Northwest News Archives - Page 58 of 109 - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Northwest News

After Unemployment Fraud, Washington’s Campaign Finance Watchdog Blocks Some Online Access

By Austin Jenkins May 26, 2020

The Washington Public Disclosure Commission website is where candidates file and the general public can see campaign expenditure reports.

At the request of a powerful Democratic state senator who warned of “foreign intrusion,” Washington’s Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) on Sunday temporarily suspended public, online access to the personal financial statements of elected officials, candidates and other public officials.Read More

Tourism-Dependent Methow Valley Wishes Tourists Would Stay Closer To Home For Now

By Courtney Flatt May 26, 2020

Old Schoolhouse Brewery owner Jacob Young serves food to his customers. He says when there's little smoke and fires are far away, he sees more patrons.CREDIT: COURTNEY FLATT

Photos circulating on social media showed cars lining streets of downtown Winthrop and along roads on the Interstate 90 corridor. The concern is that people can bring the coronavirus into these small towns that have fewer medical resources already available.Read More

National Parks Hope Visitors Comply With Virus Measures

By NWPB News May 26, 2020

Visitors watch as Old Faithful erupts on the day the park partially reopened after a two-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, at Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. Officials at Yellowstone and other national parks plan to let tourists mostly police themselves and not intervene much to enforce social distancing.

Now, as Yellowstone and other national parks end a two-month shutdown due to the coronavirus, park officials ask visitors to take simple precautions: wash hands, keep a safe distance apart, wear protective face coverings in public.Read More

Pandemic Puts A Crimp On Voter Registration, Potentially Altering Electorate

By NPR News May 26, 2020

A voter registration volunteer in Philadelphia in 2018. New registrations had surged going into 2020 but have dropped off dramatically as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Most places where Americans usually register to vote have been closed since March. It's led to a big drop in new registrations right before an election that was expected to see record turnout.Read More

Trump Team Killed Obama Rule Designed To Protect Health Workers From Pandemic Like COVID-19

By NPR News May 26, 2020

Health care workers hold a placard that says From Heroes to Zeroes during a protest against hospital under-staffing and insufficient personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses treating COVID-19 patients amid the coronavirus pandemic. The protest took place outside Saint Joseph Medical Center hospital in Burbank, Calif. on May 19.

"If that rule had gone into effect, then every hospital, every nursing home would essentially have to have a plan," said David Michaels, former Occupational Safety and Health Administration chief.Read More

Herd Of Fuzzy Green ‘Glacier Mice’ Baffles Northwest Scientists Studying Them

By NPR News May 26, 2020

Glacier mice in Iceland. CREDIT: Ruth Mottram

Moss balls seem to roll around glaciers in a coordinated way, and researchers can't explain why the whole group moves at about the same speed and in the same direction.Read More

A Novel Virus Exposes An Old Rift Within Idaho’s GOP

By NWPB News May 26, 2020

Gov. Brad Little delivers his State of the State address on Jan. 6, with Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin seated behind him. McGeachin has been among the state’s most vocal critics of Little’s coronavirus response. CREDIT: Sami Edge/Idaho EdNews

In Idaho, the divide between Gov. Brad Little and Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin is something we all could see coming — grounded, in part, by the fact that Idaho elects its governors and lieutenant governors independently. Little has no more say in this matter than any individual Idaho voter. Read More

President Trump Says ‘America Will Rise From This Crisis’ In Memorial Day Speech

By NWPB News May 25, 2020

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in a Memorial Day ceremony at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Monday, May 25, 2020, in Baltimore. CREDIT: Evan Vucci/AP

President Donald Trump honored America’s fallen service members on Monday as he commemorated Memorial Day in back-to-back appearances in the midst of the pandemic.Read More

Food Banks Get The Love, But SNAP Does More To Fight Hunger

By NPR News May 25, 2020

People load their vehicles with boxes of food at a Los Angeles Regional Food Bank earlier this month in Los Angeles. Food banks across the United States are seeing numbers and people they have never seen before amid unprecedented unemployment from the COVID-19 outbreak.

The charitable organizations called food banks are getting a lot of attention and donations right now. But they aren't nearly as important or effective as SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.Read More

From Camping To Dining Out To Weddings: How Experts Rate The Risks Of 14 Summer Activities

By NPR News May 24, 2020

Graphic - going to the beach CREDIT: Meredith Miotke for NPR

The weather's warming up and public spaces are starting to reopen. How do you decide what's safe to do? We have guidance to help you compare and evaluate the risks.Read More

Northwest Cherries Are Almost Here, But There Will Be Less Fruit Than Usual

By Anna King May 23, 2020

An example of how so-called "little cherry disease" affects their growth and presentation on trees. Courtesy of Washington State University Extension

From The Dalles, Oregon to Brewster, Washington, Northwest cherry growers are checking their orchards now, just before harvest. Infected trees have to be cut down. And the disease can spread like wildfire from tree to tree until an entire orchard is just stumps. Read More

More Washington Counties Get Early Reopening Green Light, Including Spokane, Largest So Far

By NWPB News May 22, 2020

“I couldn’t be happier with the timing of all of this," Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward said Friday morning during a news conference. "Spokane County is the biggest community in the state to now move forward. So thank you for being Inland Strong."Read More

University Of Idaho Plans For In-Person Classes This Fall. WSU May, But Still Not Finalized

By Scott Leadingham May 22, 2020

In a school-wide announcement Friday, Green said UI, with its main campus in Moscow, will have in-person instruction beginning August 24. But, he said to prepare for big changes to how things have looked on campus before the pandemic. Read More

Washington State Paid Out ‘Hundreds Of Millions’ In Bogus Jobless Benefits

By NWPB News May 22, 2020

A sign explains the closure of a shop in the Pike Place Market in Seattle. As the coronavirus outbreak has caused record number of people to seek unemployment benefits Washington state officials said Thursday that impostors have used the stolen information of tens of thousands of people to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in unemployment benefits.

Impostors have used the stolen information of tens of thousands of people in Washington to fraudulently receive hundreds of millions of dollars in unemployment benefits, the head of the state’s Employment Security Department said Thursday.Read More

Washington Republicans Want To Block Pay Raises And Cut Spending In June Special Session

By Austin Jenkins May 22, 2020

Saying that it’s time for the legislative branch to “intervene” in the state’s COVID-19 response, Republican leaders in the Washington Legislature on Thursday called for a special session of the Legislature to begin in June.Read More

Our Pandemic Habits Cut Carbon Emissions, But It’s Not Clear They’ll Last

By NPR News May 22, 2020

Energy demand plummeted because of the pandemic shutdown. A big question is whether new habits like telecommuting and flying less will endure, and mean lower oil consumption in the future.Read More

Public Lands Managers Ask: Have Plan A, B Or C Ready To ‘Recreate Responsibly’ This Weekend

By Courtney Flatt May 21, 2020

The new entrance sign telegraphs the state-tribal partnership to manage the new state park. CREDIT: WA STATE PARKS

On those trails, state officials are asking that you take precautions: stay six feet away from people, wear masks if you can’t meet that guideline, bring hand sanitizer, water and soap. You should also pack out what you pack in.Read More

‘Are Their Apples Worth More Than Our Lives?’ Yakima Valley Fruit Workers Strike For Protections, Pay

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa May 21, 2020

Perla Torres, a fruit packer at Jack Frost Fruit, poses for a photograph wearing a mask she says she bought from a supervisor. CREDIT: Enrique Pérez de la Rosa/NWPB

So far this month, more than 400 Yakima Valley fruit packing workers have gone on strike, according to Familias Unidas Por La Justicia. The farmworker advocacy group, based in Skagit County, is helping these workers organize committees, negotiate with employers and seek legal advice. Read More

Summer Camp Cancellations Multiply, But Some Hold Out Hope For Late Start

By Tom Banse May 21, 2020

The director of YMCA Camp Reed north of Spokane holds out hope to open classic summer camp in July.

The coronavirus is spreading a pandemic of disappointment among Pacific Northwest families and camp counselors via the widespread cancellation of traditional sleepaway summer camps. But some camp operators in Washington state and north Idaho are waiting to make the final call for this summer in hopes that overnight camps can still take place -- albeit with a late start Read More

Eastern Washington Small Businesses Get Coronavirus Relief Through State Grants

By Doug Nadvornick May 21, 2020

Owen's Grocery and Deli in Newport is one of nearly 200 eastern Washington small businesses to receive state coronavirus relief grants from the state. Courtesy of Owen's Grocery and Deli

Washington’s Commerce Department has announced about $10 million in coronavirus relief grants for some of the state’s smallest businesses. Nearly 200 businesses in rural eastern Washington towns are among the recipients.Read More

Might There Be A Special Session Of The Washington Legislature? Don’t Bet On It, Or Against It

By Austin Jenkins May 20, 2020

The Washington Capitol building in Olympia with flowers in front

As Washington Gov. Jay Inslee exerts his emergency powers to battle COVID-19, behind the scenes legislative leaders are exploring the idea of a special session of the Legislature, perhaps as early as next month. Read More

Washington School Districts Set To Deploy New Electric Buses, Including In Pullman And Republic

By Courtney Flatt May 20, 2020

The first electric bus for a Washington school district went to the Franklin Pierce School District in Tacoma. Courtesy of Washington Governor's Office

Earlier this year, there was only one electric school bus in the entire state of Washington. By this fall, the electric school bus fleet should be vastly expanding. Forty new buses may transport students in districts throughout the state possibly starting in the fall — assuming in-person classes are back on.Read More

Most Americans Think It Will Be At Least 6 Months Before A Return To Normal From COVID-19

By PBS Newshour May 20, 2020

Signage reminds people to social distance on Lincoln Mall, May 20, 2020 in Miami Beach, Florida. The city of Miami Beach is allowing non-essential "retail stores, personal grooming establishments, offices and museums" to reopen staring today.

Most Americans think it will take six months or longer for daily life to return to a relative sense of normal, according to a new PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll. And as states begin the process of reopening, a majority of Americans are worried about a second wave of COVID-19 infections, too.Read More

What’s Driving The High Rate Of COVID-19 In Yakima County

By NWPB News May 20, 2020

In this photo taken Oct. 15, 2019, workers sort Granny Smith apples to ready them for shipping in a packing plant in Yakima, Wash. CREDIT: Elaine Thompson/AP

Yakima County has the highest rate of COVID-19 infections among counties on the West Coast. That means a larger portion of the county's population has tested positive for the coronavirus compared to other counties.Read More

U.S. And Canada Agree To Keep Border Partly Closed For Another 30 Days

By NPR News May 19, 2020

U.S. and Canada border - Washington and British Columbia

The U.S. and Canada have extended an order closing their shared border to nonessential traffic. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the decision Tuesday, prolonging for a second time an agreement was initially reached in March.Read More

10 More Washington Counties, Including Larger Ones Like Spokane, Eligible For Earlier Reopening

By NWPB News May 19, 2020

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said May 19 that his office is finishing guidelines for more populous counties to allow more businesses to open. CREDIT: TVW

Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday said that 10 additional counties are eligible to apply to loosen some social distancing restrictions in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.Read More

Oregon Emergency Measures Back On As State Supreme Court Holds Judge’s Ruling To Overturn

By Dirk VanderHart May 18, 2020

A protestor holds signs on the steps of the Oregon state capitol during a rally to reopen Oregon while health care workers counter demonstrate in the background CREDIT: Jonathan Levinson/OPB

A Baker County judge has invalidated Brown’s restrictions on businesses and social gatherings, along with every other executive order Brown has issued under a state of emergency she ordered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Read More

40 Years After Mount St. Helens, Sounds Of Past Government Response Echo Today

By Nicholas Deshais May 18, 2020

Mount St. Helens left an indellible mark on the Northwest landscape -- not just in the ecology and geology, but in how government officials respond and think about disaster preparedness.

In the days leading up to the May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption 40 years ago, Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputies tried to prevent people from getting too close to the growling, shaking mountain.Read More

At Age 6, He And Classmates Fled Mount St. Helens. 40 Years Later, This Reporter Recalls That Day

By Austin Jenkins May 18, 2020

Reporter Austin Jenkins, in green circle, was part of a Puget Sound Primary School trip to Camp Cispus in May 1980. Austin and his classmates were evacuated from the camp after Mount St. Helens erupted.

Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins was a first grader on a school camping trip near Mount St. Helens when the volcano erupted on May 18, 1980. Austin recently unearthed his scrapbook from that time and interviewed several others who were on that memorable trip. On this 40th anniversary of the eruption, Austin recounts their harrowing escape.Read More

Yellowstone National Park Set To Reopen — With Caveats

By NPR News May 17, 2020

Yellowstone National Park entrance sign. CREDIT: Kirk Siegler/NPR

There is growing economic pressure to reopen national parks and ease travel restrictions even as many states are still seeing a rise in coronavirus cases. Read More

A Landscape Changed In An Instant Keeps Evolving, 40 Years After Mount St. Helens Blew

By Nicholas Deshais May 17, 2020

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens sent a plume of ash that blotted out the sun in parts of Washington and North Idaho. The ash fell like snow, drifted as deep as two feet, and crushed crops, halted transportation and caused businesses to close. CREDIT: Christopher Anderson / Courtesy of Spokesman Review Archives

The photos of Mount St. Helens’ eruption taken on May 18, 1980, suggest a cataclysm that remains in the past, safely ensconced in history and available for warm recollection of when the world exploded and we survived. But that’s wrong.Read More

San Juan Becomes First County In Pacific Northwest To Require Masks In Public

By Tom Banse May 16, 2020

Friday Harbor in Washington's San Juan Islands is the seat of San Juan County. CREDIT: Tom Banse/N3

San Juan County in the northwest corner of Washington state is about to become the first county in the Pacific Northwest to require residents and visitors to wear a face covering in public places. Elsewhere in the region, governments have highly recommended wearing masks, but it's not the law.Read More

Embattled Eastern Washington Legislator Matt Shea Won’t Be On The Ballot This Year

By Nicholas Deshais May 15, 2020

Washington state GOP Rep. Matt Shea records a video on the first day of the legislative session while a small group of supporters gather around him. CREDIT: Austin Jenkins/N3

It’s long been known in eastern Washington that Matt Shea is not your typical politician. Now, he won’t be on the ballot for the upcoming August primary. The 4 p.m. candidate filing deadline on Friday came and went with no sign of Shea. Read More

Whitman County Approved For Phase 2 Reopening As More COVID-19 Cases Identified

By Courtney Flatt May 15, 2020

File photo. Pullman is trying to create easier ways to incubate new small businesses in downtown and better transparency inside city limits for future businesses. CREDIT: Murrow News 8

Whitman County will now enter Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start reopening plan. The application was approved Friday, just a day after Whitman County announced its first positive COVID-19 test since April 22. Read More

Idaho Soon Moves To Next Reopening Phase; Washington Denies Spokane County’s Phase 2 Request

By NWPB News May 14, 2020

Idaho Governor Brad Little at state medical supplies stockpile in Boise - April 14 2020

Idaho Gov. Brad Little says the Gem State will move to the second phase of state’s four-part coronavirus recovery plan on Saturday. That means businesses such as gyms and hair salons will be able to reopen with the appropriate precautions. Little made his announcement Thursday and threw in a surprise as well.Read More

Millions Of Pigs Will Be Euthanized As Pandemic Cripples Meatpacking Plants

By NPR News May 14, 2020

With meatpacking plants reducing processing capacity nationwide, U.S. hog farmers are bracing or an unprecedented crisis: the need to euthanize millions of pigs.

As the pandemic wreaks havoc on the meat industry, hog farmers anticipate they'll soon be forced to euthanize millions of pigs unable to be sent for processing.Read More

Like A Scene Out of ‘Mad Max’: Washington And Oregon State Parks Struggle To Address Crowds

By Anna King May 14, 2020

Palouse Falls State Park is home to Washington's official state waterfall -- and large crowds in the spring runoff season.

Northwest state officials are struggling to contain crowds in parks in the time of coronavirus. Washington opened most parks on May 5, Oregon on May 6. Now, the states are trying to fine tune their response for future sunny-day crowds.Read More

Eruption Anniversary Plans Blown Up And Reborn, Sort Of Like The Honoree: Mount St. Helens

By Tom Banse May 13, 2020

File photo. A classic view of Mount St. Helens from the Johnston Ridge Observatory and Visitor Center

There were once big plans for many public events to mark the 40th anniversary of the catastrophic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The coronavirus pandemic blew up those plans, but many are resurfacing online this week and next.Read More

In Case Featuring Washington, Justices Fear ‘Chaos’ If Electoral College Delegates Have Free Rein

By NPR News May 13, 2020

The federal Supreme Court will decide whether Electoral College delegates are required to support the presidential candidate who wins their state.

Under state laws, Electoral College delegates are pledged to cast their ballots for the candidate who carries the popular vote in their state. But in 2016, seven cast votes for other candidates. Read More

Trump Administration Says Washington State Overstepped With Oil Train Law

By NWPB News May 13, 2020

Smoke billows from a Union Pacific train that derailed near Mosier, Ore., in the Columbia River Gorge. on June 3, 2016.

The Trump administration on Monday moved to block a Washington state law that imposed safety restrictions on oil shipments by rail following a string of explosive accidents.Read More

Pandemic Gives Pacific Northwest Whales A Respite From Din Of Underwater Noise

By Tom Banse May 13, 2020

Underwater noise impacts on endangered orcas were already under study before the coronavirus pandemic opened the door for a natural experiment.

