These Thurston County commissioners say they don’t want raises due to a budget shortfall

Excerpt from The Olympian:

Thurston County commissioners may ask to forgo salary raises this year due to an ongoing budget shortfall.

The request is laid out in a draft letter to a citizen’s commission that’s tasked with deciding county commissioner salaries. The commissioners reviewed the letter during a Wednesday meeting but held back from approving it.

The letter, which was prepared by Commissioner Carolina Mejia, says the county is facing a “significant and ongoing budget shortfall” that may lead to budget cuts.

“Departments are preparing for potential reductions in staffing and services,” the letter says. “These are not easy conversations, and the financial challenges ahead will require careful stewardship, collaboration and shared sacrifice across the organization.”

Any potential cuts could be implemented in the 2026-2027 budget that’s due to be approved before the end of the year. However, many deliberations and public hearings must occur before then. Still, the mention of the shortfall highlights persistent financial challenges for the county.

The county commission approved operating expenditures totaling over $470 million for 2025, including $140.3 million for the general fund, last December. Budget presentations showed 2025 general fund expenditures exceeding revenue by over $16 million.

The county’s budget book attributed the general fund shortfall to limits on property tax increases, flat sales tax revenue growth, unfunded mandates and inflation.

Where do the commissioners stand?

Commissioner Rachel Grant said she supported not getting a raise herself, but the part in the letter about reductions was a “red flag” for her.

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Mejia said she was open to editing the letter, but the budget shortfall has been “no secret.”

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Commissioner Emily Clouse said she supported the letter. However, Commissioner and Board Chair Tye Menser was not present during the discussion.

Commissioner Wayne Fournier said he wanted to delay consideration of the letter until the full board could discuss it together. Yet, he did share some reservations.

For one, Fournier said he wanted other elected officials to be briefed on the letter.

Read more from The Olympian.

+ CNBC: Gold sails above $3,100 to uncharted territory as US tariffs approach (now a record $3,154.70)

+ The Washington Post: Americans are spending less as they brace for new tariffs

+ Axios: The s-word rippling through Wall Street and Main Street – Economic growth has flatlined so far this year. Inflation has picked up. And consumers expect both to get worse in the months ahead. …It adds up to Wall Street’s least-favorite “s-word,” stagflation — stagnant growth mixed with elevated inflation.

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Americans want Trump’s focus more on prices, not tariffs — CBS News poll

Excerpt from CBS News:

After a week that brought tough economic news and polling showing Americans’ views of the economy are still sour, most say President Trump has focused too much on tariffs — which they believe will end up raising prices — and not enough on lowering prices. 

This has Americans collectively skeptical right now about the ability of Mr. Trump’s policies to make them financially better off, a sentiment that was key to the success of his 2024 campaign.

Yet that’s balanced out for Mr. Trump today by continued majority approval on immigration and on his deportation program, specifically. That comes especially — but not exclusively — from his Republican base, many of whom say that’s just as important as the economy in their evaluations.

Meanwhile, the public continues to weigh the changes brought by the federal workforce reductions, with many believing they will impact programs they care about. 

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From a list of items, most say the administration is focused too much on tariffs, and by contrast, is not focused enough on lowering prices.

Donald Trump won the 2024 election in large part on the economy and the idea that he’d make Americans financially better off. 

Just before he took office, a sizable four in 10 felt his policies as president would do just that.

Asked about what’s happening today, just a quarter of Americans say those policies are making them financially better off. Nearly twice as many say he’s making their finances worse. 

Even among Republicans, things have tempered. Just before he took office, three-fourths of Republicans said Mr. Trump’s policies as president would make them better off, and now, under half of them say that’s what is happening so far.

Tariffs, or the threat of them, don’t seem to be helping.

Most oppose new tariffs, as they have for a while, and big numbers think that’ll lead to higher prices in the short term. 

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Mr. Trump’s approval for handling inflation specifically remains negative, and his rating on handling the economy in general has edged into negative territory since last month.

Click here to read the full story.

+ MSNBC: As allegations against Hegseth mount, the Pentagon chief faces a new kind of problem – As Pete Hegseth flails, there are apparently Pentagon insiders eager to talk about the defense secretary’s struggles.

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Signal Chat Leak Angers U.S. Military Pilots

Men and women who have taken to the air on behalf of the United States expressed bewilderment after the leak of attack plans. “You’re going to kill somebody,” one pilot said.

Excerpt from The New York Times via Press Reader/The Boston Globe:

The intelligence breach was bad enough, current and former fighter pilots said. But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s refusal to acknowledge that he should not have disclosed sensitive information about when American fighter pilots would attack sites in Yemen, they said, was even worse.

On air bases, in aircraft carrier “ready rooms” and in communities near military bases this week, the news that senior officials in the Trump administration discussed plans for an impending attack on Signal, a commercial messaging app, angered and bewildered men and women who have taken to the air on behalf of the United States.

