1. A vote by the Oregon state senate this week to approve funding for that state's half of the Vancouver-Portland I-5 Columbia River Crossing bridge project puts the spotlight on Washington State, the Columbian reports.

The Oregon legislation approves $450 in spending for that state's portion of the project; Washington state will have to kick in another $450 million for the bridge to happen. Opponents here have protested that the inclusion of light rail on the bridge is a waste of money, and that the bridge span, at 116 feet, is too low. 

2. At Crosscut, Matt Fikse-Verkerk, a former special projects manager for Mayor Mike McGinn, offers ten suggestions for the city's next mayor.

Most of his suggestions are clearly aimed at McGinn and his early stumbles; among them: Don't assume your campaign staff will make great government managers; make sure your early moves are both bold and effective; and learn to get along with the city council, since no proposal makes it through without five council votes.

At the end of his piece, Fikse-Verkerk notes that he supports the anti-McGinn, city council member Tim Burgess, for mayor. 

Local food-safety attorney Bill Marler's blog, Food Safety News, covers the city council's recent vote to require healthier options in vending machines on city property.

3. Local food-safety attorney Bill Marler's blog, Food Safety News, covers the city council's recent vote to require healthier options in vending machines on city property. The new law requires half of all food sold in vending machines to be "healthiest" and "healthier" choices (for example, carrot sticks or whole-grain crackers, respectively); regular junk food will also remain available. 

4.  Over at Slog, Cienna Madrid has a post on the Washington Cannabis Institute—a school that teaches wannabe pot tycoons the ropes about starting a pot business in post 502 Washington.

5. Once again, OneReel says it can't afford to pay for the annual Fourth of July fireworks show at Lake Union this year and is asking for public donations, the PI.com reports.

It's a perennial complaint, and one for which we might have more sympathy if we weren't already facing fiscal cliffs at the state, federal, and local level, on everything from defense spending to the social safety net to bus service. But that's just our personal humbug; if you want to donate to keep the fireworks show going, by all means, do so here.