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Alex Baumhardt

@alexbaumhardt.bsky.social
9.3K followers 2.3K following 606 posts

Journalist covering environment and education @oregoncapitalchronicle.com, part of @statesnewsroom.com

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Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Semafor @semafor.com · 12h
Visitors to the US are on track to drop by almost two million year-on-year. “We’re the only major country in the world losing visitation,” the head of the US Travel Association said. “It’s mind-boggling.” www.semafor.com/article/09/2...
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Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 14h
Three ads released so far feature stylized imagery of Trump and include “Paid for by the U.S. Government” disclosures. One is nearly identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad. Some $2 million in ads have aired on cable and broadcast stations over the past week. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/30/r...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Trump TV ads paid for with $20M in Homeland Security funds, Dems find • Oregon Capital Chronicle
President Donald Trump is tapping $20 million in Homeland Security funding to pay for TV ads that heavily feature him ahead of the midterm elections, Democrats said Tuesday as the promos critics call ...
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Murphy Woodhouse @murphywoodhouse.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The full release is worth reading www.karuk.us/posts/newsom...
karuk.us
Press Releases - NEWSOM VETOES BENEFICIAL FIRE CAPACITY ACT (AB 1891), MAKING CALIFORNIA LESS FIRE RESILIENT
Tribes and Nongovernmental Organizations will Continue to Fight for Sustainable Funding to Support and Grow the Beneficial fire Workforce; Only Then Will California Be on the Path to Wildfire Resilien...
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Will Craft @wcraft.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
BREAKING: Records obtained through a FOIA lawsuit shows that despite record number of pregnant women are in detention, ICE has lost count of the number of miscarriages. A Deleted Data/Immigration/Guardian investigations collab
theguardian.com
Revealed: ICE lost count of miscarriages, while detaining a record number of pregnant women
ICE says it has no updated information on the number of miscarriages after 3 October 2025. Lawmakers, advocates and immigration attorneys have raised alarms that pregnant detainees are not receiving b...
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Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
“The law essentially ends the hemp industry,” said Seth Crawford, the co-owner of Oregon CBD Seeds, an Independence-based company that supplies 75% of the hemp seed grown in the country. @miamaldonado.bsky.social reports: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/29/n...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
New federal law puts an end to the hemp industry, Oregon businesses say • Oregon Capital Chronicle
A new federal law will ban the sale most hemp-derived products by end of the year.
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Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Will Craft @wcraft.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This story was a big collaboration between graphics, data, photo, and immigration. A story with bylines across 4 desks, which I think shows the seriousness with which The Guardian takes covering this
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Lisa Fung @lisafung.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
‘Placing a board over CNN and CBS but making it a cat’s-paw of management, as Ellison proposes, doesn’t look like much of a solution.’ Via @hiltzikm.bsky.social www.latimes.com/business/sto...
latimes.com
Commentary: Think an 'independent' editorial board will protect CNN from political meddling? Think again.
The 'independent' oversight board Paramount says will protect CNN from its owner's political interference will be utterly toothless.
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Maanvi Singh @maanvisingh.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
What is ICE up to now? The agency is now anywhere and everywhere, embedded in all corners of everyday life. Here's our latest interactive piece on ICE 2.0 – w/ @wcraft.bsky.social Andrew Witherspoon & Julius Motal
theguardian.com
Gone in 90 seconds: an ‘invisibilized’ ICE is arresting more people than ever
After public backlash, the Trump administration changed its tactics from ‘siege’ to ‘soft feet’. Now, ICE is everywhere
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Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A new data center campus could soon be coming to federal land near Hermiston in eastern Oregon via @oregoncapitalchronicle.com oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/28/d...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Data centers proposed on federal land in eastern Oregon, western states • Oregon Capital Chronicle
A data center proposed on BLM land near Hermiston would be the first on federal public land in Oregon, one of dozen proposed in six western states.
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Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A Republican county commissioner who helped usher in two decades of Google data center development in The Dalles is running campaign ads painting his Dem opponent for an Oregon House seat as an underhanded supporter of corporate tax breaks for data centers. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/25/d...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Data centers take center stage, spur mudslinging, in competitive Gorge-based Oregon House race • Oregon Capital Chronicle
A county commissioner who ushered in Google data center development in The Dalles accuses his opponent of championing data center tax breaks.
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Quentin Young @quentinyoung.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Government investigators released a report that found the Department of Homeland Security wasted more than $20 million in federal funding in its rapid expansion of immigration detention, including warehouse purchases strongly opposed in numerous U.S. communities. By @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social
coloradonewsline.com
Millions of dollars of waste found in Trump administration push for immigration detention | Colorado Newsline
The Trump administration wasted more than $20 million in its rapid expansion of immigration detention, a new report says.
