NPR News, Author at Northwest Public Broadcasting

Idaho’s Fight Against The Far Right, Then And Now

By NPR News June 29, 2022

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — The mass arrest earlier this month of 31 white nationalists allegedly en route to riot at a Pride event in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, drew attention to the unprecedented increase in threats to the LGBTQ community. But the events reminded locals of another time when far right extremists sought to use… Read More

31 Patriot Front Members Were Arrested Near An Idaho Pride Event

By NPR News June 12, 2022

Authorities arrested 31 members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front near an Idaho Pride event Saturday after they were found packed into the back of a U-Haul truck with riot gear. The men were standing inside the truck wearing khakis, navy blue shirts and beige hats with white balaclavas covering their faces when Coeur… Read More

As Performing Artists Denounce Or Stay Allied With Putin, History Offers Some Lessons

By NPR News March 3, 2022

Semyon Bychkov, conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in Vienna, Austria in 2017.

Russia reveres its high arts heritage of classical music and ballet. But Western European and American arts organizations are canceling appearances by performers who have financial or personal ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, including some of Russia's biggest stars. At the same time, some Russian and Russian-born artists have been speaking out against the Read More

22 Tips For 2022: How To Be Kind To Yourself And Squash Your Critical Inner Voice

By NPR News January 5, 2022

How to combat negative self-talk. Continue Reading 22 Tips For 2022: How To Be Kind To Yourself And Squash Your Critical Inner VoiceRead More

22 Tips For 2022: If You Want To Eat Less Meat, Spice Is Key

By NPR News January 3, 2022

Bowls of healthy snacks like nuts and veggies

Trying to eat less meat? Make sure your meat-free meals are just as satisfying by seasoning your vegetables with the same spices you use to cook meat. It will carry some of that flavor over. Continue Reading 22 Tips For 2022: If You Want To Eat Less Read More

These NYC Kids Have Written The History Of An Overlooked Black Female Composer

By NPR News December 8, 2021

Three of the student authors of Who Is Florence Price? (left to right: Sebastián Núñez, Hazel Peebles and Sophia Shao), joined by their English teacher, Shannon Potts.

For decades, it was almost impossible to hear a piece of music written by Florence Price. Price was a Black, female composer who died in 1953. But a group of New York City middle school students had the opportunity to quite literally write Florence Price's history. Their book, titled Who Is Florence Price?, is now out and available in stores. Read More

Daylight Saving Time Ends Soon. Here Are 4 Things You Should Know

By NPR News November 5, 2021

Four things to know about Daylight Saving time. Continue Reading Daylight Saving Time Ends Soon. Here Are 4 Things You Should KnowRead More

Coming Soon, A Surprise Billing Law May Have Unintended Effects On Health Care

By NPR News October 14, 2021

The No Surprises Act is intended to stop surprise medical bills. It could also slow the growth of health insurance premiums.

By Julie Appleby Patients are months away from not having to worry about most surprise medical bills — those extra costs that can amount to hundreds or thousands of dollars when people are unknowingly treated by an out-of-network doctor or hospital. The No Surprises Act — which takes effect Jan. 1 — generally forbids insurers… Read More

Climate Change Is Causing Problems For Puffins

By NPR News October 12, 2021

Maine's population of rare Atlantic puffins took a hit this year, as the number of chicks to survive a tough summer plummeted. The state's coastal bays and the Gulf of Maine is among the fastest-warming large water bodies on the planet, making the puffins' fate a test-case for how climate change could disrupt marine ecosystems worldwide. Read More

Get The Candy Bowl Ready. Dr. Fauci Says Halloween Is A Go This Year

By NPR News October 12, 2021

Dr. Anthony Fauci said this weekend that children can go trick-or-treating safely this year.

It's time to get those costumes and bowls of candy ready — Halloween is just around the corner. And unlike last year, trick-or-treating can go ahead this season — that's according to the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Read More

Moderna And J&J Say Their Data Supports COVID Vaccine Boosters

By NPR News October 12, 2021

A nurse prepares a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a San Antonio senior center in March. A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will meet Thursday to review Moderna's booster shot.

