RANGE

On this week’s episode, Aaron Hedge was joined by Debbie Novak, an activist with the Washington State Coalition for Police Accountability. They talked about the Law Enforcement Leaders’ Bill (SB 5974), what it does, and the lawsuit by four Eastern Washington sheriffs – including Sheriff John Nowels of Spokane County – that opposes the bill.They also discussed some resources and ways to get involved, which you can find below:Learn from and get involved with the Know Your Rights Camp.You can watch the meetings for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission here.Check out this week's Free RANGE episode on YouTube!

Erin, Luke, and Daisy went on the air for this week’s episode!They talked about ethics in journalism, their reporting processes, the months-long, complicated nature of recent investigative reporting, and more.Find relevant articles below:The Work Isn't For Everyone (English) (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)Why we investigated Latinos en Spokane (English) (Luke Baumgarten, RANGE Media)Este trabajo no es para todos (Spanish) (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)¿Por qué investigamos a Latinos en Spokane? (Spanish) (Luke Baumgarten, RANGE Media)Check out this week's Free RANGE episode on YouTube!

On this week’s episode, Val and Aaron went on the air to catch you up on local news!They talked about some items from this week’s CIVICS agenda, including: A $120,000 contract for Mujeres in Action to provide SPD with cultural competency training and language access services (which passed);Info on the Spokane County sheriff’s proposal to charge fees for requesting body camera footage from law enforcement.$120,000 for Mujeres in Action to train cops (March 23, 2026 CIVICS)They also talked about PFAS clean-up updates, reopening the STA double decker bus crash investigation, and the March 20th memorial for Otto Zehm, who was killed by police 20 years ago.Check out this week's Free RANGE episode on YouTube!

(*the fake, AI Gonzaga fan pages that spread false info)On this week’s episode, Erin Sellers and Daniel Walters went on the air to talk about Daniel’s most recent article: John Stockton’s Not Dead.Daniel’s article title is a play on the clickbait “news headlines” from fake AI fan pages that have recently appeared on Facebook. More specifically, it’s a reference to a fake headline that claims John Stockton – a former NBA player and Gonzaga alum – died. (He didn’t.)Because some of these headlines use real info with slight changes, it’s important to use a critical eye when viewing news, social media posts, and other forms of media. One example of this is a headline claiming that Netflix announced a documentary on Gonzaga. The reality? There is a documentary on Gonzaga basketball, but it’s through Tubi.Check out this week's Free RANGE episode on YouTube!

We had a two-hour special show this week for the KYRS Spring Fund Drive, led by Erin and Pascal!During the first hour, Aaron Hedge and Daniel Walters joined to talk about their reporting processes. Daniel told a story about an interesting letter he found and how that led to him doing some journalistic work, while Aaron talked about his reporting processes for some of his early RANGE stories.During the second hour, Luke joined to talk about his career in journalism, how he’s seen the journalism field shift over time, and more.Check out this week's Free RANGE episode on YouTube!

On this week’s show, Aaron and Daniel interviewed investigative journalist Michael Edison Hayden.The three talked about far-right extremism in Idaho, how the new strain of Kootenai County white nationalism differs from the Aryan Nations of the past, and the big fracture points within the North Idaho fringe.Michael is a former senior investigative reporter for the Southern Poverty Law Center. His first book – Strange People on the Hill – focuses on how extremist ideology changed a small, West Virginia town and comes out in April 2026. His recently published story with Mother Jones – called “Who the F Are These Men?” – is an in-depth investigation on far-right extremism in Idaho.Founded in 1976, Mother Jones is a newsroom that “investigates the big stories that may be ignored or overlooked by other news outlets, including about democracy and voting rights, racial justice, reproductive rights, and food and agriculture.”Check out this week's Free RANGE episode on YouTube!

Pascal joined Hedge and Val on the radio this week!The three of them talked about some recent news:The first was about an item on the East Valley School District’s Board of Directors agenda, which was included in our February 23rd CIVICS. They held a first reading of a revised board policy that would eliminate the district’s Affirmative Action Program.The second was all about the West Plains PFAS crisis. They talked about Hedge’s recent article, where after almost a decade the airport found PFAS in the groundwater, the state is requiring both Spokane County and City to provide affected well owners with safe water.Check out this week's Free RANGE episode on YouTube!

