Northwest Reports

The governor’s office has been keeping communications tight. Three state politics reporters discuss the unusual lack of access and its public impact. Another surprising aspect of the first few months of the Ferguson administration was a lack of communication with the public, particularly through the press.   Gov. Bob Ferguson was slow to hold weekly press conferences during the first few months of...

What’s with all the criticism? Pollster Stuart Elway and state Sen. Jamie Pedersen think it could be the governor's centrism, which irks both sides. Voters aren’t too happy with Gov. Bob Ferguson’s first few months as governor. A new Cascade PBS/Elway poll found that the governor has the lowest first-six-month job rating of any Washington governor in more than 30 years.   But it’s not just the gov...

At first, Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson appeared to cross the aisle. Lawmakers on the right were thrilled – until they weren’t. Gov. Bob Ferguson’s inaugural address wasn’t what anyone expected from the new governor, and it set the tone for a challenging legislative session in which the new executive struggled to win over Democratic and Republican lawmakers, activists and voters.   The speech was a...

The founder and editor of 'The Needling' on why Seattle is so easy to make fun of and how comedy can help us process the news.  Seattle’s high cost of living, policing and tech industry fuel a lot of local headlines, including those published by The Needling , “Seattle’s Only Real Fake News.”  On May 31, the Northwest Reports team invited four local changemakers to the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival a...

The founder of Hey, Black Seattle! talks about the good — and complicated — realities of building community in the PNW as a person of color.  It can be tough to find a sense of community in Seattle, where it’s rainy most of the year and there’s a notorious social freeze to break through. It can be even harder navigating those barriers if you’re not white.   In the third episode of Northwest Report...

The creator of “View from the Floor” describes how people’s experiences in the Emerald City differ depending on their physical abilities.  Seattle’s got a lot to offer, whether you’re drawn to the city for its picturesque views or its rich cultural history. But people’s experiences of the Emerald City can vary a lot.  The guest in this episode of Northwest Reports Live, recorded at the Cascade PBS...

The founder of Vanishing Seattle, a digital archive documenting disappearing spaces, addresses loss and joy in a changing city.  It seems that everyone has an opinion about Seattle as the city grows, residents get priced out and businesses disappear.   In the latest Northwest Reports series, recorded live at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival on May 31, Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed asked influential...

Despite ambitious goals toward combating climate change, Oregon and Washington lag far behind other states when it comes to adding renewable energy.  Our series It’s Not Easy Going Green focused on the struggles around the creation of new green energy projects. But it turns out that even if Oregon and Washington built all the wind and solar farms anyone could want, there’s just not enough grid cap...

One group with a loud voice in the debate over renewable energy development in Washington is farmers. Since so many of these conflicts are rooted in land-use decisions, a major question remains: Should the state prioritize land for agriculture or energy development? Brandon Block explains how some farmers believe these new energy facilities could threaten their way of life, while others are surviv...

What is the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC, anyway? While so many of Washington’s proposed renewable energy projects are mired in controversy, one thing all sides can agree on is their criticism of EFSEC. The state body, which is empowered to override local laws and recommend permits for new energy projects, is routinely critiqued by everyone from clean energy developers to Indi...

As originally proposed, the Horse Heaven Hills wind farm would have built more than 200 wind turbines on a prominent ridgeline just south of Washington’s Tri-Cities. After years of community backlash, litigation and former Governor Inslee’s veto of a controversial state council’s permitting decision, the project is still in limbo. Cascade PBS investigative reporter Brandon Block explains how a sle...

In the final episode of the series, three Washington Republicans react to Donald Trump’s reelection and ponder the future of the state’s GOP. Donald Trump’s reelection to the country’s highest office elicited a range of reactions ... even among Republicans in Washington state.   Some on the right have distanced themselves from Trump, which listeners heard in the first episode of “The Elephant in t...

