Orion Donovan Smith

Covering the other Washington for @SpokesmanReview | 2026 Chair, Standing Committee of Correspondents | Long-suffering Mariners and Canucks fan

[Orion Donovan Smith @orionds]

Five years after the VA launched a new computer system in Spokane, @desmondbutler and I found the $10 billion Oracle EHR is still beset with problems, as the Trump administration gears up to launch it at 13 more hospitals in 2026.

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https://t.co/LBU3nM1E7b

[Anne Flaherty @AnneKFlaherty]

Worth a watch:

@RobbieGramer who covers national security on my team went back to his home state of Idaho

He looks at the political landscape there and what the tug of war within the GOP in that state means for the broader US:

https://t.co/6xZSAq2Knf

[Daniel Walters @danielwreporter]

We heard this in 2018, but it wasn't even close.

[anumita kaur @anumitakaur]

DCCC tapped WA-05 as a “race in play,” signaling that the party views an opportunity to flip a House seat in Eastern Washington — a reliably Republican stretch of the state that sent Rep. Michael Baumgartner to the Capitol in 2024: https://t.co/OXfaa3wUnz

[Wilson Criscione @Wilsoncriscione]

How Rob Curley’s plan to make the Spokesman-Review ‘The People’s Paper’ ended in a newsroom revolt

Reported in collaboration with RANGE:
https://t.co/YwVPNqOIE6

[Scott Wong @scottwongDC]

Scoop: Congressional staffers planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France 2 weeks before election

The weeklong bipartisan trip — which included visits to a Ferrari factory, luxury brands in Milan or Florence & day trips to the Champagne wine region — was to be led by a top aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

It was canceled TODAY after @NBCNews asked about the itinerary. https://t.co/y5CUzeS6KV

[Tal Kopan @TalKopan]

House lawmakers need a raise, but know it would look bad. But a recent expense program is giving most members an average of a 10% bump.

https://t.co/JNQw63D9FD

[Michael Scherer @michaelscherer]

so much in one sentence.

[Josh Barro @jbarro]

Remember when Tim Walz started calling Trump “weird” and Democrats really thought it was clever and effective?

[Emily Zanotti 🦝 @emzanotti]

Oh man the influencer instruction emails went out BEFORE the testimony 😂☠️

[Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur]

A phenomenal moment in the Senate.

Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., claims he has evidence Jack Smith went to a HAWKS game in Atlanta.

Smith denies it.

Schmitt declares he has busted Jack Smith for perjury.

Smith, vexed, says he went to HAWKEYES game in Maryland.

Watch the whole thing:

[The Legendary FloorCharts @FloorCharts]

Charts never got out of style. (and as always, you pay for them!)

[David Weigel @daveweigel]

Three very good "oh no" faces here.

[Mike Petriello @mike_petriello]

There's no shortage of reasons why the 2026 Mariners disappointed, but also:

- slowest team in baseball, 2026
- one of the five weakest defensive teams since 2016

That's a tough way to win.

https://t.co/0wmw0OmOPe

[Orion Donovan Smith @orionds]

Reinforces my long-running, low-level beef with certain members of Congress for not washing their hands after using the bathroom.

[Igor Bobic @igorbobic]

Peed myself silly reading this @emilyykennard story on the private bathroom used by House members

And — guess what — House dudes are not washing their hands https://t.co/UbvzilZwc5

[Hannah Wiley @hannahcwiley]

Opinion: Liberal Democrats gutted California’s CARE court, so homeless addicts just say ‘no'

Read to the end for a truly gutting kicker https://t.co/54jjfkWe97

[Nick Grube @nickgrube]

Curious about that steak dinner kicker in that @propublica banger about U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and Hawaiʻi defense contractor Martin Kao?

Here’s what you need to know… 🧵

[K Tully-McManus @ktullymcmanus]

Joint statement from the Standing and Executive Committees of Correspondents of Capitol Hill:

[Joon Lee @joonlee]

Letting people bet on borrowed money is an absolutely terrible idea (even if you can't bet on sports)

[Matt Friedman @MattFriedmanNJ]

Propublica did a hell of a lot more than just take the guy's word. The donations to the super PAC are documented. And they published emails between the donor and the head of the super PAC that discussed hiding the source of the money. Don't insult our intelligence.

[McKay Coppins @mckaycoppins]

The sports betting industry will say this guys is an extreme example, and he is. But there's a reason bankruptcies and credit card delinquencies increase 25% in states that legalize online gambling.