[WRAP: Joy in Washington 112025CF_Joy_WRAP.wav 0:53 11/20/25 Courtney Flatt/TD]

What’s bringing people joy in our communities right now? N-W-P-B’s Courtney Flatt starts us off in Wenatchee.

One of the Columbia Plateau’s most endangered birds just got more of its ideal habitat preserved. Another 21-hundred acres of shrubsteppe along the Columbia River now belongs to Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Department.

The Big Bend Wildlife Area north of Grand Coulee just got 21-hundred acres bigger—and so did habitat for an endangered bird.

All around Washington, cities are having to figure out how to create more housing. Tacoma changed its zoning allowances earlier this year to allow for more houses on one lot.

Host lead-in: Earlier this year, the city of Tacoma put in place a new policy called Home in Tacoma. It allows more and different kinds of homes to be built. So, how is it working out? N-W-P-B’s Lauren Gallup talks with a developer who says there’s a problem with the regulations.

Eugene is losing an airline before it even operated a single flight to the city. Breeze Airways has cancelled its planned route to Burbank that was supposed to start next spring. KLCC’s Zac Ziegler reports:

New data out today/Thursday from the Oregon Department of Education offers insight into how the state, districts, and schools are doing in terms of attendance and academic performance. Elizabeth Miller has details.

[THIS STORY IS EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 AM on THURSDAY!]

About a third of Oregon students were chronically absent last school year. KLCC’s Zac Ziegler reports on how one Lane County district relies on relationships to get students in the classroom:

There are more Oregon 9th graders on track to graduate than ever before. That’s one takeaway from new “at-a-glance” school profiles released today/Thursday by the Oregon Department of Education.

Part of the bill that ended the government shutdown will ban some hemp products containing the psychoactive substance T-H-C starting next year.