Scott Leadingham, Author at Northwest Public Broadcasting

Pullman Family Files $56M Lawsuit In Shooting Death Of Lauren McCluskey At University Of Utah

By Scott Leadingham June 27, 2019

In this Nov. 10, 2018, file photo, a photograph of University of Utah student and track athlete Lauren McCluskey, who was fatally shot on campus, is projected on the video board before the start of an NCAA college football game between Oregon and Utah in Salt Lake City. The family of a University of Lauren McCluskey sued the institution on Thursday, June 27, 2019, saying officials have refused to take responsibility for missing chances to prevent her death despite multiple reports to police.

A Pullman, Wash., family is suing the University of Utah following the murder of their daughter on campus in Salt Lake City last year. Jill and Matthew McCluskey announced the $56 million lawsuit Thursday, June 27 in a press conference. Lauren McCluskey was murdered Oct. 22, 2018 by a man she had dated. Read More

Opioid Maker Insys Admits To Bribing Doctors, Agrees To Pay $225 Million Settlement

By Scott Leadingham June 5, 2019

Insys, the maker of fentanyl-based Subsys, agreed to a $225 million settlement with the federal government to resolve criminal and civil investigations of the company's role in the opioid crisis. Reuters

The company agreed to make the payments to resolve federal criminal and civil investigations of its marketing practices. Five of its executives were convicted separately for the same practices. Continue Reading Opioid Maker Read More

WSDOT To Close Highway 20 Twisp-Okanogan Section For 2nd Washout Repair Since 2017

By Scott Leadingham May 24, 2019

Small section of Highway 20 east of Loup Loup washed out in April 2019, and will cause a complete closure beginning Tuesday, May 28.

Drivers and cyclists have this Memorial Day weekend to get in a full trip over Washington’s Highway 20 before a temporary closure on the east side. The state Transportation Dept. will close the full 30-mile stretch connecting Twisp and Okanogan for nine days beginning Tuesday, May 28. Read More

Ford To Cut 10 Percent Of Its Global Salaried, White-Collar Workforce

By Scott Leadingham May 20, 2019

About 7,000 white-collar jobs are being eliminated as part of Ford's massive organizational restructuring. The automaker says it will save $600 million per year as a result. Continue Reading Ford To Cut 10 Percent Of Its Global Salaried, Read More

To Improve Health, Cut Costs, Walmart Pushes For Better Medical Imaging For Workers

By Scott Leadingham May 18, 2019

To cut down on unnecessary procedures — and health costs — Walmart is pushing its workers to get more accurate diagnoses by using diagnostic imaging centers known for high quality, not low price. Continue Reading To Improve Read More

Police Defuse Potentially Explosive Device In Pullman Following Similar Incident In Moscow

By Scott Leadingham May 5, 2019

Police in Pullman say a Spokane explosives team diffused a device Sunday, May 5 at the City Playfields near the WSU campuse. CREDIT: GOOGLE MAPS

Pullman Police say they defused a possible explosive device Sunday morning. It follows the discovery and disposal of a similar incident in Moscow, Idaho last week. Continue Reading Police Defuse Potentially Read More

Famed Washington Climber Jess Roskelley, 2 Others Missing And Presumed Dead After Avalanche

By Scott Leadingham April 18, 2019

Jess Roskelley climbing on Alaska's Wake Mountain in 2012. Courtesy of Spokesman Review

The Northwest and worldwide mountaineering community is mourning the presumed loss of a well-known climber from Spokane. Jess Roskelley was climbing Howse Peak on the Alberta-British Columbia border with two others Tuesday. Read More

UPDATES: Flooding Closes Roads, Prompts Emergency Response In Moscow-Pullman Area

By Scott Leadingham April 10, 2019

Flooding in Pullman closed Grand Avenue/SR 27 at Stadium Way, Tuesday, April 9, 2019. CREDIT: Matt Haugen/WSU News

Residents of the Palouse region of southeastern Washington and north-central Idaho experienced flood conditions Tuesday. The localized flooding from heavy rain was expected to persist into Wednesday. Continue Reading UPDATES: Flooding Read More

