KUOW News Podcast

Washington Fish and Wildlife police have raided more than a dozen locations around the state in a one–day blitz on suspected poachers and traffickers. It follows a two–year undercover investigation. Correspondent Austin Jenkins explains how the cops lured their prey.

Washington state apple farmers are gearing up to harvest the second–largest crop in history, but it appears there won't be enough workers to get the fruit off the trees quickly enough. The shortage comes as apple prices are high because of crop damage elsewhere in the country. KUOW's Anna King has our report at an apple orchard outside of Prescott.

Scams and fraud complaints have gone up by 60 percent nationwide since 2008. They range from investment schemes to insurance fraud. People ages 69 and older tend to fall victim. They're targeted because they tend to have more money. AARP Washington recently held an all–day workshop to help seniors learn how to protect themselves from scammers. KUOW's Ruby de Luna has the story.

Problems in Puget Sound have led Shell Oil to cancel its plans for drilling for oil in the Arctic Ocean this year. KUOW's John Ryan reports from the Bellingham waterfront.

A state audit has found that Seattle Public Schools misspent $1.3 million in public funds on construction projects from 2005 to 2009. That nearly doubles the size of the financial scandal that resulted in the firing of former Superintendent Maria Goodloe–Johnson. KUOWS Ann Dornfeld reports.

Leaders of the engineering and technical union at Boeing are calling on their members to reject the latest contract offer from the company. Boeing and the union, which is called SPEEA, have been engaged in contentious contract talks since April. Union leaders are expecting a decisive rejection of the company's latest offer. KUOW's Deborah Wang reports.

Some Seattle City councilmembers are voicing some concerns about the latest plans to reform the police department. The City Council was briefed Monday by the city attorney and staffers from the Mayor's Office and law department. KUOW's Derek Wang reports.

A year ago, an idea was planted on Wall Street: "We are the 99 percent." Monday marks a year into the Occupy movement. The demonstrations that started in New York quickly spread across the country and to the Northwest. KUOW's Liz Jones has this look at what's happened with the Seattle movement and if it's brought about any changes.

Former President Bill Clinton packed the house at the Washington State Convention Center on Saturday. He came to campaign for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee. Organizers say Clinton's speech at the Democratic convention spiked public interest and they expanded his event to include over 3,000 people.

One of the Northwest's leading solar power advocates likely used his state position to help a company he was working for get an unfair tax designation. That's the conclusion of a state ethics board investigation released Friday.

While wildfires continue to spread in Eastern Washington, firefighters are arriving from British Columbia to join the effort to contain them. Bryan Flint of the Department of Natural Resources tells KUOW's Sara Lerner the wildfires will continue until the fall rains come. He says smoke will be with us until that happens, even here in the Puget Sound region.

If you live in Seattle, take a look at the cost of your next electricity bill. It may be one of the lowest you'll see for several years. The Seattle City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on the first in a series of proposed rate increases.