Washington state released new data showing slight improvements in student performance in both reading and math, but scores remain significantly below where they were before the COVID‑19 pandemic. The information was shared this week by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
A 13-year-old boy was arrested in Pierce County, Washington, early Saturday morning after making violent threats against a school and claiming access to firearms. Deputies from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the teen is now in custody and that a significant cache of weapons and disturbing materials consistent with a planned mass shooting were seized from his home.
A Mexican national with convictions for assault, rape, and child molestation—identified as Eduardo Roman Velazquez‑Rodriguez—was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol and ICE agents in Spokane. He is now in ICE custody awaiting removal proceedings. According to ICE officials, Velazquez‑Rodriguez had served a 15-month prison sentence for child sexual abuse and rape, but was apparently released into the community due to Washington’s sanctuary policies, which restrict state cooperation with federal immigration authorities. ICE condemned these policies, arguing they allow dangerous individuals to remain in the U.S. unlawfully and pose risks, especially to children.
Celebrity chef José Andrés lashed out at President Donald Trump this week, accusing him of harming Washington, D.C.’s restaurant industry with his aggressive anti-crime policies and immigration enforcement.
Washington Solicitor General Noah Purcell faces an ethics complaint from the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) for alleged misconduct involving direct communications with law firm Perkins Coie without consent from its legal representative and for using public resources to respond to a separate complaint involving Attorney General Nick Brown.
Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown narrowly avoided an interim suspension of his law license after failing to respond on time to an ethics complaint tied to his office’s relationship with Democratic law firm Perkins Coie. The complaint, filed with the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA), alleges Brown improperly signed an amicus brief supporting Perkins Coie while his office held active contracts with the firm.
A Washington state woman has filed a wrongful death suit against a group of major fossil fuel corporations—including ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Shell, and state-based Olympic Pipeline Company—alleging that their contributions to global warming led directly to her mother’s death during the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome.
Washington state is on course to enter deficit spending by 2028, despite hitting taxpayers with the largest combined tax increase in its history. An investigation by The Center Square reveals that state spending has more than doubled over the past decade, vastly outpacing inflation and population growth.
Washington state leads the nation in adjusted teacher pay, but critics say academic performance is not keeping pace. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, kindergarten teachers in Washington earned a median salary of $87,530 in 2024, while elementary, middle, and high school teachers earned just under $100,000 annually. The national median for pre-K–12 teachers is $63,000.
A Mexican national living illegally in the U.S. has been sentenced to over 10 years in prison for the vehicular homicide of Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher Gadd. Raul Benitez-Santana, 33, was convicted in a Snohomish County courtroom earlier this month and received a sentence of 125 months in prison and 18 months of community custody.
