Investigations
$1.1M in COVID relief steered to Auburn horse racing track
State lawmakers earmarked some of Washington’s last pandemic funds to support Emerald Downs, bolstering the racing industry and drawing criticism.
Ashli Blow
Ashli Blow is a Seattle-based freelance writer who talks with people — in places from urban watersheds to remote wildernesses — about the environment around them. She’s been working in journal
Latest work
Environment
Are WA forests worth more as carbon sponges or timber harvests?
‘Working forests’ like state-run Tiger Mountain retain greenhouse gases — but logging is deeply entrenched in Northwest economies.
Environment
How wildfires are impacting outdoor recreation in Washington
Driven by climate change, more frequent blazes may change the way we hike, ski and camp.
Environment
Hot prisons are ‘cruel and unusual punishment,’ advocates allege
Incarcerated people are taking extreme measures for relief, with some even opting for the cooler temperatures of solitary confinement cells.
Environment
More art, less trash: Washington reuse centers promote upcycling
Similar to thrift stores, the shops keep potential waste out of landfills by repurposing ‘stuff’ in new sustainable ways.