Orion Donovan Smith

WASHINGTON – Amid a wave of restrictive voting proposals that GOP state lawmakers say are aimed at combating voter fraud, Idaho and Washington’s top election officials, both Republicans, say their states’ voting systems passed the test of the 2020 elections with flying colors.

WASHINGTON – After President Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled a $2 trillion plan to create jobs and update the country’s aging infrastructure, Sen. Maria Cantwell said the proposal could be transformative for Eastern Washington and the broader Northwest.

WASHINGTON – Amid mounting frustration among congressional Democrats over a rule that requires a 60-vote majority to pass most Senate legislation, Sen. Patty Murray said Friday she is open to overturning the filibuster to pass a sweeping election reform package with only Democratic votes, signaling a shift that could pave the way for more major legislation.

WASHINGTON – Democrats moved Tuesday to revive efforts in Congress to change gun laws after two high-profile mass shootings less than a week apart, but a stubborn partisan divide threatens to block even modest reforms.

Chuck Foster started selling toys and collectibles on eBay in 1995, before it was even called eBay. Over the years, what began as a hobby grew into a reliable second source of income as he shipped Legos, lunch boxes and Pez dispensers from Spokane across the country – all thanks to the U.S. Postal Service.

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Friday announced it would conduct a review into problems with a new electronic health record system being piloted at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane.

After a year of economic uncertainty and possible budget deficits, it looks like Washington's revenue is right back to where it was a year ago.

WASHINGTON – Congress may be more divided than ever, but there’s one thing on which Republicans and Democrats can agree: No one likes losing an hour of sleep when the nation “springs forward” at the start of daylight saving time every March.

Madelynn Knapton makes $7.25 an hour working a minimum-wage job at the Palouse Mall in Moscow. The University of Idaho junior said she has looked for work across the Washington state line less than a mile to the west, where the minimum wage is nearly double Idaho’s, but she hasn’t been able to land a job in neighboring Pullman.

WASHINGTON – House Democrats on Wednesday passed a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package that will send $1,400 payments to most Americans, along with monthly payments to parents of up to $300 per child, a dramatic but temporary overhaul of a tax credit program Democrats hope will become permanent.

WASHINGTON – The first time someone approached Rep. Mike Simpson with the idea of breaching dams on the Snake River to save Idaho’s salmon, he started laughing.

WASHINGTON – The last time Congress passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill, Ronald Reagan was in the White House.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Capitol Police said Thursday it is not currently investigating Idaho Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Boise, for allegedly pushing a police officer after setting off a metal detector at the entrance to the House floor Jan. 12, despite a reporter’s claims he witnessed the incident and was later interviewed as part of an investigation.

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden came into office just over a month ago calling for a return to bipartisanship. That same day, he also called on Congress to pass a sweeping stimulus package.

With the Centers for Disease Control suggesting new guidelines for reopening schools, lawmakers of both parties are calling on the state to revise its vaccine priorities to allow teachers got be vaccinated.

WASHINGTON – With the impeachment trial complete, the focus of Congress is squarely on a new coronavirus relief package, including a new round of checks to most Americans.

WASHINGTON – In an emotional interview with the PBS NewsHour on Friday, Sen. Patty Murray described being “inches away” from rioters pounding on her door during the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol.

WASHINGTON – The second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump began Tuesday with a majority of senators rejecting the defense’s argument that trying a former official is unconstitutional, but the vote signaled Republicans likely have enough votes to acquit Trump.

WASHINGTON – Last Wednesday, Rep. Dan Newhouse walked from his office on the south side of the U.S. Capitol to the rotunda under its iconic dome to pay his respects to Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was slain defending the building where his remains lay.

WASHINGTON – In an unprecedented move, the House of Representatives voted Thursday largely along party lines to remove freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from two committees over the controversial words and actions of the Georgia Republican who has espoused conspiracy theories and harassed mass shooting survivors.

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Thursday declared last year’s wildfires in Washington a major disaster, approving public assistance funds requested by Gov. Jay Inslee after blazes devastated communities across the state, including the towns of Malden and Pine City.

Veterans in the Inland Northwest should have more opportunities to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as Spokane’s VA medical center ramps up immunizations, beginning with patients 75 and older.

The second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is set to begin Feb. 9, barely a month after the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that was the basis for his impeachment by the House of Representatives. The single article of impeachment – for “incitement of insurrection” – cites not only Trump’s Jan. 6 speech in which he told a crowd of supporters to march to the Capitol and pressure lawmakers to overturn the election results, but also his long-running claim that the election was stolen through widespread fraud and vote rigging.

WASHINGTON – Rep. Dan Newhouse said Monday he will not step down after most of the county GOP leaders in the Central Washington district he represents called for his resignation for being one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump on Jan. 13.