Oregon
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.
Oregon Cops Are No Longer Allowed To Routinely Turn Traffic Stops Into Criminal Investigations
The Oregon Supreme Court says police may not grill drivers or ask to search their cars without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.
Union-Backed Ballot Initiative Would Limit Grocery Stores to 2 Self-Checkout Machines
The Oregon AFL-CIO argues that self-checkout machines are costing jobs and increasing social isolation.
Proud Boys and Antifa Playact Protest in Portland
“It was healthy discourse in a controlled environment,” said one Proud Boy. But was it?
Oregonians Are One Step Closer to Voting on Magic Mushroom Legalization
It would allow adults, age 21 and older, to visit official service centers on the recommendation of a medical professional
Oregon Becomes First State to Ditch Single-Family Zoning
State lawmakers end the legislative sessions by passing a bill that will allow for denser housing construction across the state.
Supreme Court Orders Oregon To Reconsider Gay Wedding Cake Case
SCOTUS wants to see anti-discrimination laws applied without religious bias.
Let Them Pump Gas
Oregon and New Jersey are the only states to ban self-service gas stations. Mercifully, this prohibition is starting to fall apart.
Newly Released Files Document the FBI's Participation in the Hunt for Bigfoot
During the 1970s, an FBI crime lab analyzed a purported sample of Bigfoot hair.
Portland's City-Owned Golf Courses a Hot Mess of Deferred Maintenance, Ballooning Pension Costs, and Falling Revenue
Rather than sell its money-losing golf courses, city officials recommend trying to sell more Portlanders on the joys of golf.
Oregon Supreme Court: Cops Can't Collaborate with Garbage Haulers to Paw Through Your Trash Without a Warrant
Police now have to get a judge's permission before they rummage through your bins.
Psychonautical Journalist Michael Pollan Says the FDA, Not Voters, Should Decide Who Gets to Use Psilocybin
The approach Pollan prefers will not get us to the destination he says he wants to reach.
Oregon Considers Allowing Grown Adults the Privilege of Pumping Their Own Gas
While New Jersey defends its ban on self-service pumping to the death, Oregon legislators are considering allowing motorists a little more choice.
Rent Control Cannot Escape the Law of Supply and Demand
Oregon's new rent control law won't deliver on its promises.
