KSPS PBS At Issue Podcast

Spokane leaders make their legislative pitches amid a budget crisis

Spokane government and business leaders have revealed their wish lists ahead of the 2026 Washington Legislative Session. But as lawmakers face a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall, how will local priorities fare in Olympia?

Spokane City Council Member Paul Dillon, Spokane County Commissioner Amber Waldref, and Mary Miller, the Director of Public Policy for Greater Spokane Inc. discuss housing, public safety, transportation, and more.

We also sat down with some of our eastern Washington lawmakers for At Issue: The Olympia Agenda. Visit our At Issue webpage to watch that episode and other in-depth public affairs programming from KSPS PBS.

EWU study reveals where toxic chemicals hide on Spokane’s West Plains

Chad Pritchard, PhD, a geosciences professor at Eastern Washington University joins us to talk about the results of his two-year study tracking dangerous PFAS chemicals in the soil and groundwater on Spokane’s West Plains.

Visit our At Issue webpage to learn more about where these chemicals came from and the steps being taken to help homeowners who don’t have clean drinking water.

“Forever chemicals” aren’t only on Spokane’s West Plains

Katelyn Scott from Spokane Riverkeeper joins us to talk about the discovery of toxic PFAS chemicals in the Spokane River.

At Issue from KSPS PBS in Spokane, Washington is committed to delivering in-depth reporting and discussion about the issues that matter most to the Inland Northwest. Watch our latest episode, Forever Chemicals on the West Plains, online at ksps.org/at-issue.

How will a new PFAS Task Force help West Plains residents?

Spokane County has less than a year to use funding from the Washington State Legislature to provide water filtration systems for homeowners on Spokane's West Plains affected by the PFAS water contamination. But how will they decide who qualifies and who will get help first? And what happens when the money runs out?

 

John Hancock, president of the West Plains Water Coalition, sits on a new West Plains PFAS Task Force convened to answer those questions. He joins us on the At Issue Podcast to talk about their progress and next steps for homeowners who still don't have safe drinking water.

 

At Issue from KSPS PBS in Spokane, Washington is committed to delivering in-depth reporting and discussion about the issues that matter most to the Inland Northwest. Watch our latest episode, Forever Chemicals on the West Plains, online at ksps.org/at-issue.

How forever chemicals could be impacting your health

Several years after toxic per– and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, were found in the drinking water on Spokane’s West Plains, many residents still don’t have safe water to drink. Too much exposure for too long can lead to health problems. Barb Morrissey, a toxicologist from the Washington Department of Health is an expert on all things PFAS. We learned it's not just drinking the water, but the forever chemicals can also affect crops and livestock.

 

At Issue from KSPS PBS in Spokane, Washington is committed to delivering in-depth reporting and discussion about the issues that matter most to the Inland Northwest. Watch our latest episode, Forever Chemicals on the West Plains, online at ksps.org/at-issue.

Is Catholic Charities really bussing the homeless to Spokane? (Part 2)

You’ve heard the rumors: other cities are bussing their homeless people to Spokane. Is there any truth to that? We’re continuing our conversation with Rob McCann, CEO of Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, and asking him that very question and more as Spokane continues to contend with chronic homelessness.

At Issue from KSPS PBS in Spokane, Washington is committed to delivering in-depth reporting and discussion about the issues that matter most to the Inland Northwest. Learn more and watch episodes online at ksps.org/at-issue.

Critics won’t stop Catholic Charities from fulfilling its mission. (Part 1)

As homelessness continues to plague downtown Spokane, one local organization has been at the forefront of solutions—and debate—for decades. Rob McCann, CEO of Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, joins us in the studio to talk about what so many people see outside the shelters and apartment buildings downtown, as well as the work happening inside that many of us don’t get to see.

At Issue is a new public affairs program from KSPS PBS in Spokane, Washington. In our premiere episode in May 2025, we focused on homelessness and public safety downtown. Watch the full episode online at ksps.org/at-issue.