U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientists Rochelle Labiosa (right) and Lil Herger examine the Columbia River for toxic algae as Jason Pappani leans over to reach into the water. (Credit: Rajah… Continue Reading Big trouble on the Read More
A court battle over gas stoves in California is sowing seeds of uncertainty for energy policies in the West, as cities in Washington and Oregon seek to limit the use of natural gas in new homes and buildings. Continue Read More
In September, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned legislation in California that had banned private detention in the state.
Now Washingtonians are waiting to see how that decision could impact a similar statue here. Read More
For more than three decades, California has banned certain types of semiautomatic rifles including the AR-15 under an "assault weapons" ban. On Friday, a federal judge threw out the ban, ruling that it violates the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Read More
The gates of Disneyland are opening again Friday, to welcome customers for the first time since the resort was closed at the start of the global pandemic. Only California residents will be allowed to visit, and daily crowd sizes will be limited due to safety protocols. Read More
The state’s new fuel standards will slowly lower the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses coming out of vehicle tailpipes through 2035. That means cleaner technologies biodiesel or renewable natural gas will get a boost over gasoline and diesel. Read More
Hundreds of farmers who rely on a massive irrigation project that spans the Oregon-California border learned Wednesday they will get a tiny fraction of the water they need amid the worst drought in decades, as federal regulators attempt to balance the needs of agriculture against federally threatened and endangered fish species that are central to the heritage of several Read More
For the fifth time, the U.S. Supreme Court has sided with religious adherents and against California's COVID-19 restrictions. This time, the court barred the state from enforcing a rule that for now limits both religious and non-religious gatherings in homes to no more than three households. Read More
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in California has surpassed 2 million, according to Johns Hopkins University, as the virus has spread with startling speed in the state. It's the first state to pass that number. In the last day, according to Johns Hopkins, California saw 43,986 new cases and 319 deaths. Read More
The state official and former congressman would enter the job with a historic public health crisis raging. In his current role, Becerra has fought Trump efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Continue Reading Joe Biden Read More
Washington is among a handful of Western states that have joined California in a pact to independently review the safety and efficacy of any coronavirus vaccine that is ultimately approved by the FDA before any distribution occurs in those states, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday. Read More
Malden is a tiny farming town amidst eastern Washington's "oceans of wheat fields" in Whitman County. Or it was. The 2020 wildfire season is a grim reminder that disasters unfairly hit the poor and the elderly. Thousands of people on the West Coast still lack even temporary housing. Read More
At least seven people have died in wildfires that are raging in Washington, Oregon and California, adding to the horrible toll from record-setting fires in 2020. "This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfires in our state's history," Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said. Read More
Any visitors to the national park are getting blunt advice: "Travel prepared to survive." It's part of a heat wave that is forcing rolling blackouts in the West. Continue Reading 130 Degrees: Death Valley Sees What Could Be Record HeatRead More
The court on Friday rules that the state's "near-categorical ban of [the magazines] infringes on the fundamental right to self-defense." The decision is a blow to gun control activists. Continue Reading Federal Appeals Court Read More
California led the nation in issuing a statewide stay-at-home order. And it's paying an economic price: a $54 billion deficit. As the state reopens, it seeks to balance the economy and public health. Continue Reading Read More
Medical examiners are now screening for possible coronavirus connections in late January. Emerging evidence suggests it spread far earlier and more widely than initially believed. Continue Reading As States Reopen, Health Read More
The first U.S. death known to be from COVID-19 occurred on Feb. 6 — nearly three weeks before deaths in the Seattle area that had been believed to be the country's first from the coronavirus, according to officials in Santa Clara County, Calif. Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is not on the verge of issuing a statewide shelter-in-place order, as governors in California and elsewhere have done recently, a top Inslee aide said Friday. Continue Reading No Read More
The bill's sponsor says he was "disturbed by the striking parallels" between the treatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and current U.S. immigration policy. Continue Reading California Lawmakers Expected To Read More
California and other states are challenging the Trump administration over its reversal of standards for energy-efficient lightbulbs. Continue Reading California Will Enforce The Energy-Efficient Lightbulb Rule President Trump Read More
After years of fear and uncertainty, bottom trawler fishermen — those who use nets to scoop up rockfish, bocaccio, sole, Pacific Ocean perch and other deep-dwelling fish — are making a comeback here, reinventing themselves as a sustainable industry less than two decades after authorities closed huge stretches of the Pacific Ocean because of the species’ depletion. Read More
Inclement weather sure has a knack for bad timing. On the eve of Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel periods of the year, high winds and heavy snow are buffeting places from Oregon to New England. Continue Reading ‘Bomb Read More
