A record amount of California is burning, spurred by a nearly 20-year mega-drought. To the north, parts of Oregon that don’t usually catch fire are in flames. Meanwhile, the Atlantic’s 16th and 17th named tropical storms are swirling, a record number for this time of year. Powerful Typhoon Haishen lashed Japan and the Korean...
Massive Smoke Clouds, Thick Air Darken Western US Skies
SAN FRANCISCO — People from San Francisco to Seattle woke Wednesday to hazy clouds of smoke lingering in the air, darkening the sky to an eerie orange glow that kept street lights illuminated into midday, all thanks to dozens of wildfires throughout the West. “It's after 9 a.m. and there's still no sign of...
Portland Protest Scene Relatively Calm After US Drawdown
PORTLAND, Ore. — The first nightly protest in downtown Portland after a deal was struck for the withdrawal of federal agents guarding a courthouse was largely peaceful and ended Friday without any major confrontations between state police and demonstrators. The scene outside the federal courthouse that started with yet another...
Oregon Governor Says US Agents Will Start Leaving Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. — Federal agents who have clashed with protesters in Portland, Oregon, will begin a “phased withdrawal” from Oregon's largest city, Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement the plan negotiated with Brown over the last 24 hours includes a “robust...
Oregon Officials Decry Arrests by Federal Agents in Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. — Federal agents in green camouflage uniforms have been taking into custody people in the streets of Portland, not close to federal property that they were sent to protect, in what the ACLU of Oregon on Friday said “should concern everyone in the United States.” “Usually when we...
Chaotic Protests Prompt Soul-Searching in Portland, Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. — Nearly two months of nightly protests that have devolved into violent clashes with police have prompted soul-searching in Portland, Oregon, a city that prides itself on its progressive reputation but is increasingly polarized over how to handle the unrest. President Donald Trump recently deployed federal agents to “quell” the...
‘Fresno, Out!’ Viral Hoops Star Honed Game at Local Playgrounds
Basketball legends come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. A group of 20-something players found that out when they accepted the challenge of an older gentleman, who rode up on a bicycle. Millions witnessed a YouTube star and former college player get their comeuppance, unable to dunk against the decades-older...
Study: Warming Makes US West Megadrought Worst in Modern Age
KENSINGTON, Maryland — A two-decade-long dry spell that has parched much of the western United States is turning into one of the deepest megadroughts in the region in more than 1,200 years, a new study found. And about half of this historic drought can be blamed on man-made global warming,...
Wolf That Captivated California and World Is Believed Dead
SALEM, Ore. — A wolf that wandered thousands of miles from Oregon and became the first wild wolf spotted in California in almost 90 years before returning to Oregon and starting a pack is believed to be dead, wildlife officials said. The wandering wolf, known as OR7, leaves behind a...
Washington, Oregon, California Announce Coronavirus Pact
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The governors of Washington, California and Oregon announced Monday they’ll work together to re-open their economies while continuing to control the spread of COVID-19. In a statement, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced the partnership with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. While each state...