Eliza Billingham
ReporterEliza Billingham served as a reporter for SPR until June 2026. She earned her master’s degree in journalism from Boston University, where she was selected as a fellow with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting to cover an illegal drug addiction treatment center in Hanoi, Vietnam. She’s spent her professional career in Spokane, covering everything from rent crises and ranching techniques to City Council and sober bartenders. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, she’s lived in Vietnam, Austria and Jerusalem and will always be a slow runner and a theology nerd.
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Plus, WA signs agreement to merge carbon markets with CA and Québec. Spokane Haitian community leaders ask for support after a SCOTUS decision allowing the White House to TPS. Kootenai County will need to undo rules on in-law suites and guest houses before ID’s new short term rental law goes into effect July 1. USFS proposes storm clean-up in north Idaho and western Montana. A conservation group says the plan is an excuse to rush through logging authorization. And Amazon invests in a modular nuclear reactor in eastern WA. -
Plus, NWS issues red flag warnings for much of eastern, central WA. ID once again has one of the lowest SNAP payment error rates in the country, while WA could soon be penalized for its rate. WSU looks to attract Indigenous youth to health sciences careers using basketball. A Gonzaga lecturer heads to Spain to swim in the "Gay Olympics." Maple Street Bridge reopens first to pedestrians, cyclists before cars return. And Idaho's Wassmuth Center for Human Rights celebrates its 30th anniversary and its CDA namesake. -
Plus, at least one person has died and 15 houses have been lost in the Upriver Fire. Farmworker advocates are warning fire season will also affect ag workers this summer. State and federal tax cuts are helping ID's top earning families the most, while some low-income households have actually seen their taxes go up, a report finds. And Spokane Valley considers banning the possession of fireworks. -
The incident management team says overnight humidity helped moderate fire behavior and allowed crews to strengthen containment lines. -
The Gainbridge Super League's Goalkeeper of the Year two years in a row chats about why the shutdown happened, and what it means for women’s soccer across the country. -
Plus, 12,000 Spokanites are under evacuation orders as the Upriver Fire burns. Gov. Little says ID is in good shape for fire season, but a state fund for firefighting is already empty. A federal judge partially blocks ID's criminal trans bathroom ban. And the Panhandle Health District won't shutter clinics to save money, but services will continue to lean toward MAHA priorities. -
Plus, NWS issues red flag warnings for central, eastern WA. Spokane City Council punts on data center moratorium after Avista pauses talks with customer. Spokane County looks to incentivize affordable housing. Nationwide report shows WA struggling to meet kids’ education needs. Federal judge weighs a new exception to Idaho's abortion ban after 5-day trial ends. And Seattle's first World Cup game between Egypt and Belgium ends in a 1-1 draw. -
Will Spokane adopt a moratorium on data centers? It's on the city council's agenda tonight. Wildfire season is back and flames are burning parts of southeast Washington. -
Plus, Spokane will consider an yearlong, citywide moratorium on data centers next week. Spokane's Safe and Healthy Task Force says the region must do a better job of balancing criminal justice needs with social service needs. Puyallup high school wrestler sues WA transgender athletes policy. Ballmer Group pledges up to $1.5 billion in forgivable loans for WA affordable housing. And a wildfire prevention bill had bipartisan support in the Senate. Then GOP lawmakers added a provision to kill the "roadless rule." -
The World Cup team let five hundred fans watch them practice for a couple hours starting around noon on Wednesday.
