Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 29/08/2026nytimes.comTrump Administration Looks to Give a Swath of Yosemite Park to Developer (Gift Article)The proposed land swap would allow easy access to the crown jewel of the national park system. Democrats and former Park Service officials are incensed. 031
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 08/08/2026Documents obtained by OPB show that City Manager Kris Swanson was fired after two police officers submitted letters to the mayor about worries of retaliation for testifying in an investigation about the city manager. However, those letters provide no specific examples of retaliation.opb.orgBattle Ground city manager firing came after police officer complaintsCouncilors questioned the firing of City Manager Kris Swanson during a last-minute special meeting on Wednesday night. 000
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 05/08/2026opb.orgRepublican Braun and Democrat Gluesenkamp Perez advance to WA-3 general election, AP projectsWashington’s 3rd District is expected to be one of the consequential House races in the country. 010
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Extremely tight race in WA-3 as Braun and Gluesenkamp Perez advance to the general election 000
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 03/08/2026Two more days to vote in Washington state's primary election. Here's a surprisingly detailed infographic about this year's consequential supreme court raceswashingtonsupremecourt.orgWashington State Supreme Court Elections VisualizerExplore the 2026 Washington State Supreme Court elections — candidates, positions, and key dates — in one easy-to-read visual guide. 010
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 21/07/2026it'll be interesting if liberals and progressives don't support her in november 200
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 21/07/2026Washington's 3rd Congressional District race is surely a toss-up. One Republican strategist I talked to said it could be one of the top three targets in the country for controlling the U.S. Houseopb.orgWashington’s 3rd District could be among the most competitive House seats this fallNine candidates are running in the state’s August primary, but only two will emerge from that race to compete in November. It’s one of just 18 around the country that’s considered a toss-up. 100
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 21/07/2026Wow, with Washington's Aug. 4 primary coming up, the League of Women Voters has done an awesome service of interviewing all 16 candidates for the Washington State Supreme Court - an election that could remake the state's highest courtlwvwa.orgLeague of Women Voters of Washington - Supreme Court Candidates 011
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 10/07/2026gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/c...nytimes.comTrump Cuts Habitat Protections for Endangered Species (Gift Article)The rule change ends a safeguard that had been in place for 50 years and could hasten the demise of imperiled animals. 010
Reposted by Erik NeumannThe New York Times @nytimes.com · 10/07/2026Breaking News: The Trump administration moved to open the habitats of imperiled animals to farming, drilling, mining and other development. Environmentalists characterized it as the most severe erosion of protections for wildlife in half a century. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/c... 146895577
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 02/07/2026The feds have approved an environmental review for the Interstate Bridge that took five years, setting the stage for constructionopb.orgInterstate Bridge Program announces milestone in construction of new Oregon-to-Washington bridgeThe bi-state megaproject announced Wednesday that it had received federal approval to begin construction. 020
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 26/06/2026Water rights can feel intentionally hard to understand. Kudos to Emily for putting numbers behind some of the biggest water users of the Deschutes Riveropb.orgAn Oregon law lets one wealthy region turn the desert green. When drought hits, farmers pay the priceDuring a historic drought, half of Central Oregon’s lifeblood river was diverted to a wealthy agricultural region that got a lot more water than its plants could drink. These water-rich landowners gre... 000
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 25/06/2026nothing says transparency like a state agency withholding public records until i *mail them* fifteen cents 041
Reposted by Erik NeumannElliot Njus @elliotnj.us · 23/06/2026Boy, am I going to miss Zane. He was an ante-upper and an envelope-pusher in all the best ways. He took everything exactly the right amount of seriously. His wit and wordplay was hard to keep pace with, but it was fun to try. He was a stellar journalist and an even better colleague.oregonlive.comZane Sparling, reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive, dies of cancer at 33“He wanted his identity to be a reporter, and that’s what it was,” his father said. 27312
Reposted by Erik NeumannLeah Sottile @leahsottile.bsky.social · 12/06/2026This is a really smart story by @erikneumann.bsky.social about how a local newspaper in Battle Ground, WA has been taken over by a couple of brothers with Christian nationalist ties. This isn't the first time this has happened with a paper on the outskirts of Portland: www.opb.org/article/2026...opb.orgControversial Battle Ground business owners buy community’s only newspaperBrothers Camden and Mac Spiller announced Wednesday they have purchased the Battle Ground Reflector. 26839
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 11/06/2026headline says it allopb.orgControversial Battle Ground business owners buy community’s only newspaperBrothers Camden and Mac Spiller announced Wednesday they have purchased the Battle Ground Reflector. 012
