Comment: Premera negotiating to keep health care affordable

Good-faith talks continue with EvergreenHealth, but contract with providers expires on April 1.

Comment: Real estate tax boost could hurt affordable housing

A higher rate for $5 million-plus projects could discourage multi-family projects and more.

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Editorial cartoons for Saturday, March 18

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

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Getty Images, sundial

Editorial: Indifference risks loss of access to public records

Members of the state’s Sunshine Committee are questioning how much others value its work.

Getty Images, sundial

Forum: County ignored land-use law in allowing health center

A 32-unit behavioral health center near Stanwood doesn’t fit in the rural, agricultural area.

Forum: Two encounters point to our behavioral health failures

Two women, both appearing confused and agitated, needed more help than I or my husband could offer.

Back state legislation to tax companies for plastic packaging

Plastic: It’s everywhere, filling our landfills, polluting the environment, and inside our food. It takes centuries to decompose but is only used for a few… Continue reading

Comment: Blaming ‘Woke’ banks for SVB failure hides GOP’s divide

Traditional Republicans and populists are split on the cause, as they are on issues.

Comment: Panic over drag not about men wearing women’s clothing

Conservatives will make an exception for their own ‘harmless fun,’ but label anything else as ‘prurient.’

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Editorial cartoons for Friday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

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King County, Seattle show how not to house homeless

Just a thought that when Everett and or Snohomish County build housing for the homeless, that they pay heed to the adventures of Seattle and… Continue reading

Schwab: Imagine if blood transfusions were illegal for all

To protect the religious beliefs of a few, should courts determine the medical care allowed to all?

Terrace and Brier residents, vote to join fire district by April 25

On behalf of the International Association of Firefighters Local 1828, I’m writing to express our strong support for Proposition 1 in the cities of Mountlake… Continue reading

Comment: Emergency use of coal in U.K. isn’t rebuke of net zero

The rescue was brief, but it raised questions about the planned capacity for net-zero carbon emissions.

Comment: How the Pfizer-Seagen deal can help both companies

Despite the $43 billion price tag, Pfizer can count on durable income while Seagen gets a wide pipeline.

Comment: What SVB failure holds for Seattle, other tech cities

Seattle and the Bay Area may face a mini-recession even as other U.S. regions enjoy a soft landing.

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Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 16

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

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An addict prepares heroin, placing a fentanyl test strip into the mixing container to check for contamination, Wednesday Aug. 22, 2018, in New York. If the strip registers a "pinkish" to red marker then the heroin is positive for contaminants. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Editorial: Legalize fentanyl test strips, then distribute them

Legislation to remove their ‘paraphernalia’ label is likely to pass, but that’s just the first step.

An addict prepares heroin, placing a fentanyl test strip into the mixing container to check for contamination, Wednesday Aug. 22, 2018, in New York. If the strip registers a "pinkish" to red marker then the heroin is positive for contaminants. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Harrop: DeSantis’ ‘woke’ war is a drag, and not the fun kind

Most of the time the Florida governor is a kill-joy. It’s when he gets ‘serious’ that he’s just silly.

Burke: Are MAGAs soon joining Know Nothings as past history?

The U.S. has a rich history of dead off-the-wall political movements. MAGA should follow that path.