KSPS PBS At Issue Podcast

In this special edition of the At Issue Podcast, host Dana Haynes sits down with local nonprofit leaders following Erin Brockovich’s powerful visit to Spokane. Inspired by Brockovich’s message of “stick-to-itiveness,” the panel explores what it means to persist, reinvent yourself, and stand up for change. Hear from leaders at Women Helping Women Fund, Partners with Family and Children, River City Youth, and Spokane HOPE as they share real stories of resilience, impact, and the work shaping our community.

Related Content from KSPS PBS At Issue:

• Erin Brockovich: 'Make it Your Business to Understand PFAS'
• Forever Chemicals on the West Plains

 

Nine years after toxic PFAS chemicals were discovered in the drinking water on Spokane’s West Plains, many private well owners are finally seeing more government action. Programs to provide safe drinking water and filtration systems are underway. But plans for long term solutions, site cleanup, and aquifer protection remain unclear.

John Hancock, the founder and president of the West Plains Water Coalition, joins KSPS PBS At Issue host Leilah Isaacson with the latest.

We hope new Spokane City Council Members Sarah Dixit and Kate Telis weren’t hoping for a gradual introduction into city leadership. It’s been a busy start to the new year with a lot of hot button items on the Council agenda each week.

Get to know the city’s newest City Council members and learn more about their stance on current issues and their upcoming priorities.

Stay informed about more local current affairs with At Issue from KSPS PBS.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.