News The Washington mental health lifeline made for and by Native people The Native and Strong Lifeline provides connection and culturally specific care to callers in crisis. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Indian Country Today and Underscore News / June 19, 2023
Indigenous Affairs Yakama Nation’s new public safety campus gives justice room to grow The tribal court system, which had occupied a cluster of trailers since the ’50s, plans to add services like a mental health or a veterans court. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore News and ICT / January 9, 2024
Equity Snoqualmie Tribe starts land protection sales tax at Salish Lodge The 2% tax will preserve ancestral sites such as Snoqualmie Falls, and could be a model for other Indigenous nations. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore/ICT / July 17, 2023
Opinion WA’s crackdown on street racing misses car culture’s bigger problem When it comes to cars, traffic congestion is a more pressing threat to our quality of life than souped-up rides on public streets. by Rubén Casas / May 10, 2021
Inside Crosscut What can our cities do for us? Columnist Rubén Casas has ideas Crosscut’s new columnist digs into how the Pacific Northwest’s biggest cities can grow sustainably and equitably, and serve us all better. by Rubén Casas / May 4, 2021
Opinion Washington now recognizes Juneteenth, but there’s more to the story The history behind the holiday is long and troubling, with echoes that persist today. by Clyde W. Ford / April 19, 2021
Opinion A better way to plan the post-pandemic Puget Sound Sweden's ‘Street Moves’ program offers a model for making neighborhood residents the planners of their own streets. by Rubén Casas / April 12, 2021
Opinion How parks can better serve Puget Sound during times of crisis Japan’s ‘disaster parks,’ which double as sites of recreation and disaster preparedness, offer a model for our own region. by Rubén Casas / March 2, 2021
Opinion WA legislature takes on systemic racism in insurance rates The modern-day insurance industry was founded on slavery and the slave trade. A Senate bill seeks to right this legacy. by Clyde W. Ford / February 22, 2021
Opinion A Tacoma police officer ran over a person. Let’s call it what it is. Too many public leaders have been reluctant to speak plainly about last month’s disturbing act of police violence. by Rubén Casas / February 15, 2021