Reporter Daisy Zavala Magaña and freelance reporter Daniel Walters were welcomed by Aaron for this week’s episode!They talk about their hopes, goals, and values in journalism, plus previous stories they’ve covered.Meet Daisy Zavala Magaña:Daisy previously covered immigrant labor for RANGE as a freelancer, and now she’s our newest full-time reporter! You can read her introduction in both English and Spanish.Meet Daniel Walters:As a longtime reporter, Daniel isn’t new to the journalism field… or RANGE. He’s currently working for us in a freelance capacity, but you may have read his InvestigateWest stories that we’ve republished or heard him on an early podcast episode.Check out this week's Free RANGE episode on YouTube!

This week’s episode is all about the Housing and Homeless Advocacy Day, or “HHAD” for short.HHAD is organized by the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (WLIHA) and the Washington Housing Alliance Action Fund. They bring people across Washington state to Olympia to advocate for housing justice by meeting with their district’s representatives.This episode has 3 parts, and you’re going to hear from organizers, participants, lawmakers, and more.Further, relevant reading:‘This city is turning into an eviction mill.’ (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)More info on the WLIHA and HHAD

This week, Val interviewed Erin and Aaron about their recent stories.Erin talks about their story on a new eviction prevention program that was passed by Spokane City Council. The ordinance passed by a vote of 5-2 and will create this new program by June 1, 2026. Find the story here.Aaron talks about a story he and Luke co-wrote about two masked SPD officers who stood in on a healthcare workers’ vigil for Alex Pretti, who was killed by ICE agents. The vigil attendees thought they were ICE agents at first, up until it was confirmed that they were SPD officers. Find the story here.

Erin and Luke were joined by two guests this week!Dawn Kinder is the Director of Housing and Human Services for the City of Spokane.Carl Segerstrom is the Communications and Storytelling Manager of Waters Meet.The four of them talked about housing insecurity, the impacts of homelessness, and how Spokane is fighting against it.

Aaron, Erin, Val, and Luke went on the air this week! The four of them talked about two stories they’re working on:The first story stemmed from a conversation Hedge had with a local police accountability advocate who put in a public records request for photos generated from Automated License Plate Readers — AKA FLOCK cameras — using the license plate number of a van used by ICE. The van is owned by Geo Group, who not only is contracted to take immigrants to the Tacoma Detention Center, but also runs the center. Along with the single – and only – photo he got back, he also got a call from an attorney representing Geo Group: Joan Mell. She wanted to make sure he didn’t want to hurt – and she actually used this phrase – “her peeps.”The second story is a rundown of rumors swirling around the United States Post Office thanks to a vague “Essential Services” letter given to postal workers all over the country, including in Spokane. Val explains how she’s been trying to track down the reasoning behind issuing the letter and how it’s been contributing to online fears of martial law.

On Tuesday, Jan. 13, reporter Erin Sellers and producer Pascal Bostic went to Lewis and Clark High School to cover one of the six student-led walkouts planned in the area. These students were rallying to protest ICE’s harm and call for humane treatment of immigrants in our communities.Erin spoke with organizers from Spokane Students for Human Decency – who brought over 1,200 students together across the six schools – about their planning process and why they’re organizing.

This week, reporter Aaron Hedge and producer Pascal Bostic are joined by guest Joan Braune (Gonzaga University) to talk about a new book she co-edited with David M. Gides, On Christian Nationalism: Critical and Theological Perspectives.Joan Braune discusses Christian nationalism, fascism, and some ways people can recognize and intervene against it.Charlie Kirk’s Pacific Northwest ground game (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media)SpoVal pastor helps push initiatives to erode student privacy (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media and Cassy Benefield, Fāvs News)The battle for a North Idaho city’s identity (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media and Jenny Davis, Gonzaga University)Conservative think tank: Immigration ‘undermined Christianity’ (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media and Cassy Benefield, Fāvs News)Uncivil Disobedience: Theological Perspectives (David M. Gides, Nick Braune, Joan Braune, Joshua W. Carpenter)Understanding and Countering Fascist Movements: From Void to Hope (Joan Braune)

