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In This Church, Child Sexual Abuse Has Gone Unchecked for So Long That It Spans Generations
The Old Apostolic Lutheran Church’s culture of forgiving and forgetting sins has absolved abusers and silenced victims across the U.S. and Canada, ensnaring parents, children and grandchildren in the same cycle of abuse.
Reporting From the Northwest
Our Northwest hub covers Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Oregon. The six-person reporting team includes three Local Reporting Network Distinguished Fellows and is committed to partnering with local media.
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Featured Stories
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A Low-Income Housing Program Is Pouring Billions Into Housing Many People Can’t Afford
The federal tax credit provides up to $15 billion in subsidies a year to help developers build apartments. It’s created housing that’s often no more affordable than the market rate.
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Alaska’s Deteriorating Schools Could Receive More Than $148 Million for Repairs. It’s a Fraction of What They Need.
Following reporting by KYUK, ProPublica and NPR, lawmakers tripled the funding the state would allocate toward school construction and maintenance. The budget increase would still only cover about 13% of what school districts requested.
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This Convicted Felon Gets $1 Million a Year to Sell Obsolete Internet Service. You Pay for It.
Roger Shoffstall spent three years in prison for tax evasion. Still, each year the federal government pays his Alaska company, Summit Telephone, for internet service that’s slower than in most of the U.S.
Northwest News Staff
Northwest Editor
Steve Suo
Reporters
Rob Davis, Audrey Dutton and McKenzie Funk
Northwest Fellows
Ashley Hiruko, Kyle Hopkins and Tony Schick
Local Reporting Network Partners
ProPublica is supporting local and regional newsrooms as they work on important investigative projects affecting their communities. Some of our past and present partners in the region:
Anchorage Daily News
Anchorage, Alaska
High Country News
Multistate
Idaho Statesman
Boise, Idaho
KUOW
Seattle, Washington
KYUK
Bethel, Alaska
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Portland, Oregon
Street Roots
Portland, Oregon
The Seattle Times
Seattle, Washington
More Stories
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We’re Investigating Alaska Internet Companies. We Need Your Help.
Alaskans pay the most for phone and internet but get the slowest service. Please fill out our quick survey to share how much it costs you to get online and what you think of the service.
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A Unique Oregon Law Allows It to Block Healthcare Deals. In Five Years, the State Hasn’t Done So Once.
Lawmakers said that giving the state oversight would stop multibillion-dollar deals from reducing care and increasing costs. Some who supported the law say it hasn’t been nearly as effective as they hoped.
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Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth
The vitamin K shot, a lifesaving injection given to newborns to prevent uncontrollable bleeding of the brain and intestines, has become collateral damage of the anti-vaccine movement.
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An OB-GYN Was Repeatedly Accused of Sexual Misconduct. The State Medical Board Let Him Keep Practicing.
The first accusation against Dr. Mark Mulholland came in January 2022. Two more arrived in 2023 and a fourth in 2024 before the board took action against his license last year. Then even more patients came forward.
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New Portland Trail Blazers Owner Played Key Role at Company Oregon Accused of Predatory Lending
Documents obtained by ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting reveal that Tom Dundon was behind what regulators called an “aggressive push” to waive proof-of-income requirements at Santander Consumer USA.
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As Trump Demands Voter Data, This Fiercely Independent Red State Says No
Wary of federal intrusion, Idaho passed a law three decades ago allowing it to sidestep so-called motor-voter laws. The exemption and the sentiment behind it are fueling resistance to President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.
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Oregon Voters Overwhelmingly Said Yes to Limiting Money in Politics. Then Politicians Had Their Say.
Some 78% of Oregon voters approved limiting campaign contributions in 2020. Four years later, the Legislature finally adopted limits, but an advocate for tighter controls says recent changes render Oregon’s contribution limits “illusory.”
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Idaho Seeks to Improve Its Troubled Coroner System and Lagging Child Autopsy Rates
An advisory panel is developing a bill to mandate autopsies in some circumstances, including unexplained child deaths. The state would help fund autopsies for coroners who get national certification, to address underfunding and bolster standards.
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Nike Says Its Factory Workers Make Nearly Double the Minimum Wage. In Indonesia, Workers Say, “It’s Not True.”
An average worker at the foreign factories that make Nike’s goods earns 1.9 times the local minimum wage, the company says. None of the workers The Oregonian/OregonLive spoke with in Nike’s second-largest production hub said they earned that much.
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She Was a Key Voice of the 1990s Labor Movement in Nike’s Indonesia Factories. Today She Relies on Donations From Abroad.
In 1992, Cicih Sukaesih led fellow Indonesian factory workers in a strike, part of a movement that led Nike to create its first code of conduct. She reflects on her achievements and what’s happened since.
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Two School Districts Sue, Claiming Alaska Is Failing Its Constitutional Obligation to Fund Public Education
The lawsuit points to the effects of the state’s underfunding, including low proficiency-test scores and dangerous building conditions.
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Our Reporting Showed Washington Ranks Last in Green Energy Growth. Now the State Is Working to Speed It Up.
The state’s departing commerce director said there’s added urgency to get the projects done after an Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica investigation showed states like Iowa and Texas have made more progress in renewable energy growth.
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Documenting an Alaska Village, Before and After the Storm That Destroyed It
The story of Typhoon Halong’s destruction in Kipnuk adds an exclamation point to long-simmering fears about the future of Alaska coastal villages facing down climate change.
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Alaska Lawmaker Calls for Hiring More Prosecutors, Public Defenders to Reduce Extreme Delay in Criminal Cases
A Judiciary Committee chair said stories by the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica about sluggish court proceedings “stab my heart.” Fixing the problem will take more than a state Supreme Court order last year limiting new delays, he said.
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Oregon Faced a Huge Obstacle in Adding Green Energy. Here’s What Changed This Year.
Gov. Tina Kotek has been pushing to make progress on the state's renewable energy projects since ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting highlighted obstacles.
