Washington
Karen Keiser appointed to Washington Health Benefit Exchange Board – The B-Town (Burien) Blog
Former Washington State Senator Karen Keiser has been appointed to the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) Board of Directors, the organization announced this week.
Keiser, who retired last year after serving nearly 30 years in the state Legislature, was appointed by former Gov. Jay Inslee before he left office in mid-January.
“We are excited to welcome Karen Keiser to the Exchange Board. Throughout her time in the Senate, Karen shaped Washington state’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act and championed numerous policies to improve access to high-quality, affordable health care,” said Exchange CEO Ingrid Ulrey. “Her background and expertise will help guide the Exchange into the future.”
Keiser, a longtime advocate for health care reform, played a key role in expanding Washington’s health coverage during her tenure as chair of the Senate Health Care Committee.
“I am so pleased to take on this new role on the Exchange Board,” Keiser said. “When I became Chair of the Senate Health Care Committee, our state’s uninsurance rate was near 16%. With the effective implementation of what was called ‘Obamacare,’ the Exchange successfully reduced our uninsured rate to below 5%. I am thrilled to join the Exchange to protect and expand those gains.”
Keiser represented Washington’s 33rd Legislative District, which includes Burien, Des Moines, Kent, Normandy Park, and SeaTac. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 and later to the Senate, where she became its most senior member before her retirement.
Before her political career, Keiser worked as a broadcast journalist in Portland, Denver, and Seattle, and later as the communications director for the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. She holds degrees in political science from UC Berkeley and a master’s in journalism.
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange oversees Washington Healthplanfinder, the state’s online health insurance marketplace, and Washington Apple Health (Medicaid). Enrollment in Apple Health is available year-round, while the next open enrollment period for Washington Healthplanfinder runs from Nov. 1, 2025, to Jan. 15, 2026.
For more information on health insurance options, visit wahbexchange.org.
Related
Washington
Storm Team4 Forecast: Beautiful Mother’s Day morning with chance of late showers
4 things to know about the weather:
- Nice Mother’s Day morning
- Shower chance late Sunday
- Morning showers on Monday
- Temperature drop to start the new workweek
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms! Mother Nature will give us nice conditions for most of the day on Sunday. Expect sunshine and mild conditions for the first half of the day, then a chance of showers near dinner time.
Monday includes a chance of rain, mainly in the morning, then cooler air settles into the area. Highs go from near 80°on Sund ay to the mid 60s Monday.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
QuickCast
MOTHER’S DAY:
Mostly sunny
Showers late
Wind: W 5-10 mph
HIGH: Low 80s
MONDAY:
Shower chance early
Partly cloudy afternoon
Wind: W 5-10 mph
HIGH: Mid 60s
TUESDAY:
Sunny
Wind: N 5-10 mph
HIGH: Upper 60s
SUNRISE: 6:00 a.m. SUNSET: 8:09 p.m.
AVERAGE HIGH: 75° AVERAGE LOW: 56°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
Washington
18-year-old dies after shooting in Tenleytown
An 18-year-old who was shot and wounded in Northwest D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood on Thursday afternoon has died, authorities say.
Brady Flowers Jr., of Southwest, was the victim, police said in an update Saturday.
Flowers was found shot in the 4500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, behind the CVS store. Jackson-Reed High School and American University are nearby.
Flowers was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and pronounced dead a day later, police said.
Police said 10-15 teens were seen running after the gunshots.
An investigation is underway. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.
News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.
Washington
Governor Moore Continues “Delivering for Maryland” Tour in Washington County, Highlighting Transportation Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Early Childhood Education
Updated:
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today continued his statewide “Delivering for Maryland” tour with a series of engagements in Washington County, highlighting vital investments in local transportation infrastructure, manufacturing job growth, and early childhood education. The governor emphasized state contributions to modernize the Hagerstown Regional Airport, toured the state-of-the-art Hitachi Rail facility, and celebrated the opening of a new child care center in the South End of Hagerstown funded by the administration’s historic ENOUGH Initiative.
