From this post: I was routinely betting against the Blazers late in the 2022-23 regular season because I suspected them of tanking both before and after they officially fell out of playoff contention.

Rep. Javadi caught my attention w/ his Substack posts. He's now #1 on my list of non-politician-like communicators in the Legislature - thoughtful, authentic, lucid, smart. Some GOP constituents call him a RINO. Other Oregonians are starting to trust him.

Glad to see this question was answered today and that legislators are learning the art of honoring their own deals. Will lawmakers renege on their deal for campaign finance reform?

Hey, why not? He gave Iran an extra two weeks.

This is worth reading for its cogent, big picture analysis of Trump and MAGA and for an example of how to write clearly with a wide-angle view of historical trends in the making. MAGA doesn't build , by @Noahpinion

This year’s Kentucky Day offers some timely symbolism. Journalism will confront Sovereignty & an outsider named American Promise. I'll be rooting for Journalism of course, & since I’m a sucker for long shots, I’ll also be betting on American Promise, hoping for better days ahead

Trump's M.O. with the markets as with so many things: First, he beats you up, then he buys you a beer.

Excellent, and depