Heat & Housing Protections: Spokane City Council approved a cooling ordinance that pushes rentals to provide adequate air conditioning (or let tenants bring and get reimbursed for cooling gear up to $500), with lease-exit options if there’s at least one room tenants can cool. Wildfire Response: With hot, dry conditions, Pacific Northwest fire agencies are moving fast—thousands of firefighters and support staff are deployed across active incidents, and land managers are tightening fire activity ahead of the weekend. Climate Costs in the Inland Northwest: Spokane is weighing a new $2.75 monthly climate surcharge tied to the Climate Commitment Act, on top of proposed solid-waste rate hikes—raising fresh affordability concerns at city hall. Data Center Backlash: Oregon’s Salem is seeing mounting anger over a proposed $5 billion data center, with residents citing environmental and farmland impacts and criticizing a city nondisclosure agreement. Sports & Inclusion Fallout: The Seattle Storm apologized after co-owner Celeste Keaton was fined and suspended by the WNBA for comments to two teenage fans during a game tied to trans-athlete controversy. Local Safety: A pedestrian was killed after being struck on SR-167 in Renton, prompting an investigation and traffic diversions.