President Trump's executive order on voter registration and voter eligibility is certain to face legal challenges and court battles on other contentious issues like birthright citizenship.

American brands have been boycotted before by Americans, but not by entire countries. Now Canadians and Europeans are bypassing U.S.-made products on grocery shelves to buy local.

Conan O'Brien received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Sunday at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts now chaired by President Trump. O'Brien let Twain do all the talking.

One of the toughest ethical challenges for public affairs and public relations professionals is telling a client “no” on the use of misleading evidence, flawed research or false claims in a PR campaig...

Oregon's Democratic congressional delegation held a townhall Monday in Portland to give former and current federal workers an opportunity to vent about firings. They got an earful.

President Trump is waging a trade war to restore American manufacturing. Economists doubt it will succeed. Researchers say the better path is North American economic collaboration.

In public affairs, tactics are important; convincing arguments are better. You can wield a solid ground game and possess whizbang research but lose if your story isn’t as persuasive as your opponent's.

A negotiated update of the bilateral treaty governing Columbia River water storage and hydropower has been put on hold as part of President's trade war with Canada.

Hitler’s Effort to Cleanse Museums Popularized Modernist Art The Pablo Picasso Museum in Paris features many of the 2,000 paintings and 11,000 drawings the trailblazing modern artist had retained a…

Oregon's revenue projections look rosy but may not be as rosy as they look, explains Tim Nesbitt. Actual annual growth is below growth rates in Washington and California that face budget deficits.

Thwarted on tax and spending cut legislation, Republicans will try to pass another stopgap spending bill with minor spending cuts and increases. The clinker is more spending discretion for President T...

The battle for eyeballs and brand stories has become more intimate with the advance of wearables like smartwatches, smartglasses, smartrings and interactive clothing.

Transportation issues made news with a controversial tire tax, a change in light-rail funding in Southwest Washington cities and slumping Columbia River shipping traffic due to tariffs.

Trump Embraces McKinley, Tariffs, Musk and the Russians Life in America in the first weeks of President Trump’s second term has been like being swept up by a perpetual cyclone. Americans braced for…

Lawmakers introduced 50 constitutional amendments dealing with redistricting, legislative quorums, Senate expansion, conceal carry and abolishing the kicker. Most will never reach the ballot.

In-person and online interactions are opportunities to see who you are talking to – and for them to see you talking. How you look and sound may be your most important message.

The House approved a budget measure that includes huge spending cuts and an even larger tax cut. Negotiations now begin with the Senate with Medicaid spending in the cross-hairs.

America’s chronic housing shortage contributes to homelessness, housing instability and housing affordability. It also crimps personal mobility and hope for a better future.

Newsjacking is a PR ploy to gain free coverage by tagging onto a high-visibility news story. It can generate viral buzz. It also can backfire, causing reputational damage. Timing is everything.

K-12 school funding is always a big issue in legislative sessions. A new state-financed report on Oregon’s school funding formula may make it an even bigger issue.

Trying to draft holding statements in a crisis communication plan is fruitless. Holding statements in a crisis situation can be useful to say something before all the facts are known.

Kate Travis, who served as special assistant to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, has joined CFM as a legislative assistant in its Washington, DC office.

Trump spending cuts aren't theoretical as they draw blood from our region's health research, power grid management and wildfire protection. The pain may get worse with proposed Medicaid funding cuts.

The Bonneville Power Administration faces staff reductions that could hinder its ability to maintain and modernize the region's power grid under growing stress.

Vanity Fair Illustration by Brian Stauffer  Democrats looking to escape the political dumpster could find inspiration and instruction in the commentary section of The Sunday New York Time…

Republicans now control all the federal levers of power but that hasn't made approving a budget or dealing with the debt limit any easier. It may have made a tough job even harder.

Super Bowl ads are commercial no-brainers while social media advertising has become riskier for brand safety after content guardrails have been removed.

The life of public affairs professionals in 2025 won't be dull. They need to keep track of President Trump's twists and turns as well as learn to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence.

President Trump has triggered a trade war with Canada, Mexico and China to halt fentanyl shipments and immigrants from entering the United States. It's likely to raise consumer prices.

Oregon is known for its natural beauty, public beaches and great wine. Now it’s becoming known worldwide as Dark Sky Country.

Knowing what to say and saying it with the appropriate emotion is a sign of good taste in communication. Seth Godin describes good taste PR as a skill worth developing.

When an organization faces a crisis situation, it’s more important to focus on preserving its reputation than speaking in its brand voice. Crisis response is not marketing PR.

President Trump issued an executive order freezing federal disbursements on select programs, grants and loans that could total $3 trillion. The 1-5 Columbia River Bridge replacement could be impacted.

Tara Kroft, a native Oregonian with Capitol Hill experience working on infrastructure and transportation issues, is now part of the CFM Federal Affairs team in Washington, DC.

President Trump’s first day back in office was eventful, sparking legal battles over birthright citizenship and threatening an even bigger battle over impounding congressionally approved funding.

After a season of exhausting campaigns and amid continuing Capitol construction, Oregon lawmakers go to work for real this week. They face big challenges but have the benefit of a rosy revenue picture...

Political polls are a favorite to fricassee after an election for missing the mark. Polling guru Nate Silver said 2024 polls were mostly on target and to the extent they weren't related to the messine...

Albert Camus was prescient when he said, “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.” In this age of fake news and Donald Trump’s lies, fiction may be our best defense against untruth. You…

Being a spokesperson is not a job for amateurs. It takes experience, self-confidence and media training. Even if you are an experienced and self-confident professional, you still need intensive media ...

Governor Kotek expresses optimism and frustration in her State-of-the-State address over efforts to increase housing, reduce homelessness and treat addiction. Republican legislative leaders fault Kote...

Your dog is more than a pet, companion or best friend. He or she is your evolutionary partner in a conjunctive venture stretching over millennia through glaciers, floods, pestilence, famine, war, m…

The frequency and intensity of natural disasters is increasing, causing extraordinary damage and human dislocation. In addition to combating climate change, we need much better disaster management to ...

The nuclear club is expanding and the number of nuclear warheads is growing. The New York Times editorial board urges incoming President Trump to prioritize nuclear diplomacy while there's still time....

To become a great storyteller, you could study story structure, character development and emotional resonance. Or, you could spend time watching stand-up comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Gaffigan...

Outgoing U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy calls loneliness and isolation a national epidemic that can lead to depression, anxiety, strokes, heart disease and premature death. Loneliness, he says, …

We're experiencing a data center gold rush as we rely more than ever on digital services. Artificial intelligence will deepen that reliance. Meanwhile, residential ratepayers are footing the bill to k...