An Anonymous Jokester Installed a 'Merge Simpson' Sign Near a Portland Interstate. City Killjoys Took It Down.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation said that the sign was a safety hazard and therefore had to go.
Oregon
Oregon Legalizes a Breakthrough Treatment: Magic Mushrooms
Oregon will license and regulate psilocybin-assisted therapy by 2023. Some health care professionals aren't willing to wait.
Oregon Will Require People To Wear Masks Outdoors Even if They're Vaccinated
The government "strongly recommends" masking at private outdoor gatherings as well.
Psychonautical Journalist Michael Pollan Is Finally Ready To End the War on Drugs
The evolution of Pollan's thinking reflects the confusion caused by arbitrary pharmacological distinctions.
If Sha'Carri Richardson Can Get High and Still Outrun Everybody, She Should Be Allowed To Do It
Banning the American sprinter from the Olympics for using marijuana is completely ridiculous.
In an Unprecedented Heat Wave, Portland's Lingering COVID Restrictions Hurt Bars and Restaurants Again
The state, one of the last to fully reopen, lifted some capacity limits early. But the service sector was hamstrung during a heat crisis in which it could have helped.
Oregon's New Vaping Restrictions Will Drive Kids to Smoke
Officials publicly congratulate themselves for protecting teens, but they know that they’re prodding young people to switch to cigarettes.
Public University Threatens To Monitor and Punish Off-Campus Student Behavior
Doing the wrong thing at an off-campus party could lead to on-campus consequences.
Supreme Court Won't Make Ban on Non-Unanimous Jury Convictions Retroactive
Bad news for hundreds of imprisoned defendants in Louisiana and Oregon
Blue States Reopen Their Economies but Double Down on Mask Mandates
Connecticut, California, Oregon, and Colorado have all signaled that their mask mandates will outlast their pandemic restrictions on businesses.
The Dream of the '90s Died in Portland
Once an up-and-coming city, Portland was destroyed from within by radical activism and political ineptitude.
Federal Judge Orders Oregon To Offer Vaccines to Incarcerated People Immediately
"During difficult times we must remain the most vigilant to protect the constitutional rights of the powerless," the judge writes.
Oregon Weighs Race-Based Vaccine Preferences
Instead of allowing people with chronic medical conditions to get a higher place in line, a pivotal Oregon committee leans into racial justice considerations.
Oregon's Plan To Vaccinate Teachers Before the Elderly Is Terribly Misguided
If the aim is to reduce COVID-19 deaths, Oregon's plan is a failure.
The FDA Continues To Drag Its Feet on Vaccine Approval
Plus: Oregon rolls back parking minimums, regulators approve a new type of pig, Shrek finally gets the recognition it deserves, and more...
America's Disastrous Drug War Is Finally Unravelling
Voters came out for legalizing marijuana, removing criminal penalties for psychedelic use, and treating drug addiction as a public health concern.
Oregon Becomes the First State to Decriminalize Use of All Drugs
The initiative makes noncommercial possession of controlled substances a citable offense punishable by a $100 fine.
Oregon Becomes the First State to Legalize Psilocybin
The ballot initiative allows adults to use the promising psychedelic at state-licensed "psilocybin service centers."
The Portland Protest Shooter's Death Looks More and More Like Excessive Force—but Trump Keeps Bragging About It
Plus: A tale of two townhalls, Matt Welch interviews Jo Jorgensen, Bill Gates talks antitrust, Ajit Pai moves on Section 230 study, and more...
'You're Not Allowed To Film': The Fight To Control Who Reports From Portland
Both sides are getting their information through purposely bottlenecked media reports, and the results are predictably distorted and dangerous.
How Portland's Protests Drifted into 'Dangerous Territory'
"When terror is seen as justified, I think it's inevitable that something terrible is going to happen," journalist Nancy Rommelmann told Nick Gillespie last week.
Kenosha Doesn't Have To Be a Vision of America's Future
Neither does Portland. But the fact that the violence is continuous and seems to be escalating is cause for concern.
When You Say Yes to Hate: Dispatch From Portland
The situation in Portland on Day 87 is not getting better.
Oregon Ballot Initiative Would Decriminalize Low-Level Possession of All Drugs
Measure 110 would reduce felony convictions for drug possession by an estimated 95 percent.
A Quiet Night in Portland
The J.V. squad was out looking for trouble and the battle over who counts as press continues.
Left, Right, and Center Respond to Joe Biden's Veep Pick, Kamala Harris
Plus: Portland eases restrictions on density, chain stores are fleeing Manhattan, and a QAnon believer is likely headed to Congress.
He Wanted To Make Some Money for School Clothes by Selling Mexican Street Corn. The Government Says He Owes $1,415 in Permit Fees.
"I just wanted to help out my community and family," said Miguel Lozano.
Dispatch From Portland: The Morning Crew
A tarot card-reading liberal arts major, a Sudanese immigrant, and a former restaurant worker explain why they are out protesting in Rose City.
Judge Orders Federal Officers in Portland To Stop Harassing and Assaulting Journalists and Legal Observers
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon reminds the feds that they are bound by the First Amendment.
Where's Republican Federalism During Trump's Urban Invasions?
A president from a party supposedly committed to restraining the federal government is now sending enforcers to cities over local objections.
Dispatch From Portland: The Fire Next Time
The protests continue, as does the tear gassing.
What It's Like To Work in the Portland Jail During the George Floyd Protests
The federal police presence in Portland has enraged demonstrators. It's also taken pressure off the local justice center.
Trump Administration Justifies Federal Police Surge With Fake News
Plus: "learning pods" are an unfair target, COVID-19 reinfections are unlikely, and more...
Trump Deploys Lawlessness Against Lawlessness
The president’s heavy-handed response to protests against police brutality belies his promise of "law and order."
Dispatch From Portland: A Distinct Lack of Crowbars and Cops
Up close with the #WallofMoms on night 53 of the protests
Department of Homeland Security Reportedly Sending 150 Agents to Chicago in Expansion of Federal Crackdown
Trump and other White House officials say the feds may soon be coming to other major cities as well.
ACLU Sues Federal Agents Deployed in Portland
The ACLU of Oregon says it's the first of many lawsuits regarding the Trump administration's deployment of federal law enforcement to Portland.
Homeland Security Acting Like 'An Occupying Army' Says Sen. Wyden, After Federal Agents Shoot Peaceful Portland Protester
Plus: Free press threats, marriage licensing woes, Fiona Apple fights for prisoners, Trump spox talk up masks, and more...
Lockdown Orders Have Devastated Restaurants. Politicians Think Price Controls Might Save Them.
The Portland City Council has approved an emergency ordinance capping the fees delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats can charge restaurants.
Portland Disbands School Police Program
Several other major cities across the country are considering similar moves as calls for national policing reform intensify.
Coronavirus Curfews Are Counterproductive and Un-American
Making businesses close early will not stop the spread of COVID-19.
Supreme Court Rules Non-Unanimous Jury Verdicts in Criminal Cases Unconstitutional
A 50-year-old precedent was tossed, which caused three justices to dissent.
Not Even COVID-19 Can Shake New Jersey's Fear of Letting Drivers Pump Their Own Gas
But Oregon grudgingly relents. For now.
Oregon Tried To Silence This Engineer's Red Light Camera Research. Now Experts Say He Was Right All Along.
Mats Järlström's research never would have seen the light of day if the Oregon Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying had its way.