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Oregon’s legal psilocybin clinics draw hundreds – mostly from out of state
This story contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Hundreds of people have used psilocybin legally in Oregon since the first licensed center opened in Eugene in June. But only a minority appear to be from Oregon. Though […]
Many residents say publicly they support maintaining hydropower at Willamette River dams
The trade-offs between hydropower dams and endangered salmon in the Willamette Valley have been on full display in public feedback in a series of meetings hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The public meetings took place as an operational change at two dams meant to help fish is deluging rivers with mud. Willamette […]
Child care program faces potential $123 million shortfall and indefinite waiting list
A record number of Oregon families signed up for child care subsidies this year when eligibility was broadly expanded, but that has led to a budget shortfall that could reach $123 million. Department of Early Learning and Care officials told a legislative committee last week that they stopped taking applications Nov. 4 for the state’s […]
Earth thundering toward planet unfit for humans, report finds
The Earth is barreling toward “uncharted climate territory” and on track to become uninhabitable for three and six billion people by the end of the century, a new report found. The research, led by Oregon State University scientists, casts dire warnings, saying big changes are needed now. The State of the Climate report, by climate […]
Struggling salmon fishermen getting federal help, but it may be too late
The federal government will dole out disaster relief to commercial Chinook salmon fishermen who have weathered a string of poor seasons on the Oregon Coast. But some fishermen say the help won’t be enough to rescue the fast-shrinking industry. Earlier this month, two years after a request by Oregon’s governor, the U.S. Department of Commerce […]
Families face uncertain day care outlook as state spends last of federal funds
Like thousands of other parents in Oregon, it was never easy for Luz Quevedo to find affordable day care for her son — even when she qualified for help from the state. Quevedo, 48, owns an esthetics business and works part time as an organizer for the child care advocacy group Family Forward Oregon in […]
Gas, oil companies argue against Oregon’s emission deadlines during Court of Appeals hearing
The Oregon Court of Appeals heard arguments Friday from gas and oil companies seeking to overturn a cornerstone of the state’s climate strategy, while environmental and labor groups rallied in a show of support for the regulations. Oregon’s three natural gas utilities — NW Natural, Avista and Cascade Natural Gas — are challenging the state […]
Electric vehicle sales up in Oregon thanks to incentives, report says
More Oregonians than ever are buying electric cars and the state is poised to see a major influx, in part because of friendly state and federal policies, according to a new report by the Oregon Department of Energy. Almost 70,000 electric vehicles are registered in Oregon, up from 38,000 in 2021, analysts wrote in a […]
Feds giving Oregon another $26 million for internet access
A southern Oregon tribe and providers serving rural swaths of the coast and Willamette Valley are among the latest recipients of federal grants from the Biden administration’s $90 billion investment in broadband internet access. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week it was devoting about $26 million to projects in Oregon. The lion’s share […]
An Oregon town is buying surrounding forests to confront wildfires
This story was originally published by Columbia Insight. With a population of just 400 people, Butte Falls is a speck in an ocean of remote timberland, much of it burned. The community is tucked into a vast forest of pine and fir about 35 miles from the California border. Outside town, snow-capped Mount McLoughlin towers […]
Wyden aims to pursue federal legislation to curb gun violence
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden plans to pursue federal legislation to reduce the surge in gun violence. Oregon’s senior senator discussed the problem on Friday with experts at Oregon Health & Science University’s South Waterfront campus in Portland. The meeting included experts involved with a federally funded OHSU and Portland State University research project studying strategies […]
Democrats seek Republican support for 988 suicide hotline tax
Democrats are seeking Republican support for a bill funding a suicide prevention hotline that requires bipartisan approval. So far, it only has Democratic support, and Democrats no longer control three-fifths of the Legislature. They need at least a three-fifths vote to pass a new tax. House Bill 2757 would permanently fund 988, a new behavioral […]