Samantha West

One-hundred days into his tenure leading Washington’s largest public school district, Superintendent Ben Shuldiner says school closures may be worth another look.

The budget for the state Department of Natural Resources' recreation program was cut by over 20% in 2025. This year, another $580,000 of maintenance funding was eliminated. All told, the program has seen $8 million of cuts in less than two years.

Unionized journalists from four Washington newspapers owned by McClatchy Media hit the picket line on Tuesday, striking in protest of alleged unfair labor practices.

A high school wrestler is suing Washington state over its policy on transgender athletes, alleging that a trans athlete sexually assaulted her during a match.

The men’s FIFA World Cup kicks off Thursday (pun intended), and Seattle is hosting six of those matches.

Washington's iconic North Cascades Highway is slated to fully reopen by June 19.

Bad news for Seattle birdwatchers: The Emerald City’s bird communities are in trouble.

Parents of a second grader are suing a school district on Seattle’s Eastside, alleging officials failed to protect their 7-year-old from sexual abuse.

Sami West joined KUOW’s web team as an Online Editor/Reporter in 2025. Before that, she spent over two years covering education at KUOW, reporting extensively on mounting financial challenges in Seattle Public Schools and districts across Washington state. Her coverage also centered on growing concerns about violence in and around schools, teacher shortages, the youth mental health crisis, and the countless ways Covid continues to affect schools and families, among other topics.

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates told a U.S. House committee he believes Jeffrey Epstein may have tried to blackmail him with information about his extramarital affairs.