Indigenous Affairs Yakama Nation’s new public safety campus gives justice room to grow The tribal court system, which had occupied a cluster of trailers since the ’50s, plans to add services like a mental health or a veterans court. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore News and ICT / January 9, 2024
Environment Federal affirmative action ruling may impact WA cap-and-trade Allocating funds from the carbon plan to minority communities most affected by pollution could draw legal battles based on the new SCOTUS decision. by Alex Brown Stateline / September 8, 2023
Environment Oregon Democrats try to learn from British Columbia’s carbon tax B.C.’s tax was backed by conservatives and cut emissions without harming rural communities. Can it work elsewhere? by Erik Neumann / May 13, 2021
Environment Skip the woodchipper: Salvaged city trees are the new lumber From Seattle to Baltimore, cities are recycling felled urban trees into furniture, construction projects and guitars. by Alex Brown Stateline / December 20, 2022
Equity Snoqualmie Tribe starts land protection sales tax at Salish Lodge The 2% tax will preserve ancestral sites such as Snoqualmie Falls, and could be a model for other Indigenous nations. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore/ICT / July 17, 2023
Environment Offshore wind farming gains momentum on the West Coast Washington, Oregon and California could soon see floating turbines off their coasts. by Alex Brown Stateline / May 13, 2022
News Washington moves to enforce vaccine mandates, even if workers leave The state’s vaccine mandates are among the most stringent in the nation. Will other states follow? by Alex Brown Stateline / September 23, 2021
News Lost hikers rely on unpaid rescuers. That could change Colorado is preparing to pay search-and-rescue workers. Could Washington be next? by Alex Brown Stateline / September 3, 2021
Environment Washington and other coastal states seek to limit seawall construction Protective structures can help save properties from erosion, but by blocking the natural flow of sand and sediment, they can accelerate erosion elsewhere. by Alex Brown Stateline / November 5, 2021
Environment WA seaweed farming could boom but permitting remains difficult Like much of the West Coast, the state needs a regulatory overhaul if it wants to take advantage of emerging ocean aquaculture. by Alex Brown Stateline / March 29, 2022