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Classical Music Venues With Non-Classical Histories: Trillium Woods Farm

By Gigi Yellen July 30, 2021

Who needs a concert hall when there’s a barn nearby? Or a brewery? Or an old electric power plant? The Northwest is home to some classical music venues with decidedly non-classical histories. This is the story of Trillium Woods Farm, home of Concerts in the Barn. Read More

‘We Have … A Voice.’ Black Lawmakers Are Changing The Conversation In Olympia

By Austin Jenkins July 23, 2021

Several photos of members of Washington Legislature's Black Caucus

The Black Members Caucus nearly doubled in size this year and now has nine members. How is the caucus as a whole, and how are the individual members, changing the conversation and narrative around racial equity? Continue Reading Read More

Western Ranchers Are Cuttin’ Herds Like Mad To Prep For A Winter With Short Hay

By Anna King July 20, 2021

Cut hay laying in rows drying in the sun with a farm sprinkler in background.

From Oregon to the Dakotas, hay stocks for hungry cattle are already low. On top of that, ranchers say summer pastures are dry from the widespread drought. Continue Reading Western Ranchers Are Cuttin’ Herds Like Mad To Prep For A Read More

Extreme Fire Danger Forces Managers To Close Public Lands In WA, OR

By Courtney Flatt July 20, 2021

Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz speaking at a podium.

Extremely hot and dry conditions have caused some land managers to close more recreation areas than normal. Continue Reading Extreme Fire Danger Forces Managers To Close Public Lands In WA, ORRead More

‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 18: Sandra Williams On The Black Experience In The Inland Northwest

By McKayla Fox July 20, 2021

Sandra Williams, creator of The Black Lens, talks virtually for a recording of 'Traverse Talks.'

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, founder of a local newspaper, The Black Lens, in Spokane, Washington. Sandra Williams shares her life story growing up in the predominantly white Inland Northwest as a Black woman, her work ethic and what she is doing to insure future generations have a place that feels like community in Spokane. Read More

Vancouver Expo ’86: Remembering Cascadia’s Last Great World’s Fair 35 Years Later

By NWPB News July 15, 2021

The monorail at Expo '86 in Vancouver, Canada, the last time a Northwest city hosted the global cultural gathering. Seattle, Portland and Spokane have hosted as well. CREDIT: Colin Rose, CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When Vancouver hosted a modern expo in 1986, it joined the Northwest’s other major cities, Portland (1905), Seattle (1909, 1962) and Spokane (1974) as exposition hosts. In the years since Expo ’86, Vancouver’s has also gained important symbolism as the last expo hosted in North America. It was a kind of golden moment. Read More

Drought Emergency Declared In All 39 Washington Counties

By Austin Jenkins July 14, 2021

map of drought emergency and Washington counties

Dry conditions across Washington have prompted the state’s Department of Ecology to declare a drought emergency. Continue Reading Drought Emergency Declared In All 39 Washington CountiesRead 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

Seismic Research Ship Goes Boom-Boom To Seek Answers At Origin Of The Next Big One

By Tom Banse July 14, 2021

The vessel Marcus Langseth in Washington state.

Earthquake researchers are eager to dig into a trove of new data about the offshore Cascadia fault zone. When Cascadia ruptures, it can trigger a megaquake known as "the Big One." The valuable new imaging of the geology off the Oregon, Washington and British Columbia coasts comes from a specialized research vessel. 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

Unusually High Temperatures With Hazy Conditions Expected To Persist In Inland Northwest

By Rebecca White July 14, 2021

Air quality monitors across the Inland Northwest have been trending to moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups to full unhealthy levels over recently, with that trend expected to continue. CREDIT: Washington Smoke Blog

Temperatures in the Inland Northwest are still hotter than normal, and this week the region will also be more prone to fire danger and smoky air due to drought and wind. Continue Reading Unusually High Temperatures With Read 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

Echoes Of 2015 As Fires Burn Across Okanogan County, Force Evacuations In Nespelem

