Explore the brighter side of the news with KIRO Newsradio's Colleen O'Brien

Colleen O'Brien

Photo: A view of Mount Rainier is photographed from an Alaska Airlines flight flying at 25,000 feet...
Colleen O'Brien

Colleen O’Brien: Mount McKinley became Denali; will Mount Rainier’s name also change?

KIRO Newsradio historian Feliks Banel thinks Mount Rainier will go back to its original name "in our lifetime."
1 month ago
The U.S Supreme Court is photographed on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, in Washington. The Supreme Court is ...
Colleen O'Brien

Colleen O’Brien: Supreme Court grapples with Idaho abortion ban

In 2022, the right to abortion care was struck down and that's why we now find ourselves covering Supreme Court cases involving state laws around abortion.
2 months ago
Photo: Empty desks at Twentynine Palms Junior High School in Twentynine Palms, Calif., Aug. 18, 202...
Colleen O'Brien

Colleen O’Brien: Is the FAFSA loan worth the degree?

The government revised FAFSA forms to make them less cumbersome. But the rollout of this new form at the start of 2024 was less than ideal.
2 months ago
Photo: An unoccupied recovery area, left, and an abortion procedure room are seen at a Planned Pare...
Colleen O'Brien

Colleen O’Brien: Female oncologist gives advice for women choosing a doctor

Women's History Month comes with celebrations. Yet, society has a long way to go regarding treating women as equally important as men.
3 months ago
Image: Washington's 2nd District Representative J.T. Wilcox is resigning....
Colleen O'Brien

Colleen O’Brien: Rep. Wilcox explains why he’s leaving the legislature

After 14 years in the state legislature, Rep. J.T. Wilcox is resigning. He stated that younger leadership needs to take over.
4 months ago
AI layoffs...
Colleen O'Brien

Colleen O’Brien: Good news for jobs amid massive layoffs — AI engineers

Mike said there have been roughly 200,000 layoffs, broadly speaking, in the last two years. Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Google and Meta are all involved.
4 months ago
This undated, colorized electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of...
Colleen O'Brien

The SMN Interviews: Latest COVID-19 variant escapes natural immunity

The most prevalent COVID-19 variant circulating right now is JN.1 and is a sub-variant of omicron. JN.1 is very infectious, according to Dr. Keith Jerome.
5 months ago
Image: Empty food plates are seen in London....
Colleen O'Brien

The SMN Interviews: How the ‘Clean Plate Club’ ruined us all

"People trying to use willpower to change eating habits is not something that works very well ..." Dr. Judson Brewer said to Seattle's Morning News.
5 months ago
Kindergarten...
Colleen O'Brien

‘Childcare reaching a crisis point,’ State House tries to come up with answers

Two competing childcare bills in the state House claim to have a solution to the childcare crisis.
5 months ago
Quinault Wellness Center addiction...
Colleen O'Brien

‘I like what I see in the mirror:’ Struggling addicts get help at Quinault Wellness

The Quinault Wellness Center will celebrate its one-year anniversary in October of 2023 with success stories of its own.
10 months ago
Remote work...
Bill Kaczaraba

Employers should adjust to ‘quiet quitting’ analyst says

Analyst Jill Schlesinger said many businesses are not doing a good job of adjusting to the current cultural and technical business trends.
2 years ago
Mandy Nottingham, 45, and her dog “Betty Boop” are homeless in Aberdeen, WA....
Colleen O'Brien

New Quinault Wellness Center aims to combat ever-growing Fentanyl crisis

In King County alone, nearly 400 people died after using fentanyl in 2021, which is a very high number considering that number was just three in 2015.
2 years ago
girl scout, cookie...
MyNorthwest Staff

New cookie, return to in-person sales could help boost Girl Scout funds in 2022

It's Girl Scout cookie season again. Three local scouts joined KIRO Newsradio to talk about this year's new cookie and what the money raised will support.
2 years ago
Holiday spending at Christmas...
MyNorthwest Staff

Holiday spending expected to set massive records in 2018

With the season kicking into full gear, holiday spending is poised to set records across the United States. But not everyone is spending the same.
6 years ago
Cindy Meyer...
Colleen O'Brien

Cougs fans step up to help alum still in need of kidney donor

Cougs alum Cindy Meyer has been in need of a kidney donor for awhile now, but the hope now is that with some help from her fellow Cougs, she could find one soon.
6 years ago
brownie...
Colleen O'Brien

Everett Brownie troop uses cookies sales to save pets

An Everett Brownie troop decided to do some good with profits from cookie sales.
6 years ago
Colleen O'Brien

Officer with plenty of ‘sole’ helps community

A longtime Dallas police officer has a side passion-project that came to him through his police work.
6 years ago
Colleen O'Brien

No age limit for Meals on Wheels volunteer

Edward Kydd has traveled more than 13,000 miles and put in 1,700 hours of service for Meals on Wheels. He's 101 years old.
6 years ago
Colleen O'Brien

Police introduce new (stuffed) member of the force

Police officers in America’s smallest state proved they have the biggest hearts by making boy's lost animal a member of the force.
6 years ago
Colleen O'Brien

A cardboard box makes a child’s day

As a Mississippi family patiently awaited the delivery of their new refrigerator from Lowe's their 6-year-old son patiently awaited the delivery of that refrigerator box.
6 years ago
Colleen O'Brien

Students gift janitor with incredible trip

Students gave the janitor at Bristol University cold hard cash and caught it on video.
6 years ago
Colleen O'Brien

Waiter creates prosthetic arm for young customer

A young girl rode her bike - truly rode her bike - for the first time last Wednesday thanks to a waiter at an Ohio pizza place.
6 years ago
Colleen O'Brien

Employer has unique solution to opioid crisis

The CEO of an electronics company in Indiana figured he had a problem when 10-percent of the people applying for jobs at his factory failed the drug test. A handful of his current employees had failed drug tests, too.
6 years ago
Colleen O'Brien

Volunteers drive dog 1,800 miles for loving reunion

An Arizona family thought their beloved dog was gone forever. But he was found 1,800 miles way in Pennsylvania.
6 years ago