April Ehrlich
@aprilehrlich.bsky.social
Environment reporter @opb.org in Portland, Oregon. Wildfires, forests, public lands, wildlife, pollution. She/her. [email protected] Signal: aprilehrlich.10
Reposted by April Ehrlich
NEW: We reviewed 700+ videos, hours of footage from ICE protesters and counterprotesters in Portland.
In 2 months before Trump said he was sending the National Guard, federal officers fire on, grab, pepper-spray or tear gas people 20 times -- without charging anyone. "Gratuitous," one expert said.
In 2 months before Trump said he was sending the National Guard, federal officers fire on, grab, pepper-spray or tear gas people 20 times -- without charging anyone. "Gratuitous," one expert said.
What Really Happened in Portland Before Trump Deployed the National Guard
In the two months before Trump’s decision, criminal charges were announced against only three people. On nights when physical conflict did erupt, it often came from police firing on, shoving, pepper-s...
www.propublica.org
November 5, 2025 at 5:29 PM
NEW: We reviewed 700+ videos, hours of footage from ICE protesters and counterprotesters in Portland.
In 2 months before Trump said he was sending the National Guard, federal officers fire on, grab, pepper-spray or tear gas people 20 times -- without charging anyone. "Gratuitous," one expert said.
In 2 months before Trump said he was sending the National Guard, federal officers fire on, grab, pepper-spray or tear gas people 20 times -- without charging anyone. "Gratuitous," one expert said.
Hear me out: Pez dispenser for tums.
November 3, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Hear me out: Pez dispenser for tums.
Reposted by April Ehrlich
A real rollercoaster of a story here:
A top Portland political aide took in a homeless woman. He abandoned her at a state park days later
"If I could do it over, I would do it differently.”
www.oregonlive.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:37 PM
A real rollercoaster of a story here:
Reposted by April Ehrlich
Crosscut is dead. Long live Crosscut. Today’s the official last day for me and my Cascade PBS newsroom colleagues. We did good work over the decades and it is supremely sad to see it shut down.
October 31, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Crosscut is dead. Long live Crosscut. Today’s the official last day for me and my Cascade PBS newsroom colleagues. We did good work over the decades and it is supremely sad to see it shut down.
The Forest Service has spent years on amending the Northwest Forest Plan, logging policies that came out of the timber wars. The agency under the Trump admin wants to restart that work and draft a new proposal. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Forest Service restarts effort to change decades-old Pacific Northwest forest policy
The Northwest Forest Plan has long protected vulnerable species like spotted owls in federal forests along the West Coast.
www.opb.org
October 31, 2025 at 12:11 AM
The Forest Service has spent years on amending the Northwest Forest Plan, logging policies that came out of the timber wars. The agency under the Trump admin wants to restart that work and draft a new proposal. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Reposted by April Ehrlich
Immigration officers have hit the city of Hillsboro hard in the past two weeks. To help students and parents feel safer, staff at an elementary school and nearby middle school, along with representatives from the local teachers’ union, have responded by standing watch in the neighborhood.
‘This community is not the enemy’: Hillsboro teachers form neighborhood ICE watch
ICE arrested a parent near Eastwood Elementary School last Monday. Teachers and parents have been patrolling the neighborhood every morning since.
www.opb.org
October 29, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Immigration officers have hit the city of Hillsboro hard in the past two weeks. To help students and parents feel safer, staff at an elementary school and nearby middle school, along with representatives from the local teachers’ union, have responded by standing watch in the neighborhood.
Reposted by April Ehrlich
This week, union workers at Bend’s newspaper, The Bulletin, spoke out against its owners, Carpenter Media Group.
Carpenter became the largest media owner in Oregon and the 4th largest in the nation when it purchased a raft of newspapers in the Northwest in 2024.
Carpenter became the largest media owner in Oregon and the 4th largest in the nation when it purchased a raft of newspapers in the Northwest in 2024.
