Two confirmed cases of delta variant in Skagit County

Art Shotwell 3 minutes read
Two COVID-19 cases attributed to the delta variant have been identified in Skagit County so far, though it can be assumed that the variant has spread more widely given that sequencing is not done on all tests.

Anacortes issues burn ban, following State and County

Art Shotwell 1 minute read
Due to extended warm dry weather, extreme fire danger, and multiple local resources committed to on‐going state fires, a ban on recreational fires is in effect for the City of Anacortes.

What’s in wildfire smoke? A toxicologist warns there are lots of dangerous components

Art Shotwell 5 minutes read
Something unusual happened this year in Idaho. Fire and health officials began issuing warnings about the health risks of wildfire smoke several weeks earlier than normal. With almost the entire U.S. West in drought, it was only a matter of time before the risks became reality.

Senate Democrats’ Plan Boosts Spending on Medicare, ACA Subsidies, Long-Term Care

7 minutes read
The budget package Democrats are assembling in Congress would likely provide the biggest jolt to the American health care system since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, according to sources familiar with work on the plan.

Police Blotter, July 2 - 8, 2021

Anacortes Police 4 minutes read
The Seven-11 building was damaged after a 58-year-old Wyoming man said his foot slid off the brake as he was stopping and accidentally hit the gas pedal.

Poverty in 2021 looks different than in 1964 – but the US hasn’t changed how it measures who’s poor since LBJ began his war

Art Shotwell 6 minutes read
In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson famously declared war on poverty. “The richest nation on Earth can afford to win it,” he told Congress in his first State of the Union address. “We cannot afford to lose it.”