Eilís O'Neill
Reporter
About
Eilís (eye-LEASH) O'Neill fell in love with radio when she was a 14-year-old high school intern at KUOW, in the program that later became RadioActive. Since then, she's worked as a radio reporter in South America and New York City and was thrilled to return to her hometown radio station in 2017. Her work has appeared on The World, Marketplace, and NPR.
Eilís has a degree in English and Spanish from Oberlin College and a master’s degree in science, environment and health journalism from Columbia University.
Stories
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Health
Tacoma woman with TB could be jailed for refusing treatment
A Tacoma woman with contagious tuberculosis is refusing to self-isolate and accept treatment, despite more than one court order mandating that she do so.
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Health
Proposed bill would let WA naturopaths prescribe opioids, other controlled meds
Naturopathic doctors say they’re well-positioned to help address Washington’s opioid crisis and provide comprehensive health care in rural parts of the state. But they say a change in state law is needed to practice medicine to the full extent of their training.
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Health
Washington state lawmakers again consider legalizing 'shrooms'
For the second time, the Washington State Legislature is considering legalizing psilocybin, the psychedelic drug found in magic mushrooms.
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Health
Post Roe, men are booking vasectomies
The Dobbs ruling overturning federal abortion protections had ripple effects across the country. One we’re feeling here: More men getting vasectomies. KUOW public health reporter Eilis O’Neal explains how the shift is opening a new conversation about responsibility when it comes to contraceptives and unintended pregnancy.
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Health
Post-Roe, vasectomies tick up in the Seattle area
Even in Western Washington, where abortions are still legal and available, vasectomies are up 34% post-Dobbs. The wait time for a vasectomy appointment in the Seattle area is now five or six months, and clinics that offer vasectomies are hiring more providers.
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Government
Washington state's new solution for foster parents and child care
Every year, Washington state struggles to find placements for hundreds of the about 8,000 children in foster care. One problem is that a lot of licensed foster parents in Washington state can’t take in kids under 5 at all.
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Health
Some fish in King County aren't safe to eat. How do you warn the right people?
Yellow perch, cutthroat trout, a couple of species of bass — in Lakes Washington, Sammamish, and Meridian these fish are not safe to eat.
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Business
Changes to Washington employment laws and wages in 2023
From changes to minimum wages, rideshare drivers, and employment transparency, new rules for Washington's employers went into effect at the start of 2023.
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Health
Washington needs 6k new nurses. This new program could help — a little
There are lots of jobs out there for registered nurses — in Washington state, about 6,000 of them. That nursing shortage can mean hospitals have to hire travel nurses at expensive rates, or sometimes they’re not able to staff all of their beds, which can lead to long wait times for patients.
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Health
Many children have lost parents to Covid. Here's how they're coping
In many ways, the needs of families who’ve lost a caregiver to Covid are similar to the needs of any family that’s lost a parent: grief support, mental health counseling, a way to replace lost income, help with logistics, and childcare, for instance. But the scale of Covid deaths creates a unique set of challenges.