Skip to main content

You make this possible. Support our independent, nonprofit newsroom today.

Give Now

Months after a catastrophic fire, the town of Malden is still waiting for aid

caption: Vehicles were destroyed by a wildfire in Malden, Wash., on Tuesday. Large parts of the West Coast are under warnings for elevated fire weather threats Thursday, but there may soon be a measure of relief if fire-driving winds decrease as expected.
Enlarge Icon
Vehicles were destroyed by a wildfire in Malden, Wash., on Tuesday. Large parts of the West Coast are under warnings for elevated fire weather threats Thursday, but there may soon be a measure of relief if fire-driving winds decrease as expected.
AP

Wildfire recovery hampered as the federal government stalls. How friendship is shifting in #quarantimes. And how to detach from your devices, according to the man who got you hooked in the first place.

Individual segments are available in our podcast stream or at www.kuow.org/record.

Malden calls for aid

A small town. Smoke in the air. An alarm that failed to sound. What happened when fire swept into Malden, WA on Labor Day, 80% of the town burned to the ground. Months later, displaced residents are still waiting for federal disaster relief. Scott Hokonson is a town council member for Malden, and he’s leading the Pine Creek Community Restoration force.

Is the pandemic changing how we see our friendships?

Socially distant walks, standing weekly Zoom calls: how are you maintaining your friendships through the pandemic? Rhaina Cohen is a longform podcast producer at NPR, and she’s written about friendship for several outlets. Her most recent piece for The Atlantic is “What if Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life?”

Nir Eyal, Indistractable

For those who are working and connecting from home, devices are more important than ever. Behavioral designer Nir Eyal’s first book, Hooked, helped teach developers how to build a habit-forming app. His latest book is to help the rest of us resist them. It’s called Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.” He spoke with Bill Radke pre-pandemic.

Why you can trust KUOW