Beat Check with The Oregonian

On the morning of July 11, 1963, a fisherman made a horrifying discovery: He stumbled across the concealed remains of a 2-year-old boy. The tiny body was wrapped in blankets, tied with wire and held down by iron weights in the Keene Creek Reservoir along Oregon 66 east of Ashland, Oregon. Officials moved the body to a cemetery where his tombstone read, “Unknown Baby Boy 1961-1963.″ The investigation was given case number 63-2301. For more than 50 years, it wouldn't get much further than that. By 2020, the case was the oldest known unidentified human remains case in the state of Oregon. On Episode 2 of ⁠The Unidentifieds⁠ podcast, hosts Regan Mertz and Dave Killen take listeners on a trip to the Siskiyou Mountains where the remains were found, talk to a former investigator who pursued the case, and introduce you to ⁠Cece Moore⁠, Parabon NanoLabs' chief genetic genealogist. Moore is one of the nation's foremost experts in the field. In this episode, we learn how a Facebook message, a DNA match and genealogical sleuthing gave a little boy his name back. Subscribe to The Unidentifieds anywhere you listen to podcasts and give it a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. Better yet, tell a friend about the show if you enjoyed it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are so many unidentified human remains in the United States that the ⁠National Missing and Unidentified Persons System⁠ calls it “the nation's silent mass disaster.” Roughly 4,400 human remains are found every year, and nearly one-quarter of those remain unidentified after one year. Some people were never reported missing. Some went missing decades ago. Some remains are incomplete, parts of them still out there like missing pieces to a puzzle. Cases run cold. The unidentified remains are placed in boxes and left on evidence room shelves, waiting for another shot at an investigation. Or maybe just a chance to be remembered. And that's if their cardboard tombs are not lost or forgotten first. In Oregon, there are 120 unidentified persons cases. Cold cases exist in 33 of Oregon's 36 counties. Regan Mertz spent months delving into this issue for The Oregonian/OregonLive. She obtained and reviewed missing persons case files, interviewed current and former law enforcement officers, anthropologists and experts around the country. She also interviewed family members of missing people. This is ⁠The Unidentifieds⁠, a podcast that investigates four long-forgotten cases in Oregon and how online genealogy and forensic anthropology helped families get closure. Cases that long seemed hopeless, now seem solvable. People who've existed for decades as lonely, nameless phantoms can, if nothing else, get their identities back. In episode one, Regan and co-host Dave Killen go on a trip to southern Oregon's Redwood Highway, where in 1971 a father and son discovered what looked liked a human spine and ribs while on a camping trip near mile marker 35. Upon initial investigation, the remains appeared to belong to a young woman, 18 to 20 years old, tall and slim. But the case went cold. And the remains became known as Jane Doe 79-940. Subscribe to The Unidentifieds anywhere you listen to podcasts and give it a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. ⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Any newspaper editor will tell you readers love animal stories. The Oregonian/OregonLive's Samantha Swindler took that axiom to the next level this spring with a 12-part video series on the mysterious disappearance of Cosmo, the talking crow. She joins Editor Therese Bottomly on “Beat Check with The Oregonian” to discuss the narrative, which also was published on Instagram, Facebook and, of course, OregonLive. Cosmo first came to the newsroom's attention after a viral story out of Williams about a talking crow that had “befriended” an elementary school. Swindler, who works on the Here is Oregon features team, reached out to obtain audio or video of this supposed talking crow. She quickly learned Cosmo was missing and the crow may not have been the beloved local fixture we first envisioned. Originally conceived as a podcast, “The Mystery of Cosmo the Talking Crow” quickly morphed into an experiment in creative multimedia storytelling on TikTok, the social media platform so much in the headlines these days. In this episode of Beat Check, we talk about: --Why Swindler was drawn to the quirky story --The reporting challenges she faced --The question of whether Cosmo really did talk --Why humans can't resist anthropomorphizing animals -- that is, attributing human behaviors and motives and emotions to our pets Within the episode, Swindler refers to ⁠“Serial,” ⁠the groundbreaking and hugely popular true crime podcast (We are careful to note nothing about the Cosmo story involves actual true “crime.”). She also makes reference to a⁠ “milkshake duck” ⁠moment, a reference to a fictional duck that is cute and beloved until it is revealed to be racist. Like that internet meme, Cosmo, too, was cute on the outside but perhaps had a touch of evil within, depending on who is talking. And Swindler still hopes for ⁠“The Jinx” ⁠reveal, as in the HBO docuseries hot-mic moment where Robert Durst appears to confess. Alas (spoiler alert), Swindler and the rest of us are still waiting for the final word on Cosmo's fate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watchdog reporter Ted Sickinger published ⁠an in-depth article ⁠examining a loophole in the Oregon Lottery's rules. In Oregon, it is perfectly legal to re-sell your winning