Monday, March 08, 2010
Slow Start For Stimulus-Funded Weatherization Program
Last year Washington state received nearly $60 million in stimulus funds to weatherize low–income homes. Contractors prepared for more business. And training programs scaled up to teach workers new skills, like how to install insulation or repair leaky windows. But the anticipated windfall of jobs and work has been slow to arrive. More » 
Friday, March 05, 2010
Unemployment Brings Time If Not Money
Being unemployed uproots every daily routine, from the office to dinners out and vacations. But amidst the financial stress, one of the upsides of joblessness can be time: to spend with family, to pursue creative projects, and to be pursued by monsters in the Cascades. More »
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Campus Sexual Assault
Sexual assaults are a major underreported problem on college campuses. Universities are required by federal law to report student rapes to the government. In 2008, the University of Washington officially reported two sexual assaults on campus, and one off campus. But University experts say a lot more go unreported because students don't want to come forward. Last year, more than 60 students sought help from a campus rape crisis center. This discrepancy in the numbers has helped keep the issue of rape on campus hidden. More »
Friday, February 26, 2010
Law Enforcement Tools For Catching Child Predators
Right now in the state of Washington it's legal to view child pornography online. In order to face prosecution explicit images must be printed or downloaded. So for the third year in a row State Attorney General Rob McKenna is lobbying the legislature to expand the laws to give prosecutors more leeway. Among other things, McKenna's proposal would make simply viewing child porn a crime. Historically the bill has had trouble in part because of legislators concerns that someone could be charged for accidentally downloading or viewing images. This frustrates digital forensics experts who work in law enforcement. They say it's not that hard to tell the difference between the two. More »
Monday, February 22, 2010
After the Raid: Bellingham Immigration Raid Highlights Change In Obama Policy
What's turned out to be the only worksite immigration raid under Obama's watch happened in Bellingham, Washington. A year has passed since then, but effects of this raid still linger in the community. Federal officials say the goal of this type of raid is to make employers comply with the law. But what other consequences do raids have on the community, employers and workers? KUOW's Liz Jones went to Bellingham to find out, and to examine how federal immigration enforcement has shifted under the new administration. More »
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Progress Slow In Puget Sound Cleanup
In Olympia today, legislators are scheduled to consider hiking a tax on toxic substances to help keep polluted stormwater out of Puget Sound. But for the first five years, more than half the revenues would go to reducing the state's budget deficit, not cleaning up Puget Sound. More »
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Workplace Drug Tests
Washington is one of 14 states that has legalized the use of medical marijuana. Federal law still makes marijuana possession, distribution or manufacture illegal for any purpose. Many questions have arisen from this difference between state and federal law. One question growing in urgency concerns medical marijuana patients getting drug tested in the workplace. More »
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Arts Funding
Most nonprofit arts groups get their money from season ticket subscriptions, donations or grants. But that money has been harder to come by in the past couple of years. There's more competition for entertainment dollars, and charitable giving took a nosedive after the recession. One Seattle theater company has come up with a strategy it hopes will attract new audiences, and keep them coming back for more. More »
Monday, February 08, 2010
Saint Kateri
Three years ago, first–grader Jake Finkbonner nearly died of a horrible infection. As he fought for his life, people all over Washington state — and the world — prayed for a miracle. Now, the Vatican will decide whether his recovery qualifies as one. And if so, it could mark a historic milestone for the Church. More »
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Green Retrofits
It's not so easy to make money in real estate these days. Seattle home prices are down more than 20 percent from their peak in 2007, and they continued to decline in 2009. But one group of investors thinks they can make money even in this market. Their plan is to buy up distressed properties and make them certifiably green. More »
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