State & Regional News | The Daily Chronicle

Hormuz hostilities pick up as two tankers reportedly struck

Two oil supertankers attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz were struck by projectiles late Monday, maritime security consultant Marisks said, the latest sign of renewed hostilities around the … more

Grant Smith, Weilun Soon, Eltaf Najafizada / Bloomberg News (TNS) | 9/1/26

A crew member hoses down vegetation to keep a prescribed fire from spreading outside of a designated parcel. Local leaders in the small town of Roslyn, Washington, have embraced prescribed burns as a way to protect the community.

This Washington town is burning. That’s the plan.

Francisco Martinez hefts a canister filled with a mixture of diesel fuel and gasoline. A tongue of flame dances above the nozzle. He tips the drip torch forward — whoosh — and a stream of blazing … more

Alex Brown / Stateline | 9/1/26

International student enrollment at Oregon's public universities is expected to decline this year due to Trump administration policies. Oregon State University is currently home to about 1,900 international students and their families, down from 2,400 in recent years.

Oregon universities brace for international enrollment drop following visa delays, Trump policies

Ahead of the fall semester at Oregon’s largest public universities, staff are helping students from around the world navigate challenging visa delays and uncertainty over President Donald Trump and … more

Alex Baumhardt / Oregon Capital Chronicle | 9/1/26

Vegetables and lettuces at a grocery store in Michigan. A summer of food recalls, including the record-shattering cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce that has sickened thousands, has raised many Americans’ fears of contracting a foodborne illness.

A summer of recalls exposes holes in the nation’s food safety net

Jalapenos. Frozen berries. Beef. Alfalfa sprouts. A summer of food recalls, including the record-shattering cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce that has sickened thousands, has … more

Anna Claire Vollers / Washington State Standard | 9/1/26

The Washington state Capitol is pictured from Heritage Park in Olympia on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Union workers walk out seeking higher pay from state in secret negotiations

Thousands of Washington public workers represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees walked off the job Monday at more than 100 worksites, as the union presses for a better contract. … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 8/31/26

The Washington Capitol building is lit up against the night sky in Olympia.

Critics blame Washington’s 'imminent harm' rule for another baby death

A 39-year-old woman charged in connection with the death of her 1-year-old son made a second court appearance Monday in King County Superior Court, as critics blame the system for allowing the death … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 8/31/26

Roughly 100 state employees lined Capitol Way in Olympia, Wash. to demand higher wages in their next two-year contract. (Photo by Aspen Ford/Washington State Standard)

Washington state workers stage walkout amid clash over pay demands

With contract negotiations nearing a critical deadline, hundreds of Washington state workers walked off the job for an hour Monday to highlight demands for wage hikes in their next two-year deal. … more

By Jerry Cornfield and Aspen Ford / The Washington State Standard | 8/31/26

Walmart, located at 1601 NW Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis.

Walmart agrees to pay $50 million for filling unlawful opioid prescriptions

The U.S. Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), last week announced a $50 million settlement with Walmart Inc. to resolve allegations that Walmart pharmacies … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/31/26

"The Jungle" is a longstanding homeless encampment in Olympia located on approximately 20 acres between Martin Way and Pacific Avenue.

‘The Jungle’ closure update: Olympia begins transitioning 275 residents into housing; police presence increases

The City of Olympia and its regional partners have begun the long process of transitioning inhabitants of the city’s largest homeless encampment into housing. As of this week, 18 of “The … more

By Emily Fitzgerald / emily@thurstonchronicle.com | 8/31/26

Veterans Memorial Museum Executive Director Chip Duncan talks with Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez outside of the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System American Lake Mobile Medical Unit in Chehalis on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023.

Gluesenkamp Perez to host service academy information night

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the office of U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, will host an information night for students interested in applying to the service academies. The event will be … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/31/26

Is Washington state unsafe for motorcyclists? Studies compare stats by state

Summer is a popular time for motorcycle rides, with clear skies and long days providing ample opportunities for hitting the road. Riding a motorcycle comes with inherent safety risks. Over … more

Karlee Van De Venter / Tri-City Herald (TNS) | 8/31/26

Washington's state and local governments are paying more for lawsuits

OLYMPIA — Lawsuits are costing local and state taxpayers in Washington too much, some lawmakers say. Months after a proposal to change how state and local governments respond to claims of … more

Mitchell Roland / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 8/31/26

Airbnb extends free stays to Washington wildfire survivors

Washingtonians displaced by the state's ongoing wildfires have another option for short-term accommodations: Airbnb, the home-sharing marketplace. Airbnb.org, the nonprofit arm of Airbnb, is … more

Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 8/31/26

Oregon man armed with a gun and a tractor faced down SWAT team, officials say

A Clackamas County SWAT team arrested a man on Saturday afternoon after he allegedly opened fire on a team of tree cutters working near Oregon City — then used a tractor to try to fend off tactical … more

Tatum Todd / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 8/31/26

Multiple groups, including Rose City Antifa, the Proud Boys and conservative activist Haley Adams were protesting in downtown Portland on Saturday, June 29, 2019.

Trump moves to target leftist organizations, including at least one in Portland

Almost a year after U.S. president Donald Trump signed an executive order to designate antifa as a “terrorist threat,” his administration is attempting to single out leftist organizations, … more

Tatum Todd / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 8/31/26

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer from Oregon presumed killed trying to save people from wildfire

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer from Oregon is believed to have died while helping people flee a devastating wildfire in Oklahoma on Saturday, officials say. David Taylor, 38, of Scio, … more

Tatum Todd / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 8/31/26

Digit v4 from Agility Robotics, is a humanoid robot that can walk around and carry things like people do. It's already at work in facilities owned by Amazon, Toyota and the logistics company GXO.

Oregon robotics company says the industry needs a reality check: ‘I really want to pop that bubble’

The internet is full of videos of robots running races, doing backflips, dancing and playing soccer. Doing real work, though? Jonathan Hurst says that’s harder than it looks. He’s … more

Mike Rogoway / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 8/31/26

Five people killed in head-on collision outside Wenatchee

Five people died in a head-on collision on Highway 2 outside of Wenatchee Sunday night, the Washington State Patrol said. A 2014 Nissan Maxima with four people inside was going west on … more

By Kai Uyehara / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 8/31/26

A crew member uses a drip torch to ignite a prescribed burn in Southwest Washington. Leaders in Washington and other states want to empower more residents to lead burns like this on private lands. (Photo by Alex Brown/Stateline)

To protect forests, I learned to burn them

AUBURN, Wash. — In the back row of a small community college classroom, I sip my coffee and consider a cumulus cloud, a puffy white pillar over an expanse of blue. I’m not staring out the window, … more

By Alex Brown / Stateline.org | 8/31/26

Developmental disabilities program for Washington families to be cut, but not ended

Washington state officials are keeping a longstanding program seen as vital to parents of children with developmental disabilities, but cutting its funding, ending weeks of unease about its … more

By Jake Goldstein-Street / The Washington State Standard | 8/31/26