The mistaken inclusion of the editor in chief of The Atlantic in the chat and Mr. Hegseth’s insistence that he did nothing wrong by disclosing the secret plans upend decades of military doctrine about operational security, a dozen Air Force and Navy fighter pilots said.

Worse, they said, is that going forward, they can no longer be certain that the Pentagon is focused on their safety when they strap into cockpits.

“The whole point about aviation safety is that you have to have the humility to understand that you are imperfect, because everybody screws up. Everybody makes mistakes,” said Lt. John Gadzinski, a former Navy F-14 pilot who flew combat missions from aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. “But ultimately, if you can’t admit when you’re wrong, you’re going to kill somebody because your ego is too big.”

He and other pilots said that each day since Monday, when The Atlantic published an article about the chat disclosures, had brought a stunning new revelation. First came the news that Mr. Hegseth had put the operational sequencing, or flight schedules, for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthi militia in Yemen on March 15 in the unclassified Signal group chat, which included several other senior officials.

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But then came Hegseth’s initial response to the disclosures. He attacked Jeffrey Goldberg, the Atlantic editor, as a “so-called journalist,” and sought refuge in a semantic argument, saying that he had never disclosed “war plans.”

So on Wednesday, The Atlantic published the actual text of what he had written, at 11:44 a.m. the day of the attack, in the group chat: “1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package),” Hegseth texted, some 30 minutes before it happened. “1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike window Starts (Target Terrorist is @his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME).”

This text was two hours in advance of the strikes.

Hegseth added, “1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package).” And then, “1536: F-18 2nd Strike Starts — also first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”

That text gave almost three hours’ notice.

Click here for the full story.

Yelm’s longest serving publication under the same owner!

Dear readers,

Today, on March 29th, 2006, the Yelm Community Blog began publication with virtual daily posts for 19 years. This blog has been compiled by the longest serving writer in Yelm compared to any other online or print publication staffs. I have been proud to provide the community with stories that give you, the reader, public documents to read and discern news stories for yourself, and without any paid advertisements.

The first blog post was about Yelm Community Schools enrolling the 5,000th pupil, doubling their student numbers in 25 years.

Follow on X or subscribe to the e-list on the right side of the home page.

A heartfelt THANK YOU for your interest and support all of these years.

Sincerely,

Steve Klein

Alaska Airlines announces new nonstop flights between Seattle and Seoul Incheon beginning Sept. 12 on Hawaiian Airlines

From Alaska Airlines:

Next stop: Seoul

Alaska Airlines has set the date for new nonstop service between Seattle and Seoul Incheon on Hawaiian Airlines. Starting Sept. 12, 2025, guests can fly in comfort on our long-haul, widebody Airbus A330-200 aircraft to South Korea’s capital city. We initially announced the new international route this past December. Tickets can now be purchased at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com.

With the combination of Alaska and Hawaiian, Seattle is transforming into the West Coast’s new premier global gateway. By 2030, we plan to serve at least 12 nonstop international destinations with widebody aircraft from Seattle, including Seoul Incheon and Tokyo Narita. Daily flights between Seattle and Tokyo Narita begin on May 12.

Alaska’s Seattle hub is the largest airline hub on the West Coast, serving 104 nonstop destinations across North America for convenient travel options and connections.

Former WA candidate Joe Kent involved in Signal chat scandal

Excerpt from The Seattle Times:

• Editor’s note: Kent ran twice for Congressional District 3, which includes rural precincts south of Yelm.

Former two-time Washington congressional candidate Joe Kent was among the handful of people included in a Trump administration Signal group chat discussing sensitive information about U.S. plans for a military strike in Yemen.

The Signal texts exploded into a scandal this week after Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, revealed he’d been accidentally added to the chat, which included specific details about the plans for attacks on Houthi militia.

The revelations have led Democrats to call for the resignations of prominent chat participants, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz.

Kent’s involvement has also raised questions because he holds no confirmed job in the Trump administration. He was nominated by Trump in February to lead the National Counterterrorism Center, but the U.S. Senate has not yet held a confirmation hearing or vote on his nomination.

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Bellevue, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said Kent “should not be on a chat like this.”

…

Kent was reportedly included in the Signal chat as a representative of Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s director of national intelligence. He has been serving as Gabbard’s acting chief of staff while awaiting confirmation, according to The Washington Post.

…

Kent’s participation in the Signal chat is likely to be raised when his nomination to lead the National Counterterrorism Center comes before the Senate. The nomination was received by the Senate on Feb. 11 and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence.

No hearing or other action has yet been scheduled.

Air Canada, Delta and United cutting US-Canada flights as bookings plummet

Excerpt from The Points Guy:

Canadians may be taking their vacation dollars and going pretty much anywhere other than the U.S.

Preliminary data shows future flight bookings from Canada to the U.S. down more than 70% for every month from April through September compared to last year, according to aviation analytics firm OAG. In April — typically peak spring break travel season to sunny spots like Florida — there are just under 300,000 bookings compared to 1.2 million in 2024.