Journalists Raise Money, Post Jobs And Buy Beers For Peers After A Week Of Layoffs

By Scott Leadingham January 26, 2019

After Buzzfeed, Gannett and Verizon's media group announced job losses this week, journalists across the country banded together to offer support. Continue Reading Journalists Raise Money, Post Jobs And Buy Beers For Peers Read More

Bernie Sanders Responds To Allegations Of Sexism, Harassment By Aides During 2016 Race

By Scott Leadingham January 3, 2019

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., offered an apology on Wednesday after allegations were made public of sexual harassment and discrimination on his 2016 campaign. CREDIT: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

"We will do better next time," the U.S. senator from Vermont and former presidential candidate said. As Sanders considers whether to run in 2020, new allegations from his 2016 campaign have emerged. Continue Reading Bernie Read More

‘Bundyville’ Tells A Story Of Anti-Government Extremism Set In The Rural West, Says Podcast Host

By Scott Leadingham December 11, 2018

'Bundyville' is a seven-part podcast from Longreads and Oregon Public Boradcasting, hosted by Leah Sottile. CREDIT: Illustration by Zoë van Dijk for Longreads

Journalist Leah Sottile covered the 2016 Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupation and its aftermath with the Bundy family. This year she released a deeply reported podcast about the Bundys – called 'Bundyville,' a collaboration between Longreads and Oregon Public Broadcasting. Read More

A New Thanksgiving Week Ritual: Eat Turkey; #OptOutside; Share Your #UniqueNW Photos

By Scott Leadingham November 22, 2018

Mount Rainier seen from the Ryegrass area between Vantage and Ellensburg near I-90. CREDIT: RON LARIN via NWPBROADCASTING.TUMBLR.COM

Show us your favorite outdoor scene – from a hike, from your cross-state road trip, from your backyard. Whatever inspiring or relaxing view you have, show us with #UniqueNW. Continue Reading A New Thanksgiving Week Ritual: Eat Read More

Betsy Devos Proposes New Education Dept. Rules To Protect Students Accused Of Sexual Assault

By Scott Leadingham November 16, 2018

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks with the media after a series of listening sessions about campus sexual violence in July 2017. Among the significant changes is that schools can make it harder to prove allegations. Alex Brandon/AP

Among the significant changes is that schools could make it harder to prove allegations. Instead of only a "preponderance of the evidence," schools could demand "clear and convincing evidence." Continue Reading Betsy Read More

Cyber Tests Showed ‘Nearly All’ New Pentagon Weapons Vulnerable To Attack, GAO Says

By Scott Leadingham October 9, 2018

The Pentagon only recently made cybersecurity a priority, the Government Accountability Office says in a new report, which found vulnerabilities in weapons that are under development. CREDIT: Yuri Gripas/Reuters

"One test report indicated that the test team was able to guess an administrator password in nine seconds," the Government Accountability Office says. Continue Reading Cyber Tests Showed ‘Nearly All’ New Pentagon Read More

UPDATES: I-90 Back Open At Vantage After Fast-Moving Fire Forces Evacuations

By Scott Leadingham July 10, 2018

The Ryegrass Coulee Fire began late Monday, July 9 and quickly spread between Ellensburg and Vantage, closing Interstate 90. CREDIT: WASHINGTON STATE DOT

A fast-moving fire in sagebrush closed Interstate 90 between Ellensburg and Vantage in Central Washington. The Washington State DOT and State Patrol say an estimated time to reopen I-90 is noon today, July 10. Continue Reading UPDATES: I-90 Read More

WSU Outlines Plan To Reduce Projected $85 Million Athletics Deficit

By Scott Leadingham June 8, 2018

Fans and players celebrate Washington State's 30-27 win over Southern California in an NCAA college football game in Pullman, Wash., Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) ORG XMIT: WAYK111