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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 24/09/2026
Dozens of delegates left the room in support of Palestine as the Israeli prime minister walked to the podium on Thursday. Other delegates clapped and chanted 'Am Yisrael Chai' or 'the people of Israel live' in support of the prime minister.
youtu.be
UN delegates walk out as Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to address general assembly
YouTube video by Guardian News
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 23/09/2026
NEW: ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series of incorrect and misleading claims.
propublica.org
ProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption Probe
ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 23/09/2026
Oregon’s second largest investor-owned electric utility could soon directly assign the costs of new energy projects and infrastructure needed for data centers to data center operators. buff.ly/okb6kd0
buff.ly
Pacific Power to charge new Oregon data centers for all costs associated with growing energy need • Oregon Capital Chronicle
The Citizens’ Utility Board said Pacific Power's agreement is “the strongest from a for-profit electric utility” under Oregon’s POWER Act.
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Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Reuters @reuters.com · 22/09/2026
CNN, CBS News oversight board will be 'toothless,' experts warn reut.rs/4hsmQNI
reut.rs
CNN, CBS News oversight board will be 'toothless,' experts warn
David Ellison is set to take control of two of the biggest news organizations in the US after his Paramount Skydance completes its takeover of Warner Bros Discovery , giving him wide influence ​over the news media landscape. But experts warn his promise of editorial independence for CNN and CBS News is a hollow one.
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Carolyn Copeland @carolyncopes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Finally, some news that can offer some hope for the future of journalism. (At least if the outlets are based in California) www.niemanlab.org/2026/08/cali...
niemanlab.org
California legislature passes a major local news funding bill: “If you hire more people, you get more money”
"If you lay people off, you get less money. If you don't employ anyone, you don't get anything."
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Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Met with 36 journalists in NYC this week to talk about climate change and economic trends and as depressing as that reality is, what takes the cake was learning that McClatchy, right after recent mass layoffs at the Miami Herald, posted positions for influencers at pay exceeding most reporters.
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Heather Vogell @heathervogell.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
What do Papa Johns, Putin & a Dutch ship company have in common? One man: Tom Dans, chair of the US Arctic Research Commission. The role is typically held by science/public policy experts. That’s not Dans. We dug into how he could be leveraging the role for his own interests 🧵
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Asia Fields @asiafields.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
From @noellecrombie.bsky.social: Stephenie went through another sweep, this time after testifying against a suspected serial killer. She got the sweep notice Monday, spent Tuesday at the courthouse and was overwhelmed Wednesday. Portland took her RV Thursday. www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
oregonlive.com
She testified against a suspected serial killer. 2 days later, Portland impounded her RV and all she owned
Stephenie Turner testified before a grand jury about her missing friend Elizabeth Gibson, who authorities say was killed by Jesse Calhoun in 2022. Two days later, the city impounded her motorhome and ...
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Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Jason Kint @kint.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Eye popping. Court just unsealed Summary Judgment motions in New York Times v OpenAI / Microsoft. Easy to see why the AI companies had so many redactions (pink). Their own people wrote the lede for NYT, the "largest theft of labor in human history"... "more and more substitutive..." /1
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Heather Vogell @heathervogell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
NEW: Trump’s pick for a tiny federal agency that advises Congress and the president on Arctic research policy is a MAGA venture capitalist with no science background. The job put him on a global stage, where he’s pushed for closer ties with Russia. www.propublica.org/article/thom...
propublica.org
How a MAGA Influencer With Ties to Russia Became Trump’s Arctic Adviser
As head of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Thomas Dans has backed a takeover of Greenland and other items on President Donald Trump’s list. But it’s not always clear where the administration’s ag...
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Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Since becoming president again, Trump has promised: -$5000 stimulus checks via "DOGE dividend" -$2000 stimulus checks via "tariff dividend" -$1000+ checks via "savings" from expiring ACA subsidies -$5000 "dividend" if Rs win midterms No checks have been issued www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-magi...
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Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Roughly 100 people showed up at the Oregon Capitol Tuesday calling for a 3-year pause on new data center development in the state. Among them was Gov. Tina Kotek, who expressed support, but stopped short of endorsing the length, breadth of pause desired. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/08/g...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Gov. Kotek pauses data centers on state land. Capitol demonstrators want her to go further. • Oregon Capital Chronicle
A coalition of environmental, farm and social advocacy groups want Kotek to issue a multi-year moratorium on data centers in Oregon.
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Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Notably, it's become clear that Oregon economic agencies, legislative researchers, electeds have far more analysis to undertake to be able to speak authoritatively on the matter of taxation and data centers in Oregon, and instead all of them are relying on @rogoway.bsky.social reporting instead.
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Mike Rogoway @rogoway.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Kotek: “I support a moratorium until we make sure that any data center development is done on our terms.”
