Oregon Settles With College Fund Investment Firm

Some Oregonians who lost money in their child’s college savings fund will get a portion of it back. The state of Oregon today announced a $20 million settlement in a lawsuit against OppenheimerFunds. More >

Idaho Game Commission Extends The State’s Wolf Season

Hunters in Idaho will be allowed to shoot wolves in most parts of the state for an extra three months. More >

Oregon Officials Optimistic About Tax Amnesty

Oregon’s first-ever tax amnesty program is on track to meet or exceed its goal, according to the state’s Department of Revenue. More >

Washington State Tax Collections Drop Another $760 Million

In Olympia, the sea of red ink is reaching drowning depth. Washington state’s chief economist today subtracted another three-quarters of a billion dollars from the state checkbook. More >

Oregon’s Economy Has Been Down So Long, Flat “Looks Like Up”

Oregon’s financial outlook is holding steady. That’s according to state economists, who released their latest revenue projections to lawmakers today. More >

Why the Bear Has a Short Tail: A Native American Story Told by John Bevis

Find out why the bear has a short tail. This Native American story and others are passed down to younger generations during this season of family gatherings. More >

It's Story Time in Native American Households

It’s a time to nestle indoors and tell stories. Native stories help pass on culture and religion to younger generations but that’s become harder in the age of Wii and the I-Phone. Anna King reports. More >

Potential Closure of U of I Ag Center May Hurt Idaho's Economy

The University of Idaho is proposing cuts to places that hit the core of its agricultural mission as a land-grant institution. Doug Nadvornick reports advocates believe some cuts are short sighted and will hurt Idaho’s economy. More >

Al Gore Predicts No Treaty from Copenhagen

Former Vice-President Al Gore says nuclear power and clean coal may have role in the world's energy future, but a limited one. More >

Sarah Palin Plans to Visit the Tri Cities on Her Book Tour

Former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin plans to visit the Tri Cities on her book tour. Residents have mix reaction to the announcement. Anna King reports. More >

Oregon AG Hires Two Attorneys To Head Up Environmental Crimes Unit

Making good on a campaign promise, Oregon Attorney General John Kroger announced the lawyers who will lead his newly-created “Environmental Crimes Unit.” KLCC’s Angela Kellner reports. More >

OR and WA Lawmakers To Receive Revenue Forecasts

State lawmakers in Oregon and Washington tomorrow will get the latest look at their state’s financial picture. More >

Kuongoski Takes a Closer Look at the Business Energy Tax Credit

Governor Ted Kulongoski is asking the leaders of two state agencies to take another look at what's called the Business Energy Tax Credit. More >

Spokane Schools Move Away From Letter Grades

This week, school teachers in Spokane are meeting with parents to talk about students’ fall grades. What’s different this year, for grades four through six anyway, is that the traditional letter grades are gone. More >

Frogs Released from Prison

80 Oregon spotted frogs were released yesterday at Fort Lewis in Pierce County. It’s part of an effort to restore endangered frog populations in the Northwest. Some of the frogs were raised in prison. Sarah Waller reports. More >

Apolo Ohno Stirs Olympic Anticipation

Olympic short-track speed skater Apolo Ohno was mobbed by autograph seekers during a rare visit to his home town of Seattle yesterday. Ohno told fans at SeaTac Airport that he’s in the best shape of his life as he prepares for the Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. Tom Banse reports. More >

Oregon Man Working with Troubled Kids Arrested for Sex Abuse

A Springfield man has been arrested after allegedly sexually abusing foster children. He met them while working at a Lane County residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed children. Correspondent Angela Kellner reports More >

Washington Wine Number One On Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List

A Washington State winery has earned an honor that could translate into big sales for the Northwest wine industry. Out of 17,000 wines, it landed the number-one spot on Wine Spectator magazine’s top 100 list. Anna King reports. More >

Salem Judge Allows Tax Measures Ballot Titles To Stand

Ballot language for two Oregon tax measures now has the go ahead for a special election in January. A judge in Salem today denied a request for a preliminary injunction sought by opponents of the tax hikes. More >

Governors Ask for Second Stimulus Package

A sizeable portion of the economic stimulus package Congress passed earlier this year was used to plug holes in state budgets. On Thursday, Washington state’s chief economist is expected to forecast even more budget shortfalls ahead. More >

Southeast Alaska Shellfish Farmers Poised For Growth

Northwest shellfish producers may soon face increased competition from Alaska. Tribal and nonprofit oyster farmers in that state's panhandle say they're on the verge of a significant expansion. More >

Washington’s Unemployment Numbers Slightly Lower Than That Of Nation

Washington’s unemployment rate saw a slight uptick in October to 9.3 percent. That’s according to David Wallace at the state Employment Security Department. More >

Our Northwest: Want Out of Debt? Ask Yourself What You Really Want

You’ve probably heard your friends say it, or have said it yourself. I’m going to pay off this credit card debt. But another year goes by and the bills keep coming. In Our Northwest, Sueann Ramella talks with a man who paid off a substantial amount of debt by asking himself a simple question. More >

Big Algal Bloom Lingering Along Coast, But Less Deadly For Now

Marine scientists have been surprised by the persistence of an unusual red tide along the Washington and northern Oregon coast. This is the algae bloom which produced a slimy foam that killed thousands of seabirds earlier in the fall. Tom Banse reports. More >

OR Governor Kulongoski Returns from Iraq and Afghanistan

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski is home after a whirlwind trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers asked the governor about jobs at home. More >

WA Governor Contemplating Cutting Entire Programs

There may be signs of an economic turnaround on the horizon, but it’s not going to come soon enough to spare Washington state government from further cuts. More >

New Federal Report Shows More People Went Hungry in 2008

The federal Agriculture Department reports more Americans are going hungry because of the recession. Today, the agency released its annual “food security” survey. Correspondent Doug Nadvornick reports the state of Washington is following the national trend. More >

Oregon’s Bridges Vulnerable to Quake Damage

Many of Oregon’s major transportation corridors would be impassable if a major earthquake hit. That’s the upshot of a study released today by the Oregon Department of Transportation. More >

Tractor Rams Through Umatilla Chemical Depot Fence

Security at the Umatilla Chemical Depot is high. That’s because a driver rammed a 14-foot-wide farm tractor through the depot’s perimeter fence and then fled last night. More >

Tsunami Warning Siren Hodgepodge in Oregon To Be Standardized

Oregon is pushing its coastal counties to standardize the sound of tsunami warning sirens. Washington state has already done so. Correspondent Tom Banse reports. More >

Idaho Legislators: Next Year Could Be ‘Awful’ For Schools

Idaho state lawmakers are carrying a grim message to local school board members. They say schools may have to make more budget cuts next year. More >

University of Idaho and Boise State to Continue Joint Research

Tomorrow the University Idaho Vandals and the Boise State Broncos slug it out on the Blue Turf of Bronco Stadium. But today both university presidents pledged to continue and expand their joint research capabilities. Boise State Radio’s Don Wimberly has more. More >

Climate Change: Record Highs Outpace Lows, Particularly in West

Here’s some interesting new evidence of climate change in the West. A study finds that over the past decade, new records for daily high temperatures are being set far more often than new record lows. Correspondent Tom Banse reports. More >