Ruby de Luna

A clash over health care tax credits is at the center of the ongoing federal shutdown. Democrats want those subsidies extended. But many Republicans want to let them expire. That leaves thousands of Washington residents who rely on the subsidies to pay for health insurance with tough choices: pay the new rate, purchase catastrophic coverage, or forgo health insurance altogether.

As the federal government shutdown continues, Seattle and King County officials have announced a plan to help families who rely on WIC — a federal food assistance program for mothers, babies, and children — when their benefits run out.

You know those placards that show a restaurant’s food safety rating? Soon there will be another sign next to it that says whether that business has unresolved wage violations.

A federal program created during the pandemic to supply public schools with local produce was abruptly ended in March, leaving Washington state farmers without a critical source of income. Now, farmers are making hard choices about what to grow and how many workers to hire.

King County officials are calling for more accountability in light of a recent auditor's report on the Department of Community and Human Services.

Every parent’s goal for their children is to teach them life skills that help them launch into adulthood — but that gets complicated when a child has a disability. Many of those families rely on Medicaid, a federal program, for support. Now, one Bellevue family is worried about what the Trump administration’s recent safety net cutbacks could mean for their son.

Washington state has filed another lawsuit against the Trump administration — this time for rescinding over $9 million in congressionally approved funds meant to help fight climate change.

Many people expect to live their golden years in leisure after decades of hard work. But two Marysville residents recently found themselves worrying about being able to buy food. They’re among the hundreds of thousands of Washington residents who rely on SNAP, the federal food assistance program. Now that Congress has cut $186 billion in funding for the program, they’re anxiously waiting for what happens next.

Debora Juarez, a former Seattle City Council member, is back in her previous post.

When PCC Corner Market opens this week, it will focus more on prepared foods for downtown workers and residents.