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‘Cultural Changes Ahead’ For Police In Washington State, As Controversial Reform Takes Effect

By Northwest News Network July 30, 2021

Criminal Justice Training Commission director Monica Alexander uses a spreadsheet to track all of the state's new police reform legislation

New laws governing Washington State law enforcement took effect on Sunday, including their use of force (HB 1310) and tactics (HB 1054). Some police departments in King County say new laws means they will no longer respond to certain calls; City of Seattle chief Adrian Diaz calls that “absurd.” Read More

Fish Managers Say Salmon Runs ‘Could Have Been Worse,’ After Underwater Video Shows Heat-Stressed Salmon

By Courtney Flatt July 30, 2021

This summer’s heat wave led to some unhealthy hot water for salmon. But, fish managers said it hasn’t been as devastating for salmon runs as the warm water temperatures were in 2015. Continue Reading Fish Read More

Vaccinated People Should Mask In Public Indoor Spaces In Most Of Washington State

By Northwest News Network July 30, 2021

Washingtonians who are fully vaccinated should wear masks in public indoor settings, Gov. Jay Inslee said on Wednesday. Fully vaccinated people who live with young children or someone who is vulnerable to sickness should consider masking indoors even in counties with lower transmission. This is guidance and not a legal requirement. Read More

Emergency Alert System: Clay Freinwald is at the Hub of Safety

By Sandi Billings July 28, 2021

image shows Clay Freinwald on stage receiving award.

“This is a test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test.” As fires and severe weather ramp up across the region, however, we may hear more from the Emergency Alert System (EAS)—and they will not all be test messages, but real warnings of danger. NWPB is key to the EAS, as the… 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

More Than 100 Athletes With Pacific Northwest Ties Entered In Tokyo Olympics

By Tom Banse July 23, 2021

By our count, 49 U.S. Olympians have strong connections to Oregon or Washington. At least 52 more athletes are at the Olympics representing foreign countries after starring for universities or turning pro in the Northwest. Continue 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Olympic Hopeful Says Her Pork Burrito Is To Blame For Her Positive Drug Test

By NPR News June 16, 2021

Shelby Houlihan, the middle-distance runner who currently holds two U.S. records, says she's been banned from the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for the steroid nandrolone. Houlihan says she's clean and is blaming the test result on a pork burrito she got from a food truck. Read More

Royal Caribbean’s Launch Of Its New Megaship Just Got Sidelined By COVID Cases

By NPR News June 16, 2021

Royal Caribbean cruise ship in the water

Royal Caribbean's new megaship, Odyssey of the Seas, was supposed to hail the company's return to business as near-usual this summer. But the ship's launch is now delayed after eight crew members tested positive for the coronavirus. Its first scheduled trips are now canceled. Read More

‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 13: Christine Hemp On Finding Your True North

By Gabriel del Rosario June 15, 2021

Author Christine Hemp talks about her latest book, a memoir "Wild Ride Home," finding red flags in relationships, taking care of aging parents and always keeping your true north. She is an author, poet, musician, speaker and teacher. Continue Read More

The U.S. Bans Importing Dogs From 113 Countries After Rise In False Rabies Records

By NPR News June 14, 2021

The infectious and contagious rabies virus, shown here in a colorized micrograph, can be transmitted to humans through the bite or saliva of an infected animal. Thanks to protective vaccination of pets, rabies was eliminated from the U.S. dog population in 2007, though a bite from infected bats, skunks and raccoons can still transmit the virus. CREDIT: Biophoto Associates/Science Source

The U.S. is banning the importation of dogs from more than 100 countries for at least a year because of a sharp increase in the number of puppies imported into the country with fraudulent rabies vaccination certificates. Continue Read More

‘Bring Your Guns’: Probe Uncovers More Alarming Intelligence Before The Capitol Riot

By NPR News June 8, 2021

Violent rioters supporting then-President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Capitol Police had seen information from a pro-Trump website that encouraged demonstrators to bring weapons to subdue members of Congress and police. CREDIT: John Minchillo/AP

A bipartisan probe led by two Senate committees has found that U.S. Capitol Police and other authorities were in possession of more alarming intelligence clues ahead of the Jan. 6 attack on the complex than previously documented. Read More

