Maduro captured in raid, Trump declares US will oversee Venezuela for now
MAR-A-LAGO — United States military forces captured the now former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a predawn raid on Caracas early Saturday, President Donald J Trump announced, declaring that an American delegation will oversee Venezuela until there is a “proper and judicious transition” to new leadership. The operation, dubbed Absolute […]
Snohomish County trio commits to bipartisan solutions and community safety
EVERETT— Snohomish County Councilmember Sam Low (R-Lake Stevens), Jared Mead (D-Mill Creek), and Nate Nehring (R-Arlington) took their oaths of office earlier this week after being re-elected to office in November. Low and Nehring secured their third term with 53.95% and 92.57% (unopposed) of the vote respectively, and Mead ran unopposed to win a second […]
HHS activates Defend the Spend system, evidence now required for ACF childcare payments to combat fraud
WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a press statement released today, HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, alongside Assistant Secretary Alex Adams who oversees the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announced the immediate freeze of all federal child care payments to Minnesota and nationwide activation of the Defend the Spend system amid allegations of widespread fraud in child care […]
Key US-2 bridge near Skykomish set for full reopening Jan 4, restoring western access to Stevens Pass
SKYKOMISH — A key bridge on US-2 near Skykomish has been cleared of debris and deemed structurally sound, allowing the western section of the route to reopen from Monroe to Stevens Pass starting January 4, Governor Bob Ferguson and Washington State Transportation Secretary Julie Meredith announced Tuesday. Repairs along a 49-mile stretch of US-2 are […]
Washington secures $181 million in federal funds for rural health
BALTIMORE—Washington state has secured $181.3 million in federal funding for 2026 as part of a sweeping $50 billion initiative to bolster rural health care nationwide, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Monday, December 29. The award marks the first installment for Washington under the Rural Health Transformation Program, which will distribute $10 billion […]
Brown co-leads lawsuit against HHS over gender-affirming restrictions for minors
SEATTLE—Attorney General Nick Brown is co-leading a federal lawsuit with Oregon and New York of 20 states and the District of Columbia challenging a declaration by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. that deems certain gender-affirming care for minors unsafe and ineffective, threatening to bar providers from participating […]
HHS declares Public Health Emergency in Washington amid historic flooding
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a public health emergency for Washington state on Christmas Eve, aiming to ease health care access amid devastating storms, high winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides that have battered the region. The move follows President Donald J Trump’s approval of an emergency declaration earlier this […]
Seahawks youth flag football regional tournament coming to Everett
SNOHOMISH COUNTY—The 2026 Seahawks NFL FLAG Regional Tournament has been awarded to Everett, Washington. The regional tournament will be on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Kasch Park. Youth and high school flag football teams from across Western United States will have the opportunity to win their division and advance to the NFL FLAG Championships Presented […]
WA governor calls for tapping reserve fund and climate law cash to fill budget hole
OLYMPIA [JERRY CORNFIELD]—Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson made a splash Tuesday with his full-throated endorsement of taxing the earnings of millionaires. The surprise declaration from the first-term Democratic governor nearly drowned out his newly released plan to erase a multibillion-dollar shortfall in the current state budget. He made “super clear” that if Washington taxes millionaires, the […]
WA GOP budget lead blasts Ferguson’s budget plan as ‘a complete joke’
[The Center Square]—Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson released his proposed 2026 supplemental budget on Tuesday, the deadline for presenting it. Ferguson’s proposed budget totals $79 billion and aims to address a projected $2.3 billion shortfall through a combination of cost-saving reductions and targeted spending in housing, education and infrastructure. “I want to be clear that […]
