Crosscut

Crosscut is a locally owned online news source, launched in the spring of 2007 with the participation of a number of veteran journalists from the area, that reports on happenings in the northwest (WA, OR, ID, BC), with a focus on the Seattle area.
It doesn’t cover murders, fires, or the weather. Just regional news and features – sharp reporting and engaging editorials on issues of (generally) abiding importance. Politics, transportation issues, environmental issues, the arts, etc. In addition to presenting writing from its own reporters, it also highlights news and articles of interest from other regional news sources. While the Seattle PI and Times are good to scan for catching the daily happenings in the area, Crosscut is good for in-​depth reporting and discussion.
The writing reminds me of what I used to read in the Village Voice or Chicago Reader, back when city weeklies took a thoughtful and engaging look at important happenings rather than focusing on stories of the bizarre or outrageous (as entertaining as such stories can be). The pieces are so good that people not only read them, but have really good discussions in the comment areas – and sometimes the authors jump in too.