By NWPB News July 13, 2021

Firefighters watch and take video with their cellphones as a plane drops fire retardant on Harlow Ridge above the Lick Creek Fire, southwest of Asotin, Wash., on July 12, 2021. The fire, which started last Wednesday, has burned over 50,000 acres of land between Asotin County and Garfield County in southeast Washington. CREDIT: Pete Caster/Lewiston Tribune via AP

This year in north-central Washington has echoes of 2015, when the complex of fires across Okanogan County burned tens of thousands of acres on the reservation, closer to Omak, and shut down Highway 155 across the reservation for long stretches. What was true then is very possible now: The fires took out a lot of timber that the tribes harvest and use for revenue. Read More

From ‘Freaking Pissed’ To ‘Big Things’: How One Olympia Gym Survived The Pandemic Uncertainty

By Austin Jenkins July 13, 2021

Participants run through a series of exercise circuits during a lunchtime class at Athena Fitness and Wellness in Olympia. The women-owned business opened right before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and survival was never certain. But with the help of grants, loans, a GoFundMe campaign and assistance from their landlord, the owners managed to keep their doors open.

It was almost a year ago that Athena Fitness in Olympia was facing financial doom. The women-owned business had opened just before the pandemic struck. In August of last year, new COVID restrictions threatened to put the owners out of business. So, what’s happened since? Read More

‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 17: Esmy Jimenez On Life As A Journalist And DACA Recipient

By McKayla Fox July 13, 2021

In this episode of "Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella," KUOW reporter Esmy Jimenez talks about her life growing up in a rural part of central Washington as an undocumented immigrant, being the first in her family to attend college, and the fun and hardship of reporting on the never-ending news cycle. Read More

If You Want To See Iconic Gorge Attraction Multnomah Falls This Year, You’d Better Go Online First

By David Steves July 12, 2021

Tourists take pictures next to Multnomah Falls, April 13, 2018. CREDIT: Bradley W. Parks / OPB

Time is running out for a spur-of-the-moment trip to Multnomah Falls. Starting July 20, timed tickets will be required for one-hour visits to the popular sight-seeing destination east of Portland. Continue Read More

A Woman Died Of COVID After Contracting 2 Variants At The Same Time, Researchers Say

By Scott Leadingham July 12, 2021

SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, shown in red, have heavily infected a cell in this colorized scanning electron micrograph. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19. NIAID/NIH/Flickr

BY BILL CHAPPELL The patient came to the hospital because she was repeatedly falling down. She was breathing fine, and her blood oxygen levels were good. But tests showed that the 90-year-old Belgian woman had COVID-19 — and not just one strain, but two variants of the virus. She died at the hospital in just… Read More

Florida Breaks Annual Manatee Death Record In First 6 Months Of 2021

By NWPB News July 12, 2021

Manatees crowd together near the warm-water outflows from Florida Power & Light's plant in Riviera Beach, Fla., on Feb. 5. More manatees have died already in 2021 than in any other year in Florida's recorded history, primarily from starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds. Greg Lovett/AP

More manatees have died already this year than in any other year in Florida's recorded history, primarily from starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds, state officials said. Continue Reading Florida Breaks Annual Manatee Death Record In Read More

Washington’s New Suicide Prevention Program Aims To Divert Calls From Police, But It’s A Year Out

By NWPB News July 12, 2021

Abraham Dairi spends time with his dogs Ziggy, 3, and Bowie, 4, at his home in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood on July 1, 2021. CREDIT: Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut

Starting in mid-2022, people in Washington will be able to dial 988 instead of 911 to access different types of services in a mental health crisis. Continue Reading Washington’s New Suicide Prevention Program 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

Idaho Governor Taps National Guard To Help With Firefighting Efforts

By NWPB News July 11, 2021

A section of I-90 is down to one lane due to heavy smoke near Cataldo, Idaho caused by fires in the area, July 7, 2021. CREDIT: Kathy Plonka/The Spokesman-Review via AP

