Governor Jay Inslee says that Washington will continue to be a state that welcomes those seeking refuge from persecution, regardless of where they come from or the religion they practice.
Governor Jay Inslee says that 'Washington will continue to be a state that welcomes those seeking refuge from persecution, regardless of where they come from or the religion they practice." Washington State/Flickr

ICYMI, Governors from 27 States Are Saying They Don't Want Syrian Refugees: And two presidential candidates, Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush, have said that if those refugees were Christian it'd be a different story.

Not That Governors Actually Have the Ability to Deny Refugees: But that doesn't seem to matter to governors of these states.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee Called Out the (Mostly) GOP Governors for Their Anti-Muslim Bigotry: "Sadly, in the wake of these attacks, many people channel their fear and anger against ISIS into fear and anger against Muslims," the governor said in a statement on Monday. "At a time when millions of Syrian families are attempting to flee ISIS and seek refuge in safer parts of the world, including the United States, there are some who say it’s time to close our doors to people whose lives are in peril. I stand firmly with President Obama who said this morning, 'We do not close our hearts to these victims of such violence and somehow start equating the issue of refugees with the issue of terrorism.'"

Still, Obama's Commitment to Take in 10,000 Refugees Isn't Even a Dent in the Larger Syrian Refugee Crisis: And Canada, with a tenth of the US population, is going to accept more than twice that number.

The Washington Attorney General Found No Wrongdoing on Behalf of Planned Parenthood: After being pressed to investigate Planned Parenthood by members of the Washington state legislature, the Attorney General's Office says that the allegations against Planned Parenthood are bogus. "Unfounded allegations against Planned Parenthood are troubling," Attorney General Ferguson wrote in his response to the legislators. "They seek to discredit the organization and divert resources away from patient services, making it more difficult for Washington women to exercise their constitutional rights."

These Gates Divest activists paddled to protest in front of Bill Gatess mansion on Lake Washington this past October. Is their message working?
These Gates Divest activists paddled to protest in front of Bill Gates's mansion on Lake Washington this past October. Is the divestment message working? SB

New Gates Foundation Tax Documents Show Decreased Investments in Fossil Fuels: In 2013, the Gates Foundation had $1.4 billion invested in major fossil fuel companies, including Exxon. The trust's latest tax return, however, shows that those investments have fallen to $475 million. The Foundation also divested from Exxon, but isn't explaining why. Some of the change could be attributed to the drop in oil prices, but it also could reflect an ethical decision, the Times' Sandi Doughton and Justin Mayo report.

Washington Tells Volkswagen its Diesel Emissions Software Violated the Clean Air Act: Now the company has 30 days to respond to the Department of Ecology's notice of violation.

Seattle Could Host the Tallest West Coast Skyscraper: Developer Crescent Heights wants to build a 101-story tower on the corner of 4th Avenue and Columbia Street. The "4/C" building would host 1,200 condo units, 165,000 square feet of office space, and 150 hotel rooms, KING 5 reports.

Students of color demonstrated in solidarity with Mizzou protesters last week.
Students of color demonstrated in solidarity with Mizzou protesters last week. Above: the University of Washington's iconic Red Square. Christopher Frizzelle

KUOW Asks, "Is The UW A Safe Space For Students Of Color?": One student tells KUOW that at a march past a fraternity last year, black students were told to "go back to Africa."

Obama Awards Billy Frank Jr. and William Ruckelshaus the Presidential Medal of Freedom: Billy Frank Jr., who passed away last year, was a trailblazer in the Washington tribes' treaty rights movement. His leadership helped win the Boldt decision for Washington tribes, which secured tribal access to fishing rights in "usual and accustomed places." Ruckelshaus, the first head of the Environmental Protection Agency, now chairs a center in his name at the University of Washington and Washington State University.

P.S. On Beirut, Paris, and Media Coverage: Perhaps readers and Facebook share responsibility in determining the market for which stories get shared, highlighted, and covered endlessly. But journalists also have to keep reporting stories that matter.