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Trump signs order seeking to curb vote-by-mail in bid to control state election laws
Published: March 31, 2026 22:55
President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on Tuesday that attempts to restrict mail-in voting, a White House priority certain to face significant legal challenges. The order directs the U.S. Department of Homeland Security along with the…
Forest Service headquarters to relocate to Salt Lake City in major restructuring plan
Published: March 31, 2026 22:43
The headquarters of the U.S. Forest Service will move from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday, a move the agency described as a “common-sense approach to improve mission delivery.” Noting that the…
U.S. Supreme Court rules against Colorado ban on conversion therapy
Published: March 31, 2026 20:09
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with a conservative Christian counselor who argued that Colorado’s 2019 law banning “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ minors may violate her First Amendment right to free speech. The court’s 8-1 opinion, authored by…
As gas spikes to an average $4 a gallon, Hegseth says Iran ground war still an option
Published: March 31, 2026 19:58
WASHINGTON — The White House defended skyrocketing gas prices Tuesday as a “short-term disruption” during the ongoing war in Iran, as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the administration will not “foreclose any option” in the conflict, including boots…
Amazon to pay $20.5 million settlement over northeast Oregon nitrate pollution
Published: March 31, 2026 18:49
Tech giant Amazon will pay $20.5 million to settle with northeast Oregonians living with contaminated groundwater in exchange for no admission of guilt in the polluting. Amazon is one of 17 total defendants, including 10 previously unnamed ones, in Pearson…
Pacific Power, PGE raise residential electricity rates again for Oregon customers
Published: March 31, 2026 17:09
The 1.5 million Oregon households who receive electric service through Pacific Power or Portland General Electric will pay more this year. The state’s Public Utility Commission — a three-person governor-appointed group charged with regulating the rates of…
A pencil running for Oregon governor hopes to make its mark on education issues
Published: March 31, 2026 13:00
Oregon’s low youth literacy rates spurred a new candidate to announce a write-in campaign for governor on Monday. Most Oregonians have at least some experience with the candidate, but it’s never held elected office before. It’s not even human. Schuberth, a…
Free job support available to Oregonians meeting SNAP work requirements
Published: March 30, 2026 21:57
Free employment and training services are available to Oregonians receiving food assistance and needing to meet new work requirements imposed by the Trump administration. The Oregon Department of Human Services and the Oregon Employment Department, both…
Acting ICE director says feds not ‘currently’ planning new Oregon detention centers
Published: March 30, 2026 21:10
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has no current plans to build new detention facilities or expand existing ICE locations in the state of Oregon, a top ICE official said, tempering months of speculation that a new facility could be coming to the…
TSA officers finally get paid amid ongoing Homeland Security shutdown
Published: March 30, 2026 20:42
Most Transportation Security Administration officers received a paycheck Monday covering four weeks of back wages that were held up by the funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security, a TSA spokesperson said. The lack of pay had produced long wait…
As Washington gets an income tax, the fight to overturn it begins
Published: March 30, 2026 17:35
Come Monday, Washington is expected to have a state income tax on the books for the first time in nearly a century. Then what? A legal challenge certainly, maybe two. A ballot battle as well, its timing less certain. Opponents of the much-debated 9.9% tax…
Washington charges drivers for buying studded tires. Why doesn’t Oregon?
Published: March 30, 2026 13:22
As weather warms and more Oregonians spend their time outside, spring brings the telltale clicking sounds of studded tires carving ruts into snow-free roads. Studies have shown that studded tires reduce road life and cost the state millions in repairs.…
Oregonians take to streets to protest Trump as part of third No Kings day of rallies
Published: March 28, 2026 22:40
PORTLAND and SALEM — Tens of thousands of Oregonians turned out to protest Saturday as part of a national wave of rallies against President Donald Trump and his administration. The third coordinated national day of No Kings protests drew Oregonians with…
No Kings day rallies roll out across the US, with millions said to attend anti-Trump protests
Published: March 28, 2026 18:38
WASHINGTON — Large crowds took to the streets Saturday in the nation’s capital for the third No Kings protest, rallying with others across the United States against what organizers say is an unprecedented expansion of power by President Donald Trump.…
As No Kings protests grow, a bigger question looms: What comes next?
