there were seven buildings that were damaged, that includes two sheds, four single-family homes, and one apartment building,” Cuerpo said.

The families inside those four homes are displaced until inspectors can determine if it’s safe to go back inside. Residents of the three-story apartment building were allowed to return.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

With President Donald Trump promising to impose a 35% tariff on Canadian goods starting August 1, U.S. Senator Patty Murray of Washington and British Columbia Premier David Eby are sounding the alarm.

The U.S. has already imposed a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum, which Canada exports to the U.S.

“The trade war that we’re in right now,” Eby asserted at a virtual news conference Wednesday, “is a recipe for mutually assured destruction.”

Eby noted that the Trump administration has threatened or imposed tariffs on countries worldwide, referencing the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act — the U.S. trade policy widely seen as kicking off a global trade war that contributed to the Great Depression.

Murray pointed out that the growing trade dispute with Canada puts Washington in a particularly vulnerable position.

“We actually import nearly $18 billion in goods from Canada each year,” Murray said, pointing out the benefits go both ways. “Canada is one of our largest trading partners, accounting for, every year, nearly $8 billion in exports, including our seafood, apples, and airplane parts, and more than $2 billion in cross-border tourism and business.”

Canada pulls back from U.S. tourism

Eby said the trade war, and Trump’s suggestion that Canada become the 51st U.S. state, are already taking a toll on tourism from Canada.

“Cross-border visits from B.C. to Washington are down 35%,” he said.

Eby added that Canadians are boycotting some U.S. goods, including alcohol, calling it a “hard but necessary decision.”

A Canadian liquor trade group said sales of U.S. spirits dropped 66.3% between March 5 and April, according to .

Murray blames Trump’s tariff policies

Murray doesn’t blame Canada, but rather Trump’s tariff policies, and she supports legislation that would reassert congress’ authority over tariffs and trade policies.

“It’s very clear that Trump wants to treat tariffs like some reality TV show, constantly playing up the outrage and the uncertainty of the ‘will he won’t he’ drama that he seems to like living in,” she claimed.

Trump insists there has long been a trade imbalance between the U.S. and countries around the world, including its neighbor Canada.

He said tariffs will bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and force our border countries, Canada and Mexico, to work harder to keep illegal drugs and undocumented immigrants from slipping into the U.S.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

If that sounds low to you, it’s because it includes homes throughout King, Snohomish, and Pierce County.

“In Seattle itself, we’re now above $1 million,” John Manning, managing broker for REMAX Gateway, said.

More specifically, he said, “The last time I looked, about two weeks ago, it was at $1,000,035.”

Seattle area home prices increased in June

And he said, unlike San Francisco and Honolulu, Seattle area home prices increased in June, compared to June of 2024, albeit at a slower pace of 2.2%.

“We are definitely hitting up against the limits on buyer purchasing power. That’s the main reason prices haven’t gone up more than they would have in prior years, but they’ve still gone up just a little bit above 2% over the same time as last year,” Manning said.

What’s unusual is that prices are increasing even though more homes are coming onto the Seattle area market.

“We’re seeing a higher number of homes available than we have since 2015,” Manning shared.

That’s nearly a 50% increase over this time last year. Typically, more homes on the market drive prices down and give buyers more negotiating power. But Manning believes a couple of factors keep driving prices up.

“For multiple years, there have not been enough homes to satisfy buyer demand,” he said.

In addition, he said, the greater Seattle area’s strong and diverse job market keeps bringing new workers and potential buyers.

“That maintains pressure on housing demand, to keep [prices] high,” Manning added.

Broker says don’t wait to buy Seattle area home

Despite climbing home prices and mortgage rates, which are higher compared to the historically low rates a few years ago, he urges would-be home buyers not to wait.

Barring some unforeseen disaster, he does not expect prices to pull back significantly — if at all — and he believes home ownership over time is still one of the best ways families can grow wealth.

“Real estate is the number one way for a regular working person to create wealth in their lifetime,” Manning said.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

People who are traveling should take note, even if they’re not headed to an area with a known measles outbreak.

Measles is highly contagious and is spread person to person.

“And it happens, usually from someone who can spread it to other people even before they know they’re sick. That’s the challenge,” Doctor Paul Pottinger said in an interview provided by the University of Washington (UW) Medicine.

