What hitting the debt ceiling might mean for people in the Pacific Northwest
Hitting the national debt limit could force the federal government to stop or limit payments to federally supported programs or even direct payments to citizens.
In The News
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Superabundant dispatch: Celebrating Lunar New Year with Portland’s Chinese history
In this week’s Superabundant newsletter, learn about the history of America’s second-oldest (and second-largest at one time) Chinatown — in Portland. We also present a straightforward (but delicious) recipe for ginger-scallion lo mein.
Families of Oregon students with disabilities search for solutions in face of insufficient academic support
Being back in school in-person is more effective for most students than the days of distance learning. But many students with disabilities missed out even more when they were at home. And that time at home gave parents a chance to see what their children were not learning — and take matters into their own hands.
Wasco County DA asks courts to dismiss 169 convictions involving disgraced police officer
After an independent review of hundreds of cases, the Wasco County district attorney is asking the courts to dismiss or expunge 169 misdemeanor and felony convictions involving a disgraced former city of The Dalles police officer.
police manhunt
Police warn that Oregon torture suspect is using dating apps
Police say a man accused of torturing a woman he held captive in Oregon, and who was convicted in Nevada of keeping another woman in captivity, is using dating apps to try to find unsuspecting people to help him escape a police manhunt or find new victims.
Portland leaders ask that demonstrations in wake of Tyre Nichols video remain peaceful
At least two protests were planned to take place in Portland Friday night. That’s in response to the release of videos showing five Memphis police officers beating Tyre Nichols to death earlier this month.
'bold ideas'
Oregon governor explains how she wants to spend $130M in homelessness money
The governor believes the money should be spent to stave off homelessness for about 9,000 people and to expand shelter capacity by 600 beds within one year, among other things.
Weekday Wrap: Oregon inmates may soon get access to health care through Medicaid
In other news, a report shows downtown Portland foot traffic increasing, Lane County's heralded shelter showing signs of trouble and more.
Northwest lawmakers pitching ideas to make roads safer as fatalities have increased in recent years
State lawmakers in Olympia are debating a suite of possible new responses to surging traffic fatalities. Those include authorizing photo radar in highway work zones, prohibiting right turns at many red lights, and lowering the breathalyzer limit to convict for drunk driving. Some of these ideas have corollaries in Oregon, where the legislative machinery is getting revved up too.
Oregon voice for racial equality Willie Richardson dies
Richardson was a past president of the Oregon Black Pioneers. A post on Facebook said that her “immeasurable impact on the organization, the city of Salem, and the state of Oregon will be felt for many generations.”
Memphis authorities release video in Tyre Nichols’ death
The footage shows the Black officers savagely beating the 29-year-old FedEx worker for three minutes in an assault that the Nichols family's legal team likened to the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King.
FDA moves to ease rules for blood donations from gay men
The U.S. is moving to further ease restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men and other groups that typically face higher risks of HIV.
House Democrats’ new leader Jeffries vows not to ‘go off the cliff’ on debt ceiling
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries insists the looming debt ceiling crisis will be resolved without his party submitting to demands by Republicans who want to tie government spending cuts to a debt limit hike.
Utah’s solution to ski traffic snarl? Build the world’s longest gondola
Two of Utah's most acclaimed ski resorts are at the end of a narrow canyon road that's increasingly jammed with traffic but the state's plan to fix it is sparking controversy.
We need native seeds in order to respond to climate change, but there aren’t enough
Native seeds are crucial for land restoration efforts after disasters, which will grow more extreme as climate change worsens. "Time is of the essence" to bank sufficient seeds, a new report says.
‘OPB Politics Now’: The Republican agenda in Oregon
On this week's show, OPB political reporters Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart look at the Republican Party's agenda for the 2023 Oregon legislative session, and the GOP's plans to slow things down if Democrats don't cooperate.
Northwest science news roundup: Really old humans, jellyfish jets, better cookies and winter slumber
In this monthly rundown from OPB, “All Science. No Fiction.” creator Jes Burns features the most interesting, wondrous and hopeful science coming out of the Pacific Northwest.
Superabundant
How valuable, and volatile, crabbing can be along the Oregon Coast
The 2022 Dungeness crab season was the most lucrative in Oregon history. Unusually for recent years, it started on time, yields were high and prices soared, leading to a boon for commercial crabbers and the coastal communities that depend on them.