Published: March 28, 2026 13:00
Thousands of protests are scheduled across the United States on Saturday as part of the “No Kings” movement opposing President Donald Trump’s administration. Organizers expect millions of people to turn out for this third round of No Kings demonstrations,…
DOJ confirms voter data sharing with Homeland Security, but denies building national list
Published: March 27, 2026 21:54
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed in court Thursday that it is sharing sensitive voter data with the Department of Homeland Security in a search for noncitizen voters. But a DOJ lawyer denied the department is building a national voter database. The…
Oregon Supreme Court reverses child sex abuse conviction on privacy grounds
Published: March 27, 2026 19:07
The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a Lane County man’s conviction for encouraging child sex abuse, ruling that local authorities subjected him to a warrantless search when monitoring his use of a restaurant’s free wireless internet network. …
Oregon Dems request feds get more public input on massive new logging plans for western forests
Published: March 27, 2026 18:35
Oregon’s congressional Democrats are asking federal officials to give the public more time to learn about and comment on new plans that would open up millions of acres of federal forests in Oregon to logging activity not seen since the 1960s. The Bureau of…
US House refuses to vote on Senate deal to fund Homeland Security without ICE, Border Patrol
Published: March 27, 2026 16:35
WASHINGTON — U.S. Speaker Mike Johnson announced Friday afternoon the House will not even consider a Senate-passed funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, likely prolonging the shutdown that began in mid-February. Johnson, R-La., said during…
Wyden, Merkley slam ‘baseless’ federal investigation into Oregon abortion coverage requirement
Published: March 27, 2026 13:00
Oregon’s U.S. senators are calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to drop a “needless and wasteful” investigation into Oregon and other states that require health insurers to cover abortion. In a letter sent Friday to Health and Human…
Federal agents arrest 2 at downtown Salem courthouse
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/26/federal-agents-arrest-2-at-downtown-salem-courthouse/
Published: March 27, 2026 02:47
Salem Reporter first published this article. Federal agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security arrested two people inside the Marion County Courthouse on Thursday, March 26. One arrest was made with help from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office,…
The trail and the nut in Yamhill County
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/26/the-trail-and-the-nut-in-yamhill-county/
Published: March 26, 2026 23:48
On March 19, the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners voted to remove from county transportation plans a rail-to-trail corridor stretching 17 miles near Highway 47 from McMinnville to Gaston. What comes next could be worthy of note. But the backdrop of…
Oregon business leaders urge Gov. Kotek to think bigger with prosperity council effort
Published: March 26, 2026 23:33
A leading Oregon business group is urging Gov. Tina Kotek’s economic advisers to act with greater ambition if they want to attract businesses into the state and reignite the state’s economy. In a letter last week to the governor’s economic prosperity…
Trump to sign emergency order to pay TSA agents with no deal in Congress on shutdown
Published: March 26, 2026 23:27
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will sign an order allowing the Department of Homeland Security to pay airport security workers who have gone without a full paycheck since the shutdown began in mid-February. The order for…
Employment status at issue as US Senate panel tackles knotty college sports landscape
Published: March 26, 2026 21:08
WASHINGTON — Mikayla Pivec said she worked more than 50 hours per week as a women’s college basketball player, but earned less than $8 an hour from a $1,600 monthly stipend. The professional basketball player and former star at Oregon State University said…
Appeals court pauses rulings that limit federal force outside Portland ICE building
Published: March 26, 2026 17:13
A federal appeals court late Wednesday temporarily blocked two separate rulings drastically limiting when federal officers can use crowd control weapons outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland. In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge…
State savings weaken as budget pressures increase, analysis warns
Published: March 26, 2026 13:00
State rainy day funds — money reserved to cover unexpected expenses and patch short-term budget holes — are declining nationally as states face increased costs, lower tax revenue and federal budget cuts, a new analysis found. The decline follows a period…
State grant program providing millions for child care infrastructure projects winds down
Published: March 25, 2026 22:00
A short-lived grant program meant to expand child care offerings across Oregon by helping to pay for construction costs is winding down, state officials announced Wednesday. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, who spurred the creation of the Child Care Infrastructure…
Trump EPA to ease restrictions on summer ethanol-blend sales as gas prices soar
Published: March 25, 2026 20:59
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow gas stations to sell a blended fuel containing 15% ethanol into the summer season in an effort to lower gas prices, Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday. The blend, known as E15, is usually barred in…
Lawmakers took a step to fix Oregon’s looming budget crisis. Now we need a leap
Published: March 25, 2026 20:57
Oregon recently wrapped up its short legislative session, and let’s be honest about what happened: Lawmakers modestly trimmed tax breaks for rich investors and corporations to stave off cuts to services families depend on. That was the easy part. Oregon is…
Medicaid cuts could add pressure to already-stressed psychiatric units
Published: March 25, 2026 18:06
Federal Medicaid cuts could exact a heavy toll on psychiatric units at hospitals across the country, many of which are already struggling to keep their doors open but provide essential mental health care to people who need it. Psychiatric units are costly…
New urban growth boundary expansion criteria helps Woodburn, statewide affordable housing efforts
Published: March 25, 2026 13:00
City officials and developers are eying a 120-acre former farming property just outside of Woodburn city limits for a housing complex to meet the needs of the small Marion County city’s growing population. However, the city ran into a problem. The land is…
Mullin pledges to ‘protect everybody’ as he takes over Department of Homeland Security
Published: March 24, 2026 21:57
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump hailed his new Homeland Security head, former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, as “strong, professional and fair” during an Oval Office swearing-in ceremony Tuesday. Mullin, who until Monday was one of Oklahoma’s Republican…
Lawmakers spar over Homeland Security funding deal as shutdown strains airport security
Published: March 24, 2026 21:55
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday were waiting to hear back from Democrats after they sent them a new offer to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since mid-February. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.,…
Despite pressure to charge feds, Oregon won’t appeal fatal DEA crash case to Supreme Court
Published: March 24, 2026 20:50
The Oregon Department of Justice won’t pursue an appeal to the nation’s highest court for a homicide case against a federal Drug Enforcement Administration agent that could have tested Democratic-led states’ ability to hold federal agents accountable for…
Money to continue battle with beetle tucked into bill balancing Oregon’s budget
Published: March 24, 2026 20:12
Oregon farmers for years have been battling an invasive beetle that “will nibble pretty much on anything that’s green,” said Chris Benemann, director of plant protection at the Oregon Department of Agriculture. But lawmakers didn’t send aid when the…
Why is big money once again flexing its muscles in Oregon ballot measures?
