OPB Politics Now

As 2025 comes to a close, the OPB Politics Now team is taking a look at the top political stories of the year. It was a year. We saw the Trump administration return to power, Mayor Keith Wilson and a new government enter the scene in Portland, and Democratic state officials fumble and stumble through a legislative session. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now we’ll discuss the big stories of 2025 and...

The redrawing of political maps is perhaps one of the most intensely political acts elected officials undertake. In Central Oregon, the effort is prompting the familiar outcry of gerrymandering. On this week’s OPB Politics Now, we’re heading east of the Cascades. We’ll discuss the redrawing of the Deschutes County maps and th...

On the latest livestream episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Alex Zielinski talk about two of the biggest topics in Oregon politics - the state’s handling of the overall business climate and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson’s long shot effort to end unsheltered homelessness. If you have questions please share them and we will try and answer as we go.

As the school calendar shifts into holiday mode, many public school students are about to be out of the classroom for a long time.  And as families brace for time off, educators are bracing too – for potential budget cuts. And that’s as Oregon’s education system remains one of the worst performing in the nation.

On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, r...

The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is entering a new chapter in Oregon. A judge has permanently blocked the president from sending the National Guard to protect the ICE building in Portland. But the legal fight may not be over. And now, the federal government may be looking to the Oregon coast to run a new immigration facility. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we recap...

On the latest live stream edition of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart, Alex Zielinski and Holly Bartholomew discuss a range of political topics. Portland is finally enforcing its ban on homeless camping. How is that playing out? Plus, a rise in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity is shaking the Willamette Valley. We discuss what that looks like in suburban communities. Also, we ...

Hundreds of thousands of Oregonians who help fill their pantries thanks to the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could be cut off from the program. I’m Lauren Dake. On this week’s OPB Politics Now we will take a deeper about what will happen to some of the most vulnerable as the government shutdown continues. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek says she’s making progress on some of the state’s most pressing problems. But even some of her most ardent supporters seem skeptical and the Democrat is eyeing a likely reelection effort. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss their recent reporting on Kotek. They talked to dozens of people about how she’s doing. Repu...

Oregon is still waiting for a court to decide whether or not President Trump can send National Guard troops into Portland. But as that battle plays out in court, the fight for Americans’ hearts and minds continues in South Portland.

On one side are conservative media personalities and streamers, who’ve been granted eye-popping access to Trump administration officials...

From Portland to Chicago to Texas - President Trump's pushes for military forces in American cities is ramping up in the courts and in multiple American cities. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we talk with public media reporters in Chicago and Houston about the situation there. WBEZ's Arcaceli Gómez-Aldana and The Texas Newsroom's Lucio Vasquez join us to discuss the situation in their communi...

 If you weren’t in front of a computer or on the Internet, it was truly spectacular in Portland last weekend. It was clear and sunny, but not too warm. People were out and about. Running errands, doing yard work or just hanging out with friends and family. But meanwhile in the background, President Trump was taking aim at the city.....

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson sailed into City Hall this year on the back of an ambitious pledge to end unsheltered homelessness. That plan relies heavily on swiftly opening a bunch of overnight-only shelters across town. We’re now nine months into Wilson’s term, and quickly approaching his self-imposed deadline to get everyone off t...

It’s been five years now since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Oregon and a global pandemic shook our lives and our politics.The virus is now endemic. A permanent feature of life. Causing less destruction and loss than it did, but still capable of sending people to the hospital and worse.This is the time of year when boosters for COVID and the flu are typically available. But this year, those b...

Last week, two Oregon lawmakers bucked their respective parties in a major vote on transportation taxes. This week, both of them face very different political futures. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we look at what their votes mean for the Democratic and Republican parties in Oregon. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

The special session that was supposed to funnel billions of dollars into the state’s roads and prevent hundreds of layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation…well similar to a crumbling bridge, it fell apart. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss the last week of polit...

Lawmakers will be back in Salem this week to consider a proposal that would help stave off layoffs for hundreds of transportation workers. But it would also raise taxes at a time when a lot of Oregonians are already hurting financially. Does this sound familiar? Yes, we’ve been here before but this time Gov. Tina Kotek said she’s c...

Much of Oregon relies on our forests to generate cash for roads, bridges, law enforcement and more. But for decades, that money has faded as the timber industry has struggled. Now those problems are coming to a head in a whole new way.. On the latest episode of OPB politics now, we explore how Oregon’s timber counties are bracing for los...

Gov. Tina Kotek’s office released an analysis this week detailing how much money Oregon stands to lose in federal funding. The state could lose more than $15 billion it uses to pay for health care and food assistance programs and a whole lot more. But Republicans have a different take: It’s not the big beautiful bill that’s going to hit Oregon’s economy, it’s the overt...