Idaho leaders urged to address systemic failures following prison abuse reports
InvestigateWest reporters uncovered years of sexual abuse by women’s prison guards prompting calls for independent investigation
State of Democracy
Toys, Tots and Votes: How a controversial Boise-area nonprofit leader tangles up toy giveaways with political consulting
Free toys sent home with kids in Idaho’s Valley County, along with flyers boosting the sheriff in days before election
Recordings reveal Oregon port contractor praising Hitler, using slurs — now officials face a quandary
Laws protecting free speech, along with challenging economic circumstances, make it difficult to cut ties
AI slop is already invading Oregon’s local journalism
Silicon Valley’s latest hot technology is being used to further degrade the news available to Oregonians
The University of Washington is trying to weather a storm of setbacks for misinformation researchers
Political pressure, loss of access to data from social media sites have made it harder to study how falsehoods spread
In a rural stretch of Washington, a ‘constitutional sheriff’ and his growing volunteer posse provoke controversy
Where some see a “rural neighborhood watch” that saves money, others worry about liability and ties to extremism
Spokane now requires a notary for some public records requests — ‘a waste of tax dollars,’ critics say
New barrier highlights difficulty of Washington’s law limiting use of public records for commercial purposes
Among Idaho lawmakers, it’s Freedom Caucus vs. Freedom Caucus
The coalition of conservative legislators has fractured — and its brand is heading for a custody battle
‘Devolving into a democracy’: What’s behind the Washington GOP’s messy, inconsistent stand against American democracy
GOP resolution fuels concerns about threats to democracy; state party leader dismisses criticisms as “hair-on-fire rhetoric”
WA GOP chairman says party ‘lost a lot of talent’ to sanctions and infighting
Jim Walsh decries actions against lawmakers accused of “domestic terrorism,” sexual harassment and other misbehavior
Mayoral emails, collision reports, body-cam footage and firefighter thank-you’s: Public records tell a wide range of tales
A few of the other stories we stumbled across while testing the Pacific Northwest’s records’ systems
What Idaho’s Republican Primary Tells Us About America’s Culture Wars
The heavily Republican state booted 15 incumbents across the party’s ideological spectrum. While the election led to net gains for hard-line members of the right, it also underscores how divided Idaho’s party remains.
Secret recording shows how a right-wing Idaho lobbyist tried to keep a legislator in lockstep
Freedom Caucus Network power broker Maria Nate blasted controversial state Rep. Heather Scott for support of “moderate” House speaker