It's 2026!Last year, we released an episode about our NEWS Year Resolutions.This year, we decided to set another set of resolutions!We also reviewed our top coverage from 2025 and got a bit nerdy about the data. Read on!Dear Gonzaga: A Letter from Assistant Professor Andrea Brower (Andrea Brower, RANGE Media)The State of Surveillance in Spokane (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)Queer BIPOC organizer arrested on their way to Spokane Pride (Erin Sellers and Luke Baumgarten, RANGE Media)Immigration officials are arresting people in Washington and warehousing them in Idaho (Aaron Hedge and Luke Baumgarten, RANGE Media)CIVICS: Spokane could become the first city to ‘Ban the Address’ (Erin Sellers and Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media)Congressman Michael Baumgartner’s Spokane Town Hall: The wildest meeting we’ve ever attended (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)Everything we know about the Spokane ICE protests (RANGE Media team)9 Spokanites arrested by federal agents in connection to ICE protests (Luke Baumgarten, Erin Sellers, and Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media)ICE agents with no warrant violently arrest migrants (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media)

It’s the last Free RANGE episode of 2025!On this week’s episode, the team talked about our favorite stories and projects from this year. Take a look at them below!Immigration officials are arresting people in Washington and warehousing them in Idaho (Aaron Hedge and Luke Baumgarten, RANGE Media)Deputies killed Donald Hegel a year ago. His sister is still looking for answers. (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media)The people want safer streets — and the electeds are listening (Lauren Pangborn, RANGE Media)I laid myself off this week (Luke Baumgarten, RANGE Media)How to take action against injustice today (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)Q&A with SPD Chief Kevin Hall on ICE and the protests (Luke Baumgarten and Val Osier, RANGE Media)Jordin v. Brayman: Spokane’s first right-to-counsel eviction trial by jury (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)The POD: Community Organizing in Spokane (Free RANGE episode)Food Resource MapRANGE’s Flock Reporting

Once again, reporter Aaron Hedge was joined by Cassy Benefield – a reporter and associate editor with Fāvs News – to discuss their recent story on the Family Policy Institute of Washington. Read it below:Conservative think tank: Immigration ‘undermined Christianity’ (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media and Cassy Benefield, Fāvs News)

On this week’s episode, Erin and Aaron are joined by a guest, Phil Neff! As the Research Coordinator at the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights, Phil is well-versed in all things Flock camera-related.The three of them discuss how these cameras work, what they do, and the effects they’re having on the people in our communities.Plus, at the end of the episode, Aaron also gives a brief update on what’s happening in the trials of 9 protestors from Spokane.Find our recent coverage (and last week's episode) below:“Alien.” “Ice pick-up.” “immigration violation.” (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)COLUMN: Flock-enheit 451 (Lauren Pangborn, RANGE Media)Four of the Spokane 9 accept plea deals (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media)The POD: A FLOCK Deep Dive (Last week's Free RANGE episode)

There’s been a lot of protests this year, both nationally and in Spokane. Automated License Plate Readers – or FLOCK cameras – have been used to search for people who might’ve been at these protests.On this week’s episode, Erin, Aaron, and Val talk about these cameras, Erin’s months-long investigative reporting on them, and the recent stories we’ve published.Find the recent coverage (and a previous FLOCK-related episode) below:Did you go to a protest this year? Local cops might’ve been searching for you on Flock cameras. (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)‘Had an abortion, search for female.’ Texas deputy searched Spokane County Flock cameras (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)The POD: All the FLOCK things (August 22, 2025 Free RANGE episode)

The Aaron and Erin Dream Team took over Free RANGE this week!They discussed Aaron's trip to Moscow, Idaho, where him and co-author Jenny Davis (Gonzaga University) visited the town as they did some reporting for their recent story. Compared to its larger, national media coverage of dominionist pastor Doug Wilson and Christian nationalism, the co-authors' day in Moscow told a different story: one about the Idaho town's politics, culture, and the folks who live there. Read the story here:The battle for a North Idaho city’s identity (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media and Jenny Davis, Gonzaga University)