Pottinger said that’s why traveling can put you at risk.

“Airports, trains, bus stations, being on a plane — it’s where crowds are. That’s where you have a lot of crowds. The more people that are there, the more likely you are to bump into somebody who has measles,” he explained.

Measles can remain infectious in the air for up to 2 hours

The CDC said measles can even remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.

“Because measles is so incredibly contagious, the only reliable way to prevent it is to receive the vaccine,” Pottinger said. “You may hear about folks doing special dietary changes, vitamin supplements, cod liver oil … none of that will, unfortunately, be able to prevent catching measles.”

“Even using a well-fitting mask, a respirator, like we’ve all done in the bad times of COVID-19, unfortunately, that is also not fully reliable to protect ourselves from measles,” he added.

But a dose of the measles vaccine provides 93% protection against the virus, and a second dose increases the protection to 97%. If you’ve had the shots but still contract the virus, doctors say you will be less likely to suffer a severe case of measles.

“When people catch measles, they never forget it, because they have a terrible flu-like illness and fatigue and then of course, a terrible rash that follows,” Pottinger said.

The infection can also be life-threatening.

“For a minority of people who catch measles, they can have complications. This includes damage to the eyes, it also includes damage to the brain and pneumonia as well,” he shared.

Check vaccination status with health care provider

If you’re unsure of your vaccination status, Pottinger said you should contact your health care provider before you travel.

Because infants typically do not receive their first dose of the measles vaccine until they’re at least six months old, parents of young babies should consider their travel plans carefully.

“If you need to or choose to travel before six months, it’s very important to understand that the newborn is not going to yet be protected against measles. It’s a personal decision, but the risk is there,” Pottinger explained.

Drop in vaccines believed to fuel increase

Doctors believe a drop in vaccinations has fueled the increase in measles, which was .

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

But authorities say they should be ready to leave again, if fires flare up close to their neighborhood.

Authorities reduced conditions to a Level 2 evacuation notice on Saturday, from a previous Level 3 that had been issued earlier in the week, for homes near the Toonerville neighborhood, northeast of Belfair.

A day earlier, firefighters said people were getting a little too close to that fire and another one, the Bear Gulch wildfire near Cushman Lake.

“They drive through the area or use motorcycles, four-wheelers, or UTVs to try to get in and get an idea of what things look like — to see what the firefighters are up to and what’s still flaming,” Norma Brock, Public Information Officer for , said.

She said that’s dangerous, and it can interfere with firefighting efforts. So can drones.

“If you fly, we can’t,” KC Whitehouse, Battalion Chief at Central Mason Fire and EMS, said.

Whitehouse did not say whether they’ve seen civilian drones while battling the Bear Gulch and Toonerville fires, but he pointed out in a post on Instagram, “As the popularity of personally owned drones has grown, we’ve seen an increase in the number of incidents where drones have come over a fire area when we’re trying to fly aviation assets to suppress the fire, and it has posed a risk to our pilots.”

Brock said they use drones to map the size of wildfires, but if they detect a civilian drone, they have to ground all their firefighting aircraft. And right now, they’re relying heavily on aircraft to fight the Bear Gulch fire, because it’s not safe for crews to attack the fire from the ground.

“It’s an extremely steep slope, lots of rock and big heavy trees because it’s forest area,” Brock explained.

She said part of the fire is burning in the Olympic National Forest. They’re using aircraft to dip water out of Lake Cushman and dump it on the fire from above.

The Bear Gulch fire has scorched 440 acres and was 0% contained as of Friday.

Local campgrounds closed due to Mason County wildfires

Local campgrounds remain closed to the public. Residents, who were temporarily evacuated, have been allowed to return but can only access their homes by boat. State Route 119, also known as Forest Road 2400, is closed to all but fire personnel because of the danger of falling debris.

Brock said ground crews are making progress on the Toonerville fire north of Belfair, which is burning on 85 acres.

“Crews have done a really good job. They’ve got lines all the way around it, they’re just not fully secured to be left alone,” she said, noting it was considered only 5% contained on Friday.

The fire continues to threaten about 50 homes, out of which a dozen are under Level 3 “get out now” evacuations.

