Indigenous Affairs Contentious Pike Place Market totem poles to be restored, returned The poles — which are not part of Coast Salish tradition — sparked a mini-culture war in Seattle around Indigenous representation and historic preservation. by Eric Scigliano / November 12, 2024
Environment Inside the tumultuous debate behind Seattle’s tree ordinance The debate over more density or more tree canopy got personal as developers clashed with the city’s Urban Forestry Commission. by Eric Scigliano / September 1, 2023 / Updated at 9:40 a.m. on Sept. 3
News Labor shortages, heat bring tough tides for WA shellfish farm At Taylor Shellfish Farms, hiring is increasingly a challenge as skyrocketing housing costs and difficult working conditions make it hard to recruit. by Mara Kardas-Nelson High Country News / October 17, 2022
Environment How politics have stalled tsunami prep efforts on the WA coast It’s not a matter of if but when the tsunami comes. Whether Washington is prepared depends a lot on the will of voters. by Eric Scigliano / May 26, 2022 / Updated at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 16
News In WA, a ‘black box’ of practices hides civil forfeiture from oversight The state ranks near worst in the nation for constraints on civil asset forfeiture. by Eric Scigliano / July 14, 2021
News The strange, failed fight to rein in civil forfeiture in Washington Washington police sell or use millions of dollars’ worth of seized property each year. Legislators haven’t managed to change the rules. by Eric Scigliano / July 13, 2021
News WA civil forfeiture law turns minor drug offenses into major losses Even as Washington winds down its drug war, police still seize homes and cash from low-level suspects. by Eric Scigliano / July 12, 2021
During wildfires, West Coast farmworkers forced to put harvest over health Little is done to protect the workers’ health, and many feel powerless to hold employers accountable. by Mara Kardas-Nelson & Jess Alvarenga & Rosa Amanda Tuirán InvestigateWest / October 6, 2020
How wildfires in the American West hurt the entire country As smoke travels, it can cause illness and economic hardship thousands of miles away. by Mara Kardas-Nelson InvestigateWest / October 1, 2020
As wildfires break records, firefighters face growing health risks Emerging scientific evidence shows they may be at risk of respiratory and heart illness, and maybe even cancer. by Mara Kardas-Nelson InvestigateWest / September 28, 2020