Top News
If you live east of the Cascade mountains and you’ve got glass bottles and jars piling up – a volunteer group in Yakima can help you recycle them.
Local News
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Artificial intelligence could help deter wolves from preying on livestock in Washington.
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The city of Bellingham, Wash., is launching an investigation into how one of its employees used ChatGPT to help award a large city contract. KNKX Murrow News fellow Nate Sanford joined host Phineas Pope to discuss.
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Public records uncovered by Cascade PBS and KNKX show a city employee asking ChatGPT for help tipping the scales to ensure a preferred vendor would be awarded a contract.
National News
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Civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin has died. She was 86. Her 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights movement.
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House Republicans are seeking testimony as part of their investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons say they've already provided in writing what little they know.
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Federal officials say a company that operates hundreds of landing pages for AI answers is running an operation that has duped thousands of users, who were unable to stop costly monthly charges.
Arts & Culture
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NWPB Classical is excited to announce new additions to the weekend music lineup beginning January 9, 2026, bringing even more discovery, creativity, and fresh perspectives to your listening experience. From rising classical talent and cutting-edge contemporary works to genre-spanning conversations and celebrated NPR favorites, there’s something new to tune in for every weekend.
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Beginning in 2026, you’ll hear some new programs on NWPB Classical. Now That’s What I Call 21st Century will be hosted by NWPB’s Jedd Greenhalgh, and dive into the gentler music written after the year 2000.
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The new movie from producer-director-writer Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Coming 2 America) really wants you to like it, until it dares you to feel otherwise.
Business & Economy
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What will set off your New Year? If you’ll be making a toast to 2026 – you should know, the Northwest is home to new and interesting sparkling wines.
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Washington state’s largest winery, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, has been purchased by the Wyckoff family. The Wyckoffs own a variety of agricultural businesses across Washington state.
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One of the oldest and largest U.S.-owned forage companies has filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief. The hay industry that once appeared to be baling green cash is deeply struggling.
Environment
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A small project at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia rivers could make a big difference for salmon. That project officially kicked off Monday.
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A plan to add back-up power to a hospital in south-central Washington could be back on track. A judge ordered the federal government to give back grants to hundreds of projects that reduce natural disaster risks.
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A narrow, man-made causeway in the Tri-Cities leads to an island that’s popular with local walkers, anglers and birders. But, construction crews are preparing to remove that causeway.
Wildfires
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“We’re losing firefighters. The numbers are going down,” said Riston Bullock, a 13-year veteran with the Nez Perce crew. “We need people at the shop ready to go when those fires start.”
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A medida que comienza la temporada de incendios forestales en el estado de Washington, activistas están trabajando para asegurarse de que las personas que solo hablan español reciban información importante durante las emergencias.
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It's hotter and drier across much of the Western United States. How is that impacting fire season?
Health
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In the mid-20th century, nuclear fallout from bomb testing in Nevada spread across several western states. Now, self-proclaimed “downwinders” in Idaho are eligible for compensation.
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Idaho law enforcement officials say they’re worried about how cuts to certain mental health treatment programs will affect their departments.
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Many health insurance customers who rely on Affordable Care Act provisions could see big cost increases in 2026.
Politics
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U.S. Senate and House Democrats from Oregon and Washington moved swiftly to condemn President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States carried out a military strike in Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
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A seat in Congress will be open in the 2026 election in Washington’s 4th Congressional District, which covers most of Central Washington. U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse announced Wednesday morning that he will not seek reelection.
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NWPB reporter Lauren Gallup joined host Phineas Pope to discuss Tacoma's 2023 Landlord Fairness Code and its impacts on affordable housing providers today.
Other News
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As immigration enforcement actions have ramped up in Minnesota, people of faith have been at the forefront of the response to ICE detentions and the killing of Renee Macklin Good by a federal agent.
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Foster was just 12 years old when she starred in the 1976 film. "What luck to have been part of that, our golden age of cinema in the '70s," she says. Her latest film is Vie Privée (A Private Life).
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To date, 27 states have enacted laws barring transgender participation in sports.
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The new year begins with a host of promising titles from George Saunders, Julian Barnes, Jennette McCurdy, Karl Ove Knausgaard and more. Here's a look ahead at what's publishing this month.
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The 2026 Tiny Desk Contest, our annual search for the next great undiscovered artist, is now officially open for entries.