Follow the team as they head to Bellevue for a Republican election night watch party. As results roll in, attendees share their thoughts. Washington state, as expected, went blue in this year’s election – showing up for Kamala Harris and electing Democrats in statewide races. Still, Republicans here had a lot of enthusiasm on election night ... and it turned out to be warranted.  The GOP clinched...

A  Northwest Reports  limited series examines the present and future of Washington’s GOP. In this episode, moderate Republicans talk internal divisions. Republicans won big in this year’s election. Republicans in Washington state, however ... That's a different story.   In November, the country voted to reelect Donald Trump to the nation’s highest office; Republicans gained control of Congress; an...

In the finale of our three-part series, we hear from professionals who help those affected by gun violence find recovery beyond the hospital bed. Getting stitched up is just one part of a gunshot wound patient’s recovery. People face a long line of stressors after getting out of surgery.   That’s where Harborview Medical Center’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Program comes in, to ease the b...

In the second episode of our three-part series, we look at Harborview Medical Center's initiative to treat the long-term impacts of gunshot wounds. There’s been a shift in how medical professionals think about gun violence: Many of them aren’t focused only on making sure a patient lives after being shot ... they’re also thinking about how to help these individuals recover and rebuild beyond the op...

In the first episode of our three-part podcast series, two surgeons, a nurse and a paramedic describe the impact of seeing gun violence up close. Medical professionals in Washington have gotten used to treating people affected by gun violence -- especially in recent years.   A few months ago, the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis at a time when tens of thousands of...

Stay tuned for a new, scripted series from Northwest Reports, launching September 25. Harborview Medical Center in Seattle is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Washington. As a result, it has become ground zero for the major crises of our time, including a rise in gun violence. In this three-part series, we hear what it’s like to be a surgeon, nurse or paramedic in our region amid a historic rise...

Lizz Giordano and Lauren Gallup discuss their reporting on Puget Sound Veterans Affairs clinic complaints. Plus, what’s changing with Northwest Reports. Patients and staff have navigated a myriad of concerning conditions in a building on the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System campus in South Seattle.     Earlier this month, Northwest Public Broadcasting reporter Lauren Gallup and Casc...

After being forced to move from Seattle and, this year, Snohomish, Sandra Mears and her partner are still searching for a place to call home as renters. Sandra Mears rented in Seattle for years – until she and her partner had to leave their home because it was getting torn down.  They moved to a spot in Snohomish, where they could go to the farmers market, walk to restaurants and feel a sense of c...

Ahead of World UFO Day, we spoke with Carole Williams about the community she’s found with others who share her interest in extraterrestrials. We’re talking aliens – and community – ahead of World UFO Day.   People generally celebrate World UFO Day on July 2 – though historically the celebration has also been held on June 24 , thanks to a 1947 event involving a pilot’s report of nine flying object...

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander month. KEXP host Kevin Sur shares why broad terms don’t always speak to communities like his own. AANHPI Heritage Month is coming to a close.  May is widely recognized as a time to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, or AANHPI, communities . There have been different versions of this acronym over the years –...

Wolfe and his team will focus the five-part docuseries on reefnet fishing and its significance to PNW Indigenous communities. Cascade PBS has just revealed what’s to come in the third season of Origins.  The company recently announced Samuel Wolfe as the director chosen to take on the newest season of Origins, a project that awards regional filmmakers $40,000 to create a docuseries on communities...

After taking steps to affirm his gender, Torrey Stephenson decided to take a plunge – and became a triathlete in the process. Torrey Stephenson was born biologically female.   Over the years he realized that he identifies as a man, and took measures to align with his gender — for example, getting top surgery in 2020.   As he grew more comfortable in his body, he wanted to try something new: swimmi...

Cascade PBS anchor Paris Jackson hears from the mayor about key issues facing his administration, such as public safety and Downtown revitalization. The mayor of Seattle talked all things Emerald City in his recent conversation with Cascade PBS.   Bruce Harrell was first elected to lead the city in 2021, though he had served as interim mayor in 2017. He also spent years on Seattle’s City Council,...