WA abortion access program loses state funding under new budget
Planned Parenthood in Washington says the budget recently signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson cuts $8.5 million to a program meant to protect access to affordable reproductive health care in the state.
The cut to a program called the Abortion Access Project represents 55% of its funding. The program distributes money to five organizations that operate 34 clinics across the state.
"I think it does harm our state's, I guess, reputation as being a leader, if not the leader nationwide, in protecting and enshrining abortion rights," Courtney Normand, Washington State Planned Parenthood director, said. "Because what do those rights mean if we don't really have access for the most vulnerable in our state?"
The state funding cut could mean reduced hours and staffing at clinics, and some clinics may be forced to close altogether.
Meanwhile, providers in Washington continue to see patients from other states where abortion has been restricted, such as Idaho.
WA files brief in support of anti-tariff lawsuit
The state of Washington has intervened in a lawsuit that’s challenging federal tariffs against other nations.
Governor Bob Ferguson says he and about two dozen people and organizations have filed a brief in support of a suit filed by 12 state attorneys general in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
During a press conference in Seattle Wednesday, Gov. Bob Ferguson and other groups that signed onto the brief argued that the tariffs are harming people and companies in Washington.
"The appalling instability our employers, workers, families and communities have faced in recent months has been far reaching," said Suzanne Dale Estey, executive director of the Washington Economic Development Association. "It has impacted farmers in eastern Washington, maritime businesses here in Puget Sound and statewide, our ports and Washington’s incredible industries from aerospace to technology."
Another of the signatories to the state’s brief is North Cascade Builders’ Supply in Winthrop. The firm imports windows from a Canadian manufacturer.
Ferguson said, because of the tariffs, it has lost a quarter million dollars in business.
Others that signed onto the brief include Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, several state Democratic legislators and labor unions.
While higher than average, Spokane parks rating drops
An organization that rates civic park systems in the U.S. has downgraded Spokane on its list.
Will Klein of the group Trust for Public Land, said Spokane scores high for the number of parks, with 9% of the city defined as park space.
Accessibility is also good, with 86% of city residents living within a 10-minute walk from a park.
Spokane made its first appearance in the rankings five years ago, Klein said. At that time, it was one of the one highest-rated cities for making park investments. But this year, he said, it has fallen down the 100-city list from 23 to 33.
"Which is a pretty big drop from being one of the best in investing in its park systems five years ago," he told SPR News. "And so you’d expect to see parks not being maintained as well, there may be a buildup for maintenance, things are broken."
In November, the city will ask voters to approve a measure that would dedicate more property tax for parks maintenance and improvements.
ParkScore said the city of Spokane spends $152 per person on its park system, down from last year’s $176. The national ParkScore average for park investment is $133 per person.
Most money for Okanogan Co. nonprofits going to food security
The Community Foundation of North Central Washington has awarded more than $140,000 to 37 nonprofits in Okanogan County.
Executive director Beth Stipe said she hopes this will help provide relief for the community.
"The decisions were made by local volunteers who live in Omak, Tonasket and Okanagan," she told SPR News. "And when they reviewed the applications, they also went and visited every single organization."
Most of these grants are just for a few thousand dollars, Stipe said. But the majority of the funds are going toward food security.
The rest, she said, will be used for a variety of projects from arts and culture to animal welfare and youth development.
Quick snowmelt in Washington Cascades, and little spring rain could mean broader drought conditions
We’re entering into a third year of drought conditions in Washington state.
That has stressed forests, and experts say this year’s fire season could be rough.
The snowpack has dwindled more quickly than normal — in some places melting out more than a month early.
Fire will follow those drying trends, Matt Dehr with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources said.
Still, he said much of fire season is hard to predict:
"We have to start thinking of 'Hey, are we able to limit human-caused ignitions? Do we not get any lighting storms? Or do we get a ton of lightning storms?'" Dehr told Northwest Public Broadcasting.
And, Dehr said, a lot depends on July Fourth fireworks and the weather.
Big wildland fires like the Pioneer fire [in Chelan County] could spring up, but also small-acreage fires in dense housing districts could be highly destructive.
Cantwell speaks out against 55% cuts to National Science Foundation
The Trump Administration is proposing a 55% cut in National Science Foundation funding.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington led a virtual news conference with scientific leaders from around the country to discuss how the slash of funds could affect U-S industry. She said the big ones are aerospace, artificial intelligence and quantum research.
"We are in an age where there are several areas of US competitiveness that depend on continued science innovation," Cantwell said during the press conference.
She’s working on building grassroots support with her Congressional peers to oppose the cuts. In Washington, NSF grants totaling $28 million have been canceled, along with $12 million in Oregon and nearly $6 million in Idaho, according to Grant Watch.
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Reporting by Freddy Monares, Doug Nadvornick, Steve Jackson, Monica Carrillo-Casas, Anna King and Lauren Paterson.