Faced with a 14% budget shortfall in the next biennium, Oregon State Parks is looking for new business partners to help offset some costs. Otherwise, the agency may need to cancel park expansions, reduce staff and consider closing some parks in 2027.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

For months, there has been speculation that U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley would not seek re-election. But we learned last week that one of the U.S. Senate’s most outspoken progressives will indeed seek a fourth term. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we’ll break that down and dig into the latest rumblings about a possible special legislative sess…

Some attendees said this year’s celebrations felt more urgent, given the Trump administration’s positions on LGBTQ+ issues.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

NBA All-Star Damian Lillard is finalizing a three-year contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

A federal grant that helps student parents pay for child care is on the chopping block. The grant’s elimination would make it even harder for the one in five Oregon undergraduate students who are parents to obtain a degree.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Revived clinic brings hope to Sheridan, but Medicaid cuts threaten its futureVon Oregon Public Broadcasting

What was once a free-for-all animal extravaganza in the streets of the Central Oregon city now has some rules — and a kangaroo.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon’s PacWave testing facility is now complete — but delays and cuts to federal funding for renewable energy development could impact its future.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

One of the most diverse cities in Oregon is growing faster than ever following the implementation of a groundbreaking restaurant strategy eight years ago. Here’s how it happened, and what’s next.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

New technology helps make golf more inclusiveVon Oregon Public Broadcasting

Last week, congressional Republicans passed a domestic policy bill that makes sweeping changes to safety net programs like Medicaid. An analysis of an earlier version of the bill found that Oregon would be disproportionately hit by Medicaid cuts, with more people likely to lose coverage and end up uninsured. We hear from Eric Hunter, President and …

Jewish leaders in Portland say they have seen more people express an interest in converting, a process that can last a year or longer.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Congressional Republicans have passed their sweeping domestic policy bill. In Oregon, the impacts of the legislation will be significant.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon lawmakers have finished their more than five-month session, where they debate, pass laws and approve a budget for the next two years. The session ended with drama, intrigue and one major political failure by the majority party. On this week's OPB Politics Now livestream, political reporters Dirk VanderHart, Bryce Dole and Alex Zielinski help…

The U.S. Senate passed their version of President Donald Trump’s budget bill Tuesday. Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley called the final vote, which came after hours of debate, “extraordinarily painful” and said the process of crafting the final bill was “the most chaotic legislative process” he’s ever seen.…

Lewis river restoration forges ahead despite funding questionsVon Oregon Public Broadcasting

Luis Lamas close to leave the United States at a moment, politically, when the Trump administration has made immigration a centerpiece policy. The administration is vowing to deport millions of immigrants without legal status, whether they have a criminal record, or not. But while the administration’s crackdown on immigration played a role in his d…

Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Yang became the third Chinese-born player ever taken in the first round of the NBA Draft. OPB’s Winston Szeto interviewed Yang at the Blazer’s Tualatin facility about his forthcoming move to Portland and the Blazers.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Most people are familiar with the green, spicy paste served next to sushi or sashimi, but the vast majority of folks in the U.S. have been eating dyed-green horseradish. Earlier this month, OPB's Crystal Ligori went to WasabiFest in Portland, and got a taste of some freshly grated wasabi grown on the Oregon Coast.…

Kelly Ramsey’s literary memoir details her ‘circuitous’ journey from poet to being the only woman on an elite hotshot firefighting crew.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Portland Trail Blazers made international headlines with their first pick in the NBA draft. Yang Hansen is a 20-year-old center from China. He was not on most NBA watchers’ radar to be picked in the first round. But Blazers general manager Joe Cronin says they’ve been watching Yang for years, and calls him a very unique talent. Yang's arrival t…

The past few days of the legislative session have produced a lot: drama, vetoes, people removed and added to a key committee. The mad dash to sine die continues. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we discuss the major events of the week. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Some agriculture experts in the region are starting to consider “climate” as an ingredient in the food industry. Increased temperatures and more extreme weather patterns have impacted how and where some of our Northwest food staples grow.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Volunteers fill gaps in rural Oregon emergency medical careVon Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon Country Fair is a special place and time of year for many people in the Pacific Northwest. Started in 1969, the fair takes place on a 20 acre fairyland of forests and meadows outside Eugene the second weekend of July. It’s sort of a renaissance fair, meets-hippie counterculture meetup, meets music festival. An hour-long OPB Oregon Art Be…

