Politics Washington clergy still not required to report child abuse A compromise proposal near the end of the legislative session died after Catholics rejected the bill over religious objections. by Wilson Criscione InvestigateWest / May 22, 2023
Environment EPA says it will look into Butte's mine dust 'potential emergency' Regulators claim they will address public health concerns after an InvestigateWest report exposed officials coordinating with mining corporations. by Wilson Criscione InvestigateWest / March 23, 2023
Environment In a toxin-exposed Montana mining town, the EPA favors polluters Scientists say the agency is siding with the companies, even after it acknowledged that open-pit mining in Butte is unsafe and requires major cleanup. by Wilson Criscione InvestigateWest / March 6, 2023
Politics Can Catholic lobbyists agree to a child abuse reporting law? In Washington, clergy are not mandated reporters. After a similar bill died last year, new language would offer exemptions for sacramental confessions. by Wilson Criscione InvestigateWest / January 29, 2024
Equity Foster parents say ‘retaliation’ by caseworkers means fewer families to help kids in need Records portray a culture of fear, even as Washington state attempts to respond to a flood of new cases. by Rachel Nielsen InvestigateWest / January 15, 2020
Politics New WA state budget won’t solve problem of foster kids in crisis The state Legislature approved nearly $16 million in new funding last week, but the effort may come up short in fixing an overwhelmed system. by Rachel Nielsen InvestigateWest / March 19, 2020
News WA advocates call for freezing foster care ‘age-out’ during pandemic Young adults aging out of foster care face unique challenges in normal times, say advocates. Now, they face even greater risks. by Rachel Nielsen InvestigateWest / June 3, 2020
News Birth parents fight to visit kids in foster system during pandemic Seeing their children in person may put parents, as well as foster families and social workers, at risk, but can the state stop them? by Rachel Nielsen InvestigateWest / April 22, 2020 / Updated on Friday, April 24 at 5:30 p.m.
News Jehovah's Witness church covered up child sex abuse, survivors say Washington's mandatory-reporter law, which has exempted clergy members since 1975, enabled the crimes for decades. by Wilson Criscione InvestigateWest / October 18, 2022
Politics State Rep. Rob Chase's re-election effort is full of conspiracies From election fraud to QAnon, Chase — a recruit of former state Rep. Matt Shea — is trying to mainstream dangerous lies. by Wilson Criscione InvestigateWest / October 14, 2022