“From investing $1.5 million to update Hagerstown Regional Airport’s aging control tower to supporting 1,300 jobs at Hitachi Rail, the Moore-Miller administration is delivering for Hagerstown, Washington County, and Western Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “Through our administration’s ENOUGH Initiative partnerships and investments, we’ve tripled child care capacity in the South End of Hagerstown — because no parents should be forced to pick between staying in the workforce or securing quality care for their kids.”
The governor began the day at the Hagerstown Regional Airport, touring the Air Traffic Control Tower and airport grounds. During the visit, Governor Moore highlighted the State’s $1.5 million Fiscal Year 2027 investment to complete the design for a critical replacement of the airport’s aging air traffic control facility. As a primary airport in the Maryland Aviation System Plan, the Hagerstown Regional Airport is a vital economic engine for Washington County, supporting more than 1,800 jobs and generating over $140 million in local business revenue.
Following the airport tour, Governor Moore visited the Hitachi Rail STS facility alongside Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, Senator Mike McKay, Senator Paul Corderman and state transportation leaders. The governor toured the factory floor and rode a test train to observe the manufacturing process. Opened in September 2025 with the support of a $1.6 million state conditional loan, the 307,000-square-foot, carbon-neutral facility is a $100 million capital investment by Hitachi. The factory supports 1,300 jobs — including 460 newly created jobs — and is actively manufacturing railcars for both the Maryland Transit Administration and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
“Hitachi Rail has built a cutting-edge model for advanced manufacturing here in Western Maryland which is focused on delivering clean, safe, efficient regional transportation across our state and the rest of the country,” said Congresswoman April McClain Delaney. “This facility is powered by Maryland’s second-to-none workforce and world-class innovation environment. I’m proud to work with Governor Moore and our public, private, and philanthropic partners to drive global investment that supports jobs and economic growth along our I-270 Tech Corridor.”
Governor Moore concluded the day at the Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center in the South End of Hagerstown, where he met with parents, children, and community leaders. During the visit, the Governor highlighted the administration’s ENOUGH Initiative, which provided critical support for the center’s opening. The new facility is a major win for the community, tripling local childcare capacity with 24 new slots and generating six new early childhood education jobs.
The Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center’s opening was accelerated by a $100,000 investment from San Mar Family & Community Services, the ENOUGH grantee in Hagerstown. ENOUGH grant funding was also supplemented by a $100,000 philanthropic contribution from the Bainum Family Foundation — a member of the ENOUGH Alliance — to complete necessary facility upgrades. The center’s completion underscores the strength of the ENOUGH Initiative’s public-private partnerships to deliver on community priorities and work towards ending child poverty.
Governor Moore’s visit to Washington County follows the third stop of his “Delivering for Maryland” tour in Montgomery County, where he marked a historic milestone by installing the final segment of rail for the Purple Line. This installation completes the 16.2-mile light rail corridor connecting Bethesda and New Carrollton, with passenger service expected to begin in late 2027. The governor also visited Max’s Best Ice Cream in Bethesda, a local business dedicated to creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Best Buddies Jobs program.
###
-
News13 minutes agoIran war, redistricting battle lead Sunday shows
-
New York2 hours ago‘She Studied Us for a Moment With Theatrical Longing’
-
Detroit, MI2 hours ago
Detroit shines red for ALS kickoff & lighting ceremony
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoWhere to watch Pittsburgh Pirates vs San Francisco Giants: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 10
-
Dallas, TX3 hours agoDallas weather: Large hail, dangerous winds, and flash flooding possible
-
Boston, MA3 hours ago‘This is really just the start of it all’: Mojo Boston makes splashy debut at City Hall Plaza – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO3 hours agoPerson dies after being hit by plane at Denver airport
-
Seattle, WA3 hours ago‘Do you care more about the kids or the drug addicts?’: Jake calls out Seattle for potential homeless shelters near schools – MyNorthwest.com