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Yesterday, a Harney County Circuit Court judge ruled that Measure 114 violates Oregon's state constitution. The law, which voters passed last year to regulate firearms, has yet to go into effect due to multiple court challenges. Measure 114 bans future purchases of magazines that can carry more than 10 rounds of ammunition. It also requires those wishing to buy a firearm to get a permit first. Permits will require applicants to complete a safety class and a federal background check. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut ruled the law is legal under the U.S. Constitution. That decision has been appealed to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. OPB reporter Jonathan Levinson joins us with details about the latest ruling and what it means for the future of Measure 114.
Fentanyl use in Portland and other cities is a national crisis, but in Oregon the passage of Measure 110 harkened something entirely different. Now the political repercussions about that measure continue to reverberate. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart, Lauren Dake and Jonathan Levinson discuss fentanyl, Measure 110's critics and much more.
The city of Portland has had the dubious distinction of being the only city of its size where police officers do not wear body cameras. Last spring, the police union and the city came to an agreement to move forward with body-worn cameras. Now, 150 officers are wearing them in a 60-day pilot project that began this week. OPB’s Jonathan Levinson joins us with details.
With two quiet vetoes, Governor Tina Kotek has slowed the push to decriminalize sex work in Oregon. And it turns out the city of Portland’s top public safety official has been living in Sin City, not Stumptown. On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, Anna Griffin, Jonathan Levinson and Alex Zielinski tackle those two topics.
Pride events in small communities across the Pacific Northwest have been disrupted this summer by masked protesters touting extreme right-wing views. OPB’s Jonathan Levinson reports it’s a coordinated effort by a new coalition of groups espousing neo-Nazi and white supremacist beliefs. Levinson joins us with more details on the effort and the impact it’s having on LGBTQ+ communities.
On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, Dirk VanderHart, Jonathan Levinson and Alex Zielinski discuss the Newport mayor’s resignation and the happenings inside Portland City Hall as the mayor’s race is already heating up.
Oregon lawmakers have been so busy this session working up major packages on housing and semiconductors that the two parties have barely had time to fight over the issues that most bitterly divide them. That changed this week, as Democrats called up three bills that would expand gun regulation in the state. OPB reporters Dirk VanderHart and Jonathan Levinson break them down on the new episode.
On this week's show, we bring you two conversations about a very newsy week in Pacific Northwest Politics: Lauren Dake discusses outgoing Gov. Kate Brown's legacy and Jonathan Levinson explains what's next for Measure 114.
Portland has seen 93 homicides this year, and the year isn't over yet. Those include five people killed by local law enforcement officers. The city's efforts to reduce this violence starting in 2019, when the uptick started, have been not only unsuccessful but fraught with controversy. Despite the launch of the Enhanced Community Safety Team in February 2021, the start of the Focused Intervention Team in 2022, and an increased Portland Police Bureau recruiting push, the deaths continue to rise. Meanwhile, legal challenges to the Oregon ballot measure that voters narrowly approved to tighten gun laws statewide continue, with a Friday court hearing. We get more details from OPB reporter Jonathan Levinson.
This week, Joshua Holland kicks off the show with a look at how Elon Musk is turning Twitter into a massive vector for right-wing disinformation. Then we are joined by Slate's Dahlia Lithwick to talk about her new book, Lady Justice, and the new challenges journalists face covering a Supreme Court that decides cases on vibes rather than the law in order to achieve conservative goals. Finally, we speak with Oregon Public Radio reporter Jonathan Levinson about some eye-opening revelations in a newly redacted Department of Homeland Security report of how relentless pressure from above resulted in a blatantly political and often violent response to Portland racial justice protests in 2020 by federal law enforcement.PlaylistWillie Nelson: "Time of the Preacher"Sampa The Great: "Final Form"Molly Tuttle: "She's A Rainbow"
Nearly three years after Sean's death an arrest has been made. Senior producer Ryan Haas is joined by reporter Jonathan Levinson to discuss why the Portland police finally charged someone with murder. This is a Somethin' Else and Oregon Public Broadcasting production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In February, a shooter opened fire into a group of people who had gathered for a racial justice protest at Normandale Park in Northeast Portland, killing one person and wounding four others. Benjamin Jeffrey Smith was arrested and later charged with the murder of Brandy “June” Knightly in the shooting, and also faces multiple counts of attempted murder and assault with a firearm. Now, an OPB investigation has revealed that the FBI had received multiple tips dating back to 2006 about Smith's history of violent and threatening behaviors, and that the agency had contacted Smith months before the fatal shooting. Joining us to talk about their investigation are Jonathan Levinson, a multimedia reporter who covers policing for OPB, and Conrad Wilson, a reporter and producer who covers criminal justice and legal affairs for OPB.