The Food and Drug Administration released briefing documents Tuesday on booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines ahead of a two-day public meeting of advisers to the agency that starts Thursday. Continue Reading Read More

Navigating The Coming Out Conversation — From Both Sides

By NPR News October 11, 2021

By Kathy Tu & Tobin Low Coming out is scary no matter how old you are or how loving your friends and family may be. You’re revealing a deeply vulnerable side of yourself, and fearing that the person you’re sharing with could say something harmful in response. On the flip side, when someone comes… Read More

Three Economists Win Nobel For Their Research On How Real Life Events Impact Society

By NPR News October 11, 2021

Displayed is a file photo of a Nobel Prize medal on Dec. 8, 2020. The Nobel Prize in economic sciences was awarded to three U.S-based professors for their pioneering work with "natural experiments."

Three U.S.-based economists will share this year's Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for their innovative work with "natural experiments" – events or policy changes in real life that allow researchers to analyze their impact on society. Read More

The Postal Service Is Slowing The Mail To Save Money. Critics Say It’s A Death Spiral

By NPR News October 8, 2021

The Postal Service says the predicted slowdown is caused in part by the agency's decision to rely less on moving mail by air and more by ground transportation.

Maybe you've noticed the birthday card that arrived belatedly or the check in the mail that didn't pay your credit card quite on time. It's not your imagination. The mail has definitely gotten less speedy. Continue Reading Read More

As The Threat Of Default Grows, The Senate Faces Another Debt Ceiling Vote

By NPR News October 6, 2021

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, as President Joe Biden urged Republican senators to "get out of the way" and let Democrats suspend the nation's debt limit, hoping to keep the U.S. government from bumping dangerously close to a credit default.

Senate Democrats are trying a fresh attempt to stave off a potential debt default with a Wednesday afternoon vote meant to pressure Republicans into dropping their blockage of legislation to address the nation's borrowing limit. Continue Read More

Fat Bear Week Has A Champion: All Hail 480 Otis

By NPR News October 6, 2021

480 Otis, who is believed to be around 25 years old, emerged from hibernation looking very thin and facing health problems. But he deftly navigated both inter-bear relationships and a salmon-rich river to put on much-needed weight.

They went pound for pound, gut to gut. Coming into the final round, both animals had fervent support online. But in the end, 480 Otis was crowned the winner of the Fat Bear Week tournament — a competition made all the more unique by the fact that none of its entrants have any idea it exists. Read More

Supreme Court Justices Push Government On Allowing Guantanamo Inmate To Testify

By NPR News October 6, 2021

Both liberal and conservative Supreme Court justices pressed the government's lawyer about why a detainee at Guantanamo Bay couldn't testify about his own torture at the hands of the CIA. Continue Reading Supreme Court Justices Read More

Snapchat is adding a feature to help young users run for political office

By NPR News October 5, 2021

Iowa state Rep. Joe Mitchell was first elected at age 21 and is now the co-founder of an organization looking to recruit fellow young conservatives to seek public office.

Young people in the U.S. made history in the 2020 elections, voting at a record high rate. And now the technology company behind a popular social media app is hoping to help some of those young voters become political candidates in their own right. Read More

A landmark opioid trial puts spotlight on pharmacy chains CVS, Walmart and Walgreens

By NPR News October 4, 2021

CVS Pharmacist Raphael Lynne (left), D., MBA, and Stephanie Garcia, a Pharmacy tech., check the medication disposal box where people can drop off their expired, unused or unwanted medications for safe disposal.

On Monday in a federal courtroom in Cleveland, Ohio, the nation's legal reckoning over the opioid crisis shifts to four name-brand pharmacy chains: CVS, Giant Eagle, Walgreens, and Walmart. Continue Reading A landmark opioid Read More

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean has reached the Southern California coast

By NPR News October 4, 2021

Oil is seen on the beach in Huntington Beach, California on October 3, 2021, after a pipeline breach connected to an oil rig off shore started leaking oil, according to an Orange County Supervisor.

More than 120,000 gallons of oil that spilled into the Pacific Ocean has reached the Southern California coastline, closing parts of the beach as officials warn residents to stay away from the slick. Continue Reading A massive Read More

What the ‘Pandora Papers’ show about how the powerful hide money from public view

By NPR News October 4, 2021

A journalist-led investigation found that a woman had acquired a waterfront property in Monaco after she reportedly had a child with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here, yachts are seen moored at the Hercules Port in Monaco.

A massive investigation from more than 600 journalists across the globe sheds new light into the shadowy world of offshore banking — and the high-powered elites who use the system to their benefit. Continue Reading What the Read More

TSA Is Doubling Fines For Those Who Refuse To Wear A Mask While Flying

By NPR News September 10, 2021

Travelers wearing protective face masks wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration screening at LaGuardia Airport in New York last month. U.S. aviation regulators are calling on the nation's airports to crack down on the defiantly unmasked.

