State & Regional News | The Daily Chronicle

A Spokane reporter is sought to testify in an upcoming federal trial, a rare move

Federal defense attorneys are seeking for a Spokane reporter to testify on behalf of their client, who is charged with conspiracy against immigration agents. The act is a rare move. And the … more

Alexandra Duggan / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 5/14/26

Could Seattle host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup?

When the U.S. women’s national team made its first stop in Seattle in nearly a decade last month, the return was lauded by everyone involved. There was excitement about playing inside Lumen Field. … more

Tim Booth / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/14/26

A suspect in the killing of a 19-year-old University of Washington student at an off-campus apartment building on Sunday. Anyone seeing the suspect should call 911, according to police.

Suspect photo released in stabbing of transgender UW student

Police shared photos of a man they say is a suspect in Sunday's killing of a 19-year-old University of Washington student at an off-campus apartment building. The death of the teenage student, a … more

Joseph O’Sullivan / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/14/26

Jury awards $49.5 million to family of Boeing 737 MAX crash victim

A jury on Wednesday awarded $49.5 million to the family of Samya Rose Stumo, a 24-year-old who died when a Boeing 737 MAX plane crashed in Ethiopia in March 2019, the second deadly MAX crash in a … more

Lauren Rosenblatt / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/14/26

A firefighter sprays water while battling a wildfire near Spokane, Washington.

DNR warns eastern Washington forests are primed for severe wildfires

State officials say eastern Washington forests are “overstocked” following years of fire exclusion policies and management practices that have left drier areas ripe for serious wildfires. … more

Tim Clouser | The Center Square | 5/14/26

Costs tied to Iran war add to Washington state farm woes

It’s going to be another tough year for Washington farmers, who were already facing record-low worldwide commodity prices. While consumers benefit from lower prices on things like wheat … more

By Donna Gordon Blankinship / Washington State Standard | 5/14/26

A federal judge has been asked to replace political maps for Washington legislative districts that he approved in 2024. A top state election official said if it happens, it could require rescheduling the primary.

Federal judge asked to ditch Washington state legislative district maps

A federal judge is weighing whether to toss redrawn political maps for Washington’s Legislature that he approved two years ago, a move that state officials warn would take “a wrecking ball” to … more

By Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard | 5/14/26

The Washington state Capitol is pictured from Heritage Park in Olympia on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Washington board considering code to oust superintendents who defy gender policy mandates

The battle over parental rights and how Washington school districts are responding will be front and center for two days of meetings this week of the Professional Educator Standards Board . … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/13/26

State reverses course, releases full Washington daycare grant recipient list

The Washington Department of Commerce on Wednesday provided The Center Square with a complete list of taxpayer-funded daycare providers' names and locations, reversing an earlier decision not to … more

By Carleen Johnson / The Center Square | 5/13/26

Barbed wire lines a fence during a tour of Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Washington becomes first state to implement 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in state prisons

The Washington state Department of Corrections (DOC), in partnership with the Washington state Department of Health (DOH), has made the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline available to incarcerated … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/13/26

BLM, Wildland Fire Service announce fire restrictions for Washington

On May 14, fire restrictions will go into effect for all Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered lands throughout Oregon and Washington. The BLM and U.S. Wildland Fire Service leaders … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/13/26

An invasive yellow-legged hornet was discovered on a grain ship in the Port of Vancouver on April 30. Now, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Pest Program is asking residents in the greater Vancouver area to watch for and report possible sightings of the species.

WSDA asks SW Washington residents to watch for invasive yellow-legged hornet

The Washington state Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Pest Program is asking residents of Southwest Lewis County to watch for and report possible sightings of the invasive yellow-legged hornet after … more

By The Chronicle staff | 5/13/26

With initial goal met, The Spokesman-Review starts ownership shift from Cowles to nonprofit

The nonprofit slated to take ownership of The Spokesman-Review announced Wednesday it met its initial fundraising goal, triggering a monthslong transition period that will move the paper's nearly … more

The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 5/13/26

Seattle-area prices jump nearly 5% from a year ago

The war in Iran has hit Seattle-area consumers’ pockets as higher energy prices have pushed costs up across the board. In the Seattle, Tacoma and Bellevue region, prices for goods and services … more

Alexis Weisend / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/13/26

Hood Canal Bridge closing on weeknights for repairs

The Hood Canal Bridge will close on some weeknights in May as construction crews install new shock absorbers. The bridge, located on Highway 104, will close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on some … more

Caitlyn Freeman / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/13/26

Visiting Canada? Here are the best — and busiest times — to cross the border

Craving hockey, maple syrup or some Tim Hortons coffee? Visiting our neighbors to the north in Canada can be a fun road trip. However, waiting at the U.S.-Canadian border can bring major … more

Julia Hawkins / The Bellingham Herald (TNS) | 5/13/26

The Mount Pugh Trail. Rescue crews found the body of a missing hiker Tuesday on Mount Pugh. (USDA Forest Service)

Missing hiker’s body recovered from Mount Pugh

The body of a 34-year-old Bothell man, who had been missing since he went on a hike near Mount Pugh, was found by rescue crews Tuesday. The man failed to show up for work Sunday, and deputies … more

By Paige Cornwell / Seattle Times (TNS) | 5/13/26

Researchers examine a deceased gray whale on the beach in Surfside. It was the 18th to come ashore in Washington state this spring. Some years there are none.

Many whales spotted as 18th comes ashore dead on Washington coast

Dead whales continue to wash up along the Washington and Oregon coastlines, including one that came ashore at Surfside on Friday, May 8. Researchers are pointing to malnutrition due to food … more

By The Chinook Observer | 5/13/26

Bison are pictured through a fence in this 2022 photo. (USDA photo / Preston Keres)

Bureau of Land Management cancels bison grazing leases for American Prairie

The Bureau of Land Management issued a final decision late last week canceling a series of permits that allowed bison grazing on federal land by the nonprofit conservation organization American … more

By Micah Drew / The Daily Montanan | 5/13/26

A wolf makes its way across a road in Yellowstone National Park. (Photo by Jacob W. Frank/Courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service)

Disease outbreak cuts Yellowstone wolf numbers to lowest level since reintroduction era

A flare up of a disease that’s especially lethal to wolf pups took a toll on Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park wolf numbers in 2025, reducing biologists’ counts to a level last seen when … more

By Mike Koshmrl / WyoFile | 5/13/26