lottery ticket at a discount, allowing the buyer to claim the prize. Why would anyone do this? Well, if they wanted to avoid having the state seize part of their winnings for taxes or back child support, for example. And why would the state allow this? Lottery officials told Sickinger they were aware of the practice of “discounting” and despite the fact other states have moved to close down similar schemes elsewhere nothing had been done in Oregon to prohibit the workaround. Sickinger joined Editor Therese Bottomly on “Beat Check with The Oregonian” to talk about how he got onto the story and how he tracked down participants willing to talk with him. He also talked about ⁠reaction to his piece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Environment reporter Gosia Wozniacka joined host Elliot Njus to discuss this dangerous effect of climate change and how the Portland region is preparing for more frequent, more severe heat events. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was created by students from the University of Oregon's Graduate School of Journalism and Communication. Listeners producer Kristen Mico speaks with Fiona Conneely  and Shelley Schuler about how food hubbing models offer solutions to small farms, markets and food assistance programs.  At a time when programs that support access to fresh food and livelihoods of small farmers have been dramatically cut, and food assistance benefits like SNAP are also being cut, social service organizations are scrambling to figure out how to keep families fed. Fiona Conneely is with a Portland organization, Lift Up,  trying to do just that. She and Shelley Schuler have a lot to talk about as Shelley operates Lane County Bounty, a Eugene-based food hub aggregating produce and goods from local farms and is able to offer affordable, fresh food to a range of markets with a convenient, online, delivery service offering choice and cultural goods.  Show notes & links: LIft Up – Lift Urban Portland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing hunger and improving the lives of low-income residents in Northwest and Downtown Portland by providing nutritious food assistance such as pantry shopping, delivered food boxes, and farmer's-market style distributions. Lane County Bounty- Lane County Bounty, founded by Shelley Schuler in 2020 as an offshoot of Moondog's Farm, operates an online marketplace and delivery service designed to connect consumers with fresh, locally grown food from small farms across Lane County Thanks to Leif Olsen for composing the music for the series of Oregon Speaks: Voices from this moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was created by students from the University of Oregon's Graduate School of Journalism and Communication. For this episode, we invite listeners into the realities of rural Oregon, where questions of identity, belonging, and resilience are part of everyday life. In this episode, Kristina Path and Leif Olsen travel to Monmouth to meet Amanda Laister, a longtime high school Spanish teacher, whose classroom reflects the challenges and hopes of a changing community. Through Amanda's story, we explore the complexities facing students and educators—from shifting demographics to the need for cultural affirmation and safety. Tune in for an honest conversation about the power of listening, community, and the work still ahead. Show notes & links: Community Podcasting Microcredential - This 12-credit, graduate-level certification helps you build professional skills in podcasting, interviewing, and audio production to tell meaningful community stories. Thanks to Leif Olsen for composing the music for the series of Oregon Speaks: Voices from this moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was created by students from the University of Oregon's Graduate School of Journalism and Communication. Listeners producer Daniel Bloomfield speaks with the Executive Director of the Oregon Humanities, Adam Davis, about the Trump administration's recent cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities and how they've impacted the work of the Oregon Humanities. At a time when having respectful and diplomatic conversations, the cuts have forced Oregon Humanities to cancel many of their programs, including trainings for conversation facilitators. Davis speaks about the many challenges Oregon Humanities faces, but also the ways in which he is hopeful and the unexpected outpouring of community support. Show notes & links: Oregon Humanities – Oregon Humanities is a non-profit organization that fosters understanding and collaboration through public programs, conversations, and storytelling across Oregon.  D.O.G.E. – The Department of Government Efficiency is a federal initiative of the Trump administration which made the decision to cut the funding to National Endowment for the Humanities by nearly half. National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) – NEH is an independent federal agency that supports the humanities in every state and U.S. jurisdiction. Mellon Foundation Gift to the NEH – The Mellon Foundation's decision to give $65 million to the NEH in light of the cuts made by the Trump administration. Community Podcasting Microcredential - This 12-credit, graduate-level certification helps you build professional skills in podcasting, interviewing, and audio production to tell meaningful community stories. Thanks to Leif Olsen for composing the music for the series of Oregon Speaks: Voices from this moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beat Check with The Oregonian is taking a