Washington in Focus

(The Center Square) – As ongoing controversy persists over alleged fraud with Department of Children, Youth & Families Working Connections Childcare Program, Gov. Bob Ferguson’s proposed 2026 supplemental operating budget could increase the reimbursement rates for licensed home-based child care providers by 30%. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4...

(The Center Square) – Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday delivered his State of the State address before a joint session of state lawmakers on Day 2 of the 60-day legislative session that began Monday, spotlighting the state’s resiliency by highlighting the response to recent flooding and throwing his support behind a so-called “millionaire’s tax.” Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/frankli...

(The Center Square) – Seattle city leaders continue to condemn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions following the fatal shooting of  37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minn., earlier this month, while some of Washington’s conservative leaders warn the rhetoric could contribute to further civil unrest. Support this po...

(The Center Square) – The state Department of Ecology has admitted that a recent report on carbon emission reductions through projects financed by the Climate Commitment Act was “significantly inflated” by the Department of Commerce after one environmental analyst previously questioned the effectiveness of several projects. Commerce has now sent back revised figures. Support this podcast: https://...

(The Center Square) – As more is revealed about the potential daycare fraud within the Somali community in Washington state and the Department of Children, Youth & Families scrambles to respond, one large daycare provider is sharing his frustrations with The Center Square. On Monday, The Center Square visited several Somali-run home daycares in Federal Way, but found only one home with a few child...

(The Center Square) - The Washington State Auditor’s Office in recent years has concluded that the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families lacked adequate oversight over its child care subsidy program, according to audits obtained by The Center Square. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx   Read m...

(The Center Square) – As more is revealed about the potential daycare fraud within the Somali community in Washington state and the Department of Children, Youth & Families scrambles to respond, one large daycare provider is sharing his frustrations with The Center Square. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxx...

(The Center Square) – The Seattle Police Department has clarified that officers will continue to make arrests for drug-related charges when probable cause exists, with the City Attorney’s Office then determining next steps, including diversion to the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, or LEAD, program. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945...

(The Center Square) – Recent raids by the Department of Homeland Security in Minnesota over allegations of mass childcare center fraud has inspired scrutiny over similar licensed businesses in Washington state, while the state Department of Children, Youth & Family Services is encouraging individuals to report suspected fraud to a 24/7 hotline. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/frank...

(The Center Square) – Selected communities in four Western Washington counties will receive a combined $6.58 million in federal funding for road safety improvements, as new data shows a decline in fatal and serious injury crashes in 2025. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., announced the federal grant awards to cities and Native tribes in King, Snohomish, Clark and Thurston counties through the U.S...

(The Center Square) – More than 2,100 registered nurses at Seattle Children’s Hospital have authorized a potential strike following a union vote. Registered nurses at Seattle Children’s Hospital voted Sunday and Monday on whether to authorize their bargaining team to call a strike. The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), which represents the striking nurses, wrote in a post on Monday that...

(The Center Square) – More than 2,100 registered nurses at Seattle Children’s Hospital have authorized a potential strike following a union vote. Registered nurses at Seattle Children’s Hospital voted Sunday and Monday on whether to authorize their bargaining team to call a strike. The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), which represents the striking nurses, wrote in a post on Monday that...

(The Center Square) - Even though the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has temporarily withdrawn its recently announced policy changes that threaten deep cuts to "Housing First" programs, the founder of a Seattle-based community group is confident the changes are coming. Andrea Suarez, who founded We Heart Seattle more than five years ago, said there’s “no need to wait” for f...

(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson’s senior staff includes figures from nonprofits and advocacy groups who have played influential roles in shaping city policy, meaning she and her team are navigating potential conflicts with city ethics laws. “This is a team that’s ready to get to work,” said Wilson in announcing her senior staff team earlier this month. Hosted by Simplecast,...

(The Center Square) - Members of the Department of Children Youth and Families Oversight Board met Wednesday to discuss proposed changes to legislation that critics say has led to an alarming increase in the numbers of children who have died in the Washington state welfare system in recent years. The board also discussed and ultimately rejected adding the secretary of DCYF or executive staff to th...

(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson’s senior staff includes figures from nonprofits and advocacy groups who have played influential roles in shaping city policy, meaning she and her team are navigating potential conflicts with city ethics laws. “This is a team that’s ready to get to work,” said Wilson in announcing her senior staff team earlier this month. Support this podcast:...

(The Center Square) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, under fire for failing to prevent a massive welfare fraud scheme in his state, was in Seattle on Tuesday as the special guest at Gov. Bob Ferguson’s fundraising luncheon, telling those in attendance Somalis were being "demonized" and vowing to bring more into his state. “These folks better not ever mistake our kindness for our weakness because we are...

(The Center Square) – The Washington State Attorney General’s Office billed more than 11,000 hours of attorney and staff work on lawsuits against the federal government in an eight-month period following the November 2024 election, according to records obtained by The Center Square. More than a third of those hours were spent working on a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s executive order re...

(The Center Square) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, under fire for failing to prevent a massive welfare fraud scheme in his state, was in Seattle on Tuesday as the special guest at Gov. Bob Ferguson’s fundraising luncheon, telling those in attendance Somalis were being "demonized" and vowing to bring more into his state. “These folks better not ever mistake our kindness for our weakness because we are...

(The Center Square) – The Tacoma City Council will hold its first reading this week on a proposed 0.1% public safety sales tax – months later than several neighboring cities that have already adopted similar increases. The sales tax increase – authorized by the state Legislature via House Bill 2015, with generated revenue only allowed to go toward public safety needs – would raise Tacoma’s sales t...

(The Center Square) – Rep. Shaun Scott, D-Seattle, on Tuesday held a press conference to announce legislation for a new payroll excise tax on high-income earners, aimed at “protecting Washington’s budget and public services from the severe impacts of H.R. 1, the federal tax package recently passed by Congressional Republicans and Donald Trump,” according to Scott’s press release. Hosted by Simplec...

(The Center Square) – Funding for electrifying the Washington State Ferries system continues to dominate total Climate Commitment Act project spending, according to a new Department of Ecology report for fiscal year 2025. While Ecology is touting the investments as reducing 9 million metric tons of carbon over the past two fiscal years, some critics are questioning the true cost per ton for some o...

(The Center Square) – Rep. Shaun Scott, D-Seattle, on Tuesday held a press conference to announce legislation for a new payroll excise tax on high-income earners, aimed at “protecting Washington’s budget and public services from the severe impacts of H.R. 1, the federal tax package recently passed by Congressional Republicans and Donald Trump,” according to Scott’s press release. Support this podc...

(The Center Square) – Seattle is pushing for a state-level backstop to help fund immigrant services and other top priorities as the Trump administration escalates federal immigration enforcement nationwide. The Seattle Office of Intergovernmental Relations briefed the city council on a proposed state legislative agenda for next year’s session during a council briefing on Monday. Support this podca...

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump took another step toward fulfilling his promise to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Federal officials announced that “six new interagency agreements (IAAs) with four agencies to break up the federal education bureaucracy, ensure efficient delivery of funded programs, activities, and move closer to fulfilling the President’s promise to return...