Washington
Childcare in Washington DC gets more expensive
WASHINGTON — Washington is one of the most expensive cities in the nation to live. And needing childcare in the city only ups the price. A newly implemented city regulation is making the situation even more unsustainable for families.
This regulation was first drafted in 2016. Its goal is to protect the “health, safety and welfare” of Washington’s children. It also wants to promote an environment of “high-quality” education, according to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). Essentially, the new regulation would require much of Washington’s childcare staff to have a college degree.
Click here to read more about the requirements the regulation imposes on each staff type.
The regulation has not gone without objections. According to the Institute for Justice, a libertarian non-profit public interest law firm, it could force a lot of Washington’s good childcare staff off the job. The Institute cites issues such as the cost of getting a college degree as well as the time needed as barriers.
However, the OSSE states that some childcare staff can apply for a waiver to continue working.
This will depend on how long they’ve been working in childcare and their level of education.
Justin Zuckerman a producer at Reason Magazine, recently joined Inside Sources host Boyd Matheson to give some insight on Washington’s new regulation on childcare.
A portion of the transcript, edited for brevity, is below.
ZUCKERMAN: A lot of these daycare teachers are working moms or they’re elderly and retired. They just don’t have time to go back to college. So, it’s created a lot of frustration for directors, for the teachers, for parents. And, a lot of people are also leaving the city now because of it.
MATHESON: Obviously, everyone wants quality daycare. Everyone wants kids to be safe in daycare. But is this law equating a college degree with better quality services and care for the kids? Is that actually the correlation and the connection or is that just a piece of regulation?
Does a degree mean better childcare?
ZUCKERMAN: The science behind this says, for the most part, that daycare teachers who have bachelor’s degrees, those children tend to do better. But the science doesn’t actually say that it’s because of the bachelor’s degree.
Something like that is such a high standard that those kinds of daycares would cost a lot of money. It’s typically wealthier families who would put their kids in those programs.
Children from wealthy families tend to do better at school. The scientific paper that this new law is based off of even admits that they don’t have conclusive empirical evidence that having a college degree actually leads to better outcomes for kids or makes you a better teacher.
In the position of assistant teacher, you’re only required to have an associate’s degree in any field. So, you don’t even have to take a single class in early childhood education. You just need to have an associate’s degree in anything and you’re technically qualified.
What about other degrees?
MATHESON: And without it, you’re not, right? Even if it’s in underwater basket weaving, as long as you have that you’re in, if you don’t you’re out. I thought one of the other things that was really interesting in your piece, Justin, was a comment from one of the preschool directors saying that it’s not just taking the education, it’s experience. And so describe how this particular regulation in the city could impact the experience portion of getting to better daycare.
ZUCKERMAN: A lot of these daycare workers are women. And a lot of them have been working in this field for decades. They have experience that they say you simply can’t replicate or gain with a college degree.
It just comes with working in the fields for so long. If they do have a degree, you need a degree in early childhood education to be a lead teacher. If you have a degree in anything else, you’re still not technically qualified.
People who have been working for more than 10 years, can apply for a waiver. But, like that director who you spoke of, she has 11 teachers who applied for waivers with the superintendent’s office. They’ve been waiting for months and they have not heard back. It’s very difficult for these workers. They have no idea what their status is.
(The entire podcast can be heard above or by visiting the KSL NewsRadio podcast page.)
Inside Sources with Boyd Matheson can be heard weekdays from 1 to 3 p.m. Follow the show on Facebook.
Devin Oldroyd is a digital content producer for KSL NewsRadio. Follow him on X.
Related local coverage: Unaffordable childcare plagues Utah families
Washington
Where to watch Washington Nationals vs San Francisco Giants: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 10
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Wednesday as the Washington Nationals visit the San Francisco Giants.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Washington Nationals vs San Francisco Giants?
First pitch between the San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals is scheduled for (ET) on Wednesday, June 10.
How to watch Washington Nationals vs San Francisco Giants on Wednesday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 6:32 a.m.
