Oregon

A bill that would ban the sale of kangaroo parts has been introduced in the Oregon Legislature, taking aim at sports apparel manufacturers that use leather from the animals to make their products.

Wildfires and a Western megadrought led to a historic die-off of evergreen trees in the state — nearly twice as bad as the previous worst year. Some researchers have dubbed it "firmageddon."

Oregon's Measure 114 gives county sheriffs and police chiefs discretion to determine who qualifies to purchase a firearm. Opponents say the criteria to make those decisions is ambiguous.

Kotek, a former state House speaker, beat out Republican Christine Drazan, a former state lawmaker. The race was uncomfortably close for Democrats, who've held the governor's mansion for four decades.

NPR broke the news about artistic director Nataki Garrett hiring a private security detail for her personal safety.

In the Oregon race for governor, the Democrat, Tina Kotek, and the Republican, Christine Drazan, are in a dead heat thanks to the independent, Betsy Johnson, who has outraised her competitors.

Gusty winds and dry conditions starting in the middle of last week propelled the fire from 18,000 acres to 86,000, prompting evacuations and power outages as firefighters worked to control the blaze.

Delta-8 is a hemp product designed to get users high, but misleading labels or added chemicals have caused people to get sick. And a lack of federal regulation or guidance has states stepping in.

Officials will stop using an algorithm to help decide which families are investigated by social workers, opting instead for a process that officials say will make more racially equitable decisions.

In Oregon's 5th Congressional District, centrist incumbent Rep. Kurt Schrader, who had President Biden's backing, lost to his more progressive opponent, Jamie McLeod-Skinner.