Oregon becomes 1st state to decriminalize hard drugs

The Oregon drug initiative will allow people arrested with small amounts of hard drugs to avoid going to trial, and possible jail time, by paying a $100 fine and attending an addiction recovery program.

Oregon to place National Guard on standby ahead of election

The Oregon National Guard was directed to place its members on standby ahead of potential election unrest in Portland, Gov. Kate Brown announced Monday. 

Oregon could become 1st US state to decriminalize cocaine, heroin, other hard drugs

Oregon could be the first state in the US to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine, LSD and other hard drugs. Instead of being arrested, the users would have the option of paying $100 fines or attending free addiction recovery centers.

Environmental groups sue over Portland tear gas use amid protests

Night after night in Portland, tear gas and other crowd control devices have enveloped protesters and bystanders in airborne chemicals that settle on the ground, later to be washed into storm drains.

'Home Improvement' actor Zachery Ty Bryan arrested for strangulation, assault

Zachery Ty Bryan, the actor who played the oldest son on the long-running 1990s sitcom “Home Improvement,” was arrested in Oregon and faces charges of strangulation and assault.

Protesters knock down Roosevelt and Lincoln statues in Portland

Protest organizers dubbed the event “Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage,” in response to Monday’s federal holiday named after 15th-century Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.

Oregon police department removes thin blue line from patrol vehicles

An Oregon police department has announced the removal of thin blue line vinyl decals from its patrol cars, saying they have become a divisive symbol to some in the community.

Oregon deputies arrest 21 people for looting, trespassing in wildfire evacuation zones

An Oregon sheriff’s department arrested 21 people in Level 2 and 3 wildfire evacuation zones over the past two weeks on various charges involving alleged looters accused of trespassing and stealing property left behind by homeowners who fled from the blaze.

Oregon man allegedly shot himself in groin while showing off gun in supermarket: report

The 29-year-old man accidentally pulled the trigger of the Glock 9mm while putting the gun back into his pants, the report said. The bullet entered through his groin and just missed hitting his femoral artery.

Justice Department explored possibly charging Portland officials in unrest

The Justice Department explored whether it could pursue either criminal or civil rights charges against local city officials as violence erupted night after night on the streets of Portland, Oregon.

Oregon drivers stopped at gunpoint by groups protecting wildfire ravaged properties from looters

Oregon drivers have been illegally stopped at gunpoint by armed groups patrolling evacuation zones over the past week as massive wildfires sweep through the West, destroying more than 1 million acres in the state and displacing hundreds of thousands.

Satellite video shows smoke from West Coast wildfires being pulled into Pacific cyclone

In the video, taken by the GOES-WEST satellite above the Pacific Ocean, a dark grey cloud of smoke from the Western wildfires is blown over the Pacific Ocean and is swept up into the cyclone — swirling into a cyclonic low pressure system.