Washington had the third-highest population of people experiencing homelessness among U.S. states last year, trailing only California and New York, per a recent federal report.

The big picture: While homelessness grew at a faster rate nationwide than in Washington between 2023 and 2024, the number of people living without homes in the Evergreen State has continued to rise, despite years of state and local pledges to tackle the problem.

By the numbers: 31,554 people in Washington state were recorded as experiencing homelessness in 2024, a 12.5% increase from the 28,036 reported a year earlier.

• That's according to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's newest annual report, released late last month.
• Nationwide, the number of people experiencing homelessness rose 18% over the same period, per the report.

Zoom in: Over half of Washington state's homeless population is concentrated in King County, which reported more than 16,000 people experiencing homelessness last year.

Between the lines: The numbers are based on point-in-time counts taken in January 2024.

• In those counts, service workers, government officials and volunteers fan out to tally how many people are experiencing homelessness on a single night.
• Some groups argue this method severely undercounts homeless populations.

Stunning stat: Between 2023 and 2024, the number of individuals experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness in Washington increased 56%, according to the report.

• That category refers to people with disabilities — including PTSD or substance use disorder — who have been homeless for over a year, or three separate times in four years.
• 49% of individuals experiencing homelessness in Washington were identified as chronically homeless in 2024, the highest percentage of any state, per the report.

What they're saying: Homeless service providers partly attributed Washington's rising levels of chronic homelessness to high local housing prices, the report says.

• Increased outreach to move people from encampments to temporary shelters also may have increased the numbers, causing more people to be identified as having chronic patterns of homelessness, per the report.

What's next: Local officials and volunteers will conduct another point-in-time count later this month, helping capture changes that may have occurred in the past year.

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People exposed to wildfire smoke have a much greater risk of developing dementia, according to a recent study led by researchers at the University of Washington.

Why it matters: While wildfires cause destruction and force evacuations in Southern California, researchers are finding that wildfire hazards affect more people than those directly in the path of the flames.

What they did: The study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology in November, analyzed health care records of 1.2 million Southern California residents between 2008 and 2019, then estimated their exposure to wildfire smoke as a three-year rolling average.

• People included in the study were over 60 and hadn't been diagnosed with dementia at the start of the study period.

What they found: The researchers found that long-term exposure to wildfire smoke was associated with significantly higher odds that a person would be diagnosed with dementia.

• The risk associated with wildfire smoke was greater than the risk associated with other types of fine particle air pollution, the authors found.

What they're saying: Joan Casey, one of the study's authors, said in a news release that a few smoky days where the air quality index is over 200 may be enough to increase a person's odds of developing dementia.

The big picture: Casey said the study's findings highlight the need for "a global solution to climate change," which she described as "the main culprit" behind worsening air quality in recent years.

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Washington plans to send firefighters to help battle the devastating wildfires sweeping through California.

Driving the news: The state's Emergency Management Division is working with fire departments across the state to mobilize nine teams made up of 45 engines, 11 trucks and 146 personnel, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday.

State of play: Fueled by 50-100 mph winds, multiple fires, including the Sunset Fire, are burning out of control across Los Angeles County.

• Five deaths were confirmed in one of the blazes, which have forced tens of thousands residents to evacuate and razed at least 2,000 structures.

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❄️ La Niña conditions have officially arrived, bringing the potential for wetter and snowier weather in the Pacific Northwest this winter. (Axios)

⚖️ The Seattle Times sued the Seattle Police Department, accusing it of violating the Public Records Act. The Times asserts the department failed to honor a 2023 agreement to improve transparency on issues like the recent firing of Police Chief Adrian Diaz. (Seattle Times)

⚽ The Seattle Sounders acquired two-time All-Star forward Jesús Ferreira from FC Dallas as part of a trade for midfielder Léo Chú. (MyNorthwest)

Whether you're drinking moderately or going completely dry this month, non-alcoholic drinks are flooding your feeds.

The big picture: On TikTok, #dryjanuary posts were up 50% toward the end of last year compared to the same period in 2023, according to data shared with Axios.

Here are a few alcohol-free recipes from influencers trying to reach the sober-curious:

• Start the party with The Mindful Mocktail's espresso martini but with sweet condensed milk, skim milk and a non-alcoholic vodka.
• Try The Mocktail Girlie's paloma with club soda and a classic margarita that uses a zero-proof tequila.
• Tommy's Mocktails' pineapple "nojito" uses mojito mix and Sprite instead of rum.

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