WW presents "Distant Voices," a daily video interview for the era of social distancing. Our reporters are asking Portlanders what they're doing during quarantine.Amid a pandemic that shows no signs of ending, Dr. Rebecca Hicks has reached an inescapable conclusion: In order for Oregon children to return to school, Oregon 20-somethings must stop going to bars.Hicks, a Bend pediatrician, is one of 150 physicians who are also mothers who signed last week. The headline-making demand in the letter was for Brown to prioritize education over business, and until COVID-19 case counts dwindle...…WW presents "Distant Voices," a daily video interview for the era of social distancing. Our reporters are asking Portlanders what they're doing during quarantine.Amid a pandemic that shows no signs of ending, Dr. Rebecca Hicks has reached an inescapable conclusion: In order for Oregon children to return to school, Oregon 20-somethings must stop going to bars.Hicks, a Bend pediatrician, is one of 150 physicians who are also mothers who signed last week. The headline-making demand in the letter was for Brown to prioritize education over business, and until COVID-19 case counts dwindle...WW…

WW presents "Distant Voices," a daily video interview for the era of social distancing. Our reporters are asking Portlanders what they're doing during quarantine.On Aug. 4, the world watched . The blast, which killed at least 100 people and injured thousands more, looked like a nuclear detonation. In fact, it was ammonium nitrate—Oregon had its own ammonium nitrate disaster. In 1959, a truck filled with 4 tons of the substance (and a couple tons of dynamite) was parked next to a building that caught fire in the town of Roseburg. Fourteen people died.David Kennerly watched it...…WW presents "Distant Voices," a daily video interview for the era of social distancing. Our reporters are asking Portlanders what they're doing during quarantine.On Aug. 4, the world watched . The blast, which killed at least 100 people and injured thousands more, looked like a nuclear detonation. In fact, it was ammonium nitrate—Oregon had its own ammonium nitrate disaster. In 1959, a truck filled with 4 tons of the substance (and a couple tons of dynamite) was parked next to a building that caught fire in the town of Roseburg. Fourteen people died.David Kennerly watched it...WW…

The U.S. Federal Protective Service is spending $125,000 on sunglasses to protect federal officers' eyes from lasers shone at them by protesters, according to a procurement request.The July 10  cites the use of lasers by Portland protesters as a reason to buy 1,000 pairs of StingerHawk FT-2 Laser Protective Eyewear."Our FPS personnel saw these lasers used firsthand in Portland," the request says, "and had discussions with Seattle police officers who felt the effects on the first night of rioting and then utilized laser-resistant safety glasses and expressed that they were very...…The U.S. Federal Protective Service is spending $125,000 on sunglasses to protect federal officers' eyes from lasers shone at them by protesters, according to a procurement request.The July 10  cites the use of lasers by Portland protesters as a reason to buy 1,000 pairs of StingerHawk FT-2 Laser Protective Eyewear."Our FPS personnel saw these lasers used firsthand in Portland," the request says, "and had discussions with Seattle police officers who felt the effects on the first night of rioting and then utilized laser-resistant safety glasses and expressed that they were very...WW…

As an uprising against police violence enters its ninth week, and a federal incursion finishes its third, neither President Donald Trump nor the citizens of Portland are standing down.Videos taken by freelance reporter Sergio Olmos in downtown Portland on July 20 shows hundreds of yellow-clad mothers massed outside the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse. At dusk, they raised their hands and sang a repeating ditty: "Hands up, please don't shoot me."The moms were part of crowd of thousands, the largest Portland has seen since Trump deployed federal police to Portland starting July 2. Reports...…As an uprising against police violence enters its ninth week, and a federal incursion finishes its third, neither President Donald Trump nor the citizens of Portland are standing down.Videos taken by freelance reporter Sergio Olmos in downtown Portland on July 20 shows hundreds of yellow-clad mothers massed outside the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse. At dusk, they raised their hands and sang a repeating ditty: "Hands up, please don't shoot me."The moms were part of crowd of thousands, the largest Portland has seen since Trump deployed federal police to Portland starting July 2. Reports...WW…

President Donald Trump deployed federal police to Portland to quell six weeks of protests. He has achieved the opposite effect.The crowds gathering outside downtown courthouses on July 18 and 19 were as large as any Portland has seen in the past month. The crowd also appeared significantly older than at any previous demonstration.That's in no small part because reports of aggressive tactics by federal officers—including shooting a protester in the face with a munition, , and tear gassing a county commissioner—have galvanized residents of this city to confront what they see as a military...…President Donald Trump deployed federal police to Portland to quell six weeks of protests. He has achieved the opposite effect.The crowds gathering outside downtown courthouses on July 18 and 19 were as large as any Portland has seen in the past month. The crowd also appeared significantly older than at any previous demonstration.That's in no small part because reports of aggressive tactics by federal officers—including shooting a protester in the face with a munition, , and tear gassing a county commissioner—have galvanized residents of this city to confront what they see as a military...WW…