It’s unclear what sparked the Toonerville fire Tuesday afternoon. Brock said the Bear Gulch fire, which started Sunday, was human-caused.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

Toonerville fire threatens homes in Mason County

The Toonerville Fire is burning along Northeast Toonerville Drive, north of Belfair, and is threatening about 50 homes, according to Norma Brock of Central Mason Fire and EMS.

“We do have a Level 3 ‘go now’ evacuation that is in place for Toonerville Road communities,” Brock said, adding that several other neighborhoods have been told to get ready to evacuate if necessary.

Firefighters estimate the fire is burning between 70 and 100 acres. Brock said the Department of Natural Resources, which is assisting local fire crews, plans to fly a drone over the wildfire to get a better assessment of how large it is.

Crews are using bulldozers and excavators to dig lines around the fire, which is 0% contained, but firefighters were hopeful that Wednesday’s cooler, wetter weather would help them make progress.

“It’s still warm, the fire is still burning actively, but definitely the cooler temperatures are a positive thing,” Brock said.

She said it’s not known what started the fire Tuesday afternoon.

Bear Gulch fire burning above Lake Cushman

Brock said a second fire in Mason County, which sparked Sunday on the Olympic Peninsula, was human-caused. The Bear Gulch fire is located above Lake Cushman.

“It’s burning about 327 acres up a really steep hill and rocky hill, so access has been extremely hard,” she explained.

There were evacuations when the fire threatened a critical access road in the area. Residents have been allowed to go home, but area parks and campsites remain closed to the public.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

The Everett-based company, known for its pop culture collectibles, including vinyl figures with giant heads, confirmed Interim CEO Michael Lunsford replaced CEO Cynthia Williams on July 5.

“We believe a change in leadership is necessary to deliver full shareholder value and believe Mike’s appointment positions us accordingly,” Charles Denson, Funko Board of Directors Chairman, said in a statement.

in the first quarter of the year. The company lost $28.1 million dollars, or $0.52 per share.

to the CEO position just over a year ago, at the time touting her “nearly two decades of senior leadership experience across the consumer products gaming and e-commerce industries.” She had most recently worked as an executive at Hasbro.

“The Board of Directors thanks Cynthia for her many accomplishments during her tenure at Funko,” Denson said without elaborating.

In the statement, Lunsford acknowledged, “The recent changes to the global business environment have constrained our growth initiatives, and we intend to first address those challenges.”

Funko raises prices over tariffs

, Funko noted the need to raise prices because of tariffs as well as the rising cost of shipping and raw materials.

“I believe we have yet to achieve the full potential of Funko,” Lunsford said. “We have an iconic brand, passionate fans, great licensing and retail partners, and a dedicated team of highly capable employees.”

Lunsford was the company’s interim CEO in 2023-2024 and continues to serve as a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Denson said Lunsford will help the company search for its next CEO.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

The total was 52 fireworks-related injuries by 9 a.m. Monday, July 7. That’s on par with what they typically see in the days surrounding the Fourth of July.

Types of injuries logged at Harborview Medical Center

Harborview Medical Center listed the injuries as 21 involving hands, 14 involving eyes, nine involving other body areas, and eight involving multiple areas (such as hands and eyes).

In an interview provided by UW Medicine, Orthopedic surgeon Chelsea Boe said some of the most severe injuries she’s seen are when people get too hands-on with fireworks.

“Sometimes people try to light the fireworks and then throw them,” Boe said, or continue holding them after they’re lit.

She said the results can be “pretty horrendous blast injuries.”

“There’s trauma to the skin, the soft tissues, the tendons that help you move your fingers, the nerves that let you sense your fingers, and then the bones themselves,” Boe said.

Sometimes, a blast itself can amputate fingers and hands, or force doctors to remove parts of the body that are beyond repair.

The recovery process may be far from over for the 52 people injured this holiday.

“We see a lot of teenagers and young adults, really not aware that that split-second decision that they make — playing with their friends, playing with fireworks, kind of the moment of adrenaline when they’re shooting a firework off — is going to change the entire course of the rest of their life,” Boe said.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

(KCSO) said someone in the Port Orchard home called 911, but by the time firefighters arrived, the house was engulfed in flames.