“Wildfire is presenting an imminent threat to life, property, and the environment, and we need all hands on deck,” Gov. Brad Little said in a statement. “I appreciate our firefighters and fire managers for working so hard under such challenging conditions, and I am grateful that our guardsmen are able to step in once again to support Idaho communities.” 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

A First-Of-Its-Kind Count Of Nonbinary Adults Is Crucial To Our Understanding Of LGBTQ Communities

By PBS Newshour July 10, 2021

A nonbinary person next to gender-neutral sign to a bathroom. Photo by Zackary Drucker/Broadly’s Gender Spectrum Collection

There are about 1.2 million LGBTQ adults in the U.S. who are nonbinary, according to a first-of-its-kind study released last week by the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, a research center that focuses on the intersection of law and public policy, and sexual orientation and gender identity. 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

Washington And Oregon Strengthen Protections For Ag Workers Following Deadly Heat Wave

By NWPB News July 9, 2021

Pedro Lucas, center, nephew of farm worker Sebastian Francisco Perez who died last weekend while working in an extreme heat wave, talks about his uncle's death on near St. Paul, Ore., during a record-breaking heat wave. CREDIT: Nathan Howard

Washington on Friday became the second state in the Pacific Northwest in as many days to announce emergency rules that provide farmworkers and others who work outdoors more protection from hot weather in the wake of an extreme heat wave that is believed to have killed hundreds of people. Read More

Past As Prologue: The Complicated Relationship Between Indian Scouts And The U.S. Government

By NWPB News July 9, 2021

The story of some Native American Scouts and their complicated reasons for working with the United States government. Continue Reading Past As Prologue: The Complicated Relationship Between Indian Scouts And The U.S. 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

‘The Very Essence Of Our Being’: Northwest Tribes (And Politicians) Gather To Discuss Future Of Salmon

By Courtney Flatt July 8, 2021

Colville Tribal member Crystal Conant releases the final salmon into the upper Columbia River on Friday, Aug. 9, 2019. Conant said salmon’s reintroduction to the upper Columbia will help heal the tribe and the ecosystem. CREDIT: COURTNEY FLATT/NWPB

Tribes across the Northwest called for immediate action to remove the four Lower Snake River dams during a two-day Salmon and Orca summit in western Washington. The group called on President Biden and congressional members to “take bold action, now.” Read More

A Wolf In Northeastern Washington Was Killed Illegally. Here’s Why It’s A Big Deal

By NWPB News July 8, 2021

A sign on the side of trailer in Stevens County, Washington, near Chewelah off U.S. Highway 395 prompts people to report "dangerous wildlife" like cougars and wolves. CREDIT: Scott Leadingham/NWPB

Wolf poachers go mostly undiscovered — but that hasn’t stopped nonprofit organizations from putting up significant cash rewards for information about these incidents. While rewards generally don’t lead to convictions, Defenders of Wildlife’s Gwen Dobbs says reward offers in cases of wildlife poaching can help raise public awareness, “hopefully serving as a deterrent 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

Donald Trump Sues Facebook, YouTube And Twitter For Alleged Censorship

By NWPB News July 7, 2021

Former President Donald Trump has announced that he is suing three of the country's biggest tech companies: Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube. Here, he walks onstage during a rally on July 3 in Sarasota, Fla. CREDIT: Jason Behnken/AP

Former President Donald Trump is suing Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube over their suspensions of his accounts after a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol in January. Continue Reading Donald Trump Sues Facebook, YouTube Read More

Interior Department Initiative Means A Closer Look At Northwest Indigenous School Burial Sites

By Rob Manning July 7, 2021

Chemawa Indian School is the oldest continuously running off-reservation Indian boarding school. CREDIT: Rob Manning/OPB

When Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a sweeping investigation into burial sites on current and former school sites that have historically served Native Americans, it was met with amazement, even among people who’ve been searching out Indigenous remains for years. Read More

Former Washington Auditor Troy Kelley Reports To Prison After Last-Minute Delay Effort

By Austin Jenkins July 7, 2021

Former WA State Auditor Troy Kelley leaves the federal courthouse in Tacoma in 2016. Kelley's attorney says he plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review Kelley's conviction. CREDIT: Austin Jenkins/N3