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum will file a lawsuit in federal court tonight seeking a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement agencies from seizing and detaining Portland protesters without probable cause.Her announcement follows that federal officers whisked away protesters in unmarked vans—She also announced that the Oregon Department of Justice and the Multnomah County district attorney would open a criminal investigation into the July 11 injury of Donavan LaBella,Rosenblum announced her intention to file the...…Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum will file a lawsuit in federal court tonight seeking a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement agencies from seizing and detaining Portland protesters without probable cause.Her announcement follows that federal officers whisked away protesters in unmarked vans—She also announced that the Oregon Department of Justice and the Multnomah County district attorney would open a criminal investigation into the July 11 injury of Donavan LaBella,Rosenblum announced her intention to file the...WW…

As top federal law enforcement officials arrived in Oregon on Thursday, Gov. Kate Brown accused President Donald Trump of deploying federal officers to Portland to crack down on protesters as a way to boost his flailing reelection prospects.In an uncharacteristically harsh statement, Brown responded to Trump's deployment of federal officers to quell Portland's protests against police violence. Those officers sent one demonstrator to the hospital July 11 with a munition to the face."This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety," Brown said. "The president...…As top federal law enforcement officials arrived in Oregon on Thursday, Gov. Kate Brown accused President Donald Trump of deploying federal officers to Portland to crack down on protesters as a way to boost his flailing reelection prospects.In an uncharacteristically harsh statement, Brown responded to Trump's deployment of federal officers to quell Portland's protests against police violence. Those officers sent one demonstrator to the hospital July 11 with a munition to the face."This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety," Brown said. "The president...WW…

Oregon's governor and two U.S. senators today decried President Donald Trump's use of federal officers to counter demonstrators in Portland, but Mayor Ted Wheeler and most members of the Portland City Council remained silent.U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) both issued statements following Trump's July 10 On July 11, Merkley said he was troubled by the deployment of officers who typically guard the nation's borders. "We demand respect for Americans who have taken to the streets to raise their voices in peaceful support of the Black Lives Matters movement," he told WW. "No...…Oregon's governor and two U.S. senators today decried President Donald Trump's use of federal officers to counter demonstrators in Portland, but Mayor Ted Wheeler and most members of the Portland City Council remained silent.U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) both issued statements following Trump's July 10 On July 11, Merkley said he was troubled by the deployment of officers who typically guard the nation's borders. "We demand respect for Americans who have taken to the streets to raise their voices in peaceful support of the Black Lives Matters movement," he told WW. "No...WW…

As regional government Metro gets closer to referring a $4.2 billion transportation measure to the November ballot, officials have narrowed how they'll pay for the projects to a single tax.It's a payroll tax: charging Portland-area businesses for each employee they pay. And that mechanism has regional businesses in revolt, demanding the measure be delayed to another year."The current proposed revenue mechanism is the worst possible new tax to propose at this specific time," wrote 14 local chambers of commerce in a July 7 letter to the Metro Council, first reported by The Oregonian."There is...…As regional government Metro gets closer to referring a $4.2 billion transportation measure to the November ballot, officials have narrowed how they'll pay for the projects to a single tax.It's a payroll tax: charging Portland-area businesses for each employee they pay. And that mechanism has regional businesses in revolt, demanding the measure be delayed to another year."The current proposed revenue mechanism is the worst possible new tax to propose at this specific time," wrote 14 local chambers of commerce in a July 7 letter to the Metro Council, first reported by The Oregonian."There is...WW…

As Oregon COVID cases continued to pour in at a rate well above 300 per day heading into the Independence Day weekend, Gov. Kate Brown pledged to send workplace safety and liquor inspectors into businesses to check if patrons are wearing masks.The Oregon Health Authority announced another 344 people tested positive for the coronavirus yesterday, the second consecutive day cases rose above 300. But Brown did not close any counties, instead saying she would reevaluate the status of eight hard-hit rural counties after the weekend.Those counties—Jefferson, Lake, Lincoln, Malheur,...…As Oregon COVID cases continued to pour in at a rate well above 300 per day heading into the Independence Day weekend, Gov. Kate Brown pledged to send workplace safety and liquor inspectors into businesses to check if patrons are wearing masks.The Oregon Health Authority announced another 344 people tested positive for the coronavirus yesterday, the second consecutive day cases rose above 300. But Brown did not close any counties, instead saying she would reevaluate the status of eight hard-hit rural counties after the weekend.Those counties—Jefferson, Lake, Lincoln, Malheur,...WW…