News

SALEM, Ore. – If there's one catch-phrase that's popular in the Oregon capitol these days, it's "mandate relief." Specifically, the kind of mandates that apply to cash-strapped school districts. But as Salem Correspondent Chris Lehman reports, not everyone thinks it's a good idea to do away with the requirements.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – A bipartisan group of Washington lawmakers wants JPMorgan Chase to lower the ATM fee it charges cash welfare recipients. Currently these low- income clients pay 85-cents each time they withdraw cash. Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports on how the fees add up.

TACOMA, Wash. -- A federal judge in Tacoma is scheduled to rule Wednesday on Washington’s pharmacy regulations. Ruby de Luna reports that the main question before the court is whether the state’s rules violate the religious rights of pharmacists.

Imagine an idyllic childhood. You play in the woods and climb trees, or splash in the creek and catch frogs. You're surrounded by a dozen homes that look  just like yours, and inside each one are kids to play with, or adults who give you ice cream. But about 400 yards away is a uranium mill. For StoryCorps Northwest, Doug Sly tells his friend Terry Kinzel about growing up near a yellow cake mill in Ford, Washington.

MEDFORD, Oregon -- Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar was in Southern Oregon Tuesday. He’s asked the Bureau of Land Management to prepare five new logging projects in Oregon that have an environmental twist. Amelia Templeton reports.

SPOKANE, Wash. - Some Republican voters in the Northwest have more to figure out than just which presidential candidate to vote for. They’re figuring out how to vote in a caucus. And as Jessica Robinson reports, the different campaigns want to make sure their supporters know how it works.

COLUMBIA RIVER, Wash. -- There are hundreds of abandoned or sunken ships in Northwest waters. These vessels can threaten navigation, human safety and the environment. But state agencies in the region are only equipped to handle part of the problem. Ashley Ahearn reports.

PASCO, Wash. – Washington state officials are reacting negatively to the possibility that there might be a delay to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation’s massive waste treatment plant. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu raised that prospect in comments last week.

WaOLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington legislature has three weeks to rebalance the state budget. One way House Democrats propose to do that is to eliminate a series of payments that currently go to cities and counties. That proposal emerged Tuesday. Reaction from local governments was swift.

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon lawmakers are trying to crack down on bad behavior at funerals. The state House voted Tuesday to increase the penalty to up to a year in jail for disorderly conduct within 200 feet of a funeral service.