Bothell has launched a formal review to consider annexation into the Shoreline Fire Department RFA; the city is recruiting pro/con committee members ahead of a possible Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. Staff will analyze service, governance and financial impacts.

Mayor Katie Wilson backed progressive challengers to two veteran Seattle Democrats, turning a routine primary into a high‑stakes battle over the party’s direction.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to Washington’s youth‑shelter rules that shift parental notification to the state when teens seek gender‑affirming care.

A one-tenth‑percent public-safety sales tax will be on Stanwood’s August ballot; the city says it would raise roughly $300,000 a year to cover rising policing and court costs.

Freedom Con packed the Gorge Amphitheatre with worship, workouts and a new political playbook for conservative men. Organizers urged attendees to run for office and backed a ballot drive.

Gov. Bob Ferguson formed a 26-member Economic Development Council to craft a statewide competitiveness plan as Washington braces for budget shortfalls.

Contract talks between Seattle Public Schools and the teachers’ union started Thursday as the district faces a near‑$100M budget gap. The union wants a multi‑year deal on pay, workloads and class sizes while the district warns of fiscal limits.

Officer Jason Marchione sued the city, saying Seattle’s police watchdog misrepresented evidence and punished him for attending the Jan. 6 rally. The suit follows years of legal fights over the city’s Jan. 6 records.

Washington is moving to join California and Québec in a shared carbon market, a shift that could stabilize allowance prices and reshape how auction revenue flows.

The Secretary of State says online and mail-in registration updates are due Oct. 26; in-person updates are available at county offices through 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

More than 8,700 signatures were turned in as Tacoma tenants push a ballot measure to force the city to enforce tenant-protection laws through licensing and fines.

Washington’s high court affirmed a judgment finding Meta violated state campaign‑finance rules, leaving a roughly $35 million penalty intact. Officials hailed the outcome as a major win for disclosure.

Three Amazon engineers say they were questioned by the company after speaking at Seattle hearings on a data‑center moratorium, raising legal and policy questions.