President Biden and the Transportation Security Administration are cracking down on those who defy mask mandates on airplanes with one simple message: "If you break the rules, be prepared to pay." Continue Reading TSA Is Doubling Fines Read More

Drug Overdoses Killed A Record Number Of Americans In 2020, Jumping By Nearly 30%

By NPR News July 14, 2021

Sharon Rivera adjusts flowers at daughter Victoria's grave at Calvary Cemetery in New York City in 2020. Her daughter, 21, died of a drug overdose in 2019. According to new CDC data, drug overdose deaths soared to more than 93,000 last year. Kathy Willens/AP

More than 93,000 people died of a drug overdose in the U.S. last year — a record number of cases that reflects a rise of nearly 30% from 2019, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials said the increase was driven by the lethal prevalence of fentanyl as well as pandemic-related stressors and problems in accessing care. Read More

The Mysterious Return Of Glacier Ice Worms On Mount Rainier

By NPR News July 14, 2021

Photo of researchers on the icey mountain.

There are thread-like worms on Mount Rainier that reserachers are looking at live at 32 degrees or they die... called ice worms. Continue Reading The Mysterious Return Of Glacier Ice Worms On Mount RainierRead More

President Biden Makes A Push For Democrats To Unite Around $3.5 Trillion Budget Plan

By NPR News July 14, 2021

President Biden walks with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., at the Capitol on Wednesday as he arrives to discuss the latest progress on his infrastructure agenda. CREDIT: Andrew Harnik/AP

President Biden heads to Capitol Hill Wednesday to begin the push to unite Democrats from both the progressive and moderate wings of his party around the $3.5 trillion budget blueprint unveiled late Tuesday by Democrats on the Senate budget panel. Read More

Vice President Harris Hints That She Has Discussed Filibuster Changes With Senators

By NPR News July 13, 2021

Vice President Harris speaks about voting rights at the White House complex on June 23. President Biden tapped her to lead the administration's efforts on the issue. CREDIT: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

BY ASMA KHALID & ARNIE SEIPEL With voting rights legislation stalled in the Senate because of Republican opposition, Vice President Harris suggested that she has talked to senators about exceptions to the legislative filibuster but said she will not be publicly negotiating an issue that the White House insists is up to lawmakers, she told… Read More

After Removing Confederate Statues, Charlottesville Takes Down One Of Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea

By NPR News July 11, 2021

During a special emergency meeting, the Charlottesville City Council unanimously voted to remove another a statue of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and Shoshone interpreter Sacagawea. City of Charlottesville

Early Saturday morning, the city took down statues of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Then, during an emergency midday meeting of the city council, officials unanimously voted to remove another statue featuring Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and Shoshone interpreter Sacagawea, which was taken down Saturday afternoon. Read More

Chief Guantánamo Prosecutor Announces Surprise Retirement Before 9/11 Trial Starts

By NPR News July 10, 2021

Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, Guantánamo's chief prosecutor, addresses the media on Oct. 19, 2012, at the end of a week of pretrial hearings for the five alleged architects of the 9/11 attacks. Martins announced his retirement this week. Michelle Shephard/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Less than two months before the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the chief prosecutor of the alleged 9/11 conspirators announced his surprise retirement Thursday, making a trial in the case appear increasingly unlikely. Read More

TV REVIEW: An Old Murder Is ‘Unforgotten’ In This Masterpiece Crime Drama’s 4th And Finest Season

By NPR News July 10, 2021

Sunny (Sanjeev Bhaskar) and Cassie (Nicola Walker) head up a police unit in charge of cold cases in the series Unforgotten. Mainstreet Pictures LTD

If you regularly watch police shows, you know that very few of them make you feel anything. For every Mare of Easttown, there are 20 fast-paced crime dramas — from CSI to Line of Duty — that pass off sensation as emotion. Read More

How New Federal Rules Could Make It Easier To Buy Hearing Aids Or Fix Your Phone

By NPR News July 9, 2021

A man displays an advertisement for repairing iPhone in New York on October 19, 2015. AFP PHOTO/JEWEL SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images)

President Biden unveiled a new plan on Friday taking aim at powerful industries where a handful of players have so much market clout that they can drive up prices, depress wages and make it hard for small companies to break in. Read More

President Biden Defends Decision To Pull U.S. Troops From Afghanistan Despite Resurgent Taliban

By NPR News July 9, 2021

President Biden addresses the situation in Afghanistan on Thursday at the White House. He insisted a Taliban takeover of the country is not inevitable and expressed confidence in Afghan security forces. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

