Before the NBA’s free agency period even began, the Portland Trail Blazers had already addressed two of their biggest offseason questions by jettisoning Deandre Ayton and trading away Anfernee Simons. By moving off the high-dollar contracts of two veteran players who no longer fit the team’s timeline or identity, general manager Joe Cronin has clea…

Therese Bottomly, editor of The Oregonian/OregonLive and a frequent host of Beat Check with The Oregonian, is retiring next month after 42 years in the newsroom. On this episode of Beat Check, Bottomly reflects on the stories that shaped her career, and Oregon. She discusses how the newsroom rose to the challenge of covering some of the most signif…

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss the Portland Trail Blazers trading back from the No. 11 pick in Wednesday night’s draft to select center Yang Hansen from China in a move that stunned the basketball world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, dive into the Blazers trading Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday, and discuss what they believe the Blazers should do with the No. 11 pick during Wednesday night’s NBA draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Features reporter Samantha Swindler talks about the hidden gem stories she finds in some of Oregon's smallest towns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Oregonian/OregonLive

The revelation that Portland’s WNBA team seems to be moving toward resurrecting the ‘Fire’ — the name of the team’s predecessor from 2000-02 — has sparked much conversation and debate, that is as true on the Oregonian Sports Podcast as it is on social media. Bill Oram argues that the Fire isn’t a good enough name to offset the various ways it is pr…

The Oregonian’s investigative reporter Yesenia Amaro talks on Beat Check about the recent immigration enforcement ramp-up, Trump’s approach to immigration and the impact on Oregon communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Oregonian/OregonLive

For a school that hasn’t caught much in the way of a break when it comes to sports lately, you have to say fortune is shining on Oregon State going into the College World Series. Not only are the eighth-seeded Beavers riding tons of momentum after smashing Florida State in the third game of their Super Regional on Sunday, they enter the eight-team …

Lawmakers in Salem recently enacted a series of substantive tweaks to the state’s beloved Bottle Bill, which allows residents to return cans and bottles for 10 cents apiece. Those changes have helped amplify a growing and complicated debate about Oregon’s first-in-the-nation program, now more than 50 years old. Does Portland and some other pockets …

In the digital age, true crime content has exploded in popularity across podcasts, social media and streaming platforms. But with this growth comes a troubling trend: The blurring of verified facts and speculative theories. On a recent episode of Beat Check with the Oregonian, guests Emily Reeder and Ashley Desanno from the Books with Your Besties …

In 2010, digital tools for journalists were emerging, but the gritty, time-intensive methods of traditional reporting still dominated newsrooms. The disappearance of 7-year-old Kyron Horman from his Portland elementary school thrust The Oregonian’s journalists into a high-stakes investigation that demanded old-school techniques now increasingly rar…

Like Mike Tyson said, everybody has a plan until they get beaten in Game 1 of the NCAA baseball regional at home. Oregon and Oregon State responded differently to getting punched in the mouth last week. The Ducks went meekly into the offseason while the Beavers rallied in dominant fashion, winning four straight elimination games by a margin of 50-6…

When a child goes missing, the first hours can be critical. In Kyron Horman’s case, investigators didn’t even know he was missing until about six hours had passed — a devastating delay that may have forever altered the trajectory of one of Oregon’s most haunting unsolved cases. In a recent discussion on the Beat Check with The Oregonian podcast, ve…

Fifteen years after 7-year-old Kyron Horman vanished from Skyline Elementary School in Portland, his disappearance continues to haunt not just the Pacific Northwest, but parents everywhere. In this special episode of Beat Check, engagement editor Julie Evensen and social media producer Destiny Johnson talk to investigative reporter Noelle Crombie a…

A trio of journalists joined Editor Therese Bottomly on Monday’s episode of “Beat Check with The Oregonian” to talk about the 2020 street protests that started in Portland after the police killing of George Floyd. Multimedia journalist Beth Nakamura, social media producer Ryan Fernandez, and reporter Zane Sparling (who covered protests for the Port…

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss mock NBA drafts, Chris Paul being linked to the Trail Blazers and Craig’s New York Knicks taking a tumble in the NBA playoffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

When Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen died in 2018 from complications related to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, it was matter of when, not if, his beloved professional sports team would be sold. Seven years later, that time has finally arrived. Allen’s estate announced on May 13 that is has initiated a formal sales process for one of Oregon’s most …

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss Donovan Clingan being named to the All-Rookie team, the Blazers seeking a buyer and what that means for Moda Center and they grade the guard position. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Watchdog reporter Ted Sickinger joined Editor Therese Bottomly on this episode of “Beat Check with The Oregonian” to talk about his extraordinary reporting into Skyline CDL School, which operated in Oregon and Washington. On this episode of Beat Check, we talk about: --How the alleged bribery scheme operated, according to regulators --How the newsr…

The announcement that Paul Allen’s estate is open for business and that the Trail Blazers are finally for sale sets off a domino effect in Portland, both for the team and for the city. What comes next? Who buys the team now that Phil Knight has taken himself out of the running? Is there even the faintest possibility that a new owner could try to re…

The hosts of the ⁠Blazer Focused podcast⁠‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss the Trail Blazers finally going up for sale and what’s next for the team on the court after landing at No. 11 in Monday night’s NBA draft lottery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

For this week’s episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, education reporter Julia Silverman tackles a series of burning questions from readers and listeners who are weighing how to vote on the $1.83 billion bond. Have a listen, and don’t forget to turn in your ballot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

So you’re saying there’s a chance? Of course there is! The Blazers have a 3.7% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick in next week’s NBA draft lottery. Their chances of jumping into the top four are even better: 16.9% On this week’s episode of the Oregonian Sports Podcast, hosts Bill Oram and Brenna Greene use the invaluable tankathon.com to see …

It is a bleak time for mass transit all throughout the U.S. The challenges here in the Portland metro area are many and pronounced.TriMet is providing about 30 million fewer rides each year than it did in 2019 — and the recovery appears to be slowing way down. Rider safety has been a persistent concern since the pandemic. Fare evasion is rampant. M…

Few draft experts had Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel pegged to be the fifth quarterback drafted last week. Going in the third round seemed high. But the Cleveland Browns clearly had a vision for college football’s most experienced signal caller when they selected him 94th overall. It felt like the perfect situation, where he could develop with veteran, bu…

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss the Trail Blazers making staff changes, Damian Lillard’s injury, rookie of the year voting and they break down the center position. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

In recent months, climate and environmental work have been under threat in the U.S., with the Trump administration dismantling climate legislation, freezing funds and intimidating universities, states and nonprofits. Despite the chaos, there’s still a place for hope, says award-winning environmental journalist Alan Weisman, author of the new book H…

If you weren’t able to catch Oregon State’s football showcase on Saturday, don’t worry. The Beavers wanted it that way. Kind of. The Ducks and Beavers spring games present an annual study in contrast, which is discussed in this week’s episode of the Oregonian Sports Podcast with hosts Bill Oram and Brenna Greene. Also on this week’s episode: • Why …

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss the Portland Trail Blazers falling a tad in the NBA draft lottery, analyze the forward position and address the return of Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks’ lineup for the playoffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm…

When President Trump raised tariffs against China and other countries earlier this month, stock markets plunged, chaos rippled through the global economy and anxiety hit business owners across the United States. The specifics of the tariffs — which soared as high as 145% on China and affected virtually every country on earth — have been changing we…

The Blazers’ extension of Chauncey Billups may not be popular with all fans, but was completely justified given the progress the team made on the court this season. Will history prove that it was the right move for the rebuilding franchise? On the new episode of the Oregonian Sports Podcast, hosts Bill Oram and Brenna Greene debate the merits of Bi…

In this week’s episode, Politics and Education Editor Betsy Hammond breaks down the key finding of a survey of 600 metro area voters by DHM Research, commissioned by The Oregonian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Oregonian/OregonLive

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss the Portland Trail Blazers signing coach Chauncey Billups to a contract extension and take a quick look at the team’s chances of reaching the playoffs next season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss general manager Joe Cronin receiving a contract extension and agree that coach Chauncey Billups should be next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Oregonian/OregonLive