Portland leaders have taken care of one big problem on their to do list: This week, they reached a labor deal with the union representing rank-and-file police officers. But Mayor Ted Wheeler's efforts to curb public camping by people experiencing homelessness has a long way to go.On this week's show, Lauren Dake, Rebecca Ellis and Jonathan Levinson talk about the political of policing and homelessness.
Alicia Menendez and Chris Jansing, in for Nicolle Wallace, discuss the U.S. scrambling to complete evacuations in Afghanistan before August 31st. Plus, the FDA grants full approval to one of the nation's covid vaccines, the House Intelligence Committee receives a briefing on Afghanistan, a violent weekend in the streets of Portland, deadly flooding in Tennessee, Democrats in Texas continue their push to stop Republicans from passing a new restrictive voting law, and nine House Democrats refuse to support the budget before passing the infrastructure bill. Joined by: Eli Stokols, Jackie Alemany, Donna Edwards, Dr. Vin Gupta, Rep. Colin Allred, Clint Watts, Jonathan Levinson, Sam Brock, David Rohde, Mark Jacobson, Courtney Kube, state Rep. Diego Bernal, Dr. Peter Hotez, Charlie Sykes, and Garrett Haake
After a short reprieve in political violence on Portland streets following the January 6th insurrection, the city is once again bracing for street fights. Far right groups have circulated flyers promoting violence planned downtown this weekend. And antifascist counterprotesters say they plan to show up too. The opposing rallies will happen just a year after some of the bloodiest -- and deadliest -- political fighting that happened in Portland leading up to last year's election. OPB's Jonathan Levinson fills us in.
On this week's episode of OPB Politics Now, OPB reporters Dirk VanderHart, Rebecca Ellis and Jonathan Levinson dissect the city of Portland's new deal on gun violence prevention.
On this week's episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake, Dirk VanderHart and Jonathan Levinson go deep on a number of gun control bills begin considered this session.
The Portland family at the center of a months-long protest and occupation intended to block an eviction has reached a tentative deal with the city. In exchange for the barricades on North Mississippi Avenue coming down, the developer and city of Portland have promised not to enforce an eviction order while the family and developer are negotiating a resolution in good faith. OPB's Jonathan Levinson gives us the latest.
In this special election preview episode, OPB reporters Rebecca Ellis and Jonathan Levinson explain Ballot Measure 26-217, which would change the process for overseeing the Portland Police Bureau.
Portland police officers feel underappreciated and unsupported by city leadership, according to new reporting from OPB. Activists who have been protesting for months demanding police reform are also frustrated with the lack of action from political leaders. What is the path forward? OPB reporter Jonathan Levinson has been working on this story.
Across the country this summer, we’ve seen vigilante militants incite violence at protests for racial justice. We talk to a former FBI agent who went undercover with right-wing militants in the 1990s about the groups' overlap with law enforcement. Michael German, Jonathan Levinson and LaFleur Stephens-Dougan join Meghna Chakrabarti.
On the Gist, Rep. John Lewis and his legacy. In the interview, Mike checks in with Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Jonathan Levinson. As a multimedia reporter and producer, Levinson has been on the ground nightly in Portland following the protests, getting tear gassed in the process. Levinson says that it’s more than just support for the BLM movement, its boiling frustration around governmental systemic failure. In the spiel, because of John Lewis, we have Barack Obama. Email us at thegist@slate.com Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the Gist, Rep. John Lewis and his legacy. In the interview, Mike checks in with Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Jonathan Levinson. As a multimedia reporter and producer, Levinson has been on the ground nightly in Portland following the protests, getting tear gassed in the process. Levinson says that it’s more than just support for the BLM movement, its boiling frustration around governmental systemic failure. In the spiel, because of John Lewis, we have Barack Obama. Email us at thegist@slate.com Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Do the words ‘superiority complex’ mean anything to you?” This week I’m joined by Broken Magic author and my very frequent collaborator Eric Sipple, here to discuss arguably the most important episode of the series (being the namesake of this clearly revolutionary podcast) episode 707, “Conversations with Dead People.” We break down the four (five?) titular conversations; wax rhapsodic about Jonathan Woodward; condemn the pointless death of Jonathan Levinson; lament the horribly wasted potential of the First Evil; and ask whether the episode is better in isolation or if the shocks and twists of this episode actually pay off in a satisfying way through the rest of the season. Is it just a coincidence that this podcast takes its name from the only episode in the entire run of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with absolutely ZERO Xander Harris? You be the judge. Next: Tami Anderson, fan and amateur Buffyologist, joins me to discuss episode 708, “Sleeper” and 709, “Never Leave Me.” THE BREAKDOWN Run Time: 01:21:44 00:00:55 - Intro / Guest 00:05:50 - Main Topic 01:18:30 - Outro / Next THE LIBRARY Broken Magic, by Eric Sipple The Deli Counter of Justice, by Paul Smith, Eric Sipple, Arlo Wiley THE MUSIC “Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017) “Blue” by Angie Hart, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale - Music from the TV Series (2003)
In addition to toilet paper and fresh produce, guns have been in high demand since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. OPB reporter Jonathan Levinson fills us in on who is buying guns in Oregon, and Erika Bales tells us how the past few weeks have been at her Hood River shop, Gorge Guns.
