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As AI use in schools grows, lawmakers and districts scramble to set up guardrails
Published: June 10, 2026 19:15
With many students and educators already using widely available artificial intelligence tools, state lawmakers and school districts are playing catch-up on AI policies. In Maryland, for example, AI usage policies for K-12 schools are “all over the map,”…
Billions for the next 3 years of Trump’s mass deportation campaign signed into law
Published: June 10, 2026 18:25
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump significantly bolstered funding for immigration enforcement Wednesday when he signed into law a nearly $70 billion package that will keep key federal agencies operating without any new restrictions. Democrats pressed…
Kotek approves first request to return civil jurisdiction to an Oregon tribe
Published: June 10, 2026 13:00
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is on track to regain control over civil legal matters on its tribal land. Gov. Tina Kotek in late May signed a proclamation to return civil jurisdiction to the Tribes, aiming to undo a 73-year…
Homeland Security retreats on plan to get data on mail-in voters
Published: June 9, 2026 23:26
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is walking back, for now, a plan to sweep up data on millions of Americans who vote by mail under President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail ballots. In a federal court filing Monday night, the…
Federal judge allows class action over eastern Oregon water pollution to move forward
Published: June 9, 2026 21:26
Eastern Oregon residents who have lived for years with contaminated water can move forward with a class action lawsuit against the Port of Morrow and large food processors in the area, a federal judge ruled. U.S. District Judge Michael Simon on Friday…
Actor who played Dwight on ‘The Office’ promotes religious freedom on Capitol Hill
Published: June 9, 2026 21:24
WASHINGTON — As various officials and groups aim to use the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, with the help of a famed sitcom actor, turned the spotlight Tuesday to a central tenet of U.S.…
Projected Social Security benefits cliff creeps up to 2032
Published: June 9, 2026 19:57
WASHINGTON — Congress must act to shore up Social Security during the next six years to avoid an automatic drop-off in benefits in 2032, according to a report released Tuesday. The annual update on the Old Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund shows that…
Looking at late Oregon Sen. Bob Packwood beyond the scandals
Published: June 9, 2026 17:15
After Robert Packwood, the long-time U.S. senator from Oregon, died last weekend, news stories about him flowed around the country. Most had a common theme. Many led with, and focused on, the tawdry and extensive sexual harassment and abuse scandals that…
Bob Packwood, longtime Oregon Senator marred by scandal, dies at 93
Published: June 9, 2026 17:13
Oregon Public Broadcasting first published this article. Bob Packwood, a longtime Oregon senator who entered national politics young and ascended to the pinnacles of congressional power before his career ended in scandal, died Saturday. He was 93. Packwood…
Gov. Tina Kotek won’t expand restrictions on undercover Oregon plates to agencies helping ICE
Published: June 9, 2026 13:00
Oregon officials who recently blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from receiving undercover state license plates won’t extend the restrictions to all federal law enforcement, including other agencies that assist immigration enforcement…
New state forester gets to work, says ‘zero tolerance’ for issues that led to predecessor’s ouster
Published: June 8, 2026 22:20
Oregon’s new state forester Kacey KC’s first experience with wildfire was watching flames move down the mountainside toward her childhood home in Nevada. On a summer break from college in 1996, “literally working at the car wash,” she explained, she saw…
Trump administration swiftly moves ahead on plans to restrict voting by mail in the states
Published: June 8, 2026 21:08
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will allow states to access federal citizenship data by June 30 and plans to monitor the flow of mail ballots for signs of voter fraud, according to a court document. Amid a series of lawsuits, President Donald…
Trump administration $100,000 visa fee for highly skilled foreign workers struck down
Published: June 8, 2026 20:19
WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Massachusetts Monday struck down the Trump administration’s efforts to require a $100,000 visa fee for highly skilled immigrant workers, finding the policy is an unlawful tax. Judge Leo T. Sorokin found the hefty fee placed…
States face more budget pressures amid rising costs, slow growth
Published: June 8, 2026 19:01
The most recent budgets proposed by governors across the country reflect ongoing financial pressures for states as they expect modest revenue growth, rising prices and federal policy changes. Most governors recommended state budgets for fiscal year 2027…
AFL-CIO president aims to unionize 2 million workers in 5 years
Published: June 8, 2026 17:00
MINNEAPOLIS — Moments after being reelected by representatives for dozens of unions Sunday, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler made an ambitious pledge to unionize at least 2 million workers over the next 5 years. Meeting that target requires pushing through…
Oregon’s wildlife areas: Managed for livestock?