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Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
From Kotek: “Today, I'm taking the next step by directing state agencies to immediately stop work on any state owned land transaction connected to a new data center. Not just here in Salem, but everywhere in Oregon where the state owns the land.”
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Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek joins a coalition of groups outside the State Capitol asking for a moratorium on data centers right now. Earlier today she announced a pause on data center approvals for state lands and buildings, is expected to announce further step here today. @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
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Minnesota Reformer @minnesotareformer.com · 08/09/2026
Big Tech wants to build a data center in your city. Is it worth it? minnesotareformer.com/2026/09/08/b...
minnesotareformer.com
Big Tech wants to build a data center in your city. Is it worth it? • Minnesota Reformer
The Dakota County assessor expects the Meta project to have a total tax bill of $2.6 million in 2028.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 07/09/2026
Labor union membership continues to climb in the United States, though the increase remains sharply divided by the politics of individual states. buff.ly/JzSQ3T3
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Labor unions are growing, but where depends on state politics • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Labor union membership continues to climb in the United States, though the increase remains sharply divided by the politics of individual states. Last year, the nation added more than 411,000 union…
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Reposted by Alex Baumhardt
Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 08/09/2026
Complaints to Oregon’s workplace safety and health agency have reached an all-time high since it introduced rules protecting employees from extreme heat and wildfire smoke four years ago. buff.ly/O5QYqPu
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Oregon workplace safety complaints rise amid record-breaking wildfire season • Oregon Capital Chronicle
The rise in complaints coincides with Oregon’s record-breaking wildfire season that has scorched 2.5 million acres across the state.
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Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Among the losses nationwide are 1,900 scientists, including biologists, foresters and wildfire managers, including 95 who worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service in offices across Oregon, from coastal cities to La Grande to Roseburg, Bend and Portland. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/03/u...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff down more than a third nationwide, 40% in Oregon since Trump 2.0 • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Fish and Wildlife went from nearly 10,000 staffers in 2024 to 6,300 today, federal data obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity show.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 03/09/2026
Brown University researchers found the oil lobby is succeeding in tanking state bills that aim to make polluters pay, despite supporters outnumbering the bill critics. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/03/o...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Oil lobby tanking climate Superfund bills in Oregon, 11 states despite public support, study finds • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Brown University researchers found testimony from fossil fuel lobbyists has had disproportionate impact on climate Super
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 03/09/2026
Washington, like Oregon, counts ballots that were postmarked by Election Day. But with USPS changes delaying postmarks, the state saw a sharp rise in late and uncountable ballots in its August election. Officials in both states are urging voters to use drop boxes in November. buff.ly/DzClEJX
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Uncounted late ballots jump in WA as fears of Postal Service delays intensify • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Over 20,000 ballots in Washington’s primary election last month were rejected because they came in too late, thousands more than in 2024.
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Virginia Gewin @virginiagewin.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
As the first significant rain falls in Portland, I'm breathing a sigh of relief. Across the US, the number and acreage of #wildfires 🔥 have been the worst in a decade. www.nifc.gov/fire-informa...
The 2026 fire season stats: 52,626 fires spanned 8,265,751 acres. Far higher than any other year this decade.
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St. John Barned-Smith @stjbs.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
ICE hasn’t paid for detainee medical care since October. Advocates call it the ‘death policy’ — my latest, w/ @kolyncheang.bsky.social. Spend some time with it www.sfchronicle.com/politics/art...
sfchronicle.com
ICE hasn’t paid for detainee medical care since October. Advocates call it the ‘death policy’
ICE owes millions in unpaid bills to hospitals and, in some cases, detainees themselves have been directly billed for care, records show.
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Yonette Joseph @sugarcane99.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Trump’s next renovation project: the White House bowling alley www.politico.com/news/2026/08...
politico.com
White House bowling alley gets a $250K glow-up
The General Services Administration is awarding contracts to install fresh lighting in the bowling alley – a decade after the agency yanked a contract to renovate the alley under President Barack Obam...
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 01/09/2026
Just Monday, the court gave the green light to President Donald Trump’s ballroom expansion and is expected to issue a major ruling soon on Trump’s vote-by-mail order that could throw the midterm elections into chaos. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/01/r...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
9 justices on the Supreme Court or 13? Numbers battle revived in Congress • Oregon Capital Chronicle
WASHINGTON — As public opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court flags amid decisions that have roiled the nation, Democrats renewed calls ahead of the midterms to expand the high court, while House Republica...