Bulletin newspaper union pickets in Bend over contract negotiations
In Bend, local newspaper union members stage a two day lunch-time picket to draw attention to stalled contract negotiations with owner Carpenter Media Group.
www.opb.org
October 29, 2025 at 11:29 PM
This week, union workers at Bend’s newspaper, The Bulletin, spoke out against its owners, Carpenter Media Group.
Carpenter became the largest media owner in Oregon and the 4th largest in the nation when it purchased a raft of newspapers in the Northwest in 2024.
Carpenter became the largest media owner in Oregon and the 4th largest in the nation when it purchased a raft of newspapers in the Northwest in 2024.
If you’re needing some not sad content, here are the varied reactions of all my children to “skelly pets.” Starting with loyal, trusting Huckleberry.
October 23, 2025 at 10:52 PM
If you’re needing some not sad content, here are the varied reactions of all my children to “skelly pets.” Starting with loyal, trusting Huckleberry.
A federal bill intended to prevent major wildfires could effectively increase logging and cattle grazing in national forests and other federal lands in the name of wildfire prevention. The Fix Our Forests Act now heads to the Senate floor for a final vote. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Half of Oregon could see more logging, grazing under federal wildfire bill
The Fix Our Forests Act passed out of a Senate committee Tuesday, and now heads to a full vote
www.opb.org
October 23, 2025 at 6:30 PM
A federal bill intended to prevent major wildfires could effectively increase logging and cattle grazing in national forests and other federal lands in the name of wildfire prevention. The Fix Our Forests Act now heads to the Senate floor for a final vote. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Reposted by April Ehrlich
Excellent reporting from @naveenasadasivam.bsky.social on post-disaster contractor scams grist.org/extreme-weat... "More than a third of people impacted by a disaster report experiencing fraud...contractor fraud has become a lucrative business."
First came the wildfire. Then came the scams.
As extreme weather becomes more frequent, so too have post-disaster contractor scams like excessive billing and shoddy repairs.
grist.org
September 12, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Excellent reporting from @naveenasadasivam.bsky.social on post-disaster contractor scams grist.org/extreme-weat... "More than a third of people impacted by a disaster report experiencing fraud...contractor fraud has become a lucrative business."
The Forest Service says staff that organize timber sales are essential, so logging national forests continues through the shutdown, even as hundreds of thousands of other workers are furloughed. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Logging in national forests in Oregon continues, despite government shutdown
The U.S. Forest Service plans to auction off trees in the Deschutes, Wallowa-Whitman and Umatilla national forests by the end of the month.
www.opb.org
October 11, 2025 at 5:03 PM
The Forest Service says staff that organize timber sales are essential, so logging national forests continues through the shutdown, even as hundreds of thousands of other workers are furloughed. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Reposted by April Ehrlich
This week on @opb.org's The Evergreen:
The 2020 Labor Day Fires burned 4,000+ homes & a million+ acres in Oregon.
What happened next? What do you... do? How do you recover from a catastrophe like a wildfire, in a home changed forever?
We explore, w @aprilehrlich.bsky.social & Cassandra Profita:
The 2020 Labor Day Fires burned 4,000+ homes & a million+ acres in Oregon.
What happened next? What do you... do? How do you recover from a catastrophe like a wildfire, in a home changed forever?
We explore, w @aprilehrlich.bsky.social & Cassandra Profita:
‘The Evergreen’: How do you recover from something like a wildfire?
Five years ago, Oregon’s Labor Day Fires burned more than 4,000 homes and more than a million acres of land. This week: what happened next. How do you recover from a catastrophe like a wildfire? And w...
www.opb.org
September 2, 2025 at 7:39 PM
This week on @opb.org's The Evergreen:
The 2020 Labor Day Fires burned 4,000+ homes & a million+ acres in Oregon.
What happened next? What do you... do? How do you recover from a catastrophe like a wildfire, in a home changed forever?
We explore, w @aprilehrlich.bsky.social & Cassandra Profita:
The 2020 Labor Day Fires burned 4,000+ homes & a million+ acres in Oregon.
