Who could have guessed it — the state’s failure to move to efficiently to distance learning has negatively impacted at-risk students the hardest. Despite Washington State being a global hi-tech center, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal and other state education leaders failed to embrace successful online education methods prior to the coronavirus outbreak (due primarily to just following teachers unions’ demands), leaving the state’s schools unprepared to adapt to new conditions as the pandemic shut down in-person education.  A new survey reveals that 26% of the state’s foster children have “disengaged from schools” as remote learning replaced in-person education.  The non-profit Treehouse has stepped up where the state has failed, and has delivered $800,000 in technology and other support to foster families. (News Tribune)

The president of the Washington State Parent Teacher Association said that many school districts are still unprepared for distance learning, even after having the summer to prepare for classes this fall.  Andrew Estep said the state was so far behind that, “The three months of summer that we’ve had still hasn’t been enough time, not to adequately provide for all of the changes that would need to be made in order to virtualize this effectively. So, it’s still not going to be happy.” (MyNorthwest)

Monday evening was another night of arson, rioting, and destruction of private property on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, as 250 people protested the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin.  The carnage continues, and meanwhile Washington State Democrat leaders continue to remain silent regarding the violent actions of the protestors. One can only assume that they are either in lockstep agreement with the rioters, or they do not want to offend anyone who might support their political ambitions in the future.  Either way, the on-going silence from Governor Jay Inslee, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell and Washington State Democrat Party Chair Tina Podlodowski has clearly demonstrated that the public safety and personal property of Seattle residents, and the personal safety of Seattle Police officers, are minor concerns compared to their own political fortunes. (Seattle Times)

More Seattle businesses are pulling out of downtown locations, citing the increase in crime rates and the city council’s defunding police measures as primary reasons for their moves.  The owner of Steepologie Teas said of her decision to vacate the retailer’s downtown location, “This hurts, but it was absolutely necessary to take a stand and say we can no longer be put at risk nor can our team members.” Downtown Seattle was once a destination for shoppers, but the city’s homeless, crime, drug, and law enforcement policies – all pursued under sole Democrat political control of the city – have made consumers reconsider where they are willing to spend their money. (MyNorthwest)

The Metropolitan King County Council has reversed its previous support of making Juneteenth a paid holiday for county employees.  In June, desperate to placate the demands of rioters, the council supported making the annual anniversary of Union soldiers freeing the last slaves a holiday for county workers.  Yet, the liberals on the council finally realized this would cost the county nearly $5 million in overtime pay and more than $6 million in lost productivity of county employees. On Monday, the council sent the measure back to committee for more discussion. (Seattle Times)

The 10^th Legislative District has hotly contested races for its Senate seat and both House positions.  With the retirements of Republican Senator Barbara Bailey and Republican Representative Norma Smith, and the close 2018 race of Democrat Dave Paul, the swing district will be the focus of both political parties attempting to gain members for the 2021 legislature. Primary results and money raised both indicate that all three races will likely be close in November.  The 10^th District includes Island County, as well as northern Snohomish and southern Skagit counties. (Everett Herald)

The small community of Point Roberts (population 1,200) has been severely impacted by the closure of the border between the United States and Canada. The isolated Washington State community sits just south of the 49^th parallel border at the edge of a peninsula connected to British Columbia. Normally 1.4 million people visit Point Roberts, yet this year only 217,000 visitors have made the trek – mostly before the pandemic.  Business revenues are down 80%.  No coronavirus cases have been reported in the town.  Residents are seeking a waiver from the Canadian government to allow the reopening of its border crossing. (AP)

Students returning to Washington State University (WSU) have caused a skyrocketing of coronavirus cases in Whitman County.  Illegal parties and students not wearing masks have led to 80 students testing positive for the virus last weekend.  WSU has gone to distance learning for Fall semester, but many students have returned to campus since fraternities, sororities, and dorms are their primary residence. (KXLY)

Walla Walla’s Blue Mountain Community Church is opening its doors for school children to have a safe space to study. Up to 50 students will be able to use the building as the local schools continue with remote learning during the Fall quarter. All students and volunteers will be required to wear masks and they will be broken up into small groups to study. (YakTriNews)

A wind farm has begun construction near Lind in Adams County.  Some 57 turbines are being constructed (providing 250 local jobs), and are expected to be supplying energy later this year. The facility has a 20-year contract to deliver energy to Avista Utilities. (iFIBER One)

The Jay Inslee campaign just made an exaggerated claim that has even the most seasoned political observers shaking their heads.  In a fundraising email, the Inslee campaign stated (and we are not making this up), “Jay Inslee is the steady, moral leader Washington state needs and the rest of the country looks to for guidance.” We seriously doubt that even the most desperate liberal politician in the country is seeking guidance from someone who spent nearly $8 million to reduce his 2% in public support down to 0%, as Inslee did during his failed presidential campaign last year (thus the moniker “Governor Zero”).  We also doubt that making Washington taxpayers foot the bill for his campaign security qualifies the governor as a “moral leader.” It is also difficult to consider someone “moral” who, after giving tribal casinos a monopoly on the lucrative sports gambling business, did nothing as these same casinos defied his health guidelines to open their doors to hundreds of gamblers – while Governor Inslee kept nearby small businesses closed.

Now the campaign could be correct in stating Inslee is “steady”, in that he appears to be consistently clueless about his administration’s failures.  His Employment Security Department was responsible for one of the largest thefts in American history, losing over a half billion dollars to scammers,  and since then has failed to deliver promised benefits to hundreds of thousands of Washington residents who suddenly lost their income.  Then Jay was clueless about riots and the violent takeover of a police precinct and about 6 blocks of public and private property within his state’s largest citiy.  And he has been “steady” in commenting on partisan national issues, but not saying a word regarding his fellow Democrats on the Seattle City Council for their treatment of a their Black woman police chief and defunding police protection in high crime neighborhoods. (Inslee Campaign email)

Democrat legislators are too afraid to tell Emperor Inslee that he has no new clothes and that the state budget is in shambles.  While the governor keeps failing during his one-man rule over the state during the coronavirus pandemic, Democrat legislators shirk their responsibilities and refuse to join Republican lawmakers to reconvene the legislature to repair the state budget, which is crashing due to an estimated $8.8 billion shortfall in projected revenue. Instead, Democrat leaders are convinced the best solution is to (conveniently) wait until after the November elections, and then proclaim the only way to fix the state budget is to raise taxes. (Shift)

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