Reposted by Erik NeumannOPB @opb.org · 30/05/2026Officials on Saturday said they have retrieved the remains of the final victims of Tuesday’s deadly Longview paper mill chemical tank rupture, bringing the disaster’s confirmed death toll to 11. opb.orgCoroner: Remains of final victims recovered from Longview paper mill disasterOfficials on Saturday said they have retrieved the remains of the final victims of Tuesday’s deadly Longview paper mill chemical tank rupture, bringing the confirmed death toll from the disaster to 11. 21711
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 27/05/2026really tragic day in longview, wa with one dead and nine still unaccounted for in paper mill incident www.opb.org/article/2026...opb.org9 people still unaccounted for after Longview industrial implosion leaves at least 1 deadOthers were being treated for injuries after a chemical vat imploded at Southwest Washington paper mill Tuesday morning. 123
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 26/05/2026"He's got a sound that is him. And that's rare – it's funny, but that's rare. You hear just a couple of seconds and you know who that is." 001
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 21/05/2026The Longview Public Schools superintendent was arrested by police on Thursday morning. She was arrested on charges related to obstructing an ongoing investigation into student sexual assault at Mark Morris High School.opb.orgLongview superintendent arrested on obstruction charges for high school sexual assault investigationLongview schools superintendent Karen Cloninger was arrested Thursday morning on charges related to a student sexual assault investigation at Mark Morris High School. 000
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 20/05/2026In a partisan shift, the Battle Ground city council is expected to hear one proclamation condemning violence connected to Antifa and another supporting ICE enforcement. Notably, two LGBTQ-related proclamations were not approved for this year 000
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 07/05/2026a good read and a cautionary tale for many PNW towns 000
Reposted by Erik NeumannJessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 04/05/2026Our Southwest regional bureau is HIRING job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/j...job-boards.greenhouse.ioSouthwest ReporterPhoenix, Arizona, United States 087
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 30/04/2026Stories like this take time. How we reported it.opb.orgHow we reported the story about changes in Battle Ground, WashingtonOPB reported this story after hearing from Battle Ground residents about their concerns involving a series of property sales in town. 020
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 30/04/2026I've been trying to piece together what's happening in a small Southwest Washington town where businesses have been bought up and some residents are worried about a possible religious vision for their community. Here's what I found outopb.orgA Christian vision for Battle Ground?How one businessman is transforming the heart of a Southwest Washington town. 25423
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 30/04/2026Spinning off Jefferson Public Radio from SOU to save $300k per year seems like a shortsighted plan. That station (where I used to work) brings a lot to the university 041
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 23/04/2026I talked with the Battle Ground teacher who has been on leave for the past eight months after she was accused of making light of Charlie Kirk's death. Now, other teachers in the district worry something similar could happen to themopb.orgAfter the dismissal of a Battle Ground high school teacher, other educators censor their curriculaAn arbitrator said Amanda Gonzales should get her job back, but the district has not let her return to class. Gonzales was put on leave eight months ago. 010
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 19/04/2026"If you abdicate the search for satisfaction now, you will put it further out of reach. Resist the urge to arm yourself with uninformed cynicism masking as oh-so-wise pragmatism that’s really just good old fear of rejection."nytimes.comThis Is a Hard Time to Start a Career. These Two Words Can Help. 010
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 16/04/2026Great news, but it will be interesting to see if this trickles down the the small, rural stations that were hardest hit by Congress' funding cut 053
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 15/04/2026Sen. Braun has Trump's endorsement. Will he embrace MAGA politics? 010
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 13/04/2026Vancouver city councilors are pushing back against a proposal to scale back light rail stops from two, ending at a station in downtown, to just one that would end 90 feet above the city's waterfrontopb.orgVancouver City Council could vote to oppose shorter I-5 light rail routePlanned light rail stops were reduced from two to one, with light rail terminating at the Vancouver waterfront. 020
Reposted by Erik NeumannLeah Sottile @leahsottile.bsky.social · 09/04/2026I have said it before and I'll say it again: Oregon's news climate has been absolutely decimated. This leaves Douglas County with no newspaper in an area of the state that already had very few reporters. www.oregonlive.com/business/202...oregonlive.comRoseburg’s newspaper will stop printing after 159 years, shutter the newsroomThe Douglas County publication is the latest casualty in the long decline of local Oregon news. 37142
Reposted by Erik NeumannWashington State Department of Ecology @ecology.wa.gov · 08/04/2026We just declared drought for the fourth year in a row. And this year, it’s statewide. 316071
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 06/04/2026Seattle millionaire seeks repeal of millionaires’ taxopb.orgSeattle millionaire asks Washington Supreme Court to allow referendum effort on income taxOpponents of Washington’s new income tax asked the state Supreme Court on Friday to allow them to pursue a referendum in hopes of giving voters a shot at repealing the controversial new law this Novem... 000