What happened next? What do you... do? How do you recover from a catastrophe like a wildfire, in a home changed forever?
We explore, w @aprilehrlich.bsky.social & Cassandra Profita:
As is, the "big beautiful bill" would increase logging on federal lands. But timber counties that have historically received a chunk of timber sales won't see any of that new money. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Federal budget bill would boost logging — but cut funds to Oregon timber counties
The proposed budget bill would increase logging on federal lands, but most of that money won't go to Oregon counties that typically receive a portion of timber sales.
www.opb.org
July 2, 2025 at 8:34 PM
As is, the "big beautiful bill" would increase logging on federal lands. But timber counties that have historically received a chunk of timber sales won't see any of that new money. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Reposted by April Ehrlich
FEMA did not answer ProPublica’s questions about its missed application deadline or the impact of funding cuts and delays, instead responding with a statement that Secretary Noem is focused on bringing accountability to FEMA’s spending
States Fear Critical Funding From FEMA May Be Drying Up
Many states rely on the federal government for the vast majority of their emergency management funding. Now, local leaders are looking for clues about the money — and the future of FEMA itself.
www.propublica.org
June 29, 2025 at 1:06 AM
FEMA did not answer ProPublica’s questions about its missed application deadline or the impact of funding cuts and delays, instead responding with a statement that Secretary Noem is focused on bringing accountability to FEMA’s spending
Reposted by April Ehrlich
Oregon lawmakers will not advance a bill that would have required Facebook’s parent company and Google to pay money to local newsrooms for profiting off news content on their platforms.
Oregon bill to require big tech to pay local newsrooms dies in final days of session
The bill’s defeat is a major win for Google, Meta and tech industry groups.
www.oregonlive.com
June 25, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Oregon lawmakers will not advance a bill that would have required Facebook’s parent company and Google to pay money to local newsrooms for profiting off news content on their platforms.
The small community of Rowena outside The Dalles is in the early stages of recovery after a wildfire destroyed 56 homes last week. Half the residents are over 60, and more than half are below the poverty level. www.opb.org/article/2025...
As the flames die down, Rowena residents determine what’s next
Last week, the fire destroyed 56 homes in the unincorporated community of Rowena, outside The Dalles. There’s a long road ahead as it recovers from the blaze.
www.opb.org
June 21, 2025 at 4:38 PM
The small community of Rowena outside The Dalles is in the early stages of recovery after a wildfire destroyed 56 homes last week. Half the residents are over 60, and more than half are below the poverty level. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Admittedly, I know very little about sports, but could we not come up with something better than Portland Fire? It's a bit too on the nose, considering, you know, the fires all over the state. portlandtribune.com/2025/06/19/w...
WNBA files trademark for possible Portland franchise team name
The WNBA put in a trademark request for the wordmark of "Portland Fire" on June 18, signaling the possible team name as the franchise gets ready for tipoff in 2026.
portlandtribune.com
June 20, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Admittedly, I know very little about sports, but could we not come up with something better than Portland Fire? It's a bit too on the nose, considering, you know, the fires all over the state. portlandtribune.com/2025/06/19/w...
Reposted by April Ehrlich
"Trump signed an executive order in April to 'restore American seafood competitiveness' but in revoking the Columbia River agreement has canceled millions of dollars to support the programs that seed the ocean with fish to catch."
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Trump Administration Abandons Deal With Northwest Tribes to Restore Salmon
The Trump administration canceled a deal, signed under President Joe Biden, that would have enabled the removal of four hydroelectric dams along the Columbia River that are considered harmful to salmo...
www.propublica.org
June 13, 2025 at 9:41 PM
"Trump signed an executive order in April to 'restore American seafood competitiveness' but in revoking the Columbia River agreement has canceled millions of dollars to support the programs that seed the ocean with fish to catch."
