State & Regional News | The Daily Chronicle

Police detain 2 after deploying spike strip near Portland International Airport

Authorities say they have detained two people who they believe fled Saturday after police deployed a spike strip near Portland International Airport. Police responded to the area of Interstate … more

Alissa Gary / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 6/21/26

Oregon history takes center stage at Smithsonian

“From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage” is a groundbreaking new exhibition commemorating America’s 250th anniversary through more than 600 rare objects and specimens … more

The World (TNS) | 6/21/26

Downtown Portland theaters still aren’t drawing pre-pandemic crowds

Attendance at Portland’s major performing arts venues never fully rebounded from the pandemic, squeezing publicly owned theaters and the organizations that perform there. About 800,000 people … more

Mike Rogoway / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 6/21/26

Seated a floor above the Emergency Department at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Tony LeClair, seated at right, looks down from his wheelchair and gives a “thumb’s up” to a line of postal vehicles passing below on West 8th Avenue as it passes in Spokane. Leclair, a South Hill lettercarrier for 25 years, recently found out he has lung cancer, which had metastasized to his brain and his colleagues decided to drive their U.S. Postal Service trucks by the hospital. Family friend Taylor White, center left, stands next to LeClair.

Beloved postal worker in comfort care gets a mail truck parade near hospital

A beloved South Hill letter carrier got a special delivery from longtime coworkers on Wednesday. In a midday parade of 24 mail trucks and a few private vehicles, they blared horns in a tribute … more

Treva Lind / The Spokesman-Review (TNS) | 6/21/26

Swimmer presumed dead in Lake Washington near Kirkland

A man swimming near Holmes Point on Lake Washington was presumed dead after disappearing early Saturday, according to police. Emergency responders showed up around 1:30 a.m. after a man swimming … more

Joseph O’Sullivan / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 6/21/26

A homeless person rests on the grass near the Numerica Skate Ribbon at Riverfront Park in Spokane, Wash.

Data suggests decline in Spokane homelessness as origin debate remains

As taxpayers question whether they’re subsidizing individuals who first became homeless before or after moving to Spokane, regional data suggests most lived there before their most recent episode … more

Tim Clouser | The Center Square | 6/21/26

A couple sits with their newborn inside their Bentonville, Arkansas, home. The Trump administration is shifting the federal Title X program, which has traditionally provided access to contraception, toward an emphasis on childbearing.

Trump changes pregnancy-prevention program to promote childbearing

A federal poverty-fighting program focused on reducing unintended pregnancies is about to undergo a major overhaul. Reproductive health clinics use Title X federal grant money to provide birth … more

Sofia Resnick / Idaho Capital Sun | 6/21/26

The entrance to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Ore. The unit provides specialized care for newborns requiring advanced medical support.

OHSU president says neonatal ICU expansion is a top priority, but offers no timeline

Oregon Health & Science University President Dr. Shereef Elnahal insisted this week that an expansion to its overcrowded neonatal intensive care unit will be a top priority in the … more

Danielle Dawson / InvestigateWest | 6/21/26

A pregnant patient receives an examination at the Southern Birth Justice Network’s mobile midwifery unit in Miami earlier this year. A national survey published this month found that access to prenatal care remains limited for some patients, with a fifth of them not receiving prenatal care until the second trimester or later.

Nationwide survey shows ongoing struggles for pregnant patients on Medicaid

A survey of more than 3,800 people nationwide who gave birth in 2023 and 2024 found those using Medicaid described worse outcomes than those on private insurance, that access to care remains limited … more

Kelcie Moseley-Morris / Stateline | 6/21/26

Five centuries later, Michelangelo's David sculpture, reborn in full silver, is unveiled in Southwest Washington

A full-scale pure silver reproduction of Michelangelo's David — certified by Guinness World Records as both the largest and heaviest silver sculpture in existence — was unveiled last week at … more

By Summer Sorensen / For The Reflector | 6/19/26

Three more gray whales found dead, bringing total to 30 in Washington this year

Three dead gray whales were found on Grays Harbor County shores this week, bringing the total number of gray whale deaths to 30 in Washington state in 2026. A female whale was found off Ocean … more

Paige Cornwell / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 6/19/26

Man accused of raping child at Washington hospital sent for competency restoration

A Whatcom County Superior Court judged ruled Thursday morning that the man accused of raping a child at St. Joseph Medical Center must undergo competency restoration services before he can stand … more

Hannah Edelman / The Bellingham Herald (TNS) | 6/19/26

In-N-Out is just about ready to open in Hillbsoro's Tanasbourne Town Center.

In-N-Out is finally opening in the Portland suburbs

In-N-Out Burger is about to take a massive step toward Portland. Portlanders hankering for a shake and animal-style fries will no longer have to cross state lines to efficiently satisfy their … more

Veronica Nocera / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 6/19/26

U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici speaks during a press conference on Sat., Sept. 27, 2025.

Oregon congresswoman says Trump’s education secretary has ‘betrayed students,’ pushes impeachment

An Oregon federal lawmaker is seeking to impeach U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon over her shuttering of major Education Department functions, part of her stated goal to shut down the … more

Alissa Gary / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 6/19/26

Washington toddler rescued from locked car on scorching day while parents shopped, sheriff’s office says

A Clark County sheriff’s deputy broke a car window to rescue a 2-year-old left in the back seat on a 92-degree day last month, the sheriff’s office shared in a social media video. Body … more

Alissa Gary / oregonlive.com (TNS) | 6/19/26

Possible human remains found in home near Spokane burned by wildfire

Investigators on Wednesday found what appear to be human remains in a home near Spokane where a person reportedly refused to evacuate before the Upriver fire destroyed the residence. As a … more

By Paige Cornwell / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 6/19/26

An election worker sorts through ballots at the Thurston County Ballot Processing Center in Tumwater on Thursday, Oct. 30.

Washington’s vote-by-mail elections could be reshaped by Trump-backed changes

Imagine this: The U.S. Postal Service sending lists to states saying who is allowed to vote. Prosecutions of local elected officials who don’t follow new federal voting procedures. The end of … more

By Joseph O’Sullivan / The Seattle Times | 6/19/26

L130, a one to three month old calf, is spotted traveling alongside female L91 near East Sooke on June 14. The image was taken under NMFS/NOAA permit number 27038. (Mark Malleson / Center for Whale Research)

New southern resident orca calf spotted as another vanishes

Biologists spotted a new calf among the endangered southern resident orca pods this week, a hopeful sign tempered by the apparent disappearance of another calf born earlier this year. Calf L130 … more

By Greg Kim / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 6/19/26

Lawsuit payouts put Washington insurance fund at $1.7 billion in the red

Washington state’s costly lawsuit liability problem continues to grow. Ballooning legal payouts — largely due to cases of alleged abuse and neglect in the child-welfare system — have … more

By Jim Brunner / The Seattle Times (TNS) | 6/19/26

Pipe bomb among suspicious devices found in Cosmopolis

Tuesday morning at approximately 9:46 a.m., Aberdeen Police officers responded to a report of suspicious devices inside a bag located near the boat launch in Cosmopolis. Upon arrival, officers … more

The Daily World | 6/19/26