Elizabeth Castillo

1 month ago | opb.org | Elizabeth Castillo

Joel’s Law in Washington allows a guardian, conservator or loved one to petition a court to force treatment for people who suffer from serious mental illness. Some supporters of the law have called it a lifeline for family members desperately seeking care for a loved one, but others have concerns about stripping away a person’s civil liberties. The law has been in place for about a decade. InvestigateWest, the Kitsap Sun and Gig Harbor Now recently co-published a deep dive into the law.

1 month ago | opb.org | Elizabeth Castillo

A semi rolls down U.S. Highway 30 near the northern boundary of Portland. March, 2024Brooke Herbert, Brooke Herbert/OPB / OPBPortland economist Joe Cortright says ODOT’s projects have a history of costing much more than initial estimates. He points to proposals like the I-5 Rose Quarter project which has been in the works for nearly a decade and is estimated to cost around $1.9 billion. The estimate in 2017 was $450 million.

1 month ago | opb.org | Elizabeth Castillo

FILE-In this undated file photo, a golden eagle rests on top of the canyon at the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, near Boise, Idaho. In Wallowa County, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has led collaborative research on golden eagles. The pilot project aims to study the survival, movement and reproductive success of the birds. ODFW worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nature Conservancy to capture data.

1 month ago | opb.org | Elizabeth Castillo

Like other federal agencies, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is facing possible cuts to staffing and funding. The federal agency’s green and resilient retrofit program is intended to upgrade aging affordable housing. The program would also help fund proposals that reduced energy use. But as the Associated Press reported, funding is being terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency and links to the program on the housing department’s site are no longer available.

1 month ago | opb.org | Elizabeth Castillo |Dirk Vander Hart

The Oregon Capitol in 2021. Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPBOregon lawmakers are crafting a budget for the next two years. They’re facing a lot of uncertainty since nearly a third of the state’s funding comes from federal dollars and budget committee members have offered several scenarios. Meanwhile, hundreds of bills failed to meet a legislative deadline last week. But one proposal that narrowly passed the Senate would give workers who go on strike access to unemployment benefits.