Parents, advocates say guardians ad litem need more guardrails. These Washington reforms could help

More training and limiting the scope of investigations could improve how domestic violence and child abuse are handled in custody cases

Government

‘I lost it all’: Residents of Oregon homeless camp say Forest Service blew off calls, appointments to reclaim lost property

Former residents of one of Oregon’s largest homeless encampments say they lost cars, work tools, irreplaceable family photos and other items

Guarded by Predators

Idaho Legislature passes bill to expand prison sex abuse law

The bill, inspired by InvestigateWest reporting, is awaiting Gov. Brad Little’s signature

Government

Washington courts rarely discipline guardians ad litem accused of misconduct in custody cases

Minimal oversight of court investigators makes it difficult for parents to challenge flawed reports without risking damage to their cases

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Immigration

‘I was trying to follow the rules:’ WA asylum seekers detained over questionable violations

Guarded by Predators

Idaho lawmakers order investigation of sexual assault in women’s prisons

Education

Former student files $13.4 million claim against Mercer Island School District over alleged teacher sexual abuse

Criminal Justice

Idaho lawmakers move to close gap in prison sex abuse law

Indigenous Affairs

Bill to establish statewide oversight of jails in Washington dies in Legislature

More news

Oregon town to test river where wood treater sent polluted stormwater

Stella-Jones, a wood treater fined $1 million by state regulators, is appealing the penalty

How InvestigateWest sparks change

WA health department investigating Spokane hospital after girl’s suicide sparked public outcry

State regulatory officials, elected leaders learned of tragedy from InvestigateWest report

Our record of excellence

Guarded by Predators

Idaho Legislature passes bill to expand prison sex abuse law

The bill, inspired by InvestigateWest reporting, is awaiting Gov. Brad Little’s signature

Guarded by Predators

Idaho lawmakers order investigation of sexual assault in women’s prisons

Guarded by Predators

Idaho records exposed officer misconduct. Then the state decided to conceal them.

Guarded by Predators

Two Idaho prison guards sexually assaulted her, witnesses said. Neither was charged

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Indigenous Affairs

Bill to establish statewide oversight of jails in Washington dies in Legislature

Indigenous Affairs

Two Colville women were booked into a rural Washington jail. It became a death sentence

Indigenous Affairs

Lawsuit alleges Bureau of Indian Affairs officers “executed” unarmed Shoshone-Paiute man in Idaho

Indigenous Affairs

Most children charged as adults in Washington are youth of color

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Public Health

Birth workers lay out opportunities to narrow Oregon maternal health care gaps

Public Health

Despite laws against it, some cosmetic surgeons are still banning negative reviews

Public Health

Allegations against Washington gender-affirming surgeon stir fears of backlash for trans patients

Public Health

Pregnant Oregonians need more addiction and mental health support — but the state’s network is fragile

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Public Health

Pregnant Oregonians need more addiction and mental health support — but the state’s network is fragile

Substance use and mental health disorders are driving more maternal deaths in Oregon than any other cause

Immigration

‘I was trying to follow the rules:’ WA asylum seekers detained over questionable violations

Recent court rulings show how ICE is citing missed immigration check-ins — often without evidence — to detain asylum seekers

Immigration

Most WA federal rulings found immigrant detentions flouted due process

Immigration

Idaho immigrants detained in raid moved far from home — and from their attorneys

Immigration

Help us investigate how Trump’s immigration orders are impacting the Pacific Northwest

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State of Democracy

Washington scrambles to regulate license-plate cameras that could aid stalkers

State of Democracy

Idaho’s latest anti-drag crusade began with a falsehood, lawsuit says

Idaho Family Policy Center president Blaine Conzatti discusses his efforts to end abortion in Idaho on an episode of pastor

State of Democracy

For and by Christians: How Idaho’s influential Christian Nationalist group wants to reshape the state

Department of Homeland Security officers deploy crowd control munitions, including tear gas, at a demonstration outside the

State of Democracy

Bullies or demonstrators? How court records are describing Portland’s ICE protests

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Education

Former student files $13.4 million claim against Mercer Island School District over alleged teacher sexual abuse

Education

These Washington educators have lost or surrendered their teaching license for alleged misconduct

Education

WA agency disciplined 160 teachers for sexual misconduct since 2015. Many cases are shielded from the public

Education

Investigation opened into former Mercer Island High School teacher accused of sexual misconduct

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Human Trafficking

Hannah Power was commercially sexually exploited by a man she met on Tinder when she was a minor, she said.