Corporate Landlord Evicts Black Renters At Far Higher Rates Than Whites, Report Finds

By NPR News June 3, 2021

Getting evicted can send people into a downward financial spiral. During the pandemic, there has been the added danger of catching or spreading the coronavirus. Continue Reading Corporate Landlord Evicts Black Renters At Far Read More

Amazon Will Stop Testing Job Seekers For Marijuana And Now Backs Legalizing Weed

By NPR News June 2, 2021

Amazon will no longer test most job applicants for marijuana use in the latest sign of America's changing relationship with pot. Amazon, the second-largest private employer in the U.S., also says it now backs legalizing marijuana nationwide. Read More

The Pope Is Toughening Church Laws On Sex Abuse, Fraud And The Ordination Of Women

By NPR News June 1, 2021

Pope Francis prepares to leave after celebrating a special Mass for the Myanmar faithful last month at the Vatican. On Tuesday, Francis issued new canon law focused on sexual abuse, fraud and the attempted ordination of women. Remo Casilli/Pool via AP

Pope Francis on Tuesday issued a major revision of Catholic Church laws regulating clerical sex abuse, fraud and the attempt to ordain women. It is known as an apostolic constitution with the title, Pascite Gregem Dei, or "Tend the Flock." Read More

The Effort To Reform The U.S. Military’s Justice System Faces A New Fight

By NPR News June 1, 2021

For years, New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (left) has sought approval of her bill to reform the military's criminal justice system. This year, Gillibrand joined forces with Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, seen here, a sexual assault survivor herself before she became a combat company commander. Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

In the military, commanders who are not lawyers get to choose which serious criminal cases go to trial. That means leaders who are pilots, infantry officers and hold other positions can be tasked with making weighty legal decisions with little to no experience. Read More

Senate Republicans Block A Plan For An Independent Commission On Jan. 6 Capitol Riot

By NPR News May 28, 2021

Bipartisan legislation to establish an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has failed in the Senate, as Republicans staged their first filibuster since President Biden took office to block the plan. Read More

President Biden Asks U.S. Intel To Push For Stronger Conclusions On The Coronavirus’ Origins

By NPR News May 26, 2021

A laboratory building at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China, is seen on May 13, 2020. CREDIT: Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

President Biden said on Wednesday that he has asked the U.S. intelligence community to push to get closer to a "definitive conclusion" on how the pandemic started. Continue Reading President Biden Asks U.S. Intel To Read More

Half Of All U.S. Adults Are Now Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19

By NPR News May 25, 2021

Maryland National Guard Brig. Gen. Janeen Birckhead greets soldiers last week at a mobile vaccine clinic in Wheaton, Md.

The U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program has gone from zero to 50% in less than six months. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Biden administration said, half of the country's adults are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Continue Reading Read More

DOJ Moves To Block Full Memo On Trump Obstruction Decision From Release

By NPR News May 25, 2021

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks last month

The Justice Department released a portion of an internal memo cited by former leaders as part of their decision concluding that former President Donald Trump did not obstruct justice, but in a court filing late Monday said it would seek to block the full document from release. Read More

How Your Hot Showers And Toilet Flushes Can Help The Climate

By NPR News May 22, 2021

The National Western Center negotiated rights "in perpetuity" to the thermal energy from sewers under its construction site. It expects to save energy costs and avoid climate-warming emissions. CREDIT: Hart Van Denburg/CPR News

A secret cache of clean energy is lurking in sewers, and there are growing efforts to put it to work in the battle against climate change. Continue Reading How Your Hot Showers And Toilet Flushes Can Help The ClimateRead More

President Biden Lowers Infrastructure Plan Price Tag, But ‘Vast Differences’ Remain With GOP

By NPR News May 22, 2021

President Joe Biden speaks from the State Dining Room following the passage of the American Rescue Plan in the U.S. Senate at the White House on March 6, 2021. CREDIT: Samuel Corum/Getty Images

In what appears to be a mostly symbolic step toward finding common ground with Senate Republicans, the Biden administration has lowered its spending proposal on its infrastructure and jobs proposal, from more than $2 trillion to $1.7 trillion. Read More

Even With No-Mask Guidance, Some Places Like Washington’s King County Aren’t Ready To Let Go