Insecticides and other chemicals found at the sites threaten long-term damage to ecosystems. California law enforcement, ecologists and others are cracking down. Continue Reading Illegal Marijuana Grows In Public Forests Are Poisoning Read More
Many are commuting to school in Paradise from surrounding cities and towns, including almost all of the town's high school football team, the Bobcats. The team is undefeated, and is about to find out if they are making it to the playoffs. Read More
Free-burning fire is the proximate provocation for the havoc, since its ember storms are engulfing landscapes. But in the hands of humans, combustion is also the deeper cause. Continue Reading Analysis: Big Fall Wildfires Signal Arrival Of A Read More
When it comes to surviving the warming climate, scientists are finding that some plants and animals have an edge. The hope is that these "super adapters" can help preserve their species. Continue Reading Trees That Survived California Read More
Seventeen states sued the Trump administration Wednesday to block rules weakening the Endangered Species Act, saying the changes would make it tougher to protect wildlife even in the midst of a global extinction crisis. Read More
The lawsuit comes two days after the Trump administration revoked California's ability to set its own rules for automobiles. The state's top prosecutor blasted the move as "arbitrary and capricious." Continue Reading 23 Read More
The movement to “ditch the switch” — the twice-yearly ritual of changing our clocks between daylight and standard time — just got a push from British Columbia, where residents signaled they are keen to join Washington state and Oregon on permanent daylight saving time. Read More
The Trump administration says only the federal government can set tailpipe emissions standards. It's the latest move in a months long standoff over efforts to weaken a key Obama-era climate rule. Continue Reading Trump Administration Read More
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law that requires presidential candidates to submit tax returns to qualify for the primary ballots. The law is expected to be challenged in court. Continue Reading New California Law Read More
Oregon lawmakers approved a measure on Thursday that could allow the state to adopt daylight saving time year-round. Washington legislators approved the change this year. In California, voters have approved year-round daylight saving time, but legislators have not signed off yet. Read More
Meteorologists in Southern California were puzzled by the big green blob on their radar — it looked like a rainstorm on what was a clear day. Then they discovered it was beetles. Continue Reading Spotted: A Swarm Of Ladybugs Read More
With the stroke of the governor's pen Wednesday, Washington officially became the first West Coast state to ditch the twice-yearly time switch. But the end of "spring forward-fall back" won't happen until Congress gives the green light to all of the states moving toward year-round daylight saving time. Read More
The mayor of Poway, Calif. said the shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue near San Diego was a "hate crime." A 19-year-old man has been arrested. Continue Reading California Synagogue Shooting Investigated As A Hate Crime Read More
Though often associated with the Vietnam War, Buffalo Springfield's signature song was inspired by a confrontation back home, which erupted on a few famous blocks in Los Angeles. Continue Reading American Anthem: How Read More
More than two months after the Camp Fire, the small city of Chico, Calif. is struggling to handle an influx of an estimated 20,000 new people from neighboring Paradise. Continue Reading Crisis Builds In Chico In Read More
According to some Oregon and Washington legislators, it's high time to get rid of the twice-yearly ritual of changing clocks. This past month, 60 percent of California voters approved Proposition 7, a ballot proposition to make daylight saving time permanent. Read More
As flames consume parts of California, an unexpected group of firefighters has put their lives at risk to protect communities: prison inmates. For $2 per day — and another $1 an hour when battling fires — qualified inmates can volunteer to help authorities combat fires. Read More
Authorities say at least 63 people died in the Northern California wildfire known as the Camp Fire, which has burned through at least 218 square miles of land and consumed the town of Paradise. Seven sets of remains were discovered on Thursday. Read More
The Camp Fire tore through Paradise, Calif., the morning of Nov. 8, 2018. Paul Weingartner, a nurse at the Adventist Health Feather River hospital in Paradise, recounts how it unfolded, and how he narrowly escaped, to return to the hospital and treat patients. Read More
The entire town of 27,000 people was evacuated in front of the wildfire in Northern California. The fire is the latest in a string of disastrous wildfires to hit the state in the past year. Continue Reading Paradise Lost: Northern Read More
Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus had been speaking with his wife when reports of an active gunman came in. Within minutes, the veteran officer was on the hellish scene — but he would not survive the night. Continue Reading Read More
Instead of reporting the hacking intrusion as required, Uber paid the hackers $100,000 after learning of the breach in late 2016. Continue Reading Uber Pays Nearly $150 Million Over Yearlong Cover-Up Of Data BreachRead More
More people are living in places that are prone to wildfires. That means during fire season, they live with the very real possibility of having to evacuate on very short notice. Continue Reading For Many In The West, Year-Round Read More
An Oregon woman who was badly injured and stranded for a week after her Jeep plunged 250 feet over a cliff into the ocean near Big Sur in California says she survived by drinking fresh water dripping from moss until she was rescued by a couple hiking along the beach. Read More
Today's drug prevention messaging is a far cry from the "Just Say No" days. Schools want to give kids the facts to make informed decisions about whether and when to try drugs or alcohol. Continue Reading With Rise Of Legal Marijuana, Read More