As security conditions deteriorate in Afghanistan, President Biden is defending his decision to pull U.S. troops out of America's longest-running war. Biden announced the decision in April, and he insisted Thursday that he will stick to it, even as the consequences of that withdrawal become more and more stark. Read More

Zaila Avant-garde Becomes First African American To Win Scripps Spelling Bee

By NPR News July 8, 2021

Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from Harvey, La., celebrates winning the finals of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Disney World on Thursday. John Raoux/AP

Fourteen-year-old Zaila Avant-garde has won the Scripps National Spelling Bee — and $50,000. She won with the winning word, "murraya," a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees and celebrated with a twirl onstage under the confetti. Read More

Crews Are Ending The Search For Survivors In The Surfside Condo Collapse

By NPR News July 7, 2021

Rescue workers search in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, Fla., on June 26. CREDIT: Gerald Herbert/AP

Fourteen days after the catastrophic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Fla., officials have called off the search for survivors. Continue Reading Crews Are Ending The Search For Survivors In The Surfside Read More

Pentagon Scraps $10 Billion Contract With Microsoft, Bitterly Contested By Amazon

By NPR News July 6, 2021

The Defense Department is scrapping its $10 billion cloud-computing contract with Microsoft, ending the award process that's been mired in a legal battle with Amazon. Continue Reading Pentagon Scraps $10 Billion Contract With Read More

Cannes Rolls Out The Red Carpet For An Expanded, More Inclusive Film Festival

By NPR News July 6, 2021

Jury members Mylène Farmer, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jessica Hausner, Mati Diop, jury president Spike Lee, jury members Mélanie Laurent, Tahar Rahim and Song Kang-ho attend the Jury photocall during the 74th annual Cannes Film Festival on July 6, 2021, in Cannes, France. Kate Green/Getty Images

There will be 24 films in the official competition this year, a few more than usual over the festival's almost two-week duration. There are dozens of additional films from around the world being screened out of competition. A new section called Cannes Premieres has also been organized to show selections from a year's worth of cinema that were missed because of the Read More

A $500 Sign-On Bonus To Deliver Pizzas? Here’s What To Know About Hiring Incentives

By NPR News July 6, 2021

In need of workers, a Domino's franchise in Washington, D.C., is offering a sign-on bonus for all positions. CREDIT: Andrea Hsu/NPR

With a record 9.3 million jobs open in the U.S. as of April, and a workforce in no hurry to get back to work, a growing number of employers are looking to hiring bonuses to fill their ranks. Long a tradition on Wall Street, sign-on bonuses are rare in low-wage work such as fast food, warehousing and food delivery. Now, as the economy has picked up, hiring bonuses are Read More

Boy Scouts Of America Reaches Historic Settlement With Sexual Abuse Survivors

By NPR News July 1, 2021

According to a researcher hired by the Boy Scouts of America to review internal files, more than 12,000 children have been sexually assaulted while participating in its programs. Tony Gutierrez/AP

The Boy Scouts of America has reached an $850 million settlement with more than 60,000 men who sued the iconic institution over alleged sexual abuse by adults in scouting over several decades. Continue Reading Boy Scouts Of America Read More

After Decades In The Background, Queer Characters Step To The Front In Kids’ Media

By NPR News July 1, 2021

Ruby and Sapphire get married on Steven Universe. Cartoon Network

The Peabody award-winning series Steven Universe, which broke barriers in queer representation by airing the first LBGTQ wedding in a kid's series when Ruby and Sapphire (who are actually living rocks, yes, but feminine-coded rocks who use she/her pronouns and present as female) got married. Read More

Exxon Lobbyist Caught On Video Talks About Undermining President Biden’s Climate Push

By NPR News July 1, 2021

Indiscrete comments made by an ExxonMobil lobbyist to undercover activists may figure prominently in upcoming congressional hearings about the role of oil companies in the battle against climate change. Continue Reading Read More

The Warnings Were Mounting At A Florida Condo. Officials Demanded Only Minor Repairs

By NPR News June 30, 2021

Search and Rescue teams look for survivors in the partially collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building on June 30, 2021 in Surfside, Fla. Four more bodies were found on Wednesday. Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

Just weeks before Champlain Tower South collapsed, town officials in Surfside, Fla. were demanding immediate changes on the property - but all of their requirements focused on relatively minor concerns. Continue Reading The Read More

Bill Cosby To Be Released From Prison After Court Overturns Sexual Assault Conviction

By NPR News June 30, 2021

Bill Cosby departs after a sentencing hearing in 2018 at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Penn. CREDIT: Matt Slocum/AP

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has vacated the indecent assault conviction against comedian Bill Cosby and ordered his immediate release from prison. Continue Reading Bill Cosby To Be Released From Prison After Court Read More

The Heat Wave Has Killed Dozens And Hospitalized More Across Washington, Oregon And B.C.