By NPR News May 20, 2021

Darren Ford (left) reacts to the new mask guideline while presenting his vaccine card at Liberty Theatre on May 14 in Camas, Wash. Gov. Jay Inslee announced last Thursday that the statewide mask mandate would no longer apply to fully vaccinated adults. Nathan Howard/Getty Images

As more states shed their universal mask mandates for those who are vaccinated, many Americans are weighing how much faith to put in the new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in the integrity of their unvaccinated peers, who are supposed to follow the rules and keep wearing masks. Read More

President Biden Dissolves Controversial Trump Orders On Race And Culture

By NPR News May 16, 2021

Then-President Donald Trump holds up a Bible outside St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., last June after days of anti-racism protests against police brutality. President Biden has rescinded several orders Trump made during his last year in office, including moves to protect Confederate statues targeted by protesters. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

President Biden has revoked a number of executive actions taken by former President Donald Trump in the last year of his administration, mostly in response to the protests over systemic racism and police violence. Continue Reading Read More

Engaging With Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month: A Reading List

By NPR News May 15, 2021

In the past year, and throughout history, narratives surrounding Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been rife with violence, hardship and grief. Yet they are so much more than their experiences of suffering — beyond tales of war and isolation, there is joy, confusion, anger and relief. Read More

‘Theft At A Scale That Is Unprecedented’: Behind The Underfunding Of HBCUs

By Scott Leadingham May 14, 2021

LISTEN BY AILSA CHANG, JASON FULLER & SARAH HANDEL Tennessee could owe a historically Black university more than a half-billion dollars after it withheld funding for decades. A bipartisan legislative committee determined last month that the state failed to adequately fund Tennessee State University in matched land grants going all the way back to the… Read More

Justice Department Brings Federal Criminal Charges Against Derek Chauvin, 3 Others

By NPR News May 7, 2021

A picture of George Floyd hangs on a fence barrier that surrounds the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis during the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin in March. The Justice Department is now bringing criminal charges against Chauvin over allegedly violating Floyd's rights and using excessive force in restraining him. CREDIT: Scott Olson/Getty Images

The Justice Department has filed federal criminal charges against Derek Chauvin, accusing the former police officer of using excessive force and violating the civil rights of George Floyd. Floyd died after Chauvin pressed on his neck for more than nine minutes on the pavement outside a convenience store last year in Minneapolis. Read More

Grape growers, wineries struggle during pandemic

By Murrow News - Cheryl Aarnio May 3, 2021

Dick Boushey had a problem. When the COVID-19 pandemic dried up business for wineries and tasting rooms, the Yakima Valley grower anticipated his crop of wine grapes withering on the vine. “I had to go out and shift to [selling to] other people because I’m not going to throw grapes on the ground,” he said. … Read More

Past As Prologue: Rural Places Are Queer Places And The History Of WSU’s LGBTQ Awareness

By NWPB News April 30, 2021

WSU Student newspaper The Daily Evergreen article on homosexuality.

What the struggle over recognition for WSU's Gay Awareness student group shows is some of the similarities between rural and urban LGBTQ rights. Rural areas — especially college towns like Pullman or Moscow — are also queer places. People in cities who were against gay rights used the same tactic as those in Pullman—the public-referendum—to deny housing or employment Read More

“Cougs Help Cougs” isn’t just a phrase; it’s a lifestyle.

By Sigmund Seroka April 28, 2021

More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN – Cougs have been helping Cougs since Washington State University began in 1890. The message of helping each other is one of the first every student that attends the University learns as well as the famous greeting of “Go Cougs!” when you meet another Coug out in the world. Some… Read More

WSU Athlete Perseveres Through Pandemic

By Murrow News - Isaac Connors April 28, 2021

More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN, WASH -Running, this has been the been the center of Paul Ryan’s life for the past five years at Washington State University. Paul is a top tier track athlete at WSU and he has put up some impressive times on the track in his years at the university. This past… Read More

An In-Depth Perspective of Gun Reform – Murrow News 8

By Murrow News - Allen Leister April 28, 2021

More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN, WASH – It’s the consistent, cycling, headlines that keep Rachel Gill, a mother of a two year old boy, up through the night worrying that the next shooting could be close to home. “I’m scared to go out in public,” Gill stressed. “For like instance; Easton… I can’t go to… Read More