short break for the summer while we work to bring you our next exciting project and reimagine the format of the show. In the meantime, you can look forward to several episodes of “Oregon Speaks: Voices from this moment,” a limited-series podcast from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication. We'll also bring around some of our most listened to episodes from the last couple years. Make sure to also check out The Oregonian's other podcast offerings at Oregonlive.com/podcasts. We've got sports podcasts and a travel podcast called Peak Northwest where we take you to some of the greatest destination in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. And don't forget to support our local journalism and get the latest news by becoming a subscriber to OregonLive. You can do that by going to OregonLive.com/subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was created by students from the University of Oregon's Graduate School of Journalism and Communication. Producer Kaiya Laguardia-Yonamine speaks with Duncan Hwang about the importance of local organizing and turning inward to sustain our communities. Duncan reflects on his experience as the Community Development Director at APANO, as well as his role as an elected official for the Metro Council. Show notes & links: APANO – one of the largest nonprofit organizations serving Asian and Asian American communities in Oregon today. Duncan has worked at APANO since the organization's origin in 2013. APANO Action Fund - a sister organization to APANO that focuses on political advocacy, legislative action, and electing BIPOC and progressive leaders into local office. Metro Council – the regional government collaborating between Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties. Metro supervises the waste management systems, some housing developments, and major tourist attractions in the Portland Metro area. ⁠Community Podcasting Microcredential ⁠- This 12-credit, graduate-level certification helps you build professional skills in podcasting, interviewing, and audio production to tell meaningful community stories. Thanks to Leif Olsen for composing the music for the series of Oregon Speaks: Voices from this moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Therese Bottomly, editor of The Oregonian/OregonLive and a frequent host of Beat Check with The Oregonian, is retiring next month after 42 years in the newsroom. On this episode of Beat Check, Bottomly reflects on the stories that shaped her career, and Oregon. She discusses how the newsroom rose to the challenge of covering some of the most significant news events of the era, her decision in 2022 to apologize personally for the newspaper's historical promotion of racism and xenophobia, and her hopes for the future of local journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Features reporter Samantha Swindler talks about the hidden gem stories she finds in some of Oregon's smallest towns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oregonian's investigative reporter Yesenia Amaro talks on Beat Check about the recent immigration enforcement ramp-up, Trump's approach to immigration and the impact on Oregon communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawmakers in Salem recently enacted a series of substantive tweaks to the state's beloved Bottle Bill, which allows residents to return cans and bottles for 10 cents apiece. Those changes have helped amplify a growing and complicated debate about Oregon's first-in-the-nation program, now more than 50 years old. Does Portland and some other pockets of the state have a cash-for-cans crisis? What should city and state officials do about the drug, crime and livability problems surrounding some BottleDrops? And will these revisions to the Bottle Bill make the issue better or worse? On the latest Beat Check, reporters Aimee Green and Shane Dixon Kavanaugh discuss Green's four-part series that digs deep into these questions and many more. Read More:Oregon loves its Bottle Bill, but is it dragging down Portland?‘At the grocery store, we're looked down upon,' say people who collect cans on Portland's streetsFentanyl use, drug deals cluster around a few Portland Plaid Pantry stores. Chain's boss worries it'll get worseDo you return cans for 10 cents apiece? Oregon's Bottle Bill is set to change Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the digital age, true crime content has exploded in popularity across podcasts, social media and streaming platforms. But with this growth comes a troubling trend: The blurring of verified facts and speculative theories.   On a recent episode of Beat Check with the Oregonian, guests Emily Reeder and Ashley Desanno from the Books with Your Besties podcast discussed this challenge while reflecting on their coverage of the Kyron Horman case, the 7-year-old Portland boy that went missing in 2010.