Human Trafficking

Seattle-area man who allegedly trawled dating sites for victims charged with sex trafficking

A teen told InvestigateWest last year about how she has tried to rebuild her life after the exploitation

Jay is within a minority of sexual assault survivors whose abusers are held criminally accountable. But the plea deal that

Human Trafficking

King County woman’s chance to testify lost as prosecutors opt for plea deal, raising concerns about justice in sexual assault cases

Hannah Power, a survivor of what the police suspect to be child sex trafficking, looks out over the Puget Sound by her home

Human Trafficking

A Washington teen was trafficked by a man she met on Tinder, she says. Two years later, she’s still waiting for justice.

The number of people convicted for sex trafficking in Washington and Oregon has remained low over the last decade as

Human Trafficking

New WA legislation prioritizes human trafficking prosecutions and support for child victims

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Climate

Developers’ tree-cutting pace surges under contested Seattle tree protection ordinance

Climate

In wildfire-prone Washington, ‘collaboration’ on forest management gives way to timber interests

Sandy Shettler, from Tree Action Seattle, speaks to a crowd in February 2024 in front of Astra, a 100-year-old Western Red

Climate

Seattle claims to ‘protect’ hundreds of trees that were never threatened

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will being recreating a key program meant to reduce the state’s overall

Climate

Oregon begins rewriting landmark climate program derailed by gas lawsuit

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Criminal Justice

Idaho lawmakers move to close gap in prison sex abuse law

Criminal Justice

Budget cuts threaten Oregon program for helping people get jobs after prison

Criminal Justice

‘Make it make sense’: Advocates stunned as WA lawmaker helps slash funds for groups clearing old drug convictions

Criminal Justice

How a WA prison turned a treatable ailment into a death sentence

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Our Team

Danielle Dawson is a collaborative investigative reporter and Report for America corps member for InvestigateWest, covering eastern and central Oregon.

Jacob Fries is InvestigateWest’s executive director. A lifelong journalist, he’s spent his career mentoring reporters, forging media partnerships and managing deep-dive investigations that exposed injustice and changed laws.

Kaylee Tornay is InvestigateWest's reporter covering labor, youth and health care. A reporter since 2017, she has dedicated herself to rigorous, revelatory journalism that scrutinizes power and equips local communities with knowledge they can use.

Kelsey Turner is an investigative reporter at InvestigateWest. Her reporting has stretched from her home state of New Jersey to Illinois, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

Lynnie McIlvain is a creative revenue development professional with a track record of securing six-figure government grants and strong competence in annual and major gifts.

Melanie Henshaw is the Indigenous affairs reporter at InvestigateWest. She covers Indigenous communities in the region, including coverage of tribal sovereignty, health care and the environment.

Moe K. Clark is a collaborative investigative reporter covering Washington state for InvestigateWest. Her position is supported by the Murrow News Fellowship, an initiative of Washington State University which aims to bolster coverage of civic issues in underserved communities around the state.

Rachel Spacek is an investigative reporter covering migrant labor for InvestigateWest through Report for America. She is based in Boise and has covered Latino affairs in Idaho for the last five years.

Thy Vo is an investigative editor with InvestigateWest. She has been a community journalist covering government, politics, courts and immigrant communities in the West for nearly a decade.

Whitney Bryen reports on injustice and vulnerable populations for InvestigateWest. A journalist since 2010, she is dedicated to raising marginalized voices and holding power to account especially at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice.

Wilson Criscione is InvestigateWest’s news and investigations editor. He’s spent more than a decade reporting and supervising major investigations that uncover corruption, misconduct and injustice in the Pacific Northwest.

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