Northwest Now

Legally required open government measures are supposed to help discourage corruption, until they're legislated away. Every now and then though, an average person gets wise, roots out exposes malfeasance. Those stories are at the heart of independent journalist and Syracuse University fellow Miranda Spivack's book, "Backroom Deals in Our Backyards - How Government Secrecy Harms Our Communities and...

Some view Arthur West as a litigious thorn in the side of state and local governments, others see him as one of the most influential and effective open government activist in state history. It's a bit of a Rorschach test. We're talking with Arthur West on this edition of Northwest Now.

There are so many ongoing battles between transparency advocates and government, it's fair to say there's a clear cut effort underway to kill the public records act. That's part of the discussion on this edition of Northwest Now.

After almost three years without one, the new Attorney General has re-instituted the position of public records ombuds - now called the Chief Transparency Counsel. We're talking with the person holding that title, Morgan Damerow, on this edition of Northwest Now.

He picked cotton as a child growing up in the Jim Crow South. But Willie Stewart overcame through education, moving North, and finding a new home in Tacoma where he is now a living legend. We're sitting down with Willie Stewart on this edition of Northwest Now.

Washington has the third-highest number of homeless people in the United States. Into that walks We Heart Seattle, a group of volunteers working at the intersection of the effort to save the city's environment and influence homeless policy on this edition of Northwest Now.

There's no question the Democrats have been overwhelmingly successful at the ballot box in Washington State, but how should we view the results? That's part of the discussion on this edition of Northtwest Now.

With a trade war raging and billions in new state taxes, how is business faring in Pierce County. That’s part of the discussion for our annual program previewing the Pierce County Economic Index, compiled by the Tacoma-Pierce Chamber of Commerce.

When we think of the Olympic games we picture athletes celebrating atop the medal stand. But Pacific Northwest Author and award willing journalist Doug Levy says some of the most compelling stories are never told. That's why he's discussing his new book, "Hero Redefined" on this edition of Northwest Now.

Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove came into office hoping to use AI to reconfigure timber harvests and move the ball downfield when it comes to protecting our natural areas. Instead, state and federal budget cuts threaten fire prevention and fire suppression readiness. That's part of the discussion on this edition of Northwest Now.