Free Republic

SEATTLE — Patty Murray defeated GOP challenger Tiffany Smiley in her bid to retain her seat in the U.S. Senate. Murray led Smiley with 57% of the vote following an initial ballot count on Nov. 8. Murray, a Democrat, will serve for a sixth term in the U.S. Senate. Washington state hasn’t elected a Republican to the Senate since 1994.

A Washington school board approved a policy on Aug. 24 prohibiting the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in classrooms. The Kennewick School Board in Kennewick, Washington, voted 5-0 on a policy which bans educators from teaching students CRT or that “their race determines their value or worth.” The policy requires that students learn “factual” U.S. history in all disciplines at school.

A King County infant has become infected with the monkeypox virus as the outbreak grows in Washington, prompting public health leaders to again remind medical providers of possible symptoms and call attention to the seriousness of the disease. While the threat of infection to the general public remains low, the pediatric case serves as the latest reminder that while the current outbreak has spread primarily among men who have sex with men, anyone can become sick, state Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah said Thursday morning. This week, Public Health – Seattle & King County said three of the...

In Washington state’s 3rd Congressional District, Joe Kent has defeated incumbent republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, who voted to impeach President Trump.

Challenger Joe Kent has nearly overtaken U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in vote counts released Friday, leaving the six-term incumbent teetering on the brink of defeat amid Republican backlash over her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump. But Kent, her Trump-endorsed Republican challenger, has surged in later tallies, cutting deeply into Herrera Beutler’s lead and threatening to push her into third place. Kent has gained ground every day, in a trend line that points to him surpassing Herrera Beutler when more votes are counted next week. Herrera Beutler “needs a miracle,” wrote Dave Wasserman, an editor and election expert...

A vicious beating at the Bellevue Transit Center sent a disabled man to the hospital with a fractured skull...Sixty-three-year-old Eric Larson, who was sitting in his wheelchair when he was attacked, died from his injuries Tuesday...Police tracked down the suspect [Gabriel Vargas-Garcia] and discovered he was just released from prison on July 8 on a sexual assault conviction.

We are waiting to see what happens. The automotive industry is already bracing for this one. One year after it passed (2021) but was vetoed by Gov. Inslee, the state Democrat-controlled legislature passed a bill (2022) that if signed by Inslee, will ban sales of new gas-powered vehicles in our state after 2030. Autoweek took a look at the legislation a few days ago. The bill would ban the sale of new light-duty cars, SUVs, trucks, vans, etc. after 2030. It would allow continued sales of vehicles 10,000lbs. and up, and also allow emergency vehicles. The reason last year's bill...

Covid force to go door to door in Perth this weekend conducting voluntary tests About 875 people expected be tested for virus over the next two weekends Belmont, Bassendean, Claremont and Melville will be targeted by testing blitz WA is just days away from reaching its peak in Omicron cases, premier warns The state recorded 7,151 new cases and one Covid-related death on Thursday A Covid detection force will go door to door in Perth this weekend and conduct random testing amid fears Omicron is lurking undetected in the community. About 875 people are expected be tested over the next...

Amazon is closing one of its Seattle offices due to an uptick in violent crime, the company told KOMO News. It comes after a wave of deadly shootings in the city’s downtown area, forcing police to set up a temporary precinct and patrol the area on bicycles. “We are hopeful that conditions will improve and that we will be able to bring employees back to this location when it is safe to do so,” it said in a statement. The move will affect about 1,800 employees, though the company said many are working remotely and will be given a temporary...

Senate Democrats in Washington state have once again passed a bill that creates a pathway to early release for a variety of incarcerated people serving long sentences or even life without parole, including those sentenced for aggravated murder and murder in the first degree. The bill doubles the membership of the Clemency and Pardons Board, and requires certain representation on the board to ensure equity. The board would consider petitions for early release for incarcerated people who have served 15, 20, or 25 years of their sentence, depending on the crime they’re serving time for. “This bill is about understanding...

Tri-Cities, WA — Governor Inslee recently announced his support for legislation that would outlaw attempts by elected officials to spread lies about free and fair elections when it has likelihood to stoke violence. State Representative Brad Klippert attended MyPillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell's cyber security symposium in August. Action news spoke with Klippert about why participating was so important to him. "I don't get it with this guy [Inslee], has he not read the Constitution, has he not read that we in the United States of America and we in Washington state have freedom of speech," said Klippert. "So if...

