Beat Check with The Oregonian

Intel’s race to recapture its throne atop the microchip industry continues to hit choppy waters. The tech giant announced layoffs are imminent, and Oregon employees will be included. On the latest episode of Beat Chec, we chat with business and technology reporter Mike Rogoway. We talked about the latest news surrounding Oregon’s largest corporate employer, why the reboot plan led by CEO Pat Gelsi...

From its first days publishing as a daily in 1861 until well into the 20th century, The Oregonian existed as a newspaper by white men, for white men. The consequences were profound. Its white supremacist worldviews — excusing lynching, supporting segregation, stigmatizing people of color — helped shape the state today. This is Beat Check with The Oregonian. Last week we heard from editor and vice...

Prompted by the 2020 murder of George Floyd and the nationwide protests that followed, The Oregonian/OregonLive chose to examine this newspaper’s racist history. The first installment of the new series looks at the two white men primarily responsible for The Oregonian throughout its first 60 years as a daily paper: Henry Pittock, the publisher and majority owner, and Harvey Scott, the editor and m...

It’s finally time. Ballots will start arriving in mailboxes across Oregon in the coming days and weeks. On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we chat with state politics reporter Hillary Borrud, who is covering the unprecedented three-woman governor’s race. We talked about Hillary’s profiles of each candidate, what their final pitches are to voters, why Tina Kotek is trying to di...

The pandemic’s effect on our healthcare system is still playing out in real time, and it goes beyond the burnout felt by frontline workers who’ve borne a heavy cost for years now. Hospitals say they are hurting financially, and that will invariably trickle down to affect patients. On the latest episode of Beat Check, we chat with investigative reporter Jeff Manning. On the first half of the show,...

A good rule of thumb – it’s probably not great when a memo from a state high school soccer official makes headlines. But a letter with sexist language directing high school referees to treat girls soccer players differently than boys sent last month did just that. The memo infuriated coaches across the state. On the latest episode of Beat Check, we chat with Nik Streng, high school sports coordina...

A few months ago, Portland seemed poised to finally change its unusual form of government. But now the reform effort headed to voters is anything but a slam dunk. On the latest episode of Beat Check, Portland City Hall reporter Shane Dixon Kavanaugh talked about what happened to all the positive vibes surrounding the charter reform movement, why one commissioner is leading a charge to present a di...

School is back in session – youngsters are already back and college students at Oregon’s public universities return in coming days. Where do things stand with, you know, everything? On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we chat with Sami Edge, higher education reporter for The Oregonian and OregonLive. First off we talked about those younger kids and what we know – and don’t know...

One of the more interesting stories in Oregon is playing out in Morrow County. It includes a nonprofit internet provider, a handful of local politicians and… Amazon – one of the world’s most powerful companies. On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we chat with business and technology reporter Mike Rogoway. We talked about his three part series examining Amazon’s role in Morrow c...

Thousands of wind turbines soar toward the sky along the Columbia River gorge. Earlier this year, a blade came cascading down. No one was hurt, but the failure was more than just a one-off. As America increasingly moves to wind, solar and other renewable energies, who maintains that infrastructure and keeps it safe – and who holds the industry accountable is a big unanswered question. On the lates...

There’s something of a beer explosion going on in the Portland area. And I don't mean an over carbonated beer explosion – I'm talking about new and exciting breweries and taprooms opening left and right.  On the latest episode of Beat Check, we chat with our beer writer and newsletter editor, Andre Meunier. We talked about this latest beer boom, what it means, some of his recent beer travels to Eu...

Seemingly out of the blue, an obscure Oregon government agency was suddenly in the limelight for big issues and big drama. Never heard of the Office of Public Defense Services? You’re probably not alone. But it’s an agency with an important mission and many of its issues aren’t new. On the latest episode of Beat Check, investigative reporter Noelle Crombie discusses the dustup between the top offi...

Numbers – data – are vital to our understanding of our society. But they don’t make sense in a vacuum. That’s where reporters – and journalism come into play On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we chat with investigative editor Brad Schmidt. We talked about the past year of data-driven journalism Schmidt and others spearheaded – including detailed and illuminating stories on th...

Another weekend in the books, another heat advisory for the Portland metro area. Census figures estimate that 78% of Portland metro residents have air conditioning, but that means 22% don’t. And those people are still suffering. On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we chat with breaking news reporter Austin De Dios, who covers public safety issues and diversity, equity and inclu...

Last week was a momentous one for President Biden – a major bill moved through Congress that directed billions of dollars toward intel and other chip manufacturers. So why is Intel stock plummeting? On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we connect with Mike Rogoway, who covers business and technology for the Oregonian and OregonLive. We talked about the CHIPS Act passing with bip...

World records fell. American records fell. Legends grew bigger or were born in Eugene at the new Hayward Field. So how exactly did Eugene fare, and what was the reception locally and from TV sets and computer screens around the world? On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we chatted with sports editor Joel Odom about the World Athletics Championships in Eugene. We talked about Sy...

A single block of NE Portland has, for years, been a microcosm for all the issues Portland and other cities face: homelessness, drug use, sex trafficking and rampant crime from homicides to property crime. It has seen the killings of four people in just eight months. People who live in and around the area are looking for answers, but no one seems to have any. This week on Beat Check with The Orego...

For the first time in two decades, the Oregonian has a new sports columnist. On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we chat with Bill Oram. We talked about his extensive experience covering the Los Angeles Lakers, why he wanted to come home to Oregon, what he thinks of some of the major stories in the sports landscape today and much more. A quick programming note – we talked right...

No one wants to talk about gas prices but everyone is. This week on Beat Check with The Oregonian we talk to reporter Jayati Ramakrishnan who has been reporting on the record-high gas prices for the last couple of weeks.  We talk about what’s causing the price hikes, how you can find the cheapest gas and more. Links: https://www.gasbuddy.com/ https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2022/06/portland-g...

One year ago, Portland and much of the Pacific Northwest experienced an unprecedented and deadly heat wave. As many as a thousand people died across the pacific northwest and British Columbia. Multnomah County saw upwards of 100 die due to the heat. Was it a sign of things to come or a one-off event? On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we chat with Kale Williams, who covers bre...

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has a new plan when it comes to addressing large homeless encampments – and it sure sounds much like the city’s old plan –– sweep the people out and remove all the tents and belongings. In many ways, it’s a return to an old policy. On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we chat with Nicole Hayden, who covers homelessness for The Oregonian and OregonLive....

A month from now, Track Town USA will officially be at the center of the track and field world. The World Athletics Championships will be held in the U.S. for the first time in history. Is Eugene ready the world's largest standalone track and field event, which will be broadcast to an audience across the globe? On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, we speak with The Oregonian and...

Oregon’s typically smooth vote by mail system saw its biggest mistake in history last month. A defective barcode on the printed ballots meant tens of thousands of votes would need to be duplicated by hand, and the top official overseeing Clackamas County’s election knew about it at least a week earlier. But for Sherry Hall, the woman at the center of the crisis, it wasn’t her first error or her fi...

One of the most unusual murder trials in recent Portland history wrapped last week. Nancy Crampton Brophy, the self-published romance novelist, was found guilty of killing her husband.  On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, breaking news reporter Zane Sparling, who covers Multnomah County courts, talks about the unusual case and the even more remarkable trial. We talked about the...

The school year comes to an end next month, COVID-19 isn’t going away, and a new investigation from The Oregonian/OregonLive found many public schools aren’t doing enough to ensure the air students, staff and teachers breathe is as clean as possible. And that’s not just a COVID problem.    On the latest episode of Beat Check, investigative reporter Aimee Green discusses her months-long investigati...