Published: March 24, 2026 20:00
Oregon private equity executive John von Schlegell recently filed a barrage of ballot measures designed to imprint his pro-sprawl, anti-tax agenda permanently into the Oregon constitution. His eleven ballot measures run the gamut from taxes to growth…
US Senate confirms Mullin as next Homeland Security boss
Published: March 24, 2026 16:36
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted Monday evening to confirm Markwayne Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. The 54-45 vote means that Mullin, a…
What Whale Watching Week in Oregon can tell us about climate change
Published: March 24, 2026 13:00
It’s Whale Watching Week in Oregon, which means coastal visitors will get the chance to spot gray whales as they swim north to their Arctic feeding grounds. Each winter, gray whales travel to the warm tropical waters of Baja California, Mexico where they…
Airport chaos: TSA agents skip work, security lines expand, Trump sends in ICE to assist
Published: March 23, 2026 19:49
Airport security workers missed work Monday at the highest rate since a partial government shutdown began in mid-February, the Department of Homeland Security said, and the Trump administration sent immigration officials to some airports in an attempt to…
Oregon finds invasive quagga mussel on boat at Ashland inspection station
Published: March 23, 2026 19:48
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff on Saturday found quagga mussels on a motorboat coming from Lake Havasu, Arizona, during a boat inspection in Ashland. Station crews decontaminated the boat and disposed of all the mussels, marking the first…
Trump claims ‘good and productive’ talks with Iran about war, but Iran denies negotiations
Published: March 23, 2026 19:47
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration is in talks with Iran about resolving the war, a claim that significantly tamped down oil prices and spurred market increases in Europe and the United States — though Iran denied any…
Supreme Court skeptical of allowing states to count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day
Published: March 23, 2026 19:44
The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative justices on Monday appeared skeptical of the validity of mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, in a case that could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of voters during the upcoming midterm elections.…
Oregon Court of Appeals finds roommates can be required to follow orders barring stalking
Published: March 23, 2026 19:05
The Oregon Court of Appeals has allowed a Lane County woman to seek a stalking protective order against a roommate who allegedly sexually abused and assaulted her, undoing a lower court’s suggestion that their proximity could stop her from obtaining one.…
Oregon tourist couple files lawsuit over dogsled crash in Fairbanks
Published: March 23, 2026 16:33
An Oregon couple has sued a kennel founded by Iditarod winner Susan Butcher, saying they were injured during a 2024 dogsled tour. Randall and Philippa Hall filed suit in Fairbanks Superior Court on Thursday against Trail Breaker Kennel of Fairbanks. …
Southern Oregon dam operators face intensifying legal battles after 2023 lamprey killing
Published: March 23, 2026 13:00
Legal fights over the future of a small southern Oregon dam are intensifying in the wake of botched repairs that led to the killing of half a million juvenile Pacific lamprey and record fines from state agencies. The Winchester Water Control District and…
Federal funding kicks off exploration of fish passage solutions in Oregon
Published: March 21, 2026 13:00
PENDLETON, Oregon — Thanks to a $1 million federal investment, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are preparing for critical engineering and design work at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam to…
HHS to investigate Oregon, 12 other states that require insurers to cover abortions
Published: March 20, 2026 23:26
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced an investigation into 13 states that require health insurance plans to cover abortion care. In a news release, the agency said the investigation is based on allegations that the states…
Federal judge denies anti-gas tax group’s attempt to extend voters’ pamphlet deadline
Published: March 20, 2026 22:18
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read doesn’t need to allow more arguments against a gas tax question on the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet, a federal judge ruled on Friday. The decision comes three days after the Republican-led Right to Vote on the Gas Tax…
Oregon voters overwhelmingly approved limiting money in politics. Then politicians had their say
Published: March 20, 2026 17:00
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Back in 2019, it looked like Oregon lawmakers might finally commit to ending the state’s outlier status on campaign finance. I had just authored an investigative series for The Oregonian/OregonLive, my…
Oregon voters have rejected most laws in referendums, with many decided outside November
Published: March 20, 2026 13:00
May’s vote on a controversial 2025 transportation law will mark the 67th time in state history that Oregonians opposed a law strongly enough to petition for its placement on the ballot. A majority of voters approved just more than one-third of those laws,…
Why we’re intervening in Oregon’s lawsuit over Trump’s attempted Guard deployment
Published: March 20, 2026 12:45
We believe Oregonians should know why their local, state and federal governments make the decisions they do.