“There were several people inside the home; most of them made it out,” a KCSO spokesperson told ����Xվ Newsradio. “Nine-year-old girl and her 40-year-old father didn’t make it out, and that’s what’s under investigation now, a death investigation to determine just what happened inside the home.”

A lack of water pressure from nearby fire hydrants forced South Kitsap Fire and Rescue to send in multiple water trucks.

Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office investigation

However, what caused the fire is unknown.

“There’s no indication at this point that fireworks were involved, but the Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire, so they’ll be the ones to determine that,” the KCSO spokesperson said.

Detectives are also working to figure out why other people managed to evacuate, but the father and daughter did not.

“What they gotta do now is interview everybody who’s inside the home and determine what was going on, so they can find out whether or not these people were in a place where they got trapped for some reason or something else just happened as the family was trying to evacuate the house,” the spokesperson explained.

A medical examiner will determine the father and daughter’s cause of death.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

Juan Cotto said Bloodworks will be open on the Fourth of July. It’s a 365-day-a-year operation, because he said the need for blood is constant.

“The number one surgical procedure is still blood transfusions. I believe that one happens every two seconds — think about that — one happens every two seconds in the United States,” Cotto said.

He said hospitals often require more blood during the summer months, with Americans traveling and engaging in more activities.

“There is an increase in accidents,” Cotto explained.

Blood donations especially needed during ‘100 deadliest days’

In fact, Bloodworks said the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are often referred to as the “trauma season,” or the “100 deadliest days.”

The demand for blood could increase even higher with Independence Day falling on a Friday and celebrations extending into the weekend.

“We want to make sure that if there is a situation where a person needs blood, that it’s available for them,” Cotto said.

They’re happy to accept any type of blood, but they’d particularly like donations of O positive (O+) and O negative (O-) blood.

Cotto said O positive is the most common type of blood in the population.

O negative is considered the universal donor, because it can be given to people who have any blood type.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

In a break with past practice, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department is providing the Department of Homeland Security unrestricted access to Medicaid data gathered by states, according to Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown.

“Washington residents expect that the confidential information they give to the government to access medical treatment will only be used for health care purposes,” Brown said.

AG Nick Brown sues over claims of ICE using health care data

Washington’s Medicaid program operates as Apple Health. Brown acknowledges that, of the more than 1.9 million Apple Health clients in Washington, 49,000 are ineligible for some federally funded programs because of their immigration status. He added that since 1986, Congress has extended coverage and federal funds for emergency Medicaid to all residents, regardless of immigration status.

“I wholeheartedly support AG Brown in this effort and think more elected officials — Democrats and Republicans — should be taking stronger actions pushing back against Trump for using ICE to punish his enemies, erode civil liberties, and override the authority of local governments,” former King County Sheriff John Urquhart wrote in a statement to MyNorthwest Tuesday.

Federal government says it’s making sure benefits go to those legally entitled

The federal government argues it’s trying to make sure benefits only go to individuals who are legally entitled to them, and the Trump administration has consistently said it’s targeting fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicaid system.

In a statement, Brown indicated private medical information, gathered by Medicaid, could be shared in narrow circumstances to benefit public health and maintain the integrity of the Medicaid program.

But he appeared to accuse the federal government of having a different motive for gathering the data of Medicaid recipients.

“Their data should not go towards creating a giant database of Americans’ personal information or used so that ICE can deport undocumented immigrants because they had to go to the doctor,” Brown stated.

A coalition of states is arguing that the Trump administration is violating procedural and privacy laws and is asking the courts to prevent the Department of Homeland Security from using Medicaid data to conduct immigration enforcement.

States that have joined the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Rhode Island, and California.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

Emergency room physician, Dr. Arvin Akhavan, said the area’s leading trauma center sees an average of 55 people injured by fireworks over the Fourth of July holiday.

With the holiday on a Friday this year, he fears that number will increase.

“We’re going to have a whole weekend of Fourth of July activities,” he said in an interview provided by UW Medicine.

Majority of Fourth of July injuries come from improper firework use

Used improperly, even legal fireworks can lead to severe burns, cuts, eye injuries, hearing loss, and amputations.

Orthopedic surgeon Chelsea Boe said some of the most severe injuries she’s seen are when people get too hands-on with fireworks.