Reposted by Erik NeumannNPR @npr.org · 31/03/2026A U.S. District Court judge found that President Trump's executive ordering the defunding of NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment. n.pr/3PUBm6tn.prFederal judge finds Trump violated free speech by ordering NPR defundedA U.S. District Court judge found that President Trump's executive ordering the defunding of NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment. 441871557
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 25/03/2026More positive fish news on the Klamath Riverijpr.orgChinook salmon are hatching in Upper Klamath for first time in a centuryThe Klamath Tribes are celebrating evidence of Chinook salmon spawning in Klamath River tributary. 08923
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 20/03/2026A Clark County lawsuit that has come to represent how much of a voice smaller cities should get on issues like light rail on the new Interstate Bridge was dismissed this weekopb.orgLawsuit against Clark County over C-TRAN board removal dismissedClark County Councilor Michelle Belkot had sued the county after she was removed from the C-TRAN board in 2025. 010
Reposted by Erik NeumannOPB @opb.org · 19/03/2026Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced its plans to quadruple the amount of logging that could happen in the forests it manages. Specifically, the agency aims to revise management plans for areas designated as O&C Lands.opb.orgHow to weigh in on BLM’s plans to quadruple logging in Oregon’s forestsYou have until Monday to provide input on the Trump administration’s plan to dramatically increase logging in western Oregon forests. 32934
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 19/03/2026Local elections official on what would be needed for the SAVE Act to work in Thurston County, WA: "It would require around the clock work, seven days a week ... currently we don't have all the resources as a county to hire all those staff right now" 18:00 www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFc-... 061
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 17/03/2026OPB is increasing its coverage of Southwest Washington, Eastern Oregon and Portland!opb.orgWork with usWork with OPB! 031
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 17/03/2026For more on why this project has increased in cost so much, here's some backgroundopb.orgWhat to know about the Interstate Bridge Replacement’s rising price tagNorthwesterners will receive an update Monday on costs to replace the Interstate Bridge between Oregon and Washington. That new price tag could add billions. 001
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 17/03/2026According to new official estimates released Tuesday morning, the price to build the Interstate Bridge will increase approximately 140% from a 2022 estimate of $6 billion to a new target of $14.4 billion.opb.orgInterstate Bridge cost soars 140%, adding billions to project estimateProject administrators announced the new $14.4 billion cost estimate on Tuesday morning. 100
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 17/03/2026this is a notable splitopb.orgSouthwest Washington’s Kent resigns over Trump’s Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threatJoe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war in Iran. 011
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 11/03/2026Definitely one of the best articles I’ve read latelynytimes.comWelcome to Wyoming, the Frontier of America’s New Gilded Age 040
Reposted by Erik NeumannOPB @opb.org · 10/03/2026A federal judge in Oregon said he would continue to block federal law enforcement from using tear gas and other chemical crowd control devices on protesters outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland. opb.orgJudge limits crowd control devices at Portland ICE building, says federal officers must identify themselvesThe ruling follows a three-day hearing last week where protesters testified about indiscriminate force outside the Portland ICE facility. 06626
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 09/03/2026VPS reaches $4.8 million settlement, and thanks to its insurance "paid an out-of-pocket deductible of $2,500 that covers both cases."columbian.comVancouver Public Schools settles lawsuits over alleged sexual abuse by former teacher for $4.8 million totalVancouver Public Schools reached settlements totaling $4.8 million in two lawsuits filed by former students against the district over alleged sexual abuse by their Hudson’s Bay High School English tea 000
Reposted by Erik NeumannOPB @opb.org · 27/02/2026In this first episode of the documentary series “The Crackdown," OPB takes a look at the protests in Portland, where nightly demonstrations on a single city block escalated into a test of presidential power. opb.orgHow Portland’s ICE protests took the national stageIn the fall of 2025, Portland’s protests had largely quieted, but still managed to capture national attention, leading Trump to order National Guard troops to protect the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building. 12910
Reposted by Erik NeumannOPB @opb.org · 24/02/2026Vancouver City Council has approved financial support for struggling businesses in the city's Fourth Plain corridor, known for its many immigrant- and BIPOC-owned businesses.opb.orgVancouver City Council approves financial support for businesses in Fourth Plain corridor The City Council approved the program to support businesses that have experienced serious financial hardships. 0103
Erik Neumann @erikneumann.bsky.social · 23/02/2026There aren't a ton of bright spots in the predatory world of mobile home parks, but Habitat for Humanity chapters buying them to build affordable housing is oneopb.orgEvergreen Habitat for Humanity hopes to buy Vancouver mobile home park to build more affordable housingThe Southwest Washington nonprofit is seeking $4 million from the state for a project that could yield 280 affordable housing units. 010