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Reposted by April Ehrlich
This is extraordinary. We must defend #publicradio. Long live KEXP. www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
KEXP hosts 27-hour marathon broadcast to protest potential public media cuts
The local radio station is holding the marathon broadcast to bring awareness to the public funding it, as well as many other stations, rely on from being cut as part of a Republican-led rescission…
www.seattletimes.com
June 13, 2025 at 2:51 PM
This is extraordinary. We must defend #publicradio. Long live KEXP. www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
Reposted by April Ehrlich
In a 45-minute phone interview with the Capital Chronicle last Friday, Rep. Cliff Bentz defended the Republican tax and spending bill, adding that middle and low-income families, small businesses and the timber industry would be particularly pleased.
Bentz defends Republican tax and spending bill, despite costs and cuts impacting his district
Bentz voted to pass the bill despite past vows not to add to the national deficit, and representing many Oregonians who could lose access to Medicaid.
www.opb.org
June 12, 2025 at 7:40 PM
In a 45-minute phone interview with the Capital Chronicle last Friday, Rep. Cliff Bentz defended the Republican tax and spending bill, adding that middle and low-income families, small businesses and the timber industry would be particularly pleased.
Reposted by April Ehrlich
The House narrowly voted Thursday to cut about $9.4 billion in spending already approved by Congress as President Donald Trump’s administration looks to follow through on work by the Department of Government Efficiency when it was overseen by Elon Musk.
House approves Trump’s request to cut funding for NPR, PBS and foreign aid
The House narrowly voted Thursday to cut about $9.4 billion in spending already approved by Congress, targeting foreign aid programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
www.opb.org
June 12, 2025 at 8:16 PM
The House narrowly voted Thursday to cut about $9.4 billion in spending already approved by Congress as President Donald Trump’s administration looks to follow through on work by the Department of Government Efficiency when it was overseen by Elon Musk.
Reposted by April Ehrlich
Today, the Rowena Fire in the Columbia River Gorge has grown to an estimated 3,500 acres.
With wildfire season already underway, OPB created a special wildfire section to help you stay prepared and informed.
Visit opb.org/wildfires to check it out.
With wildfire season already underway, OPB created a special wildfire section to help you stay prepared and informed.
Visit opb.org/wildfires to check it out.
June 12, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Today, the Rowena Fire in the Columbia River Gorge has grown to an estimated 3,500 acres.
With wildfire season already underway, OPB created a special wildfire section to help you stay prepared and informed.
Visit opb.org/wildfires to check it out.
With wildfire season already underway, OPB created a special wildfire section to help you stay prepared and informed.
Visit opb.org/wildfires to check it out.
The Trump administration has frozen a key disaster funding grant. That will likely impact how we respond to — and recover from — wildfires this year. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Federal cuts threaten Oregon’s disaster response ahead of wildfire season
The Trump administration hasn’t renewed a critical grant that helps fund local disaster response, leaving Oregon counties and tribal governments vulnerable ahead of a potentially active wildfire seaso...
www.opb.org
June 12, 2025 at 5:02 PM
The Trump administration has frozen a key disaster funding grant. That will likely impact how we respond to — and recover from — wildfires this year. www.opb.org/article/2025...
Over 9k people in SE Portland are without power in the middle of a heatwave after what appears to have been a transformer explosion at a substation.
June 9, 2025 at 4:40 AM
Over 9k people in SE Portland are without power in the middle of a heatwave after what appears to have been a transformer explosion at a substation.
In more devastating news to people who craft & sew — The four major patternmakers have been sold to the same liquidator that helped with the Joann Fabrics bankruptcy. craftindustryalliance.org/parent-compa...
Parent Company of the Big 4 Sewing Pattern Brands Sold to a Liquidator - Craft Industry Alliance
The legacy sewing pattern brands Simplicity, Butterick, McCalls, and Vogue, commonly referred to as the Big 4, have been sold to a liquidator.
craftindustryalliance.org
June 6, 2025 at 2:22 PM
In more devastating news to people who craft & sew — The four major patternmakers have been sold to the same liquidator that helped with the Joann Fabrics bankruptcy. craftindustryalliance.org/parent-compa...