Owen Henderson
Morning Edition Host and ReporterOwen Henderson hosts Morning Edition for SPR News, but after he gets off the air each day, he's reporting stories with the rest of the team. Owen is a 2023 graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he studied journalism with minors in Spanish and theater. Before joining the SPR newsroom, he worked as the Weekend Edition host for Illinois Public Media, as well as reporting on the arts and LGBTQ+ issues. Having grown up in the Midwest, he’s excited to get acquainted with the Inland Northwest and all that it has to offer. When he’s not in the newsroom or behind the mic, you can find Owen out on the trails hiking or in his kitchen baking bread.
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Plus, Washington sheriffs sue over new state law. The Kootenai County jail isn't always hitting staffing requirements even though officers are working thousands of hours of overtime. And some members of the Spokane Transit Authority board are pushing to get a sales tax renewal in front of voters this August. -
Plus, Kootenai County leaders disagree who has the power to stop middle schoolers from bringing drugs to school. Bonner County ambulances want to stop giving rides to people who don’t have any other way to get from the hospital back to a nursing home. And state support for rural Washington fire districts won’t get the ax after all. -
"Pop Culture Happy Hour" co-host, Tiny Desk Concert co-founder and NPR Music critic Stephen Thompson joins Owen Henderson for a conversation about developing music taste in the world of Spotify's algorithm, what records he's loving right now and why Weird Al should be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as the first interview in SPR's Tastemaker series. -
Plus, Spokane considers "right to cooling" for renters and pauses development of can-centric businesses in swathes of the city. Increased parking rates in Spokane might not be just because of a new tax. ID brings in more revenue than expected, but still less than legislators targeted. Private and public funders put millions of dollars towards a new library in Republic, WA. -
Plus, the Washington DNR is deciding which of its 200 sites will be shuttered after funding cuts. Hydropower operators in the Columbia River Basin are pushing back against a ruling that requires them to spill more water over dams to protect endangered salmon. WA's new requirements for sheriffs face more legal trouble. Spokane City Council is rushing to stop new drive thrus and quick vehicle service shops near public transit stops. -
Emba says the cultural scripts for what it means to be a modern man or woman are changing faster than ever before—and men especially are having a hard time keeping up. -
Plus, Washington's new 'millionaire's tax' faces legal challenges led by two previous state attorney generals. Washington school superintendent Chris Reykdal lambasts Democrats for cuts to kindergarten prep. A far-right blogger appeals her defamation case over a CDA drag performance, and Idaho Governor Brad Little vetoes five bills. -
Plus, WA declares a fourth consecutive statewide drought and has the second-biggest gender pay gap in the U.S. STA says its all but certain federal dollars are coming to cover half the cost of bus rapid transit on North Division, and famed Northwest climber Jim Whittaker dies at 97. -
Plus, Spokane Housing Authority builds childcare into its newest low income housing project, the Forest Service plans to close research stations and WSU gets a "new" athletic director. -
Plus, the WA Supreme Court is set to consider a Let's Go Washington lawsuit challenging the new income tax's referendum clause. And a new law in Idaho will ban transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity, but some Idahoans say it will be difficult to enforce. Finally, Spokane Valley could be the next American city to ban cryptocurrency kiosks amidst a nationwide crackdown.
