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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Washington sues Providence Health & Services for illegal treatment of pregnant employees. A host of reasons, like Washington’s Climate Commitment Act and fuel costs, will likely cause higher utility rates next year for Spokanites. State Sen. Shelly Short (R-Addy) faces three challengers in her re-election bid. Washington cities are increasing public transit frequency for World Cup festivities. Sandpoint's century-old Panida Theater needs grant money to become ADA and fire code compliant. -
Plus, Kootenai County considers more nuanced restrictions on kratom than Eastern Washington neighbors. The public will get the chance to weigh in on dissolving the Kootenai Health District. Spokane Long Term Recovery Group looks to build 24 new houses in the next two years for families who lost homes in the Oregon Road and Gray fires. Providence increases training requirements for psych triage. Let's Go Washington launches initiative signature gather with less than two months until submission deadline after the state rebuffed a referendum attempt. -
Plus, AG Nick Brown says states are having to pick up the slack on anti-trust litigation as feds drop cases. Central Valley School District expands free preschool, but the superintendent worries it's not enough. A "fish helix" could make salmon restoration easier without creating agricultural difficulties. And the Trump administration officially cancels a Biden-era conservation rule for public lands. -
Plus, voter repeal effort against WA’s "millionaires' tax" launches following failed lawsuit. WA officials continue to sound alarms over low snowpack and plan information-gathering town halls. Open seats in eastern WA attract many Independent candidates. Walla Walla Community College looks for business partners to stave off closing its Clarkston campus as staffing cuts loom. And Seattle officials are training business leaders to look for signs of human trafficking ahead of the World Cup. -
Plus, new data shows 13% of Washingtonians dropping ACA coverage after federal subsidies expired. The World Cup may not have the economic effect that Seattle or Spokane expected. Medical Lake expands Eastern Washington's ban on selling kratom. Latah County wants a new jail, but isn't sure how to pay for it. Sunnyside is getting more housing for H-2A visa workers. Labor advocates worry fewer local farmworkers will be hired. -
Plus, Panhandle Health District are happy to renounce CDC guidelines. New report raises concerns about sexual assault investigations at WA's largest immigration detention center. Washington's Department for Ecology asks for public input on water use this summer. Spokane Valley bans crypto kiosks. -
One WA Democratic leader proposed redistricting in January. He says trying again isn't off the tableHouse Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon sponsored a proposed constitutional amendment that would let WA redraw its maps mid-decade—if another state did so first. Now that more GOP-led states are looking to draw new districts, Fitzgibbon says Democrats should do the same. But his proposal depends on whether his party can pick up enough seats this November to hold supermajorities in the legislature. -
Plus, new polling shows Spokane residents’ top worries continue to be public safety and homelessness. But the cost of living and taxes are catching up. The Spokane Police Department is getting new training in a restraining method that’s said to be safer for both officer and arrestee. The block on WA's new sheriff eligibility requirements will stand as a challenge to the law goes forward. Thousands of people in Washington and Idaho are dropping their subsidized health insurance coverage after Congress failed to renew federal tax credits. Idaho looking for help from the public to decide how to spend opioid settlement dollars. -
Plus, Washington's Supreme Court says the "millionaires' tax" can't be challenged by referendum—though voters may still get a chance to weigh in. Rep. Michael Baumgartner holds a town hall in Republic after seeing protestors in Colville. Gas prices in Washington hit another record high today. And Spokane is trying to curb late night street racing. -
Plus, after a wet but not snowy winter, will WA growers have enough water for the summer? State lawyers prepare to challenge a block of WA's new sheriff requirements. Today opens candidate filing week in WA, including for open seats in Congress and the state House. WSDOT incentivizes switch to zero-emission vehicles and equipment with vouchers. And 50th Bloomsday sees first US winners in elite men's women's races in decades.