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/06/08/oregons-wildlife-areas-managed-for-livestock/
Published: June 8, 2026 15:32
Every time an Oregon hunter buys a license, pays for a tag or purchases a box of ammunition, a small portion of that money goes into the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Fund. Since its inception in 1937, the sole purpose of that fund is to protect…
Summer food benefits now available to many Oregon families with kids
Published: June 8, 2026 13:00
For the third year in a row, many Oregon families with school-aged children will have access to financial assistance for their summer groceries. Oregon is one of 39 states participating in the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program, or Summer EBT,…
Trump struck a deal for China to buy $17B a year in US ag products. Farmers are skeptical.
Published: June 8, 2026 12:45
By Rebecka Pieder/Medill News Service WASHINGTON – In a deal that could provide a major trade boost for American farmers, the White House said that during the recent summit, China committed to buying at least $17 billion in additional U.S. agricultural…
First-time homebuyers face hurdles despite gradual improvement
Published: June 8, 2026 12:30
The idea started with a sermon Micah Longmire heard at his Presbyterian church in Ogden, Utah, about the importance of grandparents in a child’s life. Longmire, now 31, exchanged a look with his mother-in-law. “We were like, ‘I’d be OK living with you…
As Roadless Rule rollback looms, grassroots hearings take root
Published: June 6, 2026 13:00
In 2001, the Organized Village of Kake, a sovereign tribal government in Southeast Alaska, supported the U.S. Forest Service’s proposal to protect roadless portions of national forests across the country, including the nearby Tongass National Forest. The…
US Senate blocks Trump’s SAVE America Act, thwarting restrictions on voting
Published: June 5, 2026 19:33
The U.S. Senate rejected the SAVE America Act on Thursday, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump’s efforts to impose voting restrictions ahead of the November midterm elections. Senators voted 48-50 against advancing an amendment that would have…
Trump administration processing freeze on asylum seekers violated law, judge rules
Published: June 5, 2026 19:33
WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Rhode Island Friday struck down several Trump administration policies that halted processing for asylum seekers following a shooting in Washington, D.C., that left one West Virginia National Guard member dead and another…
Appeals court won’t revisit tear gas limits sought by residents near Portland ICE facility
Published: June 5, 2026 18:01
Federal appeals judges on Thursday declined to reconsider a case recently decided by three of their peers that allows federal agents at the Portland Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility to use crowd control weapons on protestors without new…
Racial wealth gap widens as many workers of color lack retirement savings
Published: June 5, 2026 17:00
The racial wealth gap is widening as many workers of color go without retirement savings. The median wealth gap between Black and Hispanic families and white families expanded by about $50,000 between 2019 and 2022, according to research from The Pew…
Investing in people is clear path forward for Oregon Gov. Kotek’s ‘Prosperity Council’
Published: June 5, 2026 16:05
Rather than recycle the big business lobby’s permanent agenda to beef up its bottom line, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s Prosperity Council recommendations should follow the evidence. Prosperity comes from public investments in people and their capacities,…
Republicans push $70B for immigration enforcement through US Senate, with no limits on ICE
Published: June 5, 2026 13:06
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved a nearly $70 billion package early Friday, moving Republicans one step closer to funding immigration and deportation activities for the next three years without negotiating new constraints on federal agents with…
Dozens of new Oregon laws are set to go into effect this week. Here’s a closer look.
Published: June 5, 2026 13:00
Oregon lawmakers passed more than 50 new laws during the legislative session earlier this year which are scheduled to go into effect on Friday. Many focus on codifying state and local powers to respond to President Donald Trump’s directives, as well as…
In a warming Arctic, gray whales struggle to find nourishment
Published: June 5, 2026 12:30
RAYMOND, Wash. — Doug Nussbaum is a retired logger whose morning rituals include a walk down to the bluff behind his house that overlooks a bend in the Willapa River. He is never quite sure just what he will spot — ducks, bald eagles and sometimes seals…
Portland General Electric to increase data center rates by 29%, cut residential rates by 1.3%
Published: June 4, 2026 23:07
Portland’s largest electric utility announced Wednesday it plans to increase rates by 29% for large load users like data centers. Meanwhile, the utility’s residential and commercial customers will see a slight decrease in their rates. Portland General…
US Senate launches marathon session to pass nearly $70B for ICE, Border Patrol
Published: June 4, 2026 21:24
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans fended off an attempt Thursday to block the Department of Justice from using an “anti-weaponization” fund to pay people who feel they were wrongly prosecuted, as well as another proposal that sought to require…
Trump to pump $700M into coal power in the states, as he again blasts renewable energy
Published: June 4, 2026 21:23
The federal government will spend $700 million on building or refurbishing coal power infrastructure across the country in a boost to “clean, beautiful coal,” President Donald Trump said Thursday in the Oval Office. Trump said he was invoking the Cold…
Farm animal welfare rules might be rolled back by Congress
Published: June 4, 2026 21:00
Congress is looking to roll back state animal welfare laws as it wrangles over reauthorization of the federal farm bill. The farm bill, which Congress generally reworks every five years, includes money and federal rules for food assistance programs, farm…
Data centers are driving demand for gas from Northwest utilities, reports find
Published: June 4, 2026 20:51
Electric utilities in Washington and Oregon are turning to gas to meet rapid and growing energy demand from data centers, according to recent reports. Two analyses from the Hood River-based conservation organization Columbia Riverkeeper and the…
Inspection shows sanitation, use-of-force transparency lacking at La. ICE detention center
Published: June 4, 2026 20:00
WASHINGTON — A Louisiana detention center that houses roughly 1,500 immigrants failed to ensure sanitary conditions, properly store perishable food, properly notify use-of-force incidents and maintain medical records of detainees, according to a report…
New medical guidance affirms Tylenol safety during pregnancy months after Trump sows doubt
Published: June 4, 2026 19:00
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine published new clinical guidance this week affirming that acetaminophen, better known by its brand Tylenol, should be the “first-line” defense against pain and fever during pregnancy. The directive contradicts the…
Trump picks acting AG Blanche to stay on full time
Published: June 4, 2026 17:16
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer, to fill the top role at the Department of Justice on a permanent basis, he said Wednesday night. Trump revealed Blanche as his choice at an…
A political split in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/06/04/a-split-in-the-gorge/
Published: June 4, 2026 17:00
Visit Hood River, as so many people do, and you’ll see on the front windows of many downtown businesses a sign saying: “We are immigrants,” and sometimes next to them signs saying, “No trespassing — no federal agents — agents lacking judicial warrants will…
New amenities and repairs coming to Oregon parks this summer
Published: June 4, 2026 13:00
From a refreshed historical gift shop to new showers at a popular North Coast camp site, several state park properties received upgrades just in time for summer visitors to enjoy. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department manages more than 250 state…
A low-income housing program is pouring big money into housing many Oregonians can’t afford
Published: June 4, 2026 12:42
On any given night, thousands of people sleep on the streets in Portland. They seek shelter in tents, bushes and overpasses in a city that has struggled with one of the worst housing crises in the country. Portland, like many cities, has raced to increase…
US House approves measure to restrain Trump action in Iran
Published: June 4, 2026 12:40
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed a resolution Wednesday to force President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran and require congressional approval for further military action in the country. The 215-208 vote, in which four Republicans voted…
Treasury’s Bessent mum on Trump’s IRS immunity deal
Published: June 3, 2026 21:34
WASHINGTON — The day after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Trump administration’s “anti-weaponization” fund was dead, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent evaded questions on Capitol Hill Wednesday about whether President Donald Trump, his family…
Oregon voters won’t get chance to reinstate tax breaks in November after Republican-led effort fails
Published: June 3, 2026 20:12
Oregonians won’t have the chance to vote on whether to replicate federal tax breaks for car loan interest and business assets on their state taxes after a referendum campaign led by conservative anti-tax operatives fizzled out. Oregon automatically…