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Oregon News
POLITICS
Trump reportedly considering firing this Oregon Republican from his cabinet
The Oregonian | By Betsy Hammond
After President Donald Trump axed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi from his cabinet, he is considering dumping a couple more – and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is at or near the top of his list, The Washington Post and Politico reported Friday and Saturday.
Both news outlets offered the caveat that, according to unnamed White House sources, the president has not made a final decision and may hold back from firing her or Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who has also drawn presidential ire.
But Trump spokesperson Taylor Rogers told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday the same thing she told Politico over the weekend: “Secretary Chavez-DeRemer is doing a great job standing up for American workers and she continues to have President Trump’s full support.”
Oregon State Hospital promotes from within to name new top doctor
The Oregonian | By Lillian Mongeau Hughes
Dr. Amit Bhavan will be the new chief medical officer at the Oregon State Hospital, state officials announced Monday.
Bhavan, a psychiatrist, has worked at the hospital since 2020. He first stepped into the chief medical officer’s role last August when his predecessor Dr. Ryan Bell resigned. Bell had held the role only a few months, having taken over when Dr. Sara Walker resigned in April under pressure from Gov. Tina Kotek.
U.S. Attorney again asks Marion County to enforce ICE subpoenas
Statesman Journal | By Dianne Lugo
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon has again filed a petition against Marion County and three other counties for the turnover of information to help federal officers locate 30 people who have been convicted of various crimes and are under county supervision.
Oregon DOJ probe into sanctuary law compliance at Salem courthouse faces legal hurdles
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Shaanth Nanguneri
A high-profile late March arrest by federal immigration agents at a courthouse in Marion County appears to have violated the state’s sanctuary law, but it’s unclear whether an inquiry into the incident from the Oregon Department of Justice will result in any significant action.
Hundreds of Portland immigrant households will see federal housing subsidies shrink in May
OPB | By Alex Zielinski
Hundreds of low-income immigrant families that live in subsidized housing will soon see federal funding shrink due to a recent policy change.
In Portland, undocumented immigrants aren’t eligible to apply for rental assistance through Home Forward, the region’s public housing authority that helps roughly 14,500 households. But for years, Home Forward has allowed so-called “mixed status” families — made up of both U.S. citizens and people without legal status — to live together in subsidized housing. Under that rule, monthly rent is 30% of the household’s entire income plus $1. Home Forward pays for the rest.
This situation is no longer allowed under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development policy.
'Blazers are Portland': Blazers owners and city leaders negotiate long-term stay at Moda
KATU | By Wright Gazaway
Portland city leaders and the Blazers’ new ownership group met Thursday for the first time since the ownership group–dubbed Rip City Rising–officially took the reins.
Negotiations are underway for a long-term lease at Moda Center and roughly $600 million in publicly funded renovations.
Blazers, Timbers, Business Chamber and Performance Groups Urge Council to Kill Ride-Hailing Proposal
Willamette Week | By Sophie Peel
The Portland Metro Chamber and a coalition that includes the city’s professional sports teams and arts groups implored the Portland City Council in a letter today not to pass a proposed policy that would restrict the portion of a fare that ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft could take from each trip.
Federal officers’ tear gas tactics in Portland head to appeals court
OPB | By Conrad Wilson, Troy Brynelson
The Trump administration will argue Tuesday before a federal appeals court that its agents should not be restricted from using crowd control weapons on protesters outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland.
Multnomah County still can’t say where $150,000 in gift cards, other incentives went
The Oregonian | By Austin De Dios
After months of review, Multnomah County’s health department still couldn’t track down documents showing where 131 gift cards and other cash incentives were distributed.
Those items, doled out from mid-2021 to mid-2025, were worth a total of $151,000, according to the county. Staff can dispense gift cards, transit tickets and other types of prepaid support to encourage people to obtain preventative health care or participate in focus groups and to show appreciation for volunteers, among other things.
Portland mayor asks neighboring counties to pitch in on city's homelessness efforts
KGW | By Blair Best
Mayor Keith Wilson sent letters to the chairs of Clackamas and Washington counties, asking them to pitch in $4 million and $6 million, respectively.
Mayor of major Oregon city broke state meetings law, ethics commission poised to conclude
Salem Reporter | By Joe Siess
More than a year after Salem Mayor Julie Hoy orchestrated the ouster of Salem’s former city manager, the state ethics commission is set to find she violated state law by convening a meeting to discuss city business behind closed doors.
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission on Friday will consider a final order establishing Hoy broke six state laws when she called or spoke with councilors about then-City Manager Keith Stahley’s job performance.
