From me: The former acting U.S. Attorney for Eastern WA resigned in July due to concerns about Justice Dept. leadership inside the Trump Administration, he told me exclusively last week. www.spokesman.com/stories/2025...

Great public records story here: KNKX Public Radio and Cascade PBS obtained thousands of pages of ChatGPT logs from city officials in Washington state (h/t @muckrock.com) www.knkx.org/government/2...

Leaders of Washington’s energy permitting council advanced a plan on Wednesday that would cut by one third the size of the state’s largest proposed wind and solar energy plant. By @brandonblock.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/news/briefs/...

I talked with @poynterinstitute.bsky.social about how to get copies of government officials' ChatGPT histories. FOIA around and find out: www.poynter.org/reporting-ed...

NEW: Delegates from the MLK Labor Council voted Wednesday evening to endorse both Mayor Bruce Harrell and challenger Katie Wilson in Seattle’s mayoral election. Before the primary, MLK Labor had given Harrell a sole endorsement in this year’s race.

The Seattle Police Department has informed me that they will not follow the policy they agreed to in a settlement with the Seattle Times on public disclosure when dealing with my records requests. Instead, they are "grouping" all of my requests and responding to them, in full, one at a time.

A group of fired workers from the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which oversees anti-discrimination enforcement for the Department of Homeland Security, submitted a whistle-blower letter to Congress.

There are some challenges that can make requesting text messages more difficult than other public records. This guide will help you prepare for these challenges and navigate them. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

¿Cómo se puede encontrar a alguien que está detenido por ICE? ¿Quién tiene derecho a una audiencia de inmigración? Abogados y defensores de los migrantes contestan preguntas frecuentes. www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

NEW: The U.S. Forest Service announced that wildfire fighters can now voluntarily mask up against smoke, reversing a decades-long policy banning respirators. The Forest Service will provide N95 respirators in the standard set of equipment. Prior to that, the agency had approved only bandanas.

#OnThisDay in 1852, The Columbian, Washington's first newspaper, was published in Olympia. historylink.org/File/20433

How do you locate someone in ICE custody? Who has the right to an immigration hearing? Attorneys and advocates answer common questions. By @farahe.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

Immigration court is and can be complex. To help you make sense of the system, Cascade PBS spoke with immigration attorneys and advocates in Washington to answer questions regarding recent federal changes and our region’s unique challenges.

¿Cómo se puede encontrar a alguien que está detenido por ICE? ¿Quién tiene derecho a una audiencia de inmigración? Abogados y defensores de los migrantes contestan preguntas frecuentes. www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

On the Brink of a Devastating Canal Collapse, a GOP District Waits For Trump’s Help WaPo gift article link (may require email to read) wapo.st/3IcrNMI

A Cascade PBS investigation found that Seattle City Light has paid out at least $5 million in settlements over the past several years, including millions to its own employees over alleged discrimination or misconduct.

Cambria Horne said she learned early in her time at Seattle City Light that speaking up came with consequences. Horne, who helped spark an investigation into a culture of drinking & sexism at SCL, filed a new lawsuit last month alleging the city outed her as a whistleblower and enabled retaliation.

A recent federal court opinion could reinforce oversight of health/safety conditions at the Northwest Immigration Processing Center in Tacoma. A court of appeals overturned a ruling that barred state officials from conducting inspections. The case will now go back to U.S. District Court in Seattle.

WA looks to resume ICE center inspections after federal ruling. The private company that runs the detention center also dropped its lawsuit involving Cascade PBS after the state provided redacted inspection photos. By @farahe.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

My latest for @cascadepbs.bsky.social: For six months, a group of residents in the Methow Valley in North Central Washington have been protesting weekly. This is part of one of several actions community organizers are staging throughout Okanogan County. www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/09...

Teens calling Idaho's suicide hotline are being told they can't proceed with the conversation without parental consent. Many of the callers are then hanging up. Idaho approved a strict parental consent law last year. idahocapitalsun.com/2025/08/29/i...

Analysis: We take an in-depth, updated look at what the University of Idaho spent $17 million on its failed bid to acquire the University of Phoenix, and whether payments from the for-profit school will cover the bills. #idaho #idleg www.idahoednews.org/top-news/ana...

Federal agents showed up northeast of Lake Cushman to check identification of crew members fighting Washington's largest active wildfire.

When you enter or exit Spokane County on almost any major road, your car’s color, make, model and license plate number are automatically captured by at least one camera made by the surveillance technology company Flock Safety.

Ever receive an email from a government office & feel like it was written by a chatbot? It might've been. In Bellingham, records show staff asking ChatGPT to write responses to emails about parking, traffic & more. As AI is used more by local governments, adoption is outpacing ethical guardrails.

NEW: Uber Eats will pay $15M in back pay, interest & civil penalties to more than 16,000 Seattle workers after allegedly violating the city’s gig-worker protection laws. It is the largest settlement in the history of Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards, which investigates city labor law violations.

