Activists gather at the US Supreme Court Tuesday to protest the court’s draft opinion overturning abortion rights. Win McNamee / Getty Images The leaked majority opinion draft from the US Supreme Court, indicating the court will overturn the abortion rights enshrined in 1973’s Roe v. Wade, has Oregonians on the defensive. As the late Monday […]
National Politics
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Following Anti-Trans Bills, Oregon Healthcare Providers Anticipate Surge in Patients
Vladimir Vladimirov / Getty Images When a bill criminalizing the provision of gender-affirming care for transgender children advanced out of the Idaho House of Representatives in early March, Dr. Kara Connelly braced herself for the worst. Connelly is a pediatric endocrinologist and professor at Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), where she specializes in providing […]
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Oregon Abortion Advocates Brace for Fallout Following Idaho Abortion Ban
PytyCzech, Malte Mueller / Getty Images Reproductive rights advocates in Oregon had anticipated the day would come when the conservative politics of neighboring Idaho would criminalize abortion—forcing Idahoans to cross state lines to access basic healthcare. But that didn’t make the news of Idaho lawmakers passing a bill banning most abortions this week any easier […]
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Oregon’s Redistricting Process Hits a Partisan Slowdown
Oregon State Capitol 4nadia / Getty Images In the spring, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek, a Democrat, and House Republican leadership cut a deal: Republicans would stop using stall tactics to block Kotek’s legislative agenda if Kotek agreed to evenly split the House committee in charge of redistricting between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats benefitted handsomely […]
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In Response to Texas Abortion Ban, Portland Directs $200,000 to Support Reproductive Health Providers
Portland City Hall COSMONAUT / GETTY IMAGES On Wednesday, Portland City Council voted 4-1 to direct $200,000 toward local organizations that offer reproductive healthcare services as a rebuttal to Texas’ anti-abortion legislation, Senate Bill 8, which became law on September 1. The Texas bill effectively bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy (well before people […]
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Portland City Council Delays Vote to Ban Business With Texas Over Abortion Law
COSMONAUT / GETTY IMAGES Portland City Council has delayed its vote to ban city dollars from benefiting Texas. The emergency resolution, originally scheduled for a Wednesday council vote, would prohibit city departments from purchasing products or services from Texas, and bans city business trips to the state. The decision is meant to reflect the city’s […]
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Oregon Members of Congress Urge DOJ to Investigate Right-Wing Extremist Activity in Oregon
A member of the far-right group Proud Boys fires a paintball gun on August 22. NATHAN HOWARD / GETTY IMAGES Members of Oregon’s congressional delegation appear to be fed up with watching right-wing extremists turn Portland into a battlefield during their frequent rallies. In a letter sent to US Attorney General Merrick Garland on August […]
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Oregon Refugee Resettlement Agencies Brace for an Influx of Afghan Refugees
Afghans wait in line at the passport office in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 14, 2021. Paula Bronstein / Getty Images News of the Taliban overtaking Afghanistan’s presidential palace Sunday signaled the end of a fragmented era in Afghanistan-US relations—and the beginning of a new, unpredictable chapter for a nation under the rule of a religious […]
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Sen. Susan Collins Isn’t Sure Queer People Should Be Allowed to Keep Their Jobs and Homes
Once again, it’s time for Sen. Susan Collins to take a hard look in the mirror. POOL / GETTY IMAGES Sen. Susan Collins is preparing to torpedo the Equality Act, the latest infuriating move from a senator about whom it seems like there is only ever bad news. The Equality Act would update civil rights […]
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Pete Buttigieg Confirmed as Transportation Secretary—Now What?
TFW you see Pete Buttigieg building a new set of railroad tracks on his day off Courtney Hale / Getty Images Here’s what’s going to change: Your commute, your groceries, the street you walk on every time you leave the house, what it’s like to fly, where you go on vacation, the air that you […]
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Biden’s Signin’: Here’s What the Executive Ordered During His First Full Week in Office
President Biden is signing a lot of things that are not $2,000 checks for every American. Getty Pool Last week, President Joe Biden signed over two dozen executive actions and proclamations, largely undoing many of Trump’s most destructive policies. He primarily focused on bolstering the federal government’s coronavirus response, reversing Trump’s ass-backward environmental rollbacks, halting […]
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Meet the New Senate Majority Leader
What have you done for us lately? Onnes / Getty Images Okay, first things first: It’s looking good for you to get a $2,000 stimulus check sometime soon. How soon? Nobody knows, but maybe before the end of this month. (Still not soon enough.) That’s just one of the top priorities cited by New York […]