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Good morning, Northwest.
It’s Election Day in the Evergreen State as voters participate in a closely watched primary.
OPB’s Erik Neumann starts today’s newsletter with a look at the biggest items on the ballot, including the contest for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District.
Stay with OPB throughout the day for primary election coverage from Southwest Washington.
Here’s your First Look at Tuesday’s news.
— Bradley W. Parks
Top story
FILE - An election worker processes ballots at the Clark County Elections Office in Vancouver, Wash., on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Washington primary election voting ends today. The race for its 3rd Congressional District is just getting started
Washington’s 3rd Congressional District will be critical for both Democrats and Republicans hoping to control the U.S. House.
Out of 435 House seats on the ballot this year, it’s one of only a handful of races political experts say will be a tossup.
Ballots are due to official drop boxes by 8 p.m. tonight. As the deadline nears, OPB caught up with voters across Southwest Washington to hear which issues were top of mind in this swing district. (Erik Neumann)
3 things to know
The remains of a home in North Spokane on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Anna King/Northwest Public Broadcasting
- Heat advisories will be in place for most of western Oregon and Southwest Washington this week, just as wildfire smoke blows in west of the Cascades, the National Weather Service says. (OPB staff)
- As outcry over fast-expanding data centers spreads in Oregon, a committee tasked with helping the state revamp its approach to the contentious facilities will meet today to begin crafting its recommendations. (Dirk VanderHart)
- Three large wildfires near Spokane have burned more than 8,000 acres and at least 700 structures as of yesterday morning and are still uncontained. Officials say it’s the worst natural disaster in Spokane’s history. (Paige Browning, Derek Wang, Anna King and Adia White, Northwest News Network)
Northwest headlines
A provided photo shows crews responding to the Jackass Butte Fire near the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Aug. 2, 2026.
Image via InciWeb
- Wildfires burn parts of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (Alejandro Figueroa)
- Pendleton wants homelessness lawsuit thrown out after tweaking city ‘resting’ rules (Antonio Sierra)
- Oregon attorney general again sues the Trump administration over tariffs (Kyra Buckley)
- Snohomish County is building Washington’s largest battery plant (Bellamy Pailthorp, KNKX)
- Rising tension in central Washington as farmland is eyed for energy and data center projects (Emma Renly, Washington State Standard)
Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation
“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app.
One more look
Elderberry Wisdom Farm intern Joaquin Ocana inspects a young elderberry plant in this July 9, 2026 photo. The farm eschews pesticides and so relies on chicken wire to keep them safe from wildlife.
Brian Bull / KLCC
Native-run farm teaches environmental practices, but faces hurdles under Trump administration
A modest, two-acre farm just off Interstate 5 near Salem aims to save the planet.
Elderberry Wisdom Farms, launched in 2018, is the creation of Rose High Bear. The 81-year-old Alaskan Native works with a team of interns on urban forestry and Indigenous conservation practices.
But funding challenges make its future uncertain. (Brian Bull, KLCC)
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