EVERETT — Ryan Leenders collapsed and wept in the arms of his defense attorneys Thursday as the verdict in his murder trial was read aloud. Not guilty of first-degree murder. Not guilty of second-degree murder. Not guilty of first-degree assault. It took a jury of five women and seven men less than two days to acquit Leenders, 36, of all charges related to the deadly shooting of William Harper, 28, who was a guest at a party in 2020. Leenders walked out of the courtroom a free man, two days before Christmas. The jury sat through nearly four weeks of...

PARKLAND, Wash. — Dramatic new surveillance video shows a store employee making a risky move to stop a shoplifter in Pierce County. The store owner said they are fed up with thieves targeting their stores again and again, and the worker was striking back. It was the last straw for 27-year-old Gabby. The ‘Iconic Workwear’ store employee was seen on surveillance video, jumping into action, and closing the door on a would-be shop lifter. She blocks him from taking off after another guy got away. “She was shaking," said Pedro Gonzalez, Iconic Workwear owner. "She was angry. She was frustrated....

SPANAWAY, WA – In what he states was a self-defense situation, a Washington man opened fire against a pair of armed home intruders, killing one. Jerahme Smith - screenshot, local media report On Thursday, December 9, 2021, according to Pierce County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) spokesperson Darren Moss, rental home resident Jerahme Smith, 31, called 911 at approximately 4:20 am to notify police of a home burglary and a shooting. Smith later told Fox 13 that he and his sister were in the house when two suspects kicked in the back door. 'I have the right to protect myself:' Washington man...

Washington state Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee likened people who have chosen not to take the experimental COVID-19 vaccines to domestic terrorists. "Thirty-four percent of Washingtonians are walking around with a time bomb in their backpack because they’re not vaccinated," he said at a press conference.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – More than 125 state troopers have been cut following Governor Jay Inslee’s mask mandate. Washington State Patrol announced Tuesday morning it “separated” 127 people from employment who were not vaccinated by the Oct. 18 deadline. This included 53 civil servants and 74 officers. The officers include 67 troopers, six sergeants and one captain. WSP said it has more than 2,200 people in eight districts and the firings are spread across the state. “As for the more than 2,000 individuals who elected to stay with our agency, I am forever thankful. We have the responsibilities of the agency...

If you thought a religious exemption would prevent everyone from getting fired from their jobs, think again. As the vaxx-nannies push to segregate society completely between the vaxxed and unvaxxed, pesky religious rights are only speed bumps, not roadblocks. The latest victim of medical discrimination comes from Washington State University where head coach Nick Rolovich and four assistants were fired today for not complying. According to The Sun: Rolovich, Washington State’s highest-paid employee who applied for a religious exemption from the vaccine earlier this month, is expected to be replaced with defensive coordinator Jake Dickert as the interim coach, a...

A school bus driver was fatally stabbed in front of students after picking them up from a Washington state elementary school Friday afternoon, authorities said. The alleged killer, who is now in custody, got on the bus near Longfellow Elementary in the city of Pasco around 3 p.m. and launched the knife attack as multiple children watched in horror, according to police. The victim lost control of the vehicle and crashed it near the school building, police said. The unidentified driver was pronounced dead a hospital. No children were physically injured in the attack or crash. The suspect’s name has...

A Washington state school decreed that students must wear masks in the cafeteria — while chewing and swallowing food, Jason Rantz of KTTH-AM reported... Rantz noted a portion of an email to parents from Principal Neil O'Brien outlining the policy: "Yes. Children should wear masks during lunch. They can lower it to take a bite or a drink, and raise it to chew, swallow, or talk. Our cafeteria has a fantastic airflow system and children are spaced apart AND when over a hundred of them are in one large room (the cafeteria and gym combined) we need to treat lunchtime...

Lawsuits filed Thursday in Clark, Snohomish and Whatcom counties claim the auditors in each of those counties “flipped votes,” kept illegal records of voters by political party, defied public records laws and, in some cases, used unverified election equipment during the November 2020 election. The suits were filed by the Washington Election Integrity Coalition United with an additional 28 individuals — including congressional candidate Joe Kent, Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson and Yacolt Town Council member Michelle Dawson — signing on as plaintiffs. Kent is challenging Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, for her 3rd Congressional District seat. Attempts to...