Business & Economy
Business & Economy
Governor Says No Washington Counties Will Move Back To Phase 1 Of Reopening – Yet
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said none of the state’s regions will revert back to more restrictive COVID-19 requirements under the state’s economic reopening plan under a pause in potential rollbacks the Democratic governor announced Thursday amid dropping case counts.
Washington-Based Costco To Raise Minimum Wage To $16 An Hour: ‘This Isn’t Altruism,’ CEO Says
Costco plans to edge up its starting wage to $16 an hour starting next week, CEO W. Craig Jelinek said on Thursday, revealing plans that would propel his company ahead of most of its retail competitors.
How $1 Billion In Legal Marijuana Sales Gets Spent In Washington State
This year marks a milestone for the state’s legal pot industry. For the first time since voters approved recreational pot use nine years ago, the state of Washington is expected to collect more than $1 billion in marijuana sales taxes and fees over the course of its next two-year budget cycle.
Governor Signs $2.2B COVID Relief Package For Washington Schools, Businesses, Renters, Immigrants
A fresh round of federal aid will soon be flowing to Washington businesses and individuals hit hard by the COVID pandemic. On Friday, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a $2.2 billion relief package funded with money approved by Congress in December.
Pay-Per-Mile Tax Gets A Test Drive In Washington Legislature To Augment Gas Tax
Washington state senators have teed up a mileage-based tax for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles as the first step toward changing how the state pays for road maintenance and other transportation needs. Policymakers expect gas tax revenue to decline long term. Oregon has been experimenting with a per-mile charge for years.
Why Bill Gates Is Investing Big Time In Farmland Across Washington And The Country
Seattle’s technology billionaires are many things: innovators, visionaries, philanthropists and some less polite descriptors, depending on whom you ask. But thanks to some scrupulous digging by industry journal The Land Report, which tracks land ownership across the country, we now know that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has another feather in his multi hyphenated career cap: America’s Top Private Owner of Farmland.
All Washington Counties Can Advance To Phase 2 Reopening As State Fixes Hospital Data
The south-central region of Washington’s 8-region area for coronavirus restrictions can immediately reopen. That news came Sunday from the state Department of Health. It means the counties encompassing Walla Walla, the Tri-Cities, Yakima and Ellensburg can advance to Phase 2.
Federal Budget Deficit Expected To Hit Second Largest Since World War II
Congressional forecasters are projecting a federal deficit of $2.3 trillion this fiscal year, even without the additional $1.9 trillion in spending that President Biden has proposed.
Washington Lawmakers Pass $2.2 Billion COVID Relief Bill, Now Heads To Governor’s Desk
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says he looks forward to signing a $2.2 billion COVID relief bill in the coming days. The measure cleared the Legislature Wednesday after a bipartisan vote in the state Senate.
Washington Scrambles To Avoid Mass Evictions As Moratorium Nears End
After Gov. Jay Inslee extended the moratorium multiple times, most lawmakers, lobbyists and advocates expect March 31 will mark its true end — at least at the state level. Then the question of what will happen to renters without the moratorium’s blunt relief will go from hypothetical to very much real.
‘The Game Is Rigged’: How Fury Over The Great Recession Fueled The Reddit Trade
WallStreetBets started as an investment forum — and its moderators continue to insist it is just that as the group has now grown to boast nearly 9 million members. But interviews with some of its members and an examination of its threads also show something else — that it’s morphed into a movement of sorts, riding a giant wave of unresolved anger from the Great Recession.
Governor Signs Bill To Help Washington Businesses, Workers With Unemployment Benefits
A bill that increases the minimum weekly benefit for unemployed workers during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and prevents a dramatic increase in unemployment taxes paid by businesses was signed into law Monday by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