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 01/09/2026
The system contains several massive flaws and, with no time to spare before Nov. elections, USPS officials kept on developing it, in violation of a federal court order. States were expected to begin using it as soon as Tues., according to the whistleblower. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/01/u...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
USPS whistleblower predicts ‘catastrophic’ effect on elections under Trump vote-by-mail order • Oregon Capital Chronicle
The allegations come from a federal official whose exact role is not specified, and were detailed by a nonprofit legal group.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 01/09/2026
Ahead of the fall semester at Oregon’s largest public universities, staff are helping students from around the world navigate visa delays, uncertainty over Trump immigration policies that are expected to drive down international enrollment. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/09/01/o...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Oregon universities brace for international enrollment drop following visa delays, Trump policies • Oregon Capital Chronicle
International students hoping to start classes at an Oregon university have reported difficulty getting paperwork processed in time.
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
What is that sound? It's the noise that of a million "what about" brains exploding. 🎁🔗 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
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Forbes @forbes.com · 31/08/2026
The court will hear oral arguments as part of a dispute over whether fossil fuel companies can be held liable for their role in exacerbating climate change.
forbes.com
Samuel Alito Holds More Than $175,000 In Fossil Fuel Investments Ahead Of Hearing Exxon Case, Disclosure Shows
The court will hear oral arguments as part of a dispute over whether fossil fuel companies can be held liable for their role in exacerbating climate change.
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James Brooks Cascade @alaska.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Right now, my working headline for one article is In Alaska’s U.S. House race, two of the final four candidates don’t live in Alaska — and one is in prison sadly, it may be too long #akleg #akelect
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Alaska Beacon @alaskabeacon.com · 01/09/2026
Feds suspend permit for road construction through Alaska wildlife refuge, amid legal questions, reports Yereth Rosen for the @alaskabeacon.com alaskabeacon.com/2026/08/31/f...
alaskabeacon.com
Feds suspend permit for road construction through Alaska wildlife refuge, amid legal questions | Alaska Beacon
The state still plans to build the first 2.8 miles of a road to run through the Izembek refuge; critics say that would be illegal.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 31/08/2026
Federal immigration agents arrested 700+ people in Oregon this year, and 2,500+ since Trump started his second term in January 2025 — an eight-fold increase from 2023 and 2024. Among them were a 3-year-old and 83-year-old @miamaldonado.bsky.social reports: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/08/31/i...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Immigration arrests in Oregon under Trump 2.0 by the numbers • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Federal immigration agents have arrested more than 700 people in Oregon this year as of early August, according to new data.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 28/08/2026
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon wrote that by enacting the recycling law, “Oregon is exercising two fundamental police powers: mitigating waste pollution and protecting the health and safety of its citizenry." oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/08/28/f...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Federal judge sides with Oregon’s recycling law • Oregon Capital Chronicle
The court decision upholds Oregon’s recycling law that shifts recycling costs from consumers onto corporations.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 28/08/2026
Oregon's U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, Dems, demand USDA officials investigate Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment Michael Boren for allegedly diverting scarce firefighting resources to a 7-acre fire near his private ranch in Idaho: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/08/28/d...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Dems push Trump administration for investigation into wildfire response near Boren’s Idaho ranch • Oregon Capital Chronicle
The Washington Post reported the USDA undersecretary pushed federal officials to boost response to wildfire near his private Sawtooth ranch.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 28/08/2026
Bipartisan backlash against data centers in Oregon has incumbent Gov. Tina Kotek and her Republican challenger, State Sen. Christine Drazan, each scrambling to paint themselves as the candidate willing to curb development @shaanthx.bsky.social reports: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/08/28/d...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Data centers emerge as new flashpoint between Kotek, Drazan in Oregon governor’s race  • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Growing public backlash over data centers is becoming an issue for voters of both parties in the Oregon governor’s race.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 28/08/2026
Oregon National Guard troops have logged 350 flight hours dropping 1.5 million gallons of water on fires since late July. 50+ firefighters from Australia and New Zealand helping on Grasshopper and Austin fires @miamaldonado.bsky.social reports: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/08/27/a...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
‘A lot of fire season left:’ Gov. Kotek urges caution ahead of Labor Day • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Gov. Tina Kotek warned Oregonians to stay alert as the state still has more than a month until the end of the fire season.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle @oregoncapitalchronicle.com · 26/08/2026
Oregon is among states involved in multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration to protect voter registration data, access to mail voting. Oregonians have voted entirely by mail for 25+ years and have some of the highest turnout rates in the country. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/08/26/r...
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
New challenges to Trump mail-in voting order arrive after US Supreme Court ruling • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Democrat-led states and voting rights groups re-filed lawsuits Wednesday to block the Trump administration from executing a new regulation to restrict mail-in voting, while a federal judge lifted a na...
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madi mcvan @madisonmcvan.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
At the state Capitol for the first meeting of the Minnesota Truth Council, where we’ll be hearing testimony from people impacted by Operation Metro Surge and Operation PARRIS, which targeted refugees.
Several people sit around a semicircular desk in a room at the state Capitol.
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