After years of waging appeals, and a last minute petition for a 90 day delay, former Washington state Auditor Troy Kelley has entered a federal prison camp in California to serve his sentence for conviction of possession of stolen property and other crimes. 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

Washington Governor Issues Wildfire Emergency, Wider Burn Ban As Hot, Dry Conditions Persist

By Austin Jenkins July 6, 2021

The National Weather Service is warning of high fire danger this week with thunderstorms, lightning and wind expected late Tuesday night into Wednesday, July 7. CREDIT: NWS via Twitter

First a drought. Then record heat. Now Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a statewide wildfire state of emergency. Continue Reading Washington Governor Issues Wildfire Emergency, Wider Burn Ban As Hot, Dry Read More

Washington Court Rules In Favor Of Conservation Groups In Fight Over Cattle Lots And Groundwater

By Courtney Flatt July 6, 2021

The milking parlor at Jason Sheehan’s dairy operates nearly 24 hours a day. He ships around 20,000 gallons of milk each day. As a member of the groundwater advisory committee, he’s worked to show people the updates he’s made to reduce nitrates from his operation. He says nitrates also come from irrigated agriculture and septic tanks. CREDIT: COURTNEY FLATT/NWPB

It’s back to the drawing board for state regulators, after the Washington Court of Appeals ordered the Department of Ecology to rework permits for confined animal feeding operations, known as CAFOs. A panel of judges ruled that current waste discharge permits don’t adequately protect groundwater and don’t take climate change into account. 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

‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 16: Artist Jesse Clyde On The Art Of Being Present

By McKayla Fox July 6, 2021

In this episode of "Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella," cartoonist Jesse Clyde is radiating good vibes and positive energy. He shares how he tries to be present in the moment and explains how money and other societal distractions can take away from his artwork. Read More

High Inland Fire Danger Tuesday Night And Wednesday With Possible Lightning And Wind

By Rebecca White July 6, 2021

The National Weather Serivce is warning of extreme fire danger Tuesday night and Wednesday. Lightning storms, dry conditions and winds are expected to combine Tuesday evening and Wednesday, priming Eastern Washington and North Idaho for wildfires. Read More

Jeff Bezos Built Amazon 27 Years Ago. He Now Steps Down As CEO At Critical Time

By NWPB News July 5, 2021

Jeff Bezos stepped down as Amazon's CEO on Monday, exactly 27 years since he started the e-commerce giant in a garage in West Bellevue, Wash. Continue Reading Jeff Bezos Built Amazon 27 Years Ago. He Now Steps Down As CEO At Read More

Analysis: How Critical Race Theory Turned Into A Political ‘Bogeyman’ In Idaho And Across The U.S.

By NWPB News July 5, 2021

Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin’s task force on school indoctrination meets at the Statehouse on June 24. CREDIT: Nik Streng/Idaho Education News

As education culture wars consumed the Statehouse this spring, the running joke was that Idaho educators were scrambling to Google to figure out what “critical race theory” is. Things aren’t much different now. So, think of this as summer school. Read More

It’s Very Hot, It’s Tinder Dry, And Wildfire Conditions Are ‘Unusually Risky’ At This Point In The Summer

By Courtney Flatt July 4, 2021

Information on public fire danger signs comes from the Nation Fire Danger Rating System, which is being updated for the first time in more than four decades. CREDIT: JACOB FRANK/NPS

The Northwest is primed for fire season, and not in a good way. East of the Cascades, forecasters say this year could be worse than recent record-breaking fire seasons. Continue Reading It’s Very Hot, It’s Read More

Poll: Two-Thirds Of Americans Believe Democracy Is Under Threat, But For Different Reasons

By PBS Newshour July 4, 2021

Electioneers greet voters outside the Hamilton County Government Center

Ahead of the first Fourth of July since an attack on the Capitol, fueled by baseless claims of voter fraud, and as several GOP-led states work now to enact stricter voting rules, majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents express worry about the health of democracy. Read More