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2010, digital tools for journalists were emerging, but the gritty, time-intensive methods of traditional reporting still dominated newsrooms. The disappearance of 7-year-old Kyron Horman from his Portland elementary school thrust The Oregonian's journalists into a high-stakes investigation that demanded old-school techniques now increasingly rare in today's fast-paced media environment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a child goes missing, the first hours can be critical. In Kyron Horman's case, investigators didn't even know he was missing until about six hours had passed — a devastating delay that may have forever altered the trajectory of one of Oregon's most haunting unsolved cases. In a recent discussion on the Beat Check with The Oregonian podcast, veteran crime reporter Maxine Bernstein highlighted this critical timeline as perhaps the most consequential element of the 2010 disappearance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fifteen years after 7-year-old Kyron Horman vanished from Skyline Elementary School in Portland, his disappearance continues to haunt not just the Pacific Northwest, but parents everywhere. In this special episode of Beat Check, engagement editor Julie Evensen and social media producer Destiny Johnson talk to investigative reporter Noelle Crombie about recent news about the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A trio of journalists joined Editor Therese Bottomly on Monday's episode of “Beat Check with The Oregonian” to talk about the 2020 street protests that started in Portland after the police killing of George Floyd. Multimedia journalist Beth Nakamura, social media producer Ryan Fernandez, and reporter Zane Sparling (who covered protests for the Portland Tribune) join the conversation. On this episode of Beat Check, we talk about: --The physical dangers journalists faced on the streets from tear gas, munitions, crowding --Direct police violence against journalists --The three chapters of the 150-plus nights of protest --The role of live streamers --The fatal shooting in downtown after a pro-Trump caravan arrived in the city Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen died in 2018 from complications related to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, it was matter of when, not if, his beloved professional sports team would be sold. Seven years later, that time has finally arrived. Allen's estate announced on May 13 that is has initiated a formal sales process for one of Oregon's most cherished institutions. Even though the sale has been anticipated since Allen's death, it has sparked widespread curiosity — and concern — among the Blazers' passionate fan base, fueling speculation about the future of the franchise. How long will the process take? Who might be interested in buying the team? And are the Blazers safe from relocation? On the latest episode of Beat Check, The Oregonian/OregonLive's sports columnist, Bill Oram, dissects the looming sale of the Blazers and the future of the franchise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watchdog reporter Ted Sickinger joined Editor Therese Bottomly on this episode of “Beat Check with The Oregonian” to talk about his extraordinary reporting into Skyline CDL School, which operated in Oregon and Washington. On this episode of Beat Check, we talk about: --How the alleged bribery scheme operated, according to regulators --How the newsroom got onto the story --How regulators in Washington went on stakeouts to make their case What role the Higher Education Coordinating Commission has --How the school seemed to make efforts to appeal to Russian and Ukrainian immigrants --What the impact of the reporting has been Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week's episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, education reporter Julia Silverman tackles a series of burning questions from readers and listeners who are weighing how to vote on the $1.83 billion bond. Have a listen, and don't forget to turn in your ballot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is a bleak time for mass transit all throughout the U.S. The challenges here in the Portland metro area are many and pronounced.TriMet is providing about 30 million fewer rides each year than it did in 2019 — and the recovery appears to be slowing way down. Rider safety has been a persistent concern since the pandemic. Fare evasion is rampant. Meanwhile, TriMet's subsidy per ride has soared by more than 400% in the last decade. And the regional transit agency is now raising the prospect of staggering service cuts over the next few years. On the latest Beat Check, Oregonian/OregonLive reporters Shane Dixon Kavanaugh and Mike Rogoway examine this perilous moment for public transit in the Portland region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent months, climate and environmental work have been under threat in the U.S., with the Trump administration dismantling climate legislation, freezing funds and intimidating universities, states and nonprofits. Despite the chaos, there's still a place for hope, says award-winning environmental journalist Alan Weisman, author of the new book Hope Dies Last. The book profiles scientists, engineers, activists and environmentalists in the U.S. and around the world who are doing extraordinary work to repair our planet's most devastated ecosystems and prevent climate disaster. Weisman spoke on the Beat Check podcast about how we can persevere despite all odds, how to pass on hope to our children and which four world emergencies need visionary ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When President Trump raised tariffs against China and other countries earlier this month, stock markets plunged, chaos rippled through the global economy and anxiety hit business owners across the United States. The specifics of the tariffs — which soared as high as 145% on China and affected virtually every country on earth — have been changing weekly, if not daily. And the helter-skelter nature of it all has sent businesses scrambling to adapt to Trump's trade war. In Oregon's trade-dependent economy, the tariffs are particularly tough on the footwear and apparel industry, which uses factories in Asia. And while business giants like Nike and Columbia are plotting to stay afloat, the dramatic shift in policy is potentially crippling for thousands of small businesses in the state, which don't have as much financial flexibility and muscle. What's the mood among Oregon's small business owners? How are they coping? And what does the future look like? On the latest episode of Beat Check, reporter Matthew Kish, who covers business for The Oregonian/OregonLive, breaks down the impact of Trump's tariffs on Oregon small businesses. Related reading: • How Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs have rattled Oregon small businesses • ‘Tariff tantrum' will squeeze Oregon's sneaker business • Oregon food industry facing extreme uncertainty again, this time from Trump tariffs • As trade war heats up, here are Oregon's largest trading partners • Trump puts 90-day pause on most new tariffs but an increase on Chinese imports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, Politics and Education Editor Betsy Hammond breaks down the key finding of a survey of 600 metro area voters by DHM Research, commissioned by The Oregonian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With wildfire season approaching and southern California still reeling from the January wildfires, Portland leaders are making sure the city can withstand a major urban wildfire. Forest Park, the city's crown jewel and one of the largest urban forests in the U.S., has been identified as one of the areas most at-risk for wildfire in the city. Kim Kosmas, a senior public education officer with Portland Fire & Rescue who also manages the wildfire preparedness program, talks on Beat Check about what the city is doing to prevent large fires in Forest Park and what homeowners can do to protect their homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First-class airfare to Hawaii. Five-star hotel stays. Lots and lots of food. All of it footed — directly or indirectly — by customers of a large Portland-area utility. A recent Oregonian/OregonLive investigation found that executives with Clean Water Services, Washington County's sewer agency, have spent years enjoying fancy business trips to Hawaii and meals on ratepayers' dime. None of the lavish travel spending is accounted for in the agency's annual budgets. And, despite months of probing questions and public records requests, officials have not yet disclosed the total cost of four Hawaiian trips or provided the receipts on hundreds of thousands of dollars in food spending. On the latest Beat Check, Shane Dixon Kavanaugh talks to Jamie Goldberg about her rigorous watchdog reporting led to this month's series on Clean Water Services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A series of headlines has brought bad news about the management of Oregon's Department of Corrections and Oregon Youth Authority to public attention. Numerous leadership changes have also resulted at the two departments. The agencies are separate divisions in Oregon's state government but share the responsibility to care for people incarcerated for criminal convictions. The Oregon Youth Authority takes offenders who committed crimes before age 18 (from 12 to 24) and the Corrections Department houses adults. Senior reporter Noelle Crombie, who specializes in criminal justice journalism, wrote about problems of medical neglect in Oregon's prisons. Prison officials placed on leave Prison medical care under scrutiny Prisoner lost sight in eye Doctor warned about problems at prisons Top officials dismissed Prison medical care plagued by turmoil at the top (with watchdog reporter Ted Sickinger) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Mt. Bachelor ski resort abruptly went up for sale in August, a couple of Central Oregon mountain enthusiasts had an audacious thought: Maybe we should buy it. Before they knew it, the me — who had not met beforehand — put in motion a plan to purchase one of Oregon's most cherished landmarks. They organized a GoFundMe and formed a company. They hobnobbed with Oregon politicians. They sought out big-pocket investors. They knew the challenge would be daunting. Bachelor is a coveted property, after all. So the corporate titans of the ski industry would be swarming, likely offering bids in the neighborhood of $200 million. But the movement was quickly celebrated as a potential win for the underdog, drawing national attention for its effort to keep the United States' seventh-largest ski resort out of the hands of corporate America — and in the hands of local ski bums. The group made a major announcement last week regarding their quest to buy Bachelor. Where do things stand? And how did we get to this point? On the latest episode of Beat Check, Jonathan Bach, who covers housing and real estate for The Oregonian/OregonLive, discusses the backstory — and the latest news — surrounding the bid to buy Mt. Bachelor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

But will it be a home run? The Portland Diamond Project has so far struck out on its years-long efforts to bring Major League Baseball to Portland. But now they've got a new site on the South Waterfront, fresh energy from city leaders and a pitch to the Oregon Legislature, not to mention swoon-y renderings of a new stadium along the Willamette. Sports columnist Bill Oram and ECONorthwest economist Mike Wilkerson join Beat Check with The Oregonian to make sense of the numbers behind the proposal, the unknowns (who is behind that ownership group?) and what comes next. Wilkerson, a consultant to the Portland Diamond Project, says building a new stadium downtown could be a game-changer for Portland, the city that he recently and regretfully said was on the verge of a “doom loop” thanks to downward trends in population growth, the commercial real estate market and more. Stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear Oram and Wilkerson make it very clear where their own personal baseball allegiances land. Related coverage: Is a picture worth almost a billion dollars?OHSU responds to South Waterfront ballpark proposalEconomist warns of Portland ‘doom loop' Subscribe to Beat Check anywhere you listen to podcasts to get new episodes each week. You can support local journalism by becoming a subscriber to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Explore more of our podcasts and sign up to get newsletters for the latest news and top stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Preliminary results from a new state survey on wood combustion show more people are using fireplaces and woodstoves in urban areas in Oregon, despite efforts by state and local governments to decrease their use. Why the increase? And just how dangerous are wood stoves and wood-burning fireplaces to our health and the health of the planet? John Wasiutynski, the director for Multnomah County's Office of Sustainability, talked on the Beat Check podcast about the pollution impacts of wood combustion and about why it's so difficult to get people to stop using wood burning devices.  READ MORE: Budget cuts jeopardize program providing heat pumps for low-income Oregonians Oregon attorney general's office joins lawsuit against the EPA over wood-burning stove standards Limiting winter fires helps Portland's toxic air, and it's the law Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's undeniably good news that deadly violence in Portland continued to tick downward last year. The city recorded 71 homicides in 2024. That's six fewer than the year prior and a 30% drop from the record-shattering 101 killings Oregon's most populous city saw in 2022. Reported shootings, meanwhile, fell below 1,000 for the first time since 2020. Despite these positive trends, annual Portland homicides are still more than double what they were pre-pandemic. And other large, more populous west coast cities like Seattle and San Francisco continue to see far fewer killings than here. So what gives? On The latest Beat Check, Oregonian/OregonLive reporters Shane Dixon Kavanaugh and Zaeem Shaikh discuss Portland's stubbornly high homicide numbers — and why there are signs of continued of improvement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second Trump administration has barely begun, but an avalanche of policy changes and executive orders have already had repercussions in Oregon. Editor Therese Bottomly is joined by politics co-editor Jamie Goldberg and watchdog editor Brad Schmidt to discuss local coverage of the Trump effect in Oregon. They discuss the many lawsuits already filed by Oregon and other states over Trump's orders.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Oregon became the third state in the United States to legalize recreational marijuana use, proponents envisioned a double dose of green. Residents were given a chance to light up legally, finally bringing the state's underground cannabis culture out of the shadows. Nowadays, Oregon boasts twice as many cannabis shops as Starbucks coffeehouses. But a decade into Oregon's grand, green experiment, the business of marijuana has reached a crisis.  On the latest episode of Beat Check, Mike Rogoway, who covers Oregon technology and the state economy for The Oregonian/OregonLive, details the highs and lows of one of Oregon's most unique industries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's no secret that Oregon has an affordable housing problem. Gov. Tina Kotek has set an ambitious goal of building 36,000 units of housing a year, but so far, the state is nowhere close to hitting that target. Housing and real estate reporter Jonathan Bach recently went to Bend to spotlight a small but meaningful piece of the affordable housing puzzle: Community land trusts. He dissects them on this week's episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, and also checks in on other strategies the state is using to chip away at its housing backlog. And don't miss the end of the episode, where Bach discusses the commercial real estate projects that are set to break big in 2025, including the new James Beard Public Market in Portland. Pike Place, Portland's coming for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oregon's residential electricity rates have gone up nearly 50% in the Portland area in just the past four years. Those increases have primarily been driven by the rising costs to buy power from the open energy market. But there's growing concern that the rapid expansion of power-hungry data centers could significantly drive up residential power bills in the coming years. Already, data centers consume more than 10% of all Oregon's electricity. Power planners expect tech companies' power use will double by the end of the decade, or perhaps quadruple. Mike Rogoway, who reports on data centers for The Oregonian/OregonLive, talked on Beat Check podcast about a new proposal state lawmakers are crafting for the new legislative session that would give Oregon regulators authority to insulate residential customers from the costs associated with supplying data centers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A housing, homelessness and behavioral health crisis. Flagging student test scores. Billions of dollars needed for road and bridge repairs.Oregon legislative leaders will kick off their 2025 session this week at the Capitol with no shortage of significant challenges to tackle and tame. And while Democrats and Republicans say right now that they share a focus on other key areas of concern — such as making life more affordable for Oregonians and greater accountability of state government — the finer details around those common goals could prove divisive in the coming months. On the latest Beat Check, reporters Sami Edge and Shane Dixon Kavanaugh offer a Salem legislative preview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Business reporter Matthew Kish just completed a three-part series on one of Oregon's signature companies, Nike. He took a deep dive into the so-called “Starfish” surveys, a clandestine effort to document problems employees had with harassment and discrimination. The surveys are at the heart of a court case set to be argued this winter at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Kish joined Editor Therese Bottomly to talk about his reporting, the court case, and how The Oregonian/OregonLive became entwined in court proceedings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Large solar farms are on the rise in Oregon, in a push to fulfill the state's ambitious clean energy mandates. But their rapid rise is leading to worries about how they could reshape the state's agricultural economy and rural vistas. In November, the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council, a board that oversees the siting of large energy facilities, approved the state's largest solar farm – and one of the country's largest – on about 10,000 acres of active farmland in Morrow County. It's one of several multi-thousand acre solar farms poised to be built in Oregon. Most of the projects will cover cultivable agricultural land, taking thousands of acres out of production and reshaping the rural landscape. This has brought questions about the potential impacts to farmers, ranchers, tourists and wildlife. Sarah Esterson, a senior policy advisor on the state's Energy facility siting team, talked on Beat Check about how the state approves large solar farms and what it requires of developers to offset impacts to rural economies and landscapes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Schools may be closed for the holiday break, but there's a lot ahead for Oregon's public education system in 2025. We asked three of the superintendents of Oregon's largest public school districts — Kimberlee Armstrong of Portland Public Schools, Gustavo Balderas from the Beaverton School District and Andrea Castaneda from Salem-Keizer Public Schools — to join Beat Check this week for a roundtable discussion. Listen in to get the scoop on their thoughts about how the state funds education, and how that impacts urban school districts, which serve complex, high-needs communities, including families experiencing poverty and students who don't speak English as a first language. We also broke down the debate over greater accountability in Oregon's school systems, what it's like to be negotiating with teacher unions in the wake of Portland's impactful teacher strike and what classroom projects — from language immersion to early literacy — have them really jazzed about 2025. Read more: How shabby or shiny are your local schools? In Oregon, it depends on where you live. After Portland teachers' strike and statewide budget cuts, Kotek backs ‘significant' changes to funding formula. In Albany, a teacher's strike reverberates statewide Subscribe to Beat Check anywhere you listen to podcasts to get new episodes each week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the evening of Saturday, Dec. 7, a series of curious and unusual red lights illuminated the Oregon night sky. They moved around dramatically, zooming up and down at speeds so extreme, so uncharacteristic, nearby pilots were left in awe as they watched it all unfold from 30,000 feet. “I don't even know how to describe it,” one pilot said. “It's pretty crazy,” added another. In the middle of the mystery, an air traffic controller gave permission for the pilots to “maneuver as necessary left and right to avoid the UFO out there.” Some have suggested that the lights were merely Starlink satellites, which are routinely spotted as they orbit the planet. But others aren't so sure. Some believe those weird red lights that dazzled the night sky are part of a curious trend of uncanny events. Some believe there's more to the story. On the latest episode of Beat Check, Lizzy Acker, who covers Oregon weather and writes the advice column Why Tho? for The Oregonian/OregonLive, shares details of the recent curiosities in our friendly skies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, plans for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history imploded in spectacular fashion. First, an Oregon federal judge blocked the $24.6 billion bid by Kroger to take over Albertson's, its next largest rival. Less than 24 hours later, Albertsons, which also owns Safeway, pulled out of the deal entirely — and then filed a massive lawsuit against Kroger, the parent company of Fred Meyer and QFC. The bitter breakup marks the end of a two-year saga that stood to upend grocery shopping across Oregon and centered largely right here in Portland. On the latest Beat Check, Oregonian/OregonLive reporters Kristine de Leon and Shane Dixon Kavanaugh unpack the final twists and turns of the supermarket deal gone sour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices