Search results for

COVID-19 cases in Oregon have surged to levels not previously seen in the pandemic’s first nine months. This rapid spike in new diagnoses comes as the state prepares to enter a two-week “pause” on social gatherings in counties that have been the epicenters of outbreaks.

Despite Oregon’s green reputation, residents continue to throw too much of their trash into their recycling bins. The Department of Environmental Quality now has a comprehensive plan to overhaul the system and combat “wishcycling” once and for all. It includes changes to how packaging is labeled, a master list of recyclable materials for the entire state and getting companies that sell paper and packaging to help pay for solutions.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, more people are choosing to travel on commercial airplanes now than they have over the past seven months. That’s despite a recent spike in COVID-19 cases around the country. So, how safe is it to be on an airplane, or at an airport, right now? We get some answers to those questions, as the holiday season gets underway.

As the Portland Wall of Moms begins to crumble, questions have been raised about race, motherhood and why white women are going viral now when Black women have been protesting since the beginning.

After Portland protests and federal law enforcement’s treatment of protesters made national headlines, stories and photos of predominantly white mothers in the Portland Wall of Moms received national attention. But Black mothers like Julianne Jackson have been involved with the protests against systemic racism and police violence since the beginning. Jackson, an activist in Salem, has organized several events for racial justice and is advocating for the removal of school resource officers in Salem schools.

Tech companies have led the way on remote work during the coronavirus pandemic, thanks to a workforce that can perform many jobs outside the traditional office.

Last Friday, Andrew Phelps, director of Oregon's Office of Emergency Management, said on MSNBC that the state was preparing for a "mass fatality incident." With multiple wildfires burning near major metropolitan areas in the last few weeks, the number of lives and structures threatened was hard to calculate. Andrew Phelps joins us to talk about how OEM is preparing for these massive emergencies and what lessons he’s learned from the last few weeks.

As Portland protesters demand change within city law enforcement, Portland Street Response has been touted as an alternative way to respond to crisis without involving police. But with coronavirus shutdowns and repeated delays, the program has been set back nearly a year. We speak with Portland Street Response project manager Robyn Burek and paramedic Tremaine Clayton about the future of the pilot program.

Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt isn’t pursuing charges against most of the protesters Portland police have arrested, but police continue to make arrests. The police union and others have vociferously objected to his failure to prosecute, especially in cases involving rioting without accompanying charges related to property damage or violence.

Last year, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s Wildfire Prevention Council issued a report with detailed recommendations for immediate actions the state could take to prevent wildfires. The Republican walkout on the legislative session meant that most of those recommendations were never implemented.