“This sharp drop suggests that travellers are holding off on making reservations, likely due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding the broader trade dispute,” John Grant, chief analyst at OAG, said about the new data.

Air Canada, the largest airline by seats between the U.S. and Canada, disagrees with the analysis.

…

In February, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on Canadians to “choose Canada” for their future travel plans amid Trump’s threats.

The number of people crossing into the U.S. from Canada fell 12.5% year over year (or by 500,000 people) in February, according to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

Airlines are taking note of the shifting travel patterns. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said earlier in March that the carrier would cut its flights to Canada amid a “big drop in Canadian traffic going to the U.S.“

And, in February, Air Canada’s vice president of planning and scheduling, Alexandre Lefèvre, described the state of the U.S.-Canada market as “shaky.”

U.S.-Canada seats for the balance of 2025 fell 9% compared to the week before in airlines’ last schedule update March 21, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.

…

Air Canada, Delta Air Lines and United also took a whack at their schedules while leaving existing routes in place. Frequency reductions hit Air Canada flights from LAX to YYZ; Delta routes from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL); and United paths from IAD to both YUL and Ottawa International Airport (YOW) in Ontario, Cirium schedules show.

A Delta spokesperson said the frequency reduction was to “better align with customer demand.”

A United spokesperson said its changes were among its “regular adjustments to our flight schedule based on seasonality, demand and other market factors.”

…

And a huge drop in Canadian travelers would hit the entire U.S. travel industry hard. In February, the U.S. Travel Association estimated that a 10% drop in Canadian visitors could cost American businesses as much as $2.1 billion in revenue.

Amtrak shuts down most of its Cascades railcars

Route is serviced locally at Olympia-Lacey Amtrak Train Station

Excerpt from The JOLT News:

A seat on a popular train route from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Oregon, is going to be tougher to come by in the days ahead.

That’s because a fleet of Horizon trainsets have been taken out of service by Amtrak because of identified concerns with aging equipment.

“A total of 70 passenger cars across the country are affected, including 26 cars on the Amtrak Cascades route,” the railroad company said in an update on its website.

“This leaves just one non-Horizon trainset in service on Amtrak Cascades. This affects nearly all trips on Amtrak Cascades daily service to 18 stations between Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene, Oregon.”

The Amtrak Cascades route is serviced locally, in Thurston County, at the Olympia-Lacey Amtrak Train Station at 6600 Yelm Highway NE, Lacey.

“In the short-term, buses have been secured to transport passengers to their destinations through March 30. The only trips that will be served by the one remaining non-Horizon train are #503 and #508 traveling daily between Seattle and Eugene,” the railroad company said.

“Amtrak is determining how to replace the grounded Horizon trains by redistributing other trains in its national fleet. Amtrak will notify the states of Washington and Oregon as soon as a plan is in place to move replacement trains to the Pacific Northwest.”

Washington state Democrats in Congress demand Trump’s defense secretary resign amid Signal scandal

Excerpt from The Chronicle (Centralia):

Multiple Washington Democratic Congress members are calling on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to resign following the leak of a Signal chat about plans for airstrikes in Yemen.

Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, had reportedly been mistakenly included in the group conversation, which featured messages among top officials from the administration of President Donald Trump.

Goldberg on Wednesday published the transcript of the texts, which included Hegseth, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Vice President JD Vance and others.

Hegseth sent notes about weapons systems and timing prior to strikes on Houthi rebels, Axios reports.

One such purported text from the defense secretary? “THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP.”

Some Democratic U.S. lawmakers, including four from Washington state, have since blasted the gaffe. But Hegseth has rejected the premise that war plans or classified information had been brought up in the chat; rather, he said, the messages served as a general team update.

U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland, a Washington Democrat whose district covers parts of Pierce and Thurston counties, slammed Hegseth in a post on X (formerly Twitter), calling him “unqualified from the start.”

“He is a national security risk and he should be fired immediately,” wrote Strickland, who’s a member of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services.

Strickland previously condemned Hegseth ahead of his confirmation, citing sexual-assault claims made against the former Fox News personality and his alleged “drinking problem.” In December she decried Hegseth’s nomination as “an affront to the American people.”

…

Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, who represents the central Puget Sound region and parts of King County, has also called on Hegseth to resign. As the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, Smith classified Hegseth’s actions as a “level of incompetence that should not be tolerated” at the U.S. Department of Defense.

“Anybody working at the Defense Department who shared this type of information should be fired,” Smith continued in a video posted to X. “And certainly the secretary of defense should be held to that same standard.”

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, whose district includes much of Seattle and the surrounding areas, demanded the resignation of everyone in the Signal chain.

“This level of incompetence is clearly extensive throughout Trump’s cabinet and goes all the way to the top,” she continued via X. “This also begs the question, why was any of this being discussed on a Signal chain?”

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a fierce Trump critic, wrote on X that Hegseth put the lives of service members at risk.

“Pete Hegseth must RESIGN. Michael Waltz must RESIGN,” she added. “They cannot be trusted to keep America safe.”