Woodward expected to announce mayoral run, Trump punts on health care, and other headlines

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NEWS: The National Rifle Association is lobbying Congress against the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, which would, among other things, increase law enforcement's ability to take guns away from domestic abusers.

IN OTHER NEWS...

TV Mayor
Nadine Woodward, the newly retired KXLY news anchor, is expected to announce her Spokane mayoral campaign at Riverfront Park later today. This news comes from a paper that proclaimed back in January on their front page that Woodward was "NOT RUNNING FOR MAYOR." (Spokesman-Review)

Punting on healthcare
Despite the fact that officials from his own administration argued in federal court that the entirety of the Affordable Care Act should be struck down, President Donald Trump stated on Twitter that Republicans will not present a health care replacement plan until after the 2020 election. (New York Times)

Northwest jail deaths
At least 306 people have died after getting booked into county jails across the Northwest since 2008. And the death rate has trended upward: Over the past decade or so, the county jail mortality rate increased from 123 deaths for every 100,000 inmates in 2008 to 162 in 2017. (KUOW)

Aviation criminal probe
A federal agent served a former Boeing flight-controls engineer and consultant with a grand jury subpoena requesting information on the process for certifying the Boeing 737 MAX with the Federal Aviation Administration. The subpoena indicates that the U.S. Department of Justice is casting a wide and aggressive net in its investigation. (Seattle Times)

Taxing traffic
New York City recently enacted congestion-pricing in Manhattan, a controversial policy aimed at reducing traffic that requires car drivers to pay fees in order to drive in certain urban areas. Other cities — including Seattle — are considering similar proposals. (New York Times)