Fox News Again Urges N.Y. Court To Dismiss Smartmatic’s $2.7 Billon Lawsuit

By NPR News April 27, 2021

News headlines on the impeachment trial of Donald Trump are displayed outside Fox headquarters in February in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Fox News says a New York court should dismiss Smartmatic's $2.7 billon lawsuit against the cable TV network and some of its hosts, saying its coverage of bogus election-fraud claims is protected by the First Amendment. Fox also says the voting technology company hasn't backed up its allegations of "actual malice" related to its defamation claims. Read More

Asian Man In Critical Condition After Another Attack In New York; Police Seek Suspect In Video

By NPR News April 25, 2021

People participate in a protest to demand an end to anti-Asian violence on April 4 in New York City. In a new incident, an Asian man was attacked in New York City on Friday, April 23. CREDIT: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

In surveillance video released by the New York City Police Department's Hate Crime Task Force, the victim can be seen being pushed to the ground by an unidentified man, who then kicks him in the head multiple times. Read More

Hester Ford, Oldest Living American, Dies At 115 (Or 116)

By NPR News April 25, 2021

Hester Ford (center) celebrates her birthday in 2019 with her family members. Ford died last Saturday at 115 or 116. CREDIT: Tanisha Patterson-Powe

Hester Ford, who was America's oldest person living, died at her home in Charlotte, N.C., on April 17. Ford was at least 115 years old, though some records say she was possibly 116. Continue Reading Hester Ford, Oldest Living American, Dies At 115 (Or Read More

How The U.S. Could Halve Climate Emissions By 2030

By NPR News April 18, 2021

September 28, 2016 - Workers with Zilla Rack install PV modules on two racks just north of the NREL parking garage. The first row modules are part of a project called the Regional Test Centers (RTCs), small demonstration systems for PV industry to help get some initial performance validation and bankability study from the national labs.. The PV modules in the second row are part of a new DOE program called PV Lifetime. The intent is to study with high accuracy the initial degradation of PV modules, and to make all of the data publicly available. (Photo by Dennis Schroeder / NREL)

Next week, President Biden will announce a number that could shape the rest of his presidency: a new goal to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The announcement marks the country's renewed commitment to the Paris accord, the international climate change agreement that former President Trump withdrew from. Read More

COVID Vaccine Symptoms

By Sigmund Seroka April 16, 2021

More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN – Americans over the age of 16 are now eligible to receive a vaccine and take their turn dealing with the symptoms of the shots. The different vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, seem to have similar side affects on the people who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.… Read More

The Debate on Student-Athlete Compensation – Murrow News 8

By Murrow News - Allen Leister April 16, 2021

More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN – For student-athletes like WSU women’s soccer player Kelis Barton, the discussion around compensation is less about what the university is providing and more about the interests that the athletes are restricted from. “I have no time to have a real full-time job and to make money that way whereas… Read More

Testimony Ends Without Derek Chauvin Taking The Stand In His Trial

By NPR News April 15, 2021

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin tells the judge on Thursday he will not testify on his own behalf in his trial over the death of George Floyd. His attorney, Eric Nelson, is seen at left. Court TV/Pool via AP

Testimony ended Thursday in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. The defendant said he will not testify in his defense in the trial and would invoke his Fifth Amendment right. Continue Reading Testimony Ends Read More

Pullman PD Wellness App

By Murrow News - Isaac Connors April 15, 2021

More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN, WASH – It has been a tough, trying year for people around the world. The Pullman Police Department is one such group that has had a lot on their plate this last year. COVID-19 has added a lot of work stress to the already stressful job of being an officer.… Read More

Sonny Simmons, Fiercely Independent Alto Saxophonist, Dies at 87

By NPR News April 13, 2021

Sonny Simmons performs on May 30th 1997 at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Sonny Simmons performs on May 30th 1997 at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, Netherlands. CREDIT: Frans Schellekens/Getty Images

Simmons died last week at the age of 87. The cause of death remains unknown, but his life is cause for considerable celebration. Although jazz has established a place in academic and cultural institutions, it was and largely still is an outsider's music, and Simmons was an outsider's outsider. Read More