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for June 10 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
Washington
Two appointments to WSU’s Board of Regents announced
Washington State University alumni Fé LopezGaetke and Mary Nam have been appointed to the university’s Board of Regents by Gov. Bob Ferguson. Both appointments will take effect June 9.
“Fé and Mary have been true advocates for Washingtonians for decades,” Gov. Ferguson said in an announcement Tuesday. “I’m confident they will provide steady leadership on the WSU Board of Regents.”
The board is the university’s governing body whose broad responsibilities are to supervise, coordinate, manage, and regulate the WSU system. The Board of Regents consists of 11 members, one of whom is a student and one of whom is a faculty member.
LopezGaetke is the co-executive director at Purpose. Dignity. Action. (formerly Public Defender Association). She was previously the director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the Law School Admission Council, where she helped identify the effective strategies and policies for helping diverse students gain admission to law school.
“Growing up in Central Washington, I know that so many in my community look to WSU as an accessible and important opportunity to further their education,” LopezGaetke said. “Additionally, my professional development path has afforded me the unique lens of surveying local and national educational trends and impact to underrepresented communities that can help inform Washington State University’s strategic direction. I look forward to working together to continue moving WSU into innovative sustained growth that is accessible to all who attend.”
LopezGaetke previously served as the first director of Seattle’s Community Police Commission, where she advocated for marginalized communities on issues of police reform.
She is a past president of the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington and OneAmerica.
LopezGaetke, a child of former farmworkers, is from Central Washington and is a WSU graduate. She currently lives in White Center with her family. She started her bachelor’s degree at WSU’s main campus and finished her degree at the Tri-Cities campus. She earned her law degree at Seattle University School of Law.
Nam is an Emmy Award-winning news anchor and journalist who spent more than 20 years at Seattle’s KOMO-TV. When she joined KOMO in 2003, she found herself among numerous fellow WSU graduates, carrying on a proud tradition of Edward R. Murrow College graduates joining the industry. In March, after 26 years, she retired from local news.
“I’m very excited to join the WSU Board of Regents,” Nam said. “The education and experience I received at WSU changed my life — my four years in Pullman led to a 26-year career in broadcasting. Whatever you’re drawn to, WSU can create a path toward success. Students today face both new possibilities and challenges, and I’m honored to join at a pivotal time in the changing landscape of higher education. I thank Governor Ferguson for this opportunity. And I look forward to working with such a passionate and dedicated Board.”
Nam has worked with numerous non-profits, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Food Lifeline. She also previously volunteered with King County Senior Services’ Sound Generations and served as a youth mentor with the VOICE Mentor Program.
Nam and her husband, Eric, are WSU graduates. They look forward to the Apple Cup in Seattle this year, she said, and “Cougar football in the Palouse with our two sons is a fall highlight.”
The appointments of LopezGaetke and Nam fill two recent vacancies on the Board. The Governor will soon announce a third appointment to fill the vacancy due to the passing of former state Sen. Sam Hunt.
Washington
AR-style pistol, loaded Glocks seized across DC under Trump’s crime crackdown
WASHINGTON (7News) — Several loaded Glocks and other illegal guns were seized by law enforcement during a 24-hour enforcement period across Washington, D.C.
The enforcement spanned from June 6 to June 7, and involved members of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force and U.S. Park Police (USPP).
A loaded Glock 19 was seized during a traffic stop on Clara Barton Parkway, and a loaded Glock 43 was found during a different traffic stop in Northwest D.C., USPP said.
RELATED | Trump administration highlights effort to beautify Washington, DC
In addition, a handgun was seized from a person in Anacostia Park. Three guns, including an AR-style pistol, were taken during a traffic stop near Benning Road.
Another gun was recovered and multiple arrests were made during a traffic stop on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, USPP said.
SEE ALSO | Man faces murder charge after deadly fight in Southwest DC
“Every illegal firearm removed from our communities is a potential act of violence prevented,” USPP Chief Scott Brecht said.
The enforcement was carried out under President Donald Trump’s Operation Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
“Under @POTUS’ DC Safe & Beautiful order, we are REDUCING violent crime and REMOVING illegal weapons from our nation’s capital!” U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote in a social media post.
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