This week, Aaron and Val talked about two ballot initiatives from Let’s Go Washington, a political organization who backs ballot initiatives.The first ballot initiative is IL26-001, otherwise known as “Strength and Communication Between Parents and Schools.” This would allow parents to access their child’s school records, including any disciplinary, medical, and mental health related records.The second initiative is IL26-368, also called “Protecting Fairness in Girls’ Sports.” This would require female students who want to participate in their school’s sports to go through a medical examination and obtain documentation that “verifies” they’re a girl. Not only is this incredibly transphobic and tries to ban trans girls from girls’ sports, but it’s also hugely invasive to all students.SpoVal pastor helps push initiatives to erode student privacy (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media and Cassy Benefield, FāVS News)

Another week, another episode!This week, the team debriefed on the elections. They discussed the District 1 Spokane city council race, Spokane Prop 1 (“Together Spokane”), and other local coverage. They also zoomed out and talked about national elections, including the results of the New York City mayoral race (which candidate Zohran Mamdani won).(Our podcast episodes are aired live with KYRS on Thursdays from 3-4pm. Because of this, please note that when the team talks about elections, the results and data were current as of Thursday, Nov. 6th.)To view the most current election results, you can follow this link to Spokane County’s election results page.Plus, in the wake of the federal government shutdown and the Trump administration refusing to fully disburse SNAP benefits, RANGE has partnered with Waters Meet and SCAR to create a food resource map. Covering seven counties, three Sovereign Tribal Nations and beyond, this map shows where you can get or give help. Find the map here.

The RANGE team all went on the show again! There's always news to catch up on, which is why Val, Erin, and Aaron did just that: they caught Luke up on (even more) local news. Read the articles below:WA state Republicans are trying to turn school districts red (Sophia Mattice-Aldous, RANGE Media)A peek in the pocketbooks of Spokane City Council candidates (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)Last minute pocketbook-peeking of city council candidates (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)Resolution 8201: Should the WA Cares Fund play the stock market? (Sophia Mattice-Aldous, RANGE Media)

It’s been awhile since the RANGE team has all been on the show! Val, Erin, and Aaron chat as they catch Luke up on local news. Read the articles below:Spokane’s Prop 1(s): What they’ll do for parks and schools and how much they’ll cost (Erin Sellers and Clarinne Kirk, RANGE Media)Spokane City Council candidate Alejandro Barrientos may be ineligible to represent District 2 (Erin Sellers, RANGE Media)Ad attacking Bingle falsely attributes wrong committee in apparent violation of state law (Emry Dinman, the Spokesman-Review)PAC responds to complaint over mislabeled mailer (Aaron Hedge, RANGE Media)

Reporter Aaron Hedge was joined by Cassy Benefield – a reporter and associate editor with Fāvs News – as they talked about Charlie Kirk and his impact in the PNW.

We have two segments this week.The first segment is a short audio story RANGE Producer Pascal worked on. They spoke with participants during an organizing summit in Spokane last month, which was hosted by re:power. Organizers from groups such as the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, Asians for Collective Liberation in Spokane, re:power, and Waters Meet all spoke about hope, movement building, and action.For the second segment, reporter Erin Sellers read their recent investigative story out loud, titled “Jordin v. Brayman: Spokane’s first right-to-counsel eviction trial by jury.” You can find the story linked below:Jordin v. Brayman: Spokane’s first right-to-counsel eviction trial by jury (Content warning: This story contains description of and reference to sexual assault.)

This week, we’re bringing you a conversation on the state of local journalism. This conversation was part of last month’s Grassroots Radio Conference, which was a collaboration between Sprouts Radio, Pacifica Network, and KYRS. The panel – which was hosted at the Spokane Public Library – included Luke Baumgarten (RANGE Media) and Stephanie Schubert (Pacifica Network).

From prison, convicted rapist Arlin Jordin has easily evicted tenants for decades. With Washington’s right-to-counsel laws, that’s all changing.

