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U.S. government, tribes settle 15-year-old case on sacred site near Mount Hood
A 15-year-old case pitting Northwest Native Americans against the federal government that’s been awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court hearing has settled, with the government agreeing to partially restore a sacred site in Oregon. The agreement was announced Thursday, with a filing in the Supreme Court calling for the case to be dismissed. Luke Goodrich, lead […]
As wildfires grow, poor, elderly disproportionately affected
This article was first published by the Oregon Capital Chronicle. People who are poor, older, suffer from disabilities or have unstable housing face a disproportionate threat from wildfires, a new study found. The research, published in the journal Science Advances, looked at areas hit by wildfires between 2000 and 2021. It found that nearly a half […]
Study: Marijuana use, and abuse, increases among young adults after legalization
Oregon legalized medical marijuana in 1998, and in 2015 it legalized recreational use, yet policymakers still know relatively little about the impact of the latter. A recent study by Oregon State University researchers and others shows that cannabis use has increased among college-aged Americans in states that legalized recreational use. “Some people would be surprised that […]
Absentee Oregon lawmakers face disqualification from running in 2024
The Oregon secretary of state said Tuesday that Republican state senators who had at least 10 unexcused absences during this year’s session will not be eligible to run in 2024. LaVonne Griffin-Valade, who was recently appointed secretary, said in a statement she has directed her office to implement an administrative rule making it clear to […]
Nearly 50 congressional Democrats urge tighter regulations protecting medical records
Nearly 50 Democratic and independent members of Congress are appealing to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to tighten regulations protecting the privacy of health information. In a letter Tuesday to Secretary Xavier Becerra, they asked that the department enact more precautions to ensure that law officers obtain a warrant before seeking the […]
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide whether endangered beetle needs federal protection
In 2020, a nonprofit environmental group focused on biodiversity petitioned federal authorities to protect a bug-eyed beetle that used to thrive on West Coast beaches but now only exists in certain sites, mainly in Oregon. In 2021, officials at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told the Center for Biological Diversity that the Siuslaw hairy-necked […]