Judge pauses WA's new law creating standards for sheriff candidates A Thurston County Superior Court judge on Wednesday paused a new law that would have put more requirements on candidates running for county sheriff in Washington. Sarah Mizes-Tan
Former UW medical residents sue program intended to help struggling physicians Two former University of Washington medical residents say the Washington Physicians Health Program, or WPHP, was supposed to help them – but did the opposite. Instead, they say the program hurt their financial and mental health and set their careers back. Anna Boiko-Weyrauch
Lummi Nation accuses Whidbey Telecom of digging up, ignoring remains at Point Roberts The Lummi Nation filed a lawsuit Monday that accuses Whidbey Telecom of repeatedly digging up and disturbing Native burial grounds at Point Roberts. Stephen Howie
AI as an attorney? Student uses ChatGPT, Gemini to sue UW over alleged racial discrimination A California man is using AI as a team of lawyers, claiming colleges who rejected his son's application, including the University of Washington, did so based on racial discrimination. Monica Nickelsburg
Are prediction markets illicit gambling? Washington state says yes Washington is joining the queue of states bringing legal action against Kalshi, a popular prediction market. The platform allows users to wager money on everything from sports, to politics, to pop culture — and even military actions. Clare McGrane
Nearly 3 years after outcry, audit finds rural Washington jail in a better place A recent audit finds conditions are improving at the Klickitat County Jail in Goldendale, after county commissioners removed the jail from the sheriff’s oversight and created a department of corrections, as required by a legal settlement with the man’s family. Amy Radil
King County saw the most street immigration arrests across WA in 2025 Immigration arrests in King County increased more than 300% from January to December last year. That’s according to federal records obtained by researchers at the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights. Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez
Washington joins 24-state lawsuit seeking to block Trump's latest tariffs Washington is one of 24 states suing the Trump administration over its latest attempt to impose worldwide tariffs without congressional approval. Sami West
In Seattle, 9th Circuit judges consider Trump policy of mandatory immigrant detentions The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Wednesday in Seattle on the legality of the Trump administration’s expanded mandatory detention for immigrants who in the past have been able to seek release while awaiting the outcomes of their cases. Amy Radil
As ICE looks to expand detention facilities, several Western Washington cities consider bans City councils in Seattle, Burien, Renton, and Tukwila are considering temporary bans on issuing permits for detention facilities. Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez
