Inland Journal

We talk with Spokane County auditor candidates Dale Whitaker, Callie Gee and Michael Cathcart.

We'll talk with, in alphabetical order, Democrats Donovan DeLeon, Luc Jasmin III, Pam Kohlmeier and Republican Natalie Poulson.

We talk with Grant Erickson from IntelliTect and John Shovic from the University of Idaho-Coeur d'Alene.

We have excerpts from a Thursday press conference where task force members offered key points from their report to local elected officials.

Grant Erickson from IntelliTect and Graham Morehead from Pangeon and Gonzaga University join us to talk about the basics of artificial intelligence.

We talk with Gonzaga's president as she approaches her one-year anniversary at the Spokane institution. Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners passes the torch from Julie Honekamp to Amber Johnson.

The demand for YWCA Spokane legal services from domestic violence survivors is growing. How can we recognize and treat mental illness in elderly people? Health insurance premiums on Washington's exchange go up significantly again next year. The Colville tribes prepare for wildfire season.

We'll talk with Kim Pearman-Gillman and Dale Silha about Spokane's new Novara Energy Institute. Avista and Zero Emissions Northwest give Inland Northwest businesses a chance to test EVs before they buy. We meet the head of a new non-profit bank that will loan money for renewable energy projects.

West Plains residents will decide in August whether to tax themselves to protect their underground drinking water. We take stock of PFAS-related projects underway on the West Plains. Providence decides to change which health care providers will do psychiatric assessments on ER patients at Sacred Heart.

We talk with a Lincoln County woman who is part of a group trying to lower the temperature of American civic dialogue. Spokane County Treasurer Mike Volz tells us what his office does. And a University of Washington researcher talks about helping people to lose weight, including anti-obesity drugs.

We talk with Habitat for Humanity Spokane CEO Michelle Girardot about how the organization will spend $6.5 million from the state. Fewer people are buying health insurance through the Washington and Idaho exchanges. Author Adriana Janovich explores odd things about Spokane.

A sign of 10 years of progress: when the UW-GU health partnership began, UW medical students studied in a building that had once been a Native American museum. Now they share a state-of-the-art facility with dental and human physiology students. Also, foreign exchange programs are alive and well in Spokane. We meet two recent French visitors.

We talk with NPR's media correspondent on the eve of his visit to Spokane. Eliza Billingham hears what Spokane police officers think about working with mental health professionals in the field. A former South Carolina congressman urges his fellow Republicans to use their taxing powers to combat climate change.

We talk with two representatives of Prosperity Eastern Washington, which is using billboards to carry the rural health message to rural residents. Spokane County Assessor Tom Konis tells us about his office determines the value of properties. Kent Craford from SeaPort Airlines talks about why his carrier prefers flying into smaller airports.

We talk with East Adams Rural Healthcare Chief Executive Todd Nida about the state of Ritzville's hospital. Two graduating Spokane medical students tell us where they'll start their careers this summer. And two Spokane medical residency programs are celebrating different kinds of news.

Public radio state government reporter Sarah Mizes-Tan summarizes Washington's 2026 legislative session. We hear about new parks and schools projects scheduled for Spokane this year. Spokane author Kathy Colkitt writes about how to be an effective advocate.

This week, the Washington House of Representatives debated — for more than 24 hours — and then approved an income tax on people who make more than a million dollars a year. We hear some of the arguments they made in this week's Inland Journal.

Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane talks about his political style. Also, actress Michelle Azar on playing Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Spokane Poet Laureate Mery Noel Smith talks about her craft.

Whitney Bryen from Investigate West tells us about new developments as the publication looks into sexual assault claims against Idaho prison guards. Washington Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove talks about protecting public lands from state budget cuts. Spokane author Maya Jewell Zeller writes about being "Raised by Ferns."