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Portland police officers stand behind police tape in front of an apartment building in east Portland. (Photo by Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Northwest

Federal agents shoot two people in Portland, police say

Federal agents reportedly shot and injured two people near a medical clinic in east Portland on Thursday afternoon,…

Freightliner eCascadia electric trucks used in a Coca-Cola Bottling fleet are pictured in 2023. (Photo courtesy of Daimler Truck AG)

Northwest

$126M incentive program for zero-emission trucks nears launch in WA

Transportation is the biggest share of emissions in the state. Advocates are frustrated by how long it’s taking…

The Beacon Pacific Village housing complex where Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson announced new proposed housing investments on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Northwest

Ferguson proposes $244M boost for housing programs

Some of the money will be dedicated to flood recovery. The governor is also starting the process to…

Road damage along U.S. 2 in Tumwater Canyon, in a photo shared by Washington State Department of Transportation on Dec. 16, 2025. (Photo courtesy of WSDOT)

Northwest

Highway 2 closure across WA’s Cascade mountains expected to last months

Parts of U.S. 2, an important road cutting across Washington’s Cascade mountains, will likely remain closed for months…

Jsason Phipps of the City of Mount Vernon tightens straps on the flood wall along the Skagit River in downtown Mount Vernon on Thursday. The river is forecast to crest on Friday morning after several days of heavy rain pushed waterways in the region to record levels. (Grant Hindsley/The New York Times)

Northwest

Record flooding forces rescues across Western Washington

Waterways crested at record levels in several flooded small towns across western Washington overnight, swamping roads and bridges…

Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, left, participates in the extradition from California of Harjinder Singh, accused of causing a crash that killed three people in Florida. (Photo via Collins’ X account)

Northwest

WA erred in granting hundreds of commercial driver’s licenses to noncitizens

The issue has flared up after a fatal truck crash in Florida earlier this year.

Masked federal agents arrive to help immigration agents detain immigrants and control protesters June 4 in Chicago. California in September became the first state to ban law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings, in response to immigration raids where federal agents wore masks. (Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times)

Northwest

Ban on police face coverings pitched ahead of WA’s 2026 legislative session

The Trump administration is challenging a similar law passed in California, amid worries over masked immigration agents.

Northwest

Police are failing to solve most violent crimes in WA

Over 49,000 incidents remain unsolved since 2022, including murders, rapes and robberies.

A Flock Safety camera on Oct. 28, 2025 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Northwest

Washington lawmakers want to regulate license plate readers

Washington state lawmakers next year hope to rein in law enforcement’s use of automated license plate readers amid…

Democratic state Rep. Shaun Scott of Seattle (left) is proposing a new payroll tax on large employers in Washington. He took part in a discussion on the state’s tax system during the Budget Matters Summit on Nov. 12, 2025 in Seattle. (Photo courtesy of Washington State Budget and Policy Center)

Northwest

WA Dems’ latest run at taxing the state’s largest companies

Rep. Shaun Scott’s proposal mirrors an approach Senate Democrats drew up then discarded last session.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson appointed Colleen Melody to the state Supreme Court on Nov. 24, 2025. Melody, who leads civil rights division of the state Attorney General’s Office, will assume her seat following the retirement of Justice Mary Yu at the end of the year. (Photo by Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)

Northwest

Gov. Bob Ferguson makes his pick for WA Supreme Court seat

Colleen Melody, who leads the civil rights division at the state attorney general’s office, will succeed Justice Mary…

The state ferries Klahowya (center right) and Hyak (left center) are taking up valuable space at the Eagle Harbor maintenance yard of Washington State Ferries. Both retired ferries have been for sale for more than four years. (Photo by Tom Banse for Washington State Standard)

Northwest

For sale: Two retired state ferries. Dreamers need not apply

The vessels are lingering on the market as Washington State Ferries scrutinizes potential buyers. Past purchases haven’t always…

Washington began selling a specialty plate honoring Pickleball on Nov. 19, 2025. This is a sample of a personalized plate. (Seattle Metro Pickleball Association)

Northwest

It’s an ace. Pickleball gets its own Washington license plate

The design celebrates the state’s official sport. Other new plate designs are on the way.

Gov. Bob Ferguson signing Senate Bill 5480, a bill exempting medical debt from credit reports, on April 22. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)

Northwest

WA’s new ban on medical debt in credit reports at risk of federal override

The Trump administration wants to reverse Biden-era guidance on the issue.

The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on May 7, 2025. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

Northwest

End of shutdown ignites sparring among congressional lawmakers

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was among six Democrats who sided with Republicans in voting the legislation…

Attorney General Nick Brown has proposed new advice for locales on how to interpret state public records law, with a focus on providing records faster. (Stock photo)

Northwest

Need for speed: Plan to unclog WA public records system gets mixed reviews

Washington’s attorney general is seeking to reduce public record backlogs as concerns grow over transparency and agencies strain…

Washington state Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove waves to the crowd during inauguration ceremonies at the Washington state Capitol, in Olympia, on Jan. 15, 2025. (Photo by Ryan Berry/Washington State Standard)

Northwest

Dave Upthegrove on land sales, federal funding cuts and wildfire immigration raids

Washington state’s new public lands commissioner came into office with his own ambitious agenda. It’s playing out against…

The so-called “big, beautiful bill” that congressional Republicans approved in July included a total of $50 billion for the Rural Health Transformation Program. The money is meant to offset some of the expected damage to rural hospitals from the law’s steep cuts to Medicaid. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Northwest

Washington makes pitch to feds for $1B in rural health funding

The money was included in Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill.” The state’s goals include strengthening the rural health workforce…

Screenshot from the state Employment Security Department’s website at esd.wa.gov. (File photo)

Northwest

Expected slide in WA unemployment trust fund balance could trigger new tax

Washington businesses would need to shoulder roughly $700 million in additional taxes in a few years unless the…

The Washington state Capitol. (Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)

Northwest

State Democrats mull imposing income tax on higher earners

The idea is brewing ahead of the 2026 legislative session. It would target those making above $1 million.…