Author: Crosscut.

Human Elements: How otters can help recover imperiled ecosystems

They might look like 'a combination between a kitten and a puppy' but the charismatic creatures play a big role in the PNW.

Tribal leaders say WA state is ignoring treaty rights

An illegal fishing case involving Tulalip Tribal members is symbolic of bigger concerns with state interference in tribal sovereignty, Indigenous citizens say.

WA prepares against invasive rose- and hop-eating beetle

Officials are investing millions to trap, quarantine and eradicate the bugs in Yakima Valley, which are capable of devouring over 300 types of plants.

How Comcast and other telecoms scuttle rural WA broadband efforts

The state Public Works Board is considering changes after private internet companies successfully objected to local government initiatives.

Why six small WA cities left thousands in federal relief unclaimed

Politics were not a factor in refusing federal money, officials from the cities say.

WA entomologist proposes giving invasive hornet a less-offensive name

Anti-Asian hate and confusion in entomology spur a renaming of the world's largest hornet species.

WA courts Hollywood with new movie studio and film tax incentive

With new ways to attract movie and TV producers, will Washington’s film industry get its big break?

WA wants to capture the natural gas leaking from landfills

Legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would require methane collection systems at certain landfills.

WA wants to capture the natural gas leaking from landfills

Legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would require methane collection systems at certain landfills.

5 major things the Washington Legislature approved in 2022

...and a few bills they left on the table.

WA auditors sift through waves of federal dollars to detect fraud

A windfall of recovery money requires thousands of extra hours for the State Auditor's Office to prevent misuse.

Will WA ban high-capacity gun magazines in 2022?

Family members of mass shooting victims say the ban could save lives, but gun-rights groups remain opposed.

For some WA families, gardening starts with food stamps

Using food assistance to grow gardens could prove useful if more people — and retailers — knew about it.

WA bill proposes subsidy to help some families buy diapers

Families receiving TANF could get more money for diapers if Senate Bill 5838 passes in the Legislature.

Chehalis tribes opened the country's first distillery on reservation land

After repealing a racist 1834 law, the tribes opened Talking Cedar in 2020 and will begin distilling their own spirits next week.

Study links common chemical in cosmetics, toothpaste to osteoporosis

Banning toxic chemicals in cosmetics moves forward in WA

'This is a banned chemical, it's a known carcinogen — and here we are putting it on the faces of women.'

WA proposed budget funds stipends to attract low-income board members

$50,000 is allocated for constituents to help shape boards and commissions with their lived experiences.

Biden To Lay Out Plans For Vaccine Push; Mindy Hits Florida As Tropical Storm; Jeter Joins Hall Of Fame

Billions of federal dollars headed to Western forests to manage fires

The money quadruples investment in wildfire prevention and complements Washington state's strategy, sources say.

Adding pot shops to improve social equity hits snag in WA Legislature

To help more people of color enter the legal pot industry, some want the state to allow more cannabis stores to open. But in Olympia, the plan is a tough sell.