By NPR News June 30, 2021

A display at an Olympia Federal Savings branch shows a temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday in the early evening in Olympia, Wash. CREDIT: Ted S. Warren/AP

Scores of deaths along the U.S. West Coast and in the Vancouver metro area in Canada are being blamed on an ongoing heat wave that has broken records. Continue Reading The Heat Wave Has Killed Dozens And Hospitalized More Read More

Facebook Gets Reprieve As Court Throws Out Major Antitrust Complaints

By NPR News June 28, 2021

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies remotely during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on October 28, 2020. CREDIT: Pool/Getty Images

A federal judge has dismissed two blockbuster antitrust complaints against Facebook, in a setback to federal and state prosecutors who were pushing for a break-up of the social media giant. Continue Reading Facebook Gets Reprieve As Court Read More

The Supreme Court Leaves A Transgender Student’s Legal Victory Intact

By NPR News June 28, 2021

The U.S. Supreme Court left in place Gavin Grimm's victory in the lower courts. Steve Helber/AP

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to wade into a major controversy over the use of bathrooms by transgender students, delivering at least a temporary victory to the trans community. Continue Reading The Supreme Court Leaves A Read More

He Inherited A Devastating Disease. A CRISPR Gene-Editing Breakthrough Stopped It

By NPR News June 27, 2021

Patrick Doherty volunteered for a new medical intervention of gene-editor infusions for the treatment of genetically-based diseases. CREDIT: Patrick Doherty

CRISPR has already been shown to help patients suffering from the devastating blood disorders sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. And doctors are trying to use it to treat cancer and to restore vision to people blinded by a rare genetic disorder. Read More

2018 Report Found Florida Condo Had ‘Major Structural Damage’ Before It Collapsed This Week

By NPR News June 26, 2021

In this photo provided by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, search-and-rescue personnel search for survivors through the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Fla., on Friday. Via AP

A structural engineering report provided to the Champlain Towers condominium association in 2018 found widespread problems that required extensive repairs "in the near future." Continue Reading 2018 Report Found Florida Read More

Derek Chauvin Sentenced To 22 1/2 Years For George Floyd’s Murder

By NPR News June 25, 2021

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin addresses the court Friday at his sentencing hearing. He was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd. CREDIT: Court TV via AP/Pool

A Minnesota judge sentenced Derek Chauvin to 22 1/2 years in prison Friday for the murder of George Floyd — a punishment that exceeds the state's minimum guidelines but falls short of prosecutors' request of a 30-year sentence. Continue Reading Read More

FILM REVIEW: Dive Into ‘Luca’ And ‘Undine,’ 2 Under-The-Sea Films To Treasure

By NPR News June 25, 2021

Two sea creatures go undercover as boys in a small Italian Riviera town in the charming Pixar film Luca. CREDIT: Pixar

By curious coincidence, two of the lovelier movies I've seen so far this summer — the family-friendly animated fable Luca and the German art-house fairy tale Undine — tell stories about mythic sea creatures making contact with the human world. That's hardly a new concept, as we've seen in films as different as The Shape of Water, Aquaman and countless versions of The Read More

Here’s What We Know About The Condition Of The Florida Building Before It Collapsed

By NPR News June 25, 2021

A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue truck is seen Thursday in front of debris from the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South complex in Surfside, Fla., north of Miami Beach. CREDIT: Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP via Getty Images

As search and rescue operations continue, questions abound as to why the Champlain Towers South complex near Miami, only 40 years old, partially collapsed on Thursday. Continue Reading Here’s What We Know About The Read More

Hubble Trouble: NASA Can’t Figure Out What’s Causing Computer Issues On The Telescope

By NPR News June 23, 2021

In this handout from NASA, the Hubble Space Telescope is grappled to Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-125 by the shuttle's Canadian-built remote manipulator system May 13, 2009 in Space. CREDIT: NASA/Getty Images

The storied space telescope that brought you stunning photos of the solar system and enriched our understanding of the cosmos over the past three decades is experiencing a technical glitch. Continue Reading Hubble Trouble: Read More

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