Ocean Monitoring Cuts: Scientists warn the Ocean Observatories Initiative could be scaled back under federal funding changes, risking real-time data that helps track ocean conditions, climate signals, and extreme events off Washington and Oregon. AI + Jobs in Seattle: Amazon’s layoffs of about 30,000 corporate workers in eight months are colliding with plans to spend $200B in 2026 on AI infrastructure, sparking employee concerns about priorities and energy use. Grid Storage Boost (Richland): DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory commissioned a new prismatic battery cell production line at its Grid Storage Launchpad to speed safer, grid-ready energy storage development. Public Safety + Surveillance: Seattle’s FIFA World Cup CCTV/ALPR camera rollout is under fire after a councilmember said the city lacks cameras around host venues, raising privacy and safety questions. Homelessness Funding: New HUD rules could shift Seattle/King County federal homelessness money away from “housing first,” putting about $26M at risk and favoring short-term, public-safety-focused approaches. Food Safety (Arsenic): A new test finds store-bought plain rice can contain arsenic and other toxic metals, with the highest risk for babies compared with regulated infant rice cereal. Health Policy: A modeling study asks whether relabeling low-risk prostate cancer as “precancerous” could change screening and treatment choices enough to affect deaths.