“Sometimes people try to light the fireworks and then throw them,” she said.

Or, people will continue holding fireworks after they’re lit.

Boe said the results can be “pretty impressive and horrendous blast injuries.”

“There’s trauma to the skin, the soft tissues, the tendons that help you move your fingers, the nerves that let you sense your fingers, and then the bones themselves,” she explained.

Sometimes, a blast itself can amputate fingers and hands, or force doctors to remove parts of the body that are beyond repair.

“We see a lot of teenagers and young adults, really not aware that that split second decision that they make — playing with their friends, playing with fireworks, kind of the moment of adrenaline when they’re shooting a firework off — is going to change the entire course of the rest of their life,” she shared.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

The panel is also recommending that infants receive a shot to protect them against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

That decision surprised those who worried that new members of the (ACIP) would oppose vaccines.

Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently fired all 17 members of ACIP and replaced them with eight hand-picked candidates. One has left the group.

“A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” Kennedy said in a earlier this month. “ACIP’s new members will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine.”

He continued to defend the move last week.

“I fired people who had conflicts (of interest) with the pharmaceutical industry,” Kennedy said at a House committee hearing on Tuesday. “That committee has been the template for medical malpractice for 30 years.”

Medical doctors, Democratic representatives disapprove of RFK Jr.’s decisions

Democratic members of Congress, who are also medical doctors, said the action is evidence that Kennedy is promoting a dangerous, anti-science agenda.

“This is making our country a more dangerous place for children,” Washington U.S. Representative Kim Schrier, the first pediatrician elected to Congress, said.

Dr. Paul Offit is a pediatrician and served as a member of the ACIP from 1998 to 2003.

“What you would never see at an ACIP meeting is what you saw today,” Offit said.

Offit, who was invited to speak alongside members of the Democratic Doctors caucus last week, said the new ACIP panel listened to a presentation by an antivaccine group’s former leader.

“Lyn Redwood’s presentation about thimerosal—an ethyl mercury-containing preservative that was in vaccines but was taken out of vaccines, given to young children back in 2001—was scientifically inaccurate,” he said.

“Thimerosal was grandfathered for use without adequate safety testing by the FDA and is not generally recognized as being safe or effective by the FDA over-the-counter division since 1998,” Redwood said at last week’s . “Studies have identified infants with blood levels after exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines that breach CDC guidelines for a case of mercury chemical poisoning.”

Offit said she cited a study and claimed it showed thimerosal caused inflammation in the brains of young monkeys. He said the study drew no such conclusion.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

“The shelter saw a 14% increase in animal intake in the days surrounding the Fourth of July holiday last year,” Lauren Green of the said, who expects to see a similar influx this year.

That’s why she said it’s important to make sure your pets have your contact information on their collars and that they are micro-chipped.

“So that should your pet get loose, we can help and get them back to you as quickly as possible,” Green said.

And she said you can help make space for those lost pets, who are waiting to be reunited with their families, by or providing care for a dog or cat that’s at the shelter waiting for a permanent home.

Tacoma animal shelter sees influx of small-breed dogs

Green pointed out that the number of animals her shelter is caring for has increased recently. On June 25, Pierce County Animal Control brought in 32 small-breed dogs.

Green explained they are a no-kill shelter and one of the few that has an “open admission” policy.

“We do not turn away animals regardless of age, breed, medical condition, or behavior needs,” she said. “We’re currently caring for 151 dogs, nearly 500 cats, and 30 rabbits, both in our shelter and in foster homes.”

If you can’t adopt or foster an animal right now, Green said they welcome volunteers and .

“We need all the support we can get to ensure that we can continue our mission of being here for the animals in our community that need us the most and when they need us the most,” she said, including over the Fourth of July holiday.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

“A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” Kennedy concluded. “ACIP’s new members will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine. The committee will no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas. The entire world once looked to American health regulators for guidance, inspiration, scientific impartiality, and unimpeachable integrity. Public trust has eroded. Only through radical transparency and gold standard science will we earn it back.”

But U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) has concerns.

“Secretary Kennedy has spread really blatant disinformation about vaccines and undermined the established science,” Murray told CDC Director nominee Dr. Susan Monarez at a hearing. “It’s not just the (ACIP) members that I’m concerned about. Secretary Kennedy is bringing anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists from his former organization into that crucial vaccine meeting.”