We have two segments this week!The first segment is from Spokane’s Spiciest candidate forum, featuring District 3 incumbent Zack Zappone and challenger Christopher Savage. Reporter Erin Sellers asked them the spiciest of questions as they powered through even spicier wings!For the second segment, we had reporter Aaron Hedge read his recent essay – titled “Charlie Kirk’s Pacific Northwest ground game” – out loud, in his own words. You can find the essay linked below:Charlie Kirk’s Pacific Northwest ground game20 Questions with District 3 Spokane City Council CandidatesMeet the District 3 Spokane City Council candidatesSpokane's Spiciest Event Livestream (courtesy of KXLY)

This week, we’re back with two segments! The first segment is from Spokane's Spiciest candidate forum, featuring District 2 candidates Kate Tellis and Alejandro Barrientos. Reporter Erin Sellers asked them questions as they all powered through some spicy wings! (Keep an eye out for the District 3 segment!)The second segment includes a conversation between RANGE Producer Pascal and Elina – a local student who participated in the College Success Foundation – about how its programming impacted her. This came after $12 million dollars of state funding – which was around 80% of their budget – was cut in May, Spokane’s College Success Foundation (CSF) office was forced to close in July.20 Questions with District 2 Spokane City Council candidatesSpokane's Spiciest Event Livestream (courtesy of KXLY)

This week, we’re playing audio from our city council candidate forum, Spokane’s Spiciest!This episode features candidate Sarah Dixit as reporter Erin Sellers asks her questions! Current council member Jonathan Bingle – who is running for re-election – had a prior commitment, so he wasn’t able to participate. You can hear from him in our July 25th episode (linked below).Keep an eye out for the District 2 and 3 segments!The POD: A (Conservative) City Council Candidate ForumSpokane's Spiciest Event Livestream (courtesy of KXLY)

This week, Aaron Hedge flew solo and revisited two of his articles on the “forever chemicals” contamination on the West Plains.You can read the articles – which were originally published in 2024 – at the links below:Airport CEO: Lawmakers should ‘wait and see’ before banning toxic PFASCommunity demands solutions as Fairchild reckons with new PFAS contamination rule

As Erin works on an upcoming story about FLOCK cameras — aka Automated License Plate Readers — they and Val talked about all things FLOCK-related. These aren’t the red-light or speeding cameras that issue tickets, these are recording and logging vehicles throughout Spokane County at all times. From the costs to the concerns, these cameras are causing worry in local advocates about surveillance by both ICE and local law enforcement.Further reading: FLOCK camera map – https://deflock.me/404 Media’s FLOCK coverage – https://www.404media.co/tag/flock/

This week, Erin and Val sat down with local organizer hadley morrow to talk about their thoughts on protest safety, filing a complaint with the Office of Police Ombuds (OPO) and community organizing in Spokane.If you witnessed law enforcement violence at protests in June and want to file an OPO complaint but don’t know where to start, you can email hadley at [email protected] for help.PLUS: On Tuesday, Aug. 19th at 5:30 PM, the Office of Police Ombuds Commission will be meeting in the City Council Chamber. Like City Council meetings, this is a public meeting with an open forum. Make your voices heard!Further reading:Where are the protesters’ phones?Everything we know about the Spokane ICE protests

This week, we’re playing audio from a City Council District 3 candidate forum that was hosted recently by Spokane Braver Angels. Incumbent Zack Zappone and challenger Christopher Savage were asked questions about law enforcement, homelessness, housing, neighborhood infrastructure, political division and leadership styles.Cody Arguelles, a third candidate running for the seat, couldn’t make it to this debate, but don’t worry! You can read about his platform (along with the other candidates') in our two articles linked below:Meet the District 3 Spokane City Council Candidates20 Questions with District 3 Spokane City Council Candidates

This week, Aaron Hedge and intern Clarinne Kirk attended a candidate forum hosted by the East Washington Freedom Alliance at Calvary Spokane, at which conservatives running for city council — District 1 incumbent Jonathan Bingle and District 3 challengers Christopher Savage and Cody Arguelles — pitched the audience on their visions for the direction of the city. We’re playing (mostly) raw audio from that event. As a warning, the candidates in this forum do use language and make comments that are harmful to queer and trans communities.

