Jessica Robinson
KUOW
Norway
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Past articles by Jessica:
Bowe Bergdahl Describes A Plan Gone Wrong In New Season Of 'Serial'
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl described how he became imprisoned by the Taliban in his first publicly released interview Thursday. The soldier from Idaho is the subject of a new season of the public radio podcast “Serial.” Bergdahl now calls his decision in June of 2009 to leave his outpost in Eastern Afghanistan a “stupid move.” Serial, a spinoff of “This American Life,” draws on 25 hours of recorded… → Read More
Spokane Faith Leaders Decry 'Death To Islam' Graffiti
Listen Listening... Muslim leaders and Christian clergy in Spokane are asking for a federal hate crime investigation into anti-Muslim graffiti discovered on the Fourth of July. Someone scrawled the phrase “Death to Islam” on the side of a Bosnian heritage center. The Bosnia and Herzgovina Heritage Association of Spokane is usually a place where members gather to celebrate holidays and watch… → Read More
Tests Show Signs Of Drug Resistance In Some Northwest Gonorrhea Cases
Listen Listening... Public health officials say the rise in cases of the STD gonorrhea has continued unabated this year in much of the Northwest. Now there’s a worrisome development: evidence of drug resistance in some cases west of the Cascades. Dr. Matt Golden with the Seattle STD/HIV Prevention Training Center recently sent a memo out to providers about gonorrhea. He said since last year his… → Read More
How To Not Beat The Heat: Run Around Outdoors On Asphalt This Weekend
Listen Listening... Public health officials are concerned about several major athletic events in the Northwest this weekend. A heat wave could push temperatures over 100 degrees in much of the region. But that’s not stopping thousands of athletes scheduled to compete in the Inland Northwest, Willamette Valley and eastern Oregon. Teams are practicing for Hoopfest, the annual three-on-three… → Read More
Members Of Spokane's Black Community Rally For 'Integrity' After Dolezal
Listen Listening... At a Monday night rally in downtown Spokane, members of the city's black community said they want to put former NAACP president Rachel Dolezal behind them. Rally leader Dennis Mitchell urged the small crowd to waive signs saying “integrity matters.” “We know a lot of things have been going on around this country, talking about Spokane, Washington, and we are here this evening… → Read More
Spokane NAACP Stands By Dolezal, Waits For Explanation
Listen Listening... The NAACP is standing behind the besieged president of the Spokane chapter, at least for the time being. Rachel Dolezal came into the national spotlight after her parents revealed this week that their daughter is white. Dolezal has been a prominent leader on civil rights causes in Spokane. She teaches part-time in Eastern Washington University’s Africana studies program. And… → Read More
Mothers Of Teen Suicide Victims Work To Put A Face To Idaho's High Rates
Listen Listening... Idaho ranks consistently among the top states with the highest rates of youth suicide in the nation. Some suicide prevention advocates say not enough is being done to bring those numbers down. Now, one unofficial lobbying group is catching the ear of policymakers: parents who have lost children to suicide. This past April, as Idaho Gov. Butch Otter stood between the marble… → Read More
Tribe Asks Court To Invalidate Idaho Governor's Gambling Bill Veto
Listen Listening... The Coeur d’Alene Tribe says Idaho’s governor didn’t act fast enough in April when he vetoed a gambling bill the tribe supported and have asked the state Supreme Court to invalidate the veto. Slot machines have been illegal in Idaho for decades. In fact, they are now banned in the state constitution. Then one day in 2013 the legislature passed a law that allowed “instant… → Read More
Coeur d'Alene Schools To Keep 'Of Mice And Men' On Reading List
Listen Listening... John Steinbeck’s classic "Of Mice and Men" will remain on the classroom reading list for freshmen in a north Idaho school district. The Coeur d’Alene school board voted 4-1 Monday night to keep it. A citizen advisory group on literature had determined that profanity and racial slurs in the 1937 novella made it inappropriate for regular ninth grade classroom instruction. They… → Read More
Don’t Touch Dead Squirrels In Idaho
Listen Listening... Officials from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare are asking people to take precautions around ground squirrels after a squirrel south of Boise tested positive for plague. State wildlife officials warn it’s likely not the only one. They’ve mapped out a suspected area of plague infection between Boise and Mountain Home, south to the Snake River. Plague can spread to… → Read More