With wildfire season approaching and southern California still reeling from the January wildfires, Portland leaders are making sure the city can withstand a major urban wildfire. Forest Park, the city’s crown jewel and one of the largest urban forests in the U.S., has been identified as one of the areas most at-risk for wildfire in the city. Kim Ko…

For just the second time in history, the NCAA Tournament has given us four No. 1 seeds in the Final Four, which starts Friday in San Antonio. Is that good for college sports? The Oregonian Sports Podcasts are split on the matter. Cohost Brenna Greene is on the scene for the men’s Final Four after spending the previous week at the women’s regional i…

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss the Blazers’ unexpected 127-113 win at Atlanta, Deni Avdija’s second triple-double, Toumani Camara’s chances of landing on the All-Defensive team and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

First-class airfare to Hawaii. Five-star hotel stays. Lots and lots of food. All of it footed — directly or indirectly — by customers of a large Portland-area utility. A recent Oregonian/OregonLive investigation found that executives with Clean Water Services, Washington County’s sewer agency, have spent years enjoying fancy business trips to Hawai…

The true joy of the NCAA Tournament is that it makes stars of unlikely players. And that can occur both on or off the court. One example was a clip of The Oregonian Sports Podcast hosts Bill Oram and Brenna Greene during crunch time of Oregon’s second-round loss to Arizona in Seattle. Sitting behind the national TV broadcasters, the hosts engaged i…

A series of headlines has brought bad news about the management of Oregon’s Department of Corrections and Oregon Youth Authority to public attention. Numerous leadership changes have also resulted at the two departments. The agencies are separate divisions in Oregon’s state government but share the responsibility to care for people incarcerated for…

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss the Blazers making noise in the tight race for the final play-in berth in the Western Conference and more during the latest episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

The Oregon men are back in the NCAA Tournament and, like last year, back in a 5-12 matchup. Unlike last year, the Ducks are the 5-seed team. Can they overpower Liberty and play for a chance to get to the second weekend in Newark? The Ducks are encountering one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country. And while March Madness is defined…

When the Mt. Bachelor ski resort abruptly went up for sale in August, a couple of Central Oregon mountain enthusiasts had an audacious thought: Maybe we should buy it. Before they knew it, the me — who had not met beforehand — put in motion a plan to purchase one of Oregon’s most cherished landmarks. They organized a GoFundMe and formed a company. …

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss the Portland Trail Blazers' fading play-in hopes, the play of Scoot Henderson and Deni Avdija, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy The Oregonian/OregonLive

Every once in a while something so remarkable happens that it jumps past all the other very important events of the day and becomes banner news. So while the Oregon men are moving through the Big Ten tournament and two in-state women’s teams just battled for an NCAA Tournament berth, Bill Oram and Brenna Greene absolutely had to start this week’s e…

But will it be a home run? The Portland Diamond Project has so far struck out on its years-long efforts to bring Major League Baseball to Portland. But now they’ve got a new site on the South Waterfront, fresh energy from city leaders and a pitch to the Oregon Legislature, not to mention swoon-y renderings of a new stadium along the Willamette. Spo…

The Portland Diamond Project has been kicking around ideas for so long that it may take time for some to catch up to the fact that the proposal has transformed and gained real momentum among elected officials and business leaders. Is baseball on the South Waterfront a real possibility? That’s unclear. But what’s certain is that this is an aptitude …

The hosts of the Blazer Focused podcast‚ Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discuss the Blazers winning five out of six, what Kyrie Irving being lost for the season means for Dallas and the Blazers, the rise of Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija, plus what reaching the play-in would mean for the franchise. Learn more about y…

Preliminary results from a new state survey on wood combustion show more people are using fireplaces and woodstoves in urban areas in Oregon, despite efforts by state and local governments to decrease their use. Why the increase? And just how dangerous are wood stoves and wood-burning fireplaces to our health and the health of the planet? John Wasi…

The Oregon men’s basketball team has rediscovered the spark that keyed its early season run. After an impressive come-from-behind win at No. 11 Wisconsin, the Ducks are looking more and more like a team that could make noise in the NCAA Tournament. At the center of that is their Mr. Clutch, Jackson Shelstad. On this episode of the Oregonian Sports …