Mossback Mossback's Northwest: Roll on, Columbia! From its beginnings at a bucolic Canadian lake to shipwreck dangers at its mouth, the Columbia River has defined the region's history and culture. by Knute Berger / April 3, 2025
News Tokitae’s death surfaced orcas’ complicated history in the PNW The death of the whale at a Miami amusement park just before her planned release highlighted the species’ fraught relationship with humans. by Knute Berger / December 4, 2023
Environment Podcast | How a wayward whale foretold decades of exploitation People flocked to see a young orca lost in a river near Portland. Then she was killed, pickled and left in a tank on a mountainside. by Knute Berger & Stephen Hegg / April 14, 2023
Environment In 1931, an orca swam to Portland — and caused a stir A recent beluga whale sighting had Puget Sound agog. It wasn't the first time a whale visited a Northwest city. by Knute Berger / October 29, 2021
Opinion We’re living in the age of the megafire We have a long history of wildfire in the PNW. But megafires are a new thing entirely. by Knute Berger / October 13, 2021
Culture In Seattle, public health resisters have always pushed back From sewage to milk to vaccinations, naysayers have always obstructed mandates and measures. by Knute Berger / September 21, 2021
Culture Mossback’s Northwest: The ancient bison hunters of the San Juans The discovery of 14,000-year-old bones on Orcas Island means humans were BBQing a lot earlier than previously thought. by Knute Berger & Stephen Hegg / January 8, 2021
Opinion Grieving wildfires past and present in the Pacific Northwest We have faced massive fires — and massive human folly — before. President Trump's denial only worsens the crisis. by Knute Berger / September 16, 2020
Opinion John Muir: The godfather of Seattle’s spiritual life — and a racist The father of national parks profoundly influenced my country, my city, and me. by Knute Berger / August 6, 2020
Environment ‘Rife with flawed science’: OR and WA fight Trump’s emissions rollback The states join 26 others to argue the president's plan increases public health risks and violates the federal Clean Air Act. by Cassandra Profita Oregon Public Broadcasting / June 4, 2020