Washington in Focus

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Seattle PD Forwards Felony Assault Charge to Prosecutor 10 Days After Journalist Attacked Jun 26, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Seattle police detectives have identified the suspect and referred a felony assault charge to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office against the alleged attacker in a brutal assault on an independent journalist covering anti-ICE protests in Seattle. Cam Higby told The Center Square that Antifa members assaulted him as he attended the June 14 “No Kings Day” protests in Seattle at a Department of Homeland Security building.

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WA May Have to Dip Into Emergency Reserves, Despite Historic Tax Increases Jun 25, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Despite passing the largest tax increase in state history amid record revenue levels, Washington state’s wallet may be empty by the end of the 2025-27 biennium, according to a new report by the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. While ERFC members noted during its Tuesday meeting that the news comes just as the state is entering the biennium, State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti, a former legislator, pointed out that the state can also turn to its rainy day fund.

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Seattle City Council Eyes July Deadline to Fill Empty District 5 Seat Jun 24, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Seattle expects to have an upcoming city council vacancy filled by July 28 as council members prepare for more budget challenges this fall. Earlier this month, Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore announced that she was resigning from her position as the District 5 representative, citing health and personal reasons, which she considered “over the past several months.”

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https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_e38cbf7f-801d-4f73-a429-08f5676582bf.html

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Weekend Edition | Washington Family of Murder Victim Protests Potential Early Release of Killers Jun 21, 2025

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(The Center Square) – The Washington family of a man murdered by two teenagers in 2004 are speaking out against their potential early release by the state Intermediate Sentence Review Board, while a state House bill proposed this session could allow convicted killers to be released even earlier. In 2004, 14 year-old Jordan Castillo and 16 year-old Robert Suarez stabbed Bob Mars to death outside of Ki-Be Middle School, where he worked as a sixth-grade teacher, as part of a gang initiation. They were later found guilty of first-degree murder, with Suarez sentenced to 26 years and eight months, while Castillo was sentenced to 29 years and nine months. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Washington Family of Murder Victim Protests Potential Early Release of Killers Jun 19, 2025

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Tukwila Mayor Flags ‘Cryptic’ DHS Message Amid Protest Outside Federal Facility Jun 18, 2025

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(The Center Square) – In the first Tukwila City Council meeting since an escalated protest occurred on Saturday, Mayor Thomas McLeod said the city was blindsided by strange messages related to Department of Homeland Security operations over the past weekend. According to McLeod, the city received a “cryptic and confusing message” late Friday afternoon that told individuals with pending immigration hearings to report to DHS on Saturday and Sunday to check in, with failure to report to be considered a violation.

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Spokane Council Revives 3‑Day Notice for Clearing Encampments After Reversal Jun 17, 2025

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(The Center Square) – After seven hours of debate and testimony, only half of Mayor Lisa Brown’s plan to overhaul Spokane’s response to homelessness passed on Monday night. Despite initially rejecting Brown’s plan to replace Proposition 1 – a camping ban that nearly 75% of voters approved in 2023 – the Spokane City Council amended a provision requiring at least a week’s notice before clearing encampments to only three days, delaying the final vote to June 30.

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Weekend Edition | ‘No Kings’ Anti-Trump Protests Planned for Several WA Cities This Saturday Jun 14, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Cities across politically blue Washington state are set to participate in this weekend’s "No Kings Day" event, a series of nationwide protests and rallies against President Donald Trump's administration. The Saturday event is timed to coincide with a military parade planned in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which also falls on Trump's 79th birthday and Flag Day. The No Kings Day event, also known as the “Day of Defiance,” is being organized by grassroots political action groups, including Indivisible and the 50501 Movement, to protest the Trump administration's policies, which they describe as authoritarian. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Industry Leaders Urge WA Lawmakers to Change Course on Health Care Costs Jun 12, 2025

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(The Center Square) – Health care industry leaders in Washington state are growing concerned about price controls on providers and increased taxes on physician groups and hospitals, which could lead to further increased costs and a lack of consumer access. At a June 3 meeting of the Health Care Cost Transparency Board, several industry officials made it clear that some recently passed state legislation may be undermining the board’s goal of controlling health care costs.

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Washington AGO Task Force Struggles to Define ‘Domestic Violent Extremism’ Jun 11, 2025

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(The Center Square) - The Attorney General’s Office’s Domestic Extremism and Mass Violence Task Force has released its preliminary report on how to treat the issues from a public health perspective. However, it still faces a major challenge regarding what exactly constitutes “domestic violent extremism.” and whether the definition will be affected by the ideological views of the task force members. The preliminary report notes that “there is no universally agreed upon definition of domestic extremism (DE), and the term is undefined in the Revised Code of Washington.”

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