ver a dozen sheriffs in Washington State have said they’ll refuse to enforce a new gun control law that goes into effect this summer. Some sheriffs all across the west have said they have the right to enforce laws and interpret the constitution as they see fit. OPB reporter Jonathan Levinson gives us an overview of the constitutional sheriffs movement, and where it stands in Oregon.
Superstar Kenn Edwards returns, as Conversations with Dead People transitions into what it was always meant to be...Conversations about Jonathan Levinson! While discussing episode 417, “Superstar,” Paul indulges in many of his worst tendencies to go off on tangents, pondering the nature of magic as “the language of outcasts,” learning to be more accepting of Buffy Summers, and how Danny Strong has cast his own augmentation spell to become the Jonathan Levinson of the real world. And in 418, “Where the Wild Things Are,” we talk about the baffling absence of Oz, orgasm walls and other unsubtle metaphors, and Paul takes another unfair jab at Marti Noxon. Sorry. Next: the long-awaited return of fan-scholar/scholar-fan Nikki Stafford as we discuss episodes 419, “New Moon Rising” and 420, “The Yoko Factor.” THE BREAKDOWN Run Time: 01:37:55 00:00:55 - Intro / Guest 00:03:52 - Main Topic 01:25:13 - Outro / Next THE LIBRARY Library Closed For Filing - Please Come Back Tomorrow THE LINKS The Alex Jonestown Massacre on Bandcamp ...on Facebook ...on Instagram American Juggalo (Documentary) THE MUSIC “Conversations (feat. Wesley Mead)” by Azura (2017) “Superstar” by The Isley Brothers, Body Kiss (2003) THE SCHOLARS Whedon Studies Association is a non-profit academic organization devoted to the study of the works of Joss Whedon and his associates. They put out Slayage: The Journal of Whedon Studies, and Watcher Junior: The Undergraduate Journal of Whedon Studies, both blind peer-reviewed twice-yearly online publications. They also host the biennial Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses, which brings all these incredible scholars together to present papers, discuss ways of incorporating Whedon Studies in education, and basically just geek out together. http://www.whedonstudies.tv/
I can't believe that I'm talking about Jussie Smollett, but this is important. His false hate crime is an act of such stupidity, such selfishness and so dangerous, it may very well make it more difficult for real victims, in ways which we can only imagine. Just as Smollett was an actor I'd never heard of up until now, the devastating impact of his crime has propelled him to the spotlight, for all the wrong reasons, the fallout won't reveal itself until the next awful, and real, hate crime plays out in court. It would be nice to think that the victim won't face distrust and prejudice because of this one dumb guy, but we'll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, I'm still reeling from learning that Empire was co-created by Danny Strong, AKA Todd Krakow from Billions and Jonathan Levinson from Buffy! So, I hate to join the national conversation about this idiot, but it's too important to ignore. This will, I hope, be my last word on the Smollett story, but like so many of our national nightmares, it may linger. Thanks for checking out tonight's episode - make sure to subscribe to the show, and to leave ratings and reviews! Come visit the show's Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/mattsagerpodcast - to stay up to date as the podcast continues to grow. And be sure to check out my Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/mattsager Plus, you can now get Matt Sager Podcast Merch! Show your love for the MSP with T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and stickers! https://www.wehavemerch.com/collections/the-matt-sager-podcast --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mattsager/support
Oregon lawmakers are getting to work in Salem. Democrats have supermajorities in the House and Senate. Their jam-packed agenda includes rent control, cap and trade, education funding and campaign finance reform. OPB political reporter Dirk Vanderhart gives us a preview of the 2019 legislative session. And OPB reporter Jonathan Levinson fills us in on the gun control proposals on the table for the session.
After a break, Buffy Virgin is back with Superstar! Virgin Michael delivers a new rap summary, and Longtime host Dave Yoder leads the discussion, including a trip down memory lane as we revisit past discussions of the amazing Jonathan Levinson.