Angelo Avila is a licensed mental health counselor based in Bellingham. (Credit: Connor Henricksen / NWPB) Listen (Runtime 3:34) Read Connor Henricksen: A lot of people aren’t feeling great about […]Read More
By: Jeanie Lindsay, Northwest News Network A judge decided Friday to press pause on part of Washington’s new “parents bill of rights” law. It comes as the American Civil […]Read More
By: Jeanie Lindsay, Northwest News Network A group of legal advocacy organizations filed a lawsuit against the state of Washington Thursday to prevent a hotly debated voter initiative from taking […]Read More
By: Jeanie Lindsay, Northwest News Network The governor’s race in Washington is back to “Bob-ness” as usual, after two candidates named Bob Ferguson withdrew their names from consideration Monday. The […]Read More
By: Jeanie Lindsay, Northwest News Network People running for office in Washington will begin submitting official paperwork next week to get on the ballot – and an unusually high number […]Read More
The skepticism in how elections work and their accuracy has become a hot topic on social media, at the dinner table and in the news.
Kyle Haugh, Pierce County elections manager, said since 2016, there’s been a spike in interest in how elections are administered. Read More
By: Jeanie Lindsay, Northwest News Network Prison reforms were among the many issues considered by lawmakers in Olympia this year. But, once again, measures aimed at resentencing and solitary confinement […]Read More
By: Jeanie Lindsay / NW News Network A majority of lawmakers in the Washington Legislature decided Monday to approve three voter initiatives, after weeks of uncertainty and plenty of tense […]Read More
Young adult books at the Columbia County Library. Some people have requested to move the YA section into the adult section because of what they call “obscene” material in 100 […]Read More
Young adult books at the Columbia County Library. Some people have requested to move the YA section into the adult section because of what they call “obscene” material in 100 […]Read More
A gray wolf. (Credit: William Campbell) Listen (Runtime 1:07) Read Some ranchers are saying it is time to find creative ways to deal with wolf attacks on livestock. That’s what […]Read More
Pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacture of fast fashion are growing just as fast as the industry. A new bill in Washington aims to help lessen the industry’s […]Read More
In the Pierce County elections center, a small crowd gathered just outside of the ballot tabulation room on the morning of Oct. 17. With packets in front of them that show expected results and pens ready to catch any mistakes, the observers were there to make sure Pierce County’s ballot counting system is ready for the general election. Read More
Larch staff have pushed back against the closure of the minimum security since plans were announced this summer, including filing a lawsuit that they hoped would pause the closure. A […]Read More
The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (Courtesy: Creative Commons) Read By Jeanie Lindsay / Northwest News Network As federal lawmakers race against the clock to keep the government running, […]Read More
Incumbent Pasco City Councilmember Irving Brown has been targeted by racist letters, a knocked down campaign sign and vandalism in his yard. His supporters held a rally in Pasco on […]Read More
On Nov. 7, some voters will decide whether to dissolve the Columbia County Library in Dayton, Washington. If they choose to do so, librarians said it would be the first […]Read More
A Pasco City Council member is running to keep his spot in District 3. But Irving Brown says racist attacks are targeting his campaign. Read More
The goal of the Idahoans for Open Primaries initiative is to bring ranked-choice voting and open primaries to Idaho. If enough signatures are gathered, the initiative will be on the […]Read More
Washington faced unwelcome news this week that the state’s average price for a gallon of gas is the highest in the country.Read More
A court battle over gas stoves in California is sowing seeds of uncertainty for energy policies in the West, as cities in Washington and Oregon seek to limit the use of natural gas in new homes and buildings.Read More
When Travis ComesLast was 20 years old, he was on the run from juvenile detention. He and a friend were looking for ways to get some cash so they could skip town. But during what he describes as a drug deal gone bad, ComesLast shot and killed a man.Read More
A Washington committee studying options for a new regional airport location met for the final time Friday, and will disband at the end of this month without recommending a single site to the Legislature.Read More
Washington is getting a new drug possession and addiction treatment law, after the state legislature approved a final deal during its one-day special session Tuesday. But many lawmakers call it a hard compromise that represents just one step toward tackling the state's drug crisis.Read More
The Washington State Legislature is reconvening Tuesday, as lawmakers aim to finalize new drug possession penalties and addiction treatment resources in the state.Read More
(Credit: WSDOT / tinyurl.com/yddspl8b) Read By Jeanie Lindsay The Washington Legislature will attempt to wrap up its unfinished business on drug possession this month. Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday he’s […]Read More
Washington's legislature adjourned its 2023 regular session with a new two-year state budget, alongside dozens of policy changes focused on housing, health care and public safety – and a surprising last-minute bill failure.Read More
Surrounded by gun reform advocates, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed three new gun control bills Tuesday morning, including a ban on the import and sale of high capacity and semiautomatic firearms.Read More
In an unexpected development, the Washington state Legislature adjourned for the year late Sunday night having failed to put a new drug possession law on the books.Read More
Maximillian Bazler and Megan Hudlet, both students at North Idaho College, sit together between classes as they discuss the possibility of NIC losing its accreditation. (Credit: Kaitlyn Nicholas / NWPB) […]Read More
The Washington Supreme Court has ruled in a 7-2 decision to uphold the constitutionality of the state's new capital gains tax. The decision filed Friday comes just weeks before taxes are due.Read More
Legislators in Olympia are considering a host of bills to address the housing crisis, and Tuesday, members from both parties announced they're finding common ground.Read More
Numerous Democrats in the Washington Legislature are backing a new proposal to make voting in elections compulsory. Citizens are required by law to cast ballots in about 25 counties, but in no other U.S. states.Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee emphasized housing construction and homelessness response during his 2023 State of the State address on Tuesday. The issue is a bipartisan priority for the state Legislature, but approaches differ among the lawmakers who convened in Olympia this week.Read More
Washington state voters and lawmakers appear to be in close alignment on their top priorities for the incoming Washington Legislature. The 2023 session gavels to order at noon on Monday, January 9.Read More
Should the top elections official in Washington state officially be a nonpartisan? That's one difference between the top two finalists running for Washington Secretary of State.Read More
A quartet of independent candidates on the ballot this November in Oregon and Washington state will test voter appetites for a centrist “third way.” They are experienced contenders running for state senate, Oregon governor and Washington Secretary of State. Unaffiliated candidates are popping up around the nation too, with a common theme of being fed up with a divisive Read More
Sara Minkara lost her sight at the age of seven but gained a greater awareness of herself and the world around her. Because she can’t interact with labels from a […]Read More
Photo of Sara Minkara. Sara Minkara lost her sight at the age of seven but gained a greater awareness of herself and the world around her. Because she can’t interact […]Read More
Braver Angels Workshop Listen (Runtime 1:40) Read Heading into November’s midterm election, people across the country remain divided and are having a hard time communicating with civility. One organization, Braver […]Read More
An investigation by the King County Sheriff’s Office into a ballot drop box surveillance effort organized by conservative activists has wrapped up without criminal charges.Read More
Earlier this summer, the Washington State Patrol did something it’s never done before: close one of its eight regional communication centers used to answer 911 calls and dispatch troopers and other first responders to emergencies.Read More
Democratic incumbent Steve Hobbs and independent challenger Julie Anderson were leading Washington’s top two primary for Secretary of State after the initial ballot count Tuesday night. Republican Bob Hagglund, who has never held public office, was in a close third place.Read More
Washington legislative Republicans were taking stock Wednesday of their less than dazzling performance in the initial returns of the August primary.Read More
The primary election ballots are in hands of Washington voters. They need to be returned or mailed by Tuesday. [From left to right: Maggie Yates, Lindsey Keesling, and Chris Faison] […]Read More
Rising home prices and inflation are making it difficult for people to find – or keep – a home. Listen Lauren Paterson reports one Washington state legislator believes housing will […]Read More
For nearly six decades, Republicans held Washington's top election post — Secretary of State. That streak ended last November when Kim Wyman resigned to take an election security post with the Biden administration, and Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Democratic state Sen. Steve Hobbs to the post.Read More
Photo of Chris Matthews recording Traverse Talks in the Pullman studios on April 20, 2022. Chris Matthews, a self-described centrist, spent his lifetime in politics. A speechwriter during the Carter […]Read More
Chris Matthews, political commentator, author and professional interrupter discusses his career in journalism and politics in this episode of ‘Traverse Talks’ with Sueann Ramella. During this fast-paced conversation, the two […]Read More
In March 2003, a 17-year-old girl from McCleary, Washington was kidnapped, driven to a remote location and raped.Read More
