This is Northwest Public Broadcasting's Weekly News Now I'm Tracci Dial.

Thanks for joining us.

The great grizzly debate growls on, taking the North Cascades of Washington to D.C.

In a heated committee hearing on Capitol Hill recently, Congressman Dan Newhouse once again argued against bringing grizzlies back to the North Cascades.

He hammered on the so-called 10(j) rule, which would make it easier for managers to take care of problem bears.

He's working to overturn it, entering what's known as a “resolution of disapproval” under the Congressional Review Act.

Here's Newhouse.

“I will continue to fight for the farmers, the ranchers, the rural communities near the North Cascades.” You can read and listen to more on this grizzly debate, plus hear a hot mic moment from the hearing on our website.

From bears to bees, new research out of Washington State University shows colonies of bees that fly in warmer fall and winter weather are dying more quickly than they used to.

We talked to one of the researchers who helped author the study that recently published in Scientific Reports.

Brandon Hopkins says the bees are going out to forage when it's warmer later in the seasons, and that's depleting them for the springtime.

“If they don't have enough, and they can't raise enough replacements at a rate higher than the rate of them flying out and dying, then the colony dies out, which is called spring dwindling.” Hopkins says now just about a third of the nation's commercial bees are being stowed in cold storage facilities to protect them.

Now, for some joy.

300 days of jumping in the mighty Columbia River.

Courtney Flatt brings us a story of staunch commitment and making a splash in the Tri-Cities.

She introduces us to Greg Patton.

“For the past 25 years, Greg Patton has spent at least a few moments each month jumping in the Columbia River.” “All right... And it actually makes you feel good sometimes about to come up here and be like, sick or you're feeling bad and it kind of gives you some endorphins.

And if you're having a bad day, just come hit the river and if nothing else, you got your river Jump in.” Courtney was there with him and his family to commemorate jump number 300 this May.

You don't want to miss that full feature on NWPB.org.

There you'll find more on all of these stories, and you can also find NWPB on Instagram and Facebook.

I'm Tracci Dial That's your Weekly News Now.