In a single year, more than 600,000 Washingtonians underwent treatment they didn’t need, according to a new analysis.

By Eric Tegethoff Washington News Service SEATTLE — While people often think of school as a place to learn reading and math, schools also have another important function. Washington state school districts are recognizing the vital role of social-emotional learning — that is, supporting child…

SEATTLE — The U.S. House was set to vote this week on a bill that would add federal protections to four lower Snake River dams. Conservation groups are concerned it would spell doom for salmon and steelhead in the Northwest, which already have seen sharply reduced runs because of the dams.

SEATTLE — Kaiser Permanente is investing in a largely underfunded field of research: gun violence prevention.

OLYMPIA — Washington is set to become the first state to tackle racial bias in the jury-selection process.

SEATTLE — A grant program is looking for project submissions to help make cities and towns in Washington state and nationwide friendlier to people of all ages and can be developed quickly.

By Eric Tegethoff Washington News Service FORKS — The Washington Legislature has set aside $1 million in the capital budget for management of land and rivers on the Olympic Peninsula, home to forests recognized the world over. It also will become the site of an experiment in restoration. The…

WENATCHEE — Students and other Washingtonians are gearing up to march for their lives on March 24 to protest gun violence.

PULLMAN — Two Washington State University researchers have been recognized for their development of a food supplement that helps bee colonies survive the toxic effects of pesticides.

OLYMPIA — Older Washingtonians’ pocketbooks got some much-needed relief in the legislative session that recently wrapped up.

OLYMPIA — Community and technical college faculty scored a big win during this year’s legislative session. Lawmakers passed Engrossed House Bill 1237 to allow faculty at these colleges to negotiate local wage increases through collective bargaining.

SEATTLE — March is the month in which many people start planning vacations, and health advocates say it’s not too early to start thinking about food safety, especially if you’re going out of the country.

OLYMPIA — Advocates fighting homelessness are notching some major wins from the Washington State Legislature.

OLYMPIA — While many people will make working out and physical fitness their New Year’s resolutions, folks should also consider becoming more financially fit.

It’s the time of year for resolutions, but the question is how do folks make sure they’ll follow through?

If you’ve ever watched the process of a caterpillar becoming a vividly colorful Monarch butterfly, you probably have an appreciation for a challenge being issued by the National Pollinator Garden Network.

In 2017, Native tribes have been at the forefront of opposition against expanding oil and gas transport in the Northwest.

The recent devastating video of a starving polar bear has pulled on Americans’ heartstrings. And scientists say West Coast orcas are in a similarly dire situation.

Eric Tegethoff Washington News Service SEATTLE — What if states had the resources to prevent animals from ending up on the Endangered Species list? A bill introduced in Congress aims to do just that. Known as the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, it would fund states’ wildlife management ef…

By Eric Tegethoff Washington News Service SEATTLE — All across the U.S. at this time of year, 55 million children head back to school, walking and biking to class. AAA Washington reminds drivers that speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. Jennifer Cook, a spokeswoman for AAA …

SEATTLE — It’s an exciting time of year for students heading off to college for the first time, but with that independence comes new responsibilities. One of the most important is financial responsibilities.

SEATTLE — The college year has started again, and for many students that means anxiety over debt is here again, too.

SEATTLE — An environmental group has set up a website that not only measures a person’s carbon footprint but also shares ways to reduce and even offset that footprint. 

SEATTLE — A panel of congressional members seeking solutions to combat climate change is growing by leaps and bounds. 

SEATTLE — Washington state is falling short in some areas of cancer prevention, according to a new report. 

DES MOINES — With kids out of school for summer vacation, working parents face the higher seasonal costs of child care.

SPOKANE — A cleaner Columbia River could unlock even more economic potential for the Northwest, according to a new report. 

SEATTLE — Cellphone users are excited that the prototype for a battery-free cellphone might mean they could cut the cord to their chargers in the future. But the developing technology also may be a boon for the environment.

SPOKANE — Two utility companies in Washington have been awarded $3.5 million each from the state’s Clean Energy Fund for research into making city electric grids more efficient. Their projects are just the beginning of efforts to make cities smarter. 

SEATTLE — With scams on the rise, more people find themselves asking, “Is this for real?”

OLYMPIA — The clock is ticking again this year for the Washington State Legislature to figure out how to address the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision that requires the state to properly fund schools.

SEATTLE — What if ownership of the social media website Twitter was turned over to its users?

SEATTLE — The mother of all pipelines could be coming to the Northwest, and Native Americans in the region want their voices heard on the proposal.

SEATTLE — While the Northwest’s long and rainy winter may have delayed spring, it won’t keep allergy season at bay for much longer.

SEATTLE — A federal judge has ordered more water be released from dams on the lower Columbia and Snake rivers to improve survival chances for endangered salmon in the region.

SEATTLE — Consumer and public health advocates are applauding the latest pledge by a fast food chain to phase out its use of chickens raised on antibiotics.

SEATTLE — A new report on the rising rates of colorectal cancer among young people is sparking concern and action on what to do to prevent the deadly disease.

OLYMPIA — Students receiving the State Need Grant are urging the Washington State Legislature to fully fund the grant program so that more students can afford higher education.

SEATTLE — Actor Michael J. Fox put a face on a disease that plagues about a million people in the United States. Parkinson’s is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that causes shaking, tremors and a loss of balance.

SEATTLE — Credit unions have seen explosive growth in the Northwest, expanding membership to half of the region’s population.