The CDC was created nearly 80 years ago to prevent the spread of malaria in the U.S. Its mission was later expanded, and it gradually became a global leader on infectious and chronic diseases and a go-to source of health information.

Monarez, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CDC, is the first nominee for CDC director to require Senate confirmation.

If Monarez is confirmed, it would end a stretch of confusion at the Atlanta-based CDC, where, for months, it wasn’t clear who was running the agency. The acting director’s role was filled in part by Matthew Buzzelli, the CDC’s chief of staff, who is a lawyer and political appointee with no medical experience.

“Lyn Redwood, who’s from the Children’s Health Defense, is scheduled to give a presentation on thimerosal in vaccines to further RFK’s debunked claims that it causes autism,” Murray explained to Monarez, “and she cited a study that does not exist.”

Monarez told Murray she was unfamiliar with Redwood, but pointed out the ACIP is a public meeting and members of the public are allowed to provide information.

Murray reminded Monarez that government vaccine recommendations influence which shots are covered by insurance.

“When ACIP pulls its recommendation or refuses to recommend and evidence based vaccine a lot more kids and a lot more families will not get vaccinated. They will not be able to afford it. And that is the reality.” Murray insisted.

Monarez repeatedly said she had not been involved in decisions earlier this year to  and eliminate CDC programs, but that she would work to retain the agency’s core functions and transition key programs to other parts of the Health and Human Services department.

Contributing:

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

“This levy is a powerful investment in Seattle’s future,” Harrell said in a statement.

Breaking down Seattle’s education levy

The Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) legislation includes $658.2 million for early learning and child care, while $510.7 million will pay for K-12 safety and wellness programs.

Mental health services would be bolstered through five new school-based health centers.

The levy provides $82.4 million for post-secondary education, including two years of free tuition at Seattle colleges for the city’s public school graduates. Trade programs would be expanded.

“These investments will provide concrete, long-lasting positive outcomes in the lives of children,” Seattle City Council member Maritza Rivera said.

The city said the levy would cost the median assessed value Seattle homeowner $0.61 per $1,000 assessed value, totaling about $656 a year.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

One of the infected people was at the Family Care Network Urgent Care facility in Lynden on June 18.

If you were at the clinic around that time and aren’t sure you’re immune to measles, you should contact your primary care provider and watch for symptoms, which could develop anytime between June 25 and July 9.

Symptoms can include a rash, fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes.

Be aware that you can spread the illness before you know you’re ill. Measles is highly contagious.

Last confirmed measles in Whatcom County was in 2014

The said, before this year, the last measles case was confirmed in the county in 2014.

Doctors said a drop in immunizations has led to an increase in measles cases across the country this year.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

AG Nick Brown filed a civil rights  Friday, which claims Cornerstone Ranches fired local workers and replaced them with foreign H-2A workers. The H-2A visa program allows foreigners to temporarily work legally in the US, but only if employers can prove there’s a shortage of American workers.

Washington farm allegedly told local job seekers no work was available

Brown claims the Toppenish-based apple and hops grower told local job seekers that no work was available, while replacing them with foreign workers, in violation of the Consumer Protection Act. The lawsuit alleges Cornerstone also violated the law by failing to reveal the pay rate and hours of H-2A contract jobs.

“The H-2A program was never intended to be a back-door source of labor when there are qualified workers here in Washington eager to take on jobs, but that’s exactly how Cornerstone has used it,” Brown said.

The Washington State Office of the Attorney General said 91% of the work performed during the fall harvest of 2021 was done by local employees. Within two years, the rate had shrunk to 59% while the percentage of foreign workers more than doubled.

Female workers have been particularly hard hit by Cornerstone’s alleged employment practices.

In a statement, Brown’s office said local employees were held to “unfair productivity standards and other requirements not applied to H-2A workers.” When you compare the average weekly hours worked by females between June of 2022 and April of 2023, with the same time period the following year, the rate dropped 39%.

Brown said that violates the Washington Law Against Discrimination.

����Xվ Newsradio and MyNorthwest have reached out to Cornerstone Ranches for comment.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.