Latest News – The Columbian

Oregon man accused of killing women and dumping their bodies is arraigned on fifth murder charge

CLAIRE RUSH, Associated Press — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:11:36 +0000

PORTLAND — A man accused of killing several women and dumping their bodies in the Portland area was arraigned Wednesday on a fifth murder charge.

House approves war powers resolution to halt military action against Iran, in a rebuke of Trump

LISA MASCARO, Associated Press — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:57:36 +0000

WASHINGTON — The House for the first time Wednesday approved a war powers resolution that would halt the U.S. military action against Iran, defying President Donald Trump as a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to end the three-month-long conflict that has reordered politics at home and abroad.

Attitudes toward same-sex marriage and transgender issues are shifting, Gallup poll shows

GEOFF MULVIHILL and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX, Associated Press — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:00:10 +0000

Acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has flattened after more than two decades of steadily increasing support, with an ongoing decline among Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.

Oil prices climb back toward $100, and US stocks halt their record-breaking rally

Associated Press — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 20:44:06 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rose Wednesday following the latest flare-up in fighting to threaten the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, and U.S. stocks retreated from their records.

Ford recall for seat belt issue and a do-not-drive order for some Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles

MICHELLE CHAPMAN, Associated Press — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 19:25:38 +0000

Ford is recalling almost 420,000 vehicles because of a seat belt issue that may result in an injury if a crash occurs.

Suspect who took 10 people hostage in California standoff has been shot and killed, police say

JULIE WATSON and JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 19:23:56 +0000

A man was shot and killed by the FBI early Wednesday after holding 10 school employees hostage, including some who were tied up, and warning he had strapped explosives to himself and some of the hostages inside a Southern California office building, police said.

U.S. Chemical Safety Board faces steep cuts during Longview probe

Anumita Kaur and Rebecca Moss, The Seattle Times — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 19:00:49 +0000

WASHINGTON — As federal investigators descend on Longview to make sense of the catastrophic implosion at a pulp and paper mill, Congress is weighing a proposal to cut the investigating agency’s budget by more than 40%.

More Idaho farmers, ranchers can now get federal funds to help migrating wildlife

Nicole Blanchard, The Idaho Statesman — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:36:07 +0000

BOISE, Idaho — Federal officials on Tuesday announced an expansion to a program that uses Farm Bill funding to help farmers and ranchers preserve big-game migration corridors on private land. The announcement was made in Boise at a Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies conference.

What we know about Longview superintendent’s contract

Minka Atkinson, The Daily News, Longview — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:23:57 +0000

LONGVIEW — Community members have questioned the Longview School Board’s decision to renew Superintendent Karen Cloninger’s contract without public discussion amid controversy about allegations of sexual assaults taking place at Mark Morris High School.

Scott Pelley fired from ’60 Minutes,’ deepening turmoil at CBS News

HANNAH SCHOENBAUM, Associated Press — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:15:59 +0000

CBS News fired longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley on Tuesday, a day after he reportedly said Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss was “murdering the show” and accused its new producer of having “slender qualifications” for the job.

Longview industrial spill leaves hundreds more fish dead

Joseph O’Sullivan, The Seattle Times — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:41:41 +0000

Emergency response crews retrieved another 337 dead fish Tuesday from around the Nippon Dynawave Packaging paper mill in Longview, where a chemical tank failed last week, killing 11 people.

Takeaways from primaries featuring Spencer Pratt, a missing congressman and a rare Trump setback

Associated Press — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:21:05 +0000

WASHINGTON — The contours of a premier Senate race took shape in Iowa, while President Donald Trump’s endorsement streak ran into a roadblock there.

Iran strikes Kuwait’s main airport and kills 1 as ceasefire is tested again

Associated Press — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:10:11 +0000

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Kuwait briefly shut its main airport Wednesday after Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal building, killed one person and wounded dozens — the latest in back-and-forth attacks by Tehran and Washington that test a fragile ceasefire.

U.S. says it plans extra tariffs of 10% or more for most trading partners after forced labor probe

Associated Press — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:09:05 +0000

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is proposing double-digit tariffs on products from dozens of major U.S. trading partners after an investigation into imports of goods allegedly made with forced labor.

Ukrainian drones hit St. Petersburg oil terminal before it hosts Russian economic forum

Associated Press — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:07:03 +0000

Ukrainian long-range drones struck an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and set it ablaze, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday, sending smoke billowing over the city where President Vladimir Putin was born as it hosts Russia’s leading event for attracting foreign capital.

Peabo Bryson, R&B singer known for Disney classics, dies at 75

Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:23:08 +0000

Peabo Bryson, a Grammy-winning R&B singer known for his duets from Disney classics “Aladdin” and “ Beauty and the Beast,” has died. He was 75.

Nearly $1.3M already raised by WA Supreme Court candidates. The stakes are high

Simone Carter, The Olympian — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:00:51 +0000

OLYMPIA — In past election cycles, most eyes weren’t necessarily trained toward the Temple of Justice in Olympia.

The show will go on: White House correspondents’ dinner rescheduled for July, with Trump attending

JOCELYN NOVECK, Associated Press — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:55:05 +0000

NEW YORK — And now, Take Two: The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has been rescheduled — with President Donald Trump apparently in attendance.

Blanche says Trump administration is scrapping $1.8B fund meant to compensate president’s allies

ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, Associated Press — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:10:28 +0000

WASHINGTON — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday that the Trump administration was scrapping plans to create a $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate allies of the Republican president after widespread political backlash and setbacks in the courts.

Wall Street inches to more records thanks to booming AI stocks

Associated Press — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 20:21:55 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market inched to more records Tuesday as winners of the artificial-intelligence boom kept driving higher.

Massive Russian attack kills 22 people across Ukraine, officials say, as Moscow escalates fighting

Associated Press — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:35:59 +0000

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least 22 civilians and wounding 138 others, authorities said Tuesday.

Gasoline prices show spring surge, recent pullback across WA and U.S.

Nance Beston, Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:32:08 +0000

MOSES LAKE — Gasoline prices across Washington, the nation, Grant County and Adams County have followed a similar trajectory in the first five months of 2026: a steady climb through late winter and early spring, a peak in mid-May, and a modest decline heading into June, according to data from AAA.

How much does AC really cost in Washington? We asked the experts

Julia Hawkins, The News Tribune, Tacoma — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:30:37 +0000

As the weather heats up across Washington, your home can get a bit uncomfortable.

McDonald’s bets on fancier chicken, airier restaurants to keep luring diners

Daniela Sirtori, Bloomberg News — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:18:18 +0000

McDonald’s Corp. is betting on everything from fancier chicken to new playgrounds as part of a campaign to make fast food feel less like fast food.

Israel kills 8 in Lebanon, a day after Trump said Israel and Hezbollah will de-escalate

Associated Press — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:13:19 +0000

BEIRUT — Israeli drone strikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed eight people, including two children and their father, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel and the militant group Hezbollah agreed to dial back fighting. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, continued launching dozens of projectiles and drones toward Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and civilians in Israel.