American and Canadian marine scientists -- and one talented dog -- are seizing an unexpected opportunity presented by the coronavirus pandemic. They are trying to establish whether Pacifc Northwest whales benefit from the current drop in boat traffic and underwater noise.Read More

Washington Plans To Test All Nursing Home Residents And Staff, Says State Doctor

By Austin Jenkins May 12, 2020

Tim Killian, a spokesman for Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., prepares to give a daily briefing to reporters on Wednesday. CREDIT: Ted S. Warren/AP

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has instructed the state Department of Health (DOH) to prepare to test all nursing home residents and staff for COVID-19 in the coming weeks, according to the physician leading the state’s testing strategy.Read More

After Brief Moment Of Unity, Republicans Crank Up Criticism Of Jay Inslee Ahead Of Campaign Season

By Austin Jenkins May 12, 2020

Gov. Jay Inslee was the focus of ire at a 'Hazardous Liberty' rally at the Washington Capitol on Saturday. In recent weeks, Inslee has faced growing criticism from Republicans for his response to the COVID-19 crisis.

In recent weeks, legislative Republicans have been fiercely critical of Inslee for not moving more aggressively to reopen the economy. They’ve criticized him on social media, joined protests at the Capitol and even filed a lawsuit challenging his emergency powers.Read More

When Can We Expect A Coronavirus Vaccine (And Other Important Vaccine Questions)?

By NPR News May 12, 2020

Engineers work on a potential vaccine for the coronavirus

The race is on. What will it take to develop, test and distribute a safe and effective vaccine?Read More

Facing Coronavirus Budget Crunch, University Of Idaho Seeks Mandatory Employee Furloughs

By NWPB News May 11, 2020

University of Idaho President C. Scott Green presents budgetary outlook before the Idaho Legislature on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020. Courtesy of Idaho Education News

Facing the threat of coronavirus-driven state budget cuts, the University of Idaho is considering mandatory employee furloughs. The proposed furlough plan would cut about $3.3 million in spending, U of I President C. Scott Green said in a memo to staff and faculty Monday.Read More

UPDATE: At Least 34 COVID-19 Cases At Ellensburg Food Plant Pauses Kittitas County’s Reopening Plan

By NWPB News May 11, 2020

Kittitas County paused its application to reopen some businesses early after positive COVID-19 case at food processer Twin City Foods in Ellensburg. CREDIT: Google Maps - July 2012

Health officials in Kittitas County have found at least one new positive case of COVID-19: a worker at a Twin City Foods processing plant in Ellensburg. The news came Friday after more than three weeks of no new confirmed cases. That plus the county’s low population made Kittitas County eligible to lift social distancing measures earlier than other parts of the state.Read More

Here’s Who’s Being Hit Hardest By The Economic Downturn

By PBS Newshour May 11, 2020

A pedestrian walks past a sign in a shop window reading "We Will Return Boston Strong" after Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker extended his stay-at-home advisory and his order closing non-essential businesses

The current estimated unemployment rate far exceeds the 10 percent peak reached in the Great Recession in 2009. It is the most devastating loss of jobs since the Great Depression, when economists estimate the unemployment rate reached 25 percent in 1933. Read More

WSU Researchers Explore Questions Of Coronavirus Spread Between Humans And Their Pets

By Natalie Newcomb May 11, 2020

Researchers at WSU's Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory have been looking into any connection between COVID-19 in humans and pets. CREDIT: Henry Moore Jr/WSU

Are your pets at risk from COVID-19? According to animal scientists, no. The risk is low as there has not been an increase in the number of pets with respiratory issues. Read More

Federal Environmental Policies During Pandemic Raise Concerns Across Northwest

By NWPB News May 10, 2020

An elevated fish ladder designed to help migrating fish swim through the Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River near Almota, Wash.

State agencies and advocates have been alarmed by federal environmental policy rollbacks that continue unabated by the global coronavirus pandemic.Read More

‘Let My People Go’: Opponents Of Coronavirus Measures Again Freely Gather To Protest In Olympia

By Austin Jenkins May 9, 2020

Participants at the Saturday rally prayed as the event got underway. Government overreach and tyranny were common themes. CREDIT: Austin Jenkins/N3

For the second time in a month, opponents of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s extended “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order – many of them openly carrying firearms – rallied at the state Capitol Saturday in an event that brought together sign-waving citizens, conservative state legislators, Republican and Libertarian candidates for public office and members of far-right groups.Read More