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2 weeks ago | 
spokanepublicradio.org | Lauren Paterson |Steve Jackson |Owen Henderson |John Ryan
Loss of federal workers could affect fire season in north IDThere are fewer federal workers at the U.S. Forest Service this fire season. The deferred resignation program allowed federal workers to resign from their jobs while still getting full pay and benefits through September. That left vacancies in the U.S. Forest Service offices in Northern Idaho according to Jim Wimer, the fire prevention officer for the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.
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1 month ago | 
opb.org | Lauren Paterson
Cannabis is a $1.1 billion industry in Washington, and there are programs across the state designed to get people into the business or to help those who are already in it.
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1 month ago | 
spokanepublicradio.org | John Ryan |Scott Greenstone |Owen Henderson |Lauren Paterson
Trump has denied half of disaster aid requests so farPresident Trump has been denying requests for federal aid following major disasters, including November’s bomb cyclone storm in Washington state. In his first hundred days, Trump has turned down half the disaster requests that have crossed his desk. Reporting by KUOW public radio found that presidents before Trump approved the vast majority of requests for major disaster aid. Now, it’s hit or miss.
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2 months ago | 
spokanepublicradio.org | Doug Nadvornick |Owen Henderson |Lauren Paterson |Steve Jackson
Striking workers in WA one step closer to benefitsThe Washington House has voted to allow striking workers to receive unemployment benefits. The vote was 52-43, with seven Democrats joining every Republican in voting against. The bill originally called for strikers to qualify for up to 12 weeks of benefits, but that was amended to four weeks. Rep. Jeremie Dufault (R-Yakima) argued people who strike choose to do so and shouldn’t be rewarded.
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Mar 14, 2025 | 
spokanepublicradio.org | Owen Henderson |Lauren Paterson |Doug Nadvornick |James Dawson
WA aims to support federal workers after mass layoffsAs of last week, Washington was home to about a thousand laid-off federal employees. But more workers are expected to be cut after yesterday’s deadline for agencies to come up with workforce reduction plans. "About half of the National Weather Service offices were already understaffed," U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said.
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Feb 24, 2025 | 
spokanepublicradio.org | Kyra Buckley |Doug Nadvornick |Lauren Paterson |Owen Henderson
More frequent blackouts could result from BPA job cuts, experts sayExperts warn that job cuts initiated by the Trump administration at Bonneville Power Administration will have negative long-term impacts on the region's electricity system. So far, more than 400 positions have been cut. Bonneville manages 75% of the transmission lines in the region crucial to delivering electricity to more than 3 million people.
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Jan 24, 2025 | 
nwpb.org | Lauren Paterson
The library in Post Falls, Idaho, will soon have an adults-only room in light of a recent Idaho law passed last year. That law requires school and public libraries in the state to restrict access to books that are considered “harmful” to minors. If libraries don’t do so, they could face lawsuits.
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Jan 19, 2025 | 
opb.org | Lauren Paterson
People stand in RoseMary's Place, a child care agency on the Columbia County Health System campus in Dayton, Washington. Courtesy of Columbia County Health SystemThis year, Washington state faces a significant budget shortfall somewhere between $10 billion and $12 billion. As lawmakers meet for the legislative session, they’re deciding what to cut, and day care subsidies could be impacted.
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
nwpb.org | Lauren Paterson
This year, Washington state faces a significant budget shortfall somewhere between $10 and $12 billion. As lawmakers meet for the legislative session, they’re deciding what to cut, and day care subsidies could be impacted. “If we shortchange child care now, we will see long term harm to the economy and long term harm to families,” said Genevieve Stokes, the director of government relations at Child Care Aware of Washington.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
nwpb.org | Lauren Paterson
After two years of fighting rent increases, residents of four mobile home parks in Latah County have had their past due balances reversed — for now. “They tried to charge me $180 more for lot rent, and that accrued over time,” said Suzy James, a resident of Woodland Heights Community in Moscow, Idaho. She said the new owners tried to raise her lot rent from $340 per month to $525. “I continued paying the same rent because they didn’t properly notify us of the rent increases,” James said.