Have you ever wondered if government leaders are writing things with ChatGPT? Through records requests, I obtained thousands of pages of chat histories from city officials in Washington. The logs show widespread use of AI — with little transparency: www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/08...

Join Cascade PBS Tuesday, Sept. 16 for a free screening of the "Priced Out: Fear & resistance in WA mobile home parks" documentary at the University Place Pierce County Library. Check out more information and RSVP here:

Ahead of this weekend's Revive in 25 event in Gas Works Park, Dominick Bonny took a deep dive into Sean Feucht's background, ideology, and right wing political affiliations and the provocative Christian nationalist playbook he uses www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/08...

Tacoma City Council will vote on a motion to authorize the settlement Tuesday evening.

Retired docs earn millions examining injured Washington workers. 'This is a wonderful way to make six figures saying no,' said one attorney about Independent Medical Examiners' role in evaluating workers' comp claims. By @lizzgiordano.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

The WA Dept. of Labor & Industries schedules Independent Medical Exams, third-party assessments of workplace injuries, which can result in stopping wage-replacement payments or treatment. The doctors, often older, retired practitioners, can also make a hefty income from these services.

Retired docs earn millions examining injured Washington workers. 'This is a wonderful way to make six figures saying no,' said one attorney about Independent Medical Examiners' role in evaluating workers' comp claims. By @lizzgiordano.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

Independent Medical Exams — assessments done by a third-party doctor to evaluate an injured worker’s symptoms and recovery — carry significant weight in the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries system for workers’ compensation. They are also considered controversial.

The controversial medical exams that help decide WA workers' comp. Reports from doctors hired by Labor & Industries have the power to close a claim and determine settlements, but injured workers say they favor employers. By @lizzgiordano.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

The controversial medical exams that help decide WA workers' comp. Reports from doctors hired by Labor & Industries have the power to close a claim and determine settlements, but injured workers say they favor employers. By @lizzgiordano.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

NEW: Gov. Ferguson said he remains committed to WA laws that bar local police from cooperating with immigration arrests despite threats from U.S. Attorney General Bondi. “Let me be very clear, Washington State will not be bullied or intimidated by threats and legally faceless accusations,” he said.

Our 2023 look at the urgency and challenges of providing wildland firefighters with the same respiratory protections we consider essential for other workers: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

Irene Gilbert is a 76-year-old retired state employee on a mission, fighting energy projects like large wind farms in Oregon’s rural communities. Renewable energy advocates and lawmakers treat activists like her as gadflies who should be stopped.

Five years after its power lines started a devastating fire in Malden, Avista has settled lawsuits for $27M — but fallen behind on disaster prevention. Some families still live in RVs as communities try to rebuild. By @brandonblock.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

Pete Hegseth's pastor sees his mission as converting America into a Christian theocracy. My look at how he plans to do that: talkingpointsmemo.com/news/pete-he...

A state audit found the Washington Department of Commerce failed to properly oversee $10.7 million intended to bring broadband access, laptops, and training to people in underserved communities.

In 2020, a tree fell on power lines operated by utility company Avista Corp., creating the Babb Road Fire that would destroy over 120 homes near Malden & Pine City. As Washington enters wildfire season, state regulators have done little to push utility providers to prevent future disasters.

Five years after a fire ravaged the town of Malden in Eastern WA, families still live in RVs amid limited disaster aid. Avista Utilities recently settled lawsuits over the fire for $27M — but has fallen behind on wildfire prevention. By @brandonblock.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

Five years after a fire ravaged the town of Malden in Eastern WA, families still live in RVs amid limited disaster aid. Avista Utilities recently settled lawsuits over the fire for $27M — but has fallen behind on wildfire prevention. By @brandonblock.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

Five years after its power lines started a devastating fire in Malden, Avista has settled lawsuits for $27M — but fallen behind on disaster prevention. Some families still live in RVs as communities try to rebuild. By @brandonblock.bsky.social: www.cascadepbs.org/investigatio...

After relatively little movement in yesterday's count, Wilson is now up by 8.5% and more than 15,000 votes in Seattle's mayoral primary. Lots of people thought it could be close between Harrell and Wilson in the primary. I haven't spoken to anyone who predicted that kind of margin in Wilson's favor.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has declined to criminally investigate a construction company accused of violating youth labor laws, resulting in the loss of a teenage worker's legs in 2023. The teen's family did not want to participate in the investigation: www.cascadepbs.org/news/briefs/...

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland plans to cut 130 positions as it prepares for uncertain funding levels in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL: President Sara Nelson has an uphill battle heading into Nov. Citywide Position 9: Dionne Foster leads Nelson 54% to 39%. Citywide Position 8: Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck leads 75% to Rachael Savage's 15%. District 2: Eddie Lin is ahead 46% to Adonis Ducksworth’s 31%.