Mountain Bikers Object To Idaho Wilderness Bill In Congress
Listen Listening... A compromise plan to designate 275,000 acres of wilderness in central Idaho got a much-anticipated hearing in the U.S. Senate Thursday. The bill would protect what’s known as the Boulder-White Clouds, a striking, alpine section of central Idaho, conveniently next door to tourist hub Sun Valley. Members of Idaho’s congressional delegation say after years of work, they finally… → Read More
Spring Fires In Northwest Burning Hotter, Bigger Than Normal
Listen Listening... A couple of unseasonably large wildfires in the Northwest are giving crews an early taste of fire season. Based on the preview, it could be a rough summer. It’s not strange for fires to start this time of year. But it is strange for those fires to grow to 148 acres. That’s how big the Peavine Creek Fire in southern Oregon got last week before crews contained it. In… → Read More
Day One Of Negotiations Over Idaho Roads Funding Ends Without Deal
Listen Listening... A special committee in the Idaho legislature assigned to find a compromise deal on roads funding ended the day Thursday with plenty of frustration but, still no deal. Republicans dominate both the House and Senate, but the two chambers don’t see eye to eye on how to raise millions of dollars for roads maintenance. Republican Dean Cameron is one of three Senators on the… → Read More
Idaho Senate's Gas Tax Plan Is A No-Go In House
Listen Listening... The ping-pong of transportation plans between the Idaho House and Senate promises to make this a long week at the Capitol. This afternoon, the House rejected a Senate proposal to phase in a 10-cent hike in the gas tax over the next four years, putting the tax at 35 cents per gallon by 2019. It also would raised vehicle registration fees by $25. All told, the measure would… → Read More
Idaho Senate Kills Tax Bill, Wants Different Approach To Funding Roads
Listen Listening... The Idaho Senate decided to kill a major overhaul to Idaho’s tax system Tuesday. The bill would have eliminated the grocery tax, moved toward a flat tax for income and increased the gas tax to pay for roads maintenance. The ambitious proposal had passed the Idaho House and was co-sponsored by the House Speaker. But after meeting with Republican senators, Majority Leader Bart… → Read More
Bergdahl Was Chained, Told To Kill Himself While In Captivity
Listen Listening... Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's attorney released details of his captivity in Afghanistan after the Army charged him Wednesday with desertion. Video the Taliban distributed of Bergdahl at the time showed him sitting in front of a camera, or outside. But Bergdahl's attorney wrote in a statement that Bergdahl was chained for most of that time. He was blindfolded and he was kept in one… → Read More
Bergdahl's Home Town Quiet On Desertion Charges
Listen Listening... The home town of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is quiet Wednesday now that the former P.O.W. is charged with desertion. People who've spoken up to support him are now reluctant. The mayor of Hailey, Idaho, even issued a statement saying that the city is taking no position on the charges that Bergdahl is now facing. It’s really a contrast from last year when he was first released. This… → Read More
REPORT: Bergdahl To Be Charged With Desertion
The Associated Press reports Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl of Idaho will face court martial on charges of desertion and avoiding military service. The military → Read More
Idaho Lawmakers Say As Parents, They've Seen Need For Anti-Bullying Bill
Listen Listening... The Idaho House passed an anti-bullying measure Monday after some impassioned pleas from several lawmakers -- who talked about the experiences of their own children. This is the latest of several attempts in recent years to pass bills aimed at strengthening Idaho’s anti-bullying laws. Some conservative lawmakers have been skeptical the issue can be regulated at the state… → Read More
'Instant Racing' Pulls Idaho Lawmakers Between Pro-Business, Moral Views
Listen Listening... Several hundred gambling devices in Idaho would become illegal under a bill now headed to the House floor. The repeal has been a particularly tough issue for some conservative lawmakers. In 2013, the legislature allowed race track operators to install so-called “instant racing machines” that use data from historical horse races. But lawmakers weren’t prepared for how much the… → Read More