Washington State University’s athletics department is currently facing a nearly $67 million budget deficit as the 2018 fiscal year comes to close. Now, WSU leaders are outlining a plan to get the department back to fiscal stability. But the deficit is projected to grow much larger before it goes down. Read More

Flooding Hits Okanogan And Ferry Counties As Melting Canadian Snowpack Fills Rivers

By Scott Leadingham May 10, 2018

The Okanogan River in Omak on May 7, 2018. CREDIT: OKANOGAN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

It’s a record year for flooding in northeastern Washington as spring runoff makes its way into rivers. At least eight are at or above flood stage. Nearly all of them cross the U.S.-Canada border. Continue Reading Flooding Read More

Live From NWPB: News, Classical And Northwest Fun On Facebook

By Scott Leadingham March 8, 2018

What’s going on in the Northwest this week? Want to hear from the people who help bring you the news and music you hear every day? Join NWPB on Facebook every Friday at noon for a look at what’s happening around the Northwest with the issues that affect you most – from updates at Hanford to how the Rattlesnake Ridge landslide near Yakima is an ongoing story. Read More

Rattlesnake Ridge: An Ongoing Slide Means Ongoing Coverage

By Scott Leadingham February 6, 2018

Rattlesnake Ridge Risk Map - Google Maps

It started with a crack. Then it got bigger. Then video footage from a drone let everyone have a bird’s eye view of how the Rattlesnake Ridge slide outside of Union Gap, Washington, was coming – or sliding – along. Continue Reading Rattlesnake Ridge: Read More

Northwest Cities See Big Women’s March Crowds As #MeToo Looms Large

By Scott Leadingham January 21, 2018

Womens March - SEATTLE - by Megan Farmer

Across the Northwest, thousands of people attended Women’s March events over the weekend. Marches happened in the region's biggest cities and much smaller towns and college campuses. Continue Reading Northwest Cities See Big Women’s March Read More

WSU Quarterback Tyler Hilinski Dies, Remembered As Team Leader

By Scott Leadingham January 16, 2018

Washington State University quarterback Tyler Hilinski has died. He was 21. Police in Pullman, Washington, confirmed they were called to an apartment Tuesday afternoon where they found Hilinski. Continue Reading WSU Quarterback Tyler Hilinski Dies, Read More

Keith Jackson, Sports Broadcasting Legend And WSU Alumnus, Dies At 89

By Scott Leadingham January 13, 2018

Keith Jackson, the man whose popular phrase “Whoa, Nellie” became as much a well-known sports saying as it was his own moniker, died Friday, Jan. 12. He was 89. Continue Reading Keith Jackson, Sports Broadcasting Legend And WSU Alumnus, Dies At Read More

WSU Student Journalists Say They’ll Keep Fighting Amid Proposed Cuts

By Scott Leadingham January 12, 2018

Daily Evergreen newspaper fronts - No Retreat

Washington State University’s student newspaper, The Daily Evergreen, is facing a big budget deficit, and cuts to its print days. NWPB host Thom Kokegne sat down with Evergreen editor-in-chief Madison Jackson to talk about the proposed cuts, and how they’ll keep doing their work as a watchdog on the university administration. Read More

NWPB’s Newest News Correspondent: Esmy Jimenez In Yakima

By Scott Leadingham January 12, 2018

Northwest Public Broadcasting is pleased to welcome the newest addition to our news staff: Esmy Jimenez. Esmy is our Yakima Valley correspondent, covering the important stories of Central Washington’s farm economy and the people who make it tick. She began reporting last spring, but recently became our official full-time reporter. Born in Mexico but raised… Read More

UPDATES: I-5 Amtrak Train Derailment Brings Investigation, Lawsuits And Many Questions

By Scott Leadingham January 2, 2018

Amtrak train derails onto Interstate 5, December 18, 2017

An Amtrak train on its inaugural run from Seattle to Portland derailed Monday morning, Dec. 18, 2017, sending at least one train car off an overpass and onto a busy Interstate 5 below. The derailment happened in DuPont, about 40 miles south of Seattle near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, before 8 a.m. during morning rush hour. Read More