Anwar Peace, a police accountability expert, former chair of the Spokane Human Rights Commission and a current HRC commissioner joined Hedge to discuss the US Marshals arrests of several Spokanites who participated in the June 11 ICE protests.

This week, Luke and Val talked to Katia Jasmin and Thamar Sauveuer of Creole Resources, an organization supporting Haitian immigrants in Spokane, about an emergency fundraiser they launched this week. According to the organization, dozens of Spokane Haitian immigrants with legal work permits were fired from their jobs this week because of the Trump administration’s revocation of the Temporary Protected Status program.Additional reading: Uncertainty for Spokane’s Haitian migrants — and for employers

The use of force by law enforcement during the June 11 and 14 protests in Spokane has left our community with lots of questions regarding protesting and immigration rights: what recourse do people have to report excessive uses of force? How does it work when Kootenai County Sheriffs — who explicitly collaborate with ICE —  answer a call for aid from Spokane? Was the Keep WA Working Act violated on June 11 when police escorted the ICE van out? What the heck was that green gas law enforcement used? We got the answers to some of those questions and more when Luke and Val sat down with Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall this week. 

This week, Erin and Aaron talk about Erin’s deeply-reported story on a study that implied most unhoused people living on the streets of Spokane shouldn’t be here, and why we need to push back on narratives that undermine community care.Read the full analysis here.

This week we have a convo between Luke Baumgarten and former City Council President Ben Stuckart, focusing on the June 11 protest at the Spokane Immigration and Customs Enforcement Facility. The protest was sparked by the detention of two young refugees, Cesar Alexander Alvarez Perez and Joswar Slater Rodriguez Torres during a routine check-in with immigration. Ben shares the emotional and community-driven journey to support and advocate for the detained men, discussing the legal challenges, the supportive roles of various community members, and the broader implications of immigration policies. 01:00 Meet Cesar and Josar and the asylum process10:00 Challenges and injustices15:30 Protests and political context31:00 The spontaneous protest begins37:30 Arrest and jail conditions50:31 Solidarity and community supportRead more: Everything we know about the Spokane ICE protestsQueer BIPOC organizer arrested on their way to Spokane PrideFaith leaders plan prayer vigil at Spokane ICE Center to support immigrants June 24

This week we talk about the marathon protests in Spokane this week against the ICE detention of two migrants. Luke pops in for a cameo because it was all hands on deck — even unpaid ones.

This week we had a visit from our WSU Murrow Fellow in Newport, Sophia Mattice-Aldous. She and Aaron Hedge discussed her deeply-reported piece on the landscape of opioid overdose in the rural areas of North Idaho and Northwest Washington, highlighted by the tragic story of Jasmine Martin, a 23-year-old who died from an overdose in 2024 while trying to get sober. The conversation delves into the availability of recovery resources, stigmas surrounding addiction, and the complexities of fentanyl use in small communities. Despite their grief, Jasmine's family, particularly her mother Tish and sister Antonia, are actively working to raise awareness and improve access to life-saving measures like Narcan.Read the story here. 

Val and Aaron explore the networking and marketing tactics — including those of at least one church in Spokane — of the Christian nationalist movement that staged an event in the Cal Anderson Park (named for a gay legislator) in Capitol Hill, Seattle’s historically queer neighborhood, where 23 protesters were arrested last weekend. The incident, which took place May 24, has gained national headlines, spawned more protests/counterprotests and drew the gaze of prominent watchers of Christian supremacy to Seattle.

This week Erin was flying solo on the radio, but Val and Hedge were there in spirit. We have an interview with Christopher Blackwell, an incarcerated journalist in Washington discussing with Val and Hedge the challenges and dynamics of reporting from prison. The conversation covers a lot of ground: the limited technology available to even type and research stories, the dehumanization of incarcerated folks, how we can build community in prison and outside and more. Then Erin fills us in on the latest news this week, including an update on union busting at Planned Parenthood, the new rent stabilization laws in Washington and the Strippers' Bill of Rights. 03:20 Interview with Christopher Blackwell Begins31:59 The official cost of Union Busting at Planned Parenthood38:46 Rent Stabilization Legislation45:27 Strippers' Bill of Rights