Failed Portland mayoral candidate files federal lawsuit over campaign finance fines
The Oregonian | By Isabel Funk
The Portland city auditor levied thousands of dollars in fines against mayoral hopeful Rene Gonzalez in 2024. Now he’s suing the city, saying the fines, which were later overturned by a Multnomah County judge, unfairly damaged his campaign.
Oregon airports to receive $27M in federal funding for safety and infrastructure improvements
KGW | By Sabinna Pierre
More than 25 airports across Oregon will receive a combined $27 million in federal funding to improve infrastructure and safety, U.S. senators and representatives from the state announced Monday.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
One industry is propping up Oregon’s job market
The Oregonian | By Mike Rogoway
Oregon’s labor market was essentially flat last year, adding just a handful of jobs across all industries. But one sector grew much faster — health care.
Overall, the health care field employs one in seven Oregon workers. The industry has grown twice as fast as the state’s overall labor market this century and accounted for nearly all of Oregon’s job growth in 2025.
The same phenomenon is playing out across the country as America’s aging population seeks medical assistance and support. But growth in the health care space is especially pronounced in Oregon.
Oregon businesses face tough odds and a high first-year failure rate, report says
KOIN 6 | By Amanda Rhoades
It’s no secret that Oregon businesses have been struggling.
The state was ranked one of the worst for business by CNBC, and business bankruptcies in Oregon just hit a 12-year high. Other states are even trying to lure Oregon businesses away.
Oregon is also one of the states where businesses are most likely to fail within the first year of opening, according to a new report released Monday by the financial services company LendingTree.
More business openings than closings in Oregon in last decade, despite economic stigma
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt
Still, new businesses don’t necessarily mean boons to employment, and a new cafe employs far fewer people than a large factory. Runberg notes that there’s been considerable slowdown in job creation across the state, in part because more than 80% of new jobs in Oregon are created by the expansion of established businesses, not new ones. And though Oregon tends to be a good place to start a business, surveys show growing is harder, he said.
The state’s unemployment rate has risen steadily since 2023 and reached 5.2% in January, above the nationwide jobless rate of 4.3%.
Another downtown Portland office tower sells amid foreclosure lawsuit
The Oregonian | By Jonathan Bach
Portland real estate executives said Monday they have acquired downtown’s “Black Box” office tower for just shy of $70 million.
More Oregon water for Google’s data centers, more concern over secrecy
The Oregonian | By Mike Rogoway
Google’s data centers gulped down nearly 550 million gallons of water in The Dalles in 2025. That’s nearly 40% of all the water consumed in the entire city and a huge jump from the year before.
The city expects that local water consumption will soar over the next several years and bills will nearly double as The Dalles works to upgrade its aging water system. But the city won’t say how much of the rising demand comes from Google, citing a promise to keep the numbers secret and confidentiality provisions in Oregon public records law.
HEALTH CARE
OHSU removes hospital CEO after only 4 months
The Oregonian | By Kristine de Leon
Oregon Health & Science University’s newly hired health system chief executive is out of his $1.4 million job just four months after starting, leaving a vacancy once again in one of OHSU’s most critical leadership roles.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Oregon’s Climate Protection Program Costs Far More Than Other States’—and Is Far Less Accountable
Willamette Week | By Nigel Jaquiss
Critics say the program is a poorly designed job killer.
2026 ELECTION
State Sen. Janeen Sollman Says Two Prominent Unions Resorted to ‘Bullying and Intimidation’
Willamette Week | By Joanna Hou
Myrna Muñoz, her opponent in one of the fiercest May primary contests, says what the unions did was ‘what you do in a democracy.’
These Republicans running for Oregon governor are raising the most money, readying TV ad blitz
The Oregonian | By Carlos Fuentes
Oregon Republicans hoping to challenge Gov. Tina Kotek for her seat this fall are ramping up their campaigns as the May primary election quickly approaches.
State Sen. Christine Drazan of Canby and former Trail Blazer Chris Dudley have each raised more than $2 million and have purchased television advertisements that will roll out in the coming days. Both have previously run for Oregon governor and lost.
Other notable candidates, Rep. Ed Diehl of Scio and Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell, have brought in less money and received few high-profile endorsements but still have support from some GOP groups and are expected to participate in multiple upcoming debates.
“I’ve been involved in every governor campaign since at least 2010, and it seems like this (primary) is by far the most competitive,” said Dan Mason, national committeeperson for the Oregon Republican Party.
Portland judge says she’s too busy running for reelection to oversee trials
The Oregonian | By Zane Sparling
The only judge facing an election challenge in Portland’s downtown courthouse this year says she can’t oversee any trials, because she’s too busy on the campaign trail.
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