Washington could lose more than a billion in research dollars if the Trump administration cuts federal health and science funding.

Why it matters: Seattle is a research powerhouse, home to institutions like the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, which rely on government funding to map the human brain or conduct trials using specially engineered immune cells to fight deadly brain tumors in children.

By the numbers: Research facilities in Washington received $1.4 billion in funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation in 2024, ranking ninth among U.S. states in funding per 1,000 residents.

• Top recipients of NIH funds in 2023 included the University of Washington ($558 million), Fred Hutch ($353 million), Seattle Children's Hospital ($116 million), and the Allen Institute (about $67 million), according to the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Catch up quick: The NIH announced this month it would cap indirect cost reimbursements at 15%, down from an average of 27-28%.

• A federal court judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking the rate change after attorneys general from 22 states, including Washington, sued NIH.
• But concerns over funding freezes, potential cuts, and the administration's commitment to research remain intense amidst the legal battles.

Zoom in: The University of Washington School of Medicine alone stands to lose an estimated $90 million in a single year if the proposed NIH cuts take effect, posing a significant threat to its research programs, said Ian De Boer, a physician-scientist and director of the UW Medicine Kidney Research Institute.

• UW's funding for direct costs like hiring personnel and obtaining materials is intertwined with indirect costs that support infrastructure and regulatory compliance, De Boer told Axios.
• You need the building, the labs, the lights and the people, he said. "The idea that one can be cut without affecting the other is false."

What they're saying: "The United States is the worldwide leader in health research and advances in treatment from cancer to diabetes, all built on the successes of academic medicine," De Boer said. "The idea of reducing funding to those engines of health is mind boggling."

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The newest member of the endangered southern resident orcas is a female, the Center for Whale Research announced after a recent sighting.

Why it matters: With fewer than 80 southern resident killer whales left, every birth is crucial — but a female calf brings extra hope for the species' survival.

Driving the news: The new calf, known as J62, was "filling out nicely," rolling around and "bouncing" among family members, the center reported.

Catch up quick: The birth was recorded just days before the death of another newborn female calf, J61, who was born in mid-December but was confirmed dead on New Year's Eve.

State of play: On Feb. 15, whale researchers spotted several JPod members spread out and surfing near Victoria, B.C.

• Among them was J47, a 14-year-old sprouter, speeding through the waves alongside his mother, Tahlequah, known for previously carrying her dead calves in mourning.
• Researchers continued on and soon found J62, the pod's newest baby, tucked alongside her mother, J41.

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🚆 Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell issued an executive order last week to speed up West Seattle and Ballard light rail construction by expanding a city office to oversee Sound Transit and streamlining permitting. (KIRO 7)

🚏 Four Chinatown-International District bus stops that were temporarily closed late last year after nine people were stabbed over two days will reopen in March. (Seattle Times)

📈 The state Employment Security Department says it has seen a surge in federal workers filing unemployment claims since President Trump took office Jan. 20. (KUOW)

Nearly 11% of renters have lived in their Seattle-area homes for at least 10 years, up just slightly from 10% a decade ago, according to a Redfin analysis of census data.

Why it matters: Renters stay put longest in metros where the cost of buying a home is out of reach for many because of high homeownership costs.

By the numbers: Most U.S. renters move homes within five years, Redfin researchers found.

• But in 2023, roughly 34% lived in the same rental for longer than that — up from around 28% in 2013.

The big picture: Renters moved less often than a decade ago in all of the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas, the analysis shows.

Between the lines: Homeowners are also hunkering down, with over a third saying they'll never sell their houses, according to a recent Redfin survey.

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Welcome to Puget Sound Off, a new series where we answer your most pressing questions — starting this week with the mysterious disappearance of the hands from the King Street Station clock.

Driving the news: Reader Jay Weisberger recently noticed the hands missing and asked what was going on.

State of play: The Seattle Department of Transportation, which owns and maintains the building told us this:

• A wooden arm on the south face of the clock became detached on Dec. 20, most likely due to windstorms earlier in the month, department spokesperson Ethan Bergerson told Axios.
• Staff inspected all components of the clock and removed the arms on all four faces of the clock to so that they could be rebuilt and restored.

What's next: Mariam Ali of SDOT said the agency is waiting for good weather to reinstall the clock face, possibly as early as Thursday.

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