Khushboo Rathore Oregon Journalism Project

In February, when Oregon lawmakers were reworking the state’s budget in the face of massive looming federal cutbacks, a little-known state agency announced it had received a colossal federal grant—$689 million—to finally bring high-speed internet access to rural parts of the state. In an age of remote work, online shopping, and 24/7 connectivity, nearly 84,000 […]

After years in the lowest ranks of school attendance in the nation, Oregon schools have shown a bit of progress. An Oregon Journalism Project analysis of recent data shows regular statewide attendance in the first half of the school year rose to 70.6%, an increase of 3 percentage points over the previous year. Click here […]

Gas prices across the country have soared since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, with Oregon’s statewide cost per gallon shooting to an average of $5.00 a gallon on April 7, up from $3.92. The national average was $4.14. Oregon’s highest prices are found in Curry County, according to AAA, with […]

Oregon’s flu season is closing in on its brutal end, which left many family members dodging each other at holiday gatherings to stay safe. Nationally, less of the population is getting flu vaccinations, and Oregon followed that trend. This season, only 30.7% of Oregonians got the flu vaccine, 10,000 fewer than last year—a rate about […]

Before adjourning last week, Oregon lawmakers passed a controversial bill aimed at finding solutions for the state’s financially challenged public universities, which chief sponsor Rep. Pam Marsh (D-Ashland) says face “fierce headwinds.” The universities have experienced declining enrollment and consistent budget deficits over the past decade. Members of the state’s Legislature hope they can improve […]

A national report released Wednesday gives Oregon an F for how well it protects its residents from online gambling addiction. The nonprofit Center for Addiction Science, Policy, and Research, or CASPR, gave the state a score of 43 on a scale of 100, placing it in the bottom 10 of 50 states. OJP has previously […]

Oregon is in a housing crisis. The state needs to build 95,000 housing units to compensate for years of underdevelopment and to house its growing homeless population, according to a recent state report. Multifamily units—from duplexes to large apartment buildings—are one of the most efficient ways for Oregon, or any region, to quickly increase housing, […]

Gov. Tina Kotek and state lawmakers have tried to solve Oregon’s affordable housing crisis with hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and new programs, including a bill moving through the Legislature that would expand mobile home communities for older residents. “Too many older Oregonians are one emergency away from losing their housing,” Kotek told […]

When Gov. Tina Kotek convened the first meeting of her newly named Prosperity Council on Jan. 22, she told the 16-member panel what she hoped to achieve. “The goals I’ve put forward—about growing our GDP, creating new jobs and supporting the workforce we need for the future—those are very simple goals,” Kotek said. “And they […]

As Oregon public school leaders face reductions in state funding, they turn to their biggest expense to find cuts—about 85% of their budgets go to personnel. This time around, they have more staff to cut: Over the past five years, the number of full-time employees at the state’s 197 school districts has grown by nearly […]