Clark County, Washington maps out its next 20 yearsVon Oregon Public Broadcasting

Les hommes de l’ombre Benja et Renaud nous rejoignent sur le plateau pour répondre à vos questions ! Une heure de détente entre copains pour finir cette belle saison en beauté ! Des bêtises, du sérieux, du rire, de la branlette avec des moufles, l’éventail des sujets abordés est super large, vous allez vous régaler ! Bonne dernière écoute les amis …

Oregon Accelerator gives student athletes a taste of the sports businessVon Oregon Public Broadcasting

Paying college athletes has changed the game. This UO student group is leveraging the opportunity to help more than student-athletes.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon lawmakers have less than two weeks left in this year’s legislative session. What have they done to tackle the state’s lagging education system? I’m Bryce Dole. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we dive into the major education topics in Salem this session. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.…

Often called the Oscars of the food world, the 35th annual James Beard Awards happened this week in Chicago. Oregon cinched two of the top awards: best chef in the Northwest / Pacific region, and the most outstanding bakery in the country. That second honor went to North Portland’s JinJu Patisserie. We spoke with the owners about how they're incorp…

As a candidate, Nathan Vasquez wielded allegations of mistreatment of female employees against his predecessor. Now he’s on the receiving end as the county’s top prosecutor.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Dozens of protests are happened Saturday, June 14 in Oregon and Washington against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and military parade. Joni Auden Land reports live from Portland's Waterfront Park.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Today we're At Work With a parent who's not just getting her own kid to school — she's leading a joyful, pedal-powered parade to the classroom - a bike bus.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

President Donald Trump has pulled the federal government out of what Northwest tribes have hailed as a historic agreement to recover salmon in the Columbia River Basin.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

On Thursday, dozens of young kayakers from a variety of Indigenous tribes will embark on the first source-to-sea descent of the Klamath River since the country’s largest dam removal project was completed last fall.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

After years of talk and testing, autonomous vehicle deployment seems to a reality. Daimler promises autonomous trucks by 2027. Waymo’s fleet of autonomous ride hail vehicles are open for business in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin. Zoox is testing in the Bay Area and Las Vegas. But news of Robotaxis on streets in the Northwest is st…

A wildfire that started Wednesday afternoon near Rowena, Oregon, grew to an estimated 3,500 acres by Thursday morning. OPB's Kristian Foden-Vencil saw the Rowena Fire firsthand.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon is rarely a major player on the national political scene, but the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill could play an outsized role in the Beaver State. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, politics editor Andrew Theen and reporters Amelia Templeton and Dirk VanderHart discussed what the bill might mean for people who depend on the…

Six years ago, the public learned that Oregon child welfare officials were sending children placed in foster care to facilities in other states. After widespread stories of abuse -- kids being restrained and assaulted -- Oregon largely stopped the practice. But now, as Lauren Dake reports, lawmakers are considering changing the law to once again ma…

OPB reached out to local and state officials in Oregon, as well as Portlanders who protested in 2020, to find out what they learned from the federal law enforcement deployment during that time — and what it might mean if tensions rise locally.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Dr. Robert Macauley of OHSU is one of the few pediatricians in the U.S. who is certified in palliative medicine. His memoir is called, "Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed A Doctor's Soul"Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Scientific research programs across the nation are being impacted by Trump administration policies… and Oregon’s no different. The National Institutes of Health has gotten rid of grants for training programs that help young scientists from underrepresented communities. It’s a move advocates say will mean losing out on future leaders and scientific …

Newport’s historic Yaquina Bay Lighthouse expected to reopen this fall after renovationVon Oregon Public Broadcasting

Tongue Point is one of 99 Job Corps centers facing closure, after the Department of Labor announced the abrupt pausing of the program last week.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Billie McBride-O'Neel transitioned in 1985 after a career as a professional figure skater. She stayed in the closet for four decades, until trans youth were threatened.Von Oregon Public Broadcasting

Once a band nerd, always a band nerd with the One More Time Around Again Marching BandVon Oregon Public Broadcasting

Portland city councilors build Teamwork with paddlesVon Oregon Public Broadcasting

On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake, Bryce Dole and Dirk VanderHart discussed the major things happening in Salem, as lawmakers race to a conclusion in the coming weeks. This episode was available live on OPB.org/livestream or on OPB's YouTube page. They discussed the transportation package, gun legislation, foster care…