All articles tagged with #washington state
A skydiver was killed after a midair collision with another jumper during a group jump in Washington state; officials are investigating the incident, with no immediate details on the condition of the other jumper.
Delta Camshaft, a Washington-based manufacturer founded in 1977, plans to relocate after 48 years due to rising crime, higher insurance and energy costs, and Washington's new millionaires tax; owner Jon Bodwell says the move could cost over $100,000 but will allow the business to continue serving customers, reflecting a broader trend of companies considering leaving Washington.
A dramatic video shows rescuers rappelling down the embankment beneath the High Steel Bridge in Mason County, Washington, to pull a man who had fallen to the bottom of a steep, slick canyon. The man was retrieved and hoisted to safety by multiple rescue teams; he was uninjured. The area remains closed under a federal safety order until November to prevent dangerous rescues, with officials warning that the terrain is steep, slippery and unforgiving.
Gas prices in Washington state reached a record average of $5.57 per gallon, placing renewed pressure on drivers as commuting and errands become more expensive; AAA figures show King County has some of the highest costs above the national average, intensifying the financial squeeze for households.
Federal authorities are investigating after roughly 500 ballots from multiple elections were found behind a Renton, Washington dumpster; the ballots appeared to be outgoing and were not retrieved, not counted, and are being reviewed by King County Elections with the USPS, Renton Police, and the FBI. Rep. Jim Walsh raised concerns about vulnerabilities in Washington’s vote-by-mail system, but election officials say safeguards prevented any fraud and criticize the public posting of the ballots. The Secretary of State and King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office are involved, and the case remains active.
Washington state has declared a statewide drought emergency after an unusually warm winter left mountain snowpack near record lows, threatening summer water supplies, fish habitat, and wildfire risk; officials warn supplies will likely fall short of demand and have launched emergency measures, including grants and expedited water-right processing, as forecasts show continued high temperatures and below-normal precipitation through June.
A federal judge in Oregon is set to grant Washington and 20 other states’ motion for summary judgment, blocking a Trump-era Health and Human Services directive that would pressure providers to stop treating transgender youth and threatened to exclude them from Medicaid/Medicare. The judge said the declaration exceeded statutory authority and bypassed required rulemaking, and, once formalized, the ruling would preserve access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth in the involved states.
Washington’s 9.9% tax on earnings above $1 million (first payments due 2029) could dampen high‑income player recruitment to Seattle, with Seahawks GM John Schneider warning it will “sting” versus California and New York and potentially reshape roster-building as athletes seek to minimize tax exposure.
A Spokane photographer and IATSE stills artist, Daniel Schaefer, documented the production of Train Dreams—an Oscar-nominated Pacific Northwest epic—using era-appropriate lenses to authentically match multiple time periods, filming on Eastern Washington locations, including a forest-fire sequence tied to a real nearby blaze; the film premiered at Sundance 2025 and later earned four Academy Award nominations, highlighting Washington’s growing film industry.
Washington approves a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million to fund rebates and universal school meals, with Gov. Ferguson backing it, while opponents plan legal challenges and ballot initiatives; the session also rolls back the estate tax from 35% to 20%, setting up a broader tax reform fight that could go to court or voters.
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said he and his wife are moving from Seattle to Florida after more than four decades in the city, a move not explicitly tied to a proposed nearly 10% wealth tax on earnings over $1 million but occurring as Washington lawmakers push the measure to fund services like free K-12 meals. Schultz, worth about $6.6 billion, plans retirement in Florida where there is no state income tax, while his private family office shifts to Miami and his Schultz Family Foundation remains in Seattle.
The FDA warned that certain raw oysters from Drayton Harbor Oyster Co. and Manila clams from Lummi Indian Business Council harvested Feb. 13–Mar. 3 may be contaminated with norovirus and distributed to retailers and restaurants in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Washington. Restaurants and retailers should not sell or serve these shellfish and should dispose of them or arrange destruction to prevent cross-contamination. Illness typically begins 13–48 hours after exposure and lasts 24–72 hours.
Federal officials announced a recall of raw oysters from Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and Manila clams from Lummi Indian Business Council sold in at least nine states due to potential norovirus contamination. Oysters were distributed to consumers in Washington, while clams were sent to restaurants and retailers in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Washington. The FDA warns norovirus can look and taste normal but cause illness, with symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting; high-risk individuals should avoid consumption. Harvest dates were February 13–March 3 in Drayton Harbor, Washington.
A 70-year-old Washington retiree, Victoria Hattersley, advocates a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million, proposed to take effect in 2028 with first payments in 2029. In an as-told-to interview, she describes rising from modest means to wealth through a pharma career and stock options, rejects the bootstrap myth, and argues that excessive inequality harms society and that the wealthy should pay their fair share to fund healthcare, daycare, and other public goods. She notes the plan would affect less than 1% of residents and could bolster small businesses and social programs while reducing societal and cultural instability caused by inequality.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson says he will sign the latest version of the proposed millionaire income tax, which would levy 9.9% on earnings over $1 million and redirect revenue to benefits like a expanded Working Families Tax Credit, free school meals for all students, OTC medicine sales-tax exemption, and childcare accounts, aiming to bolster families and small businesses; Democrats praise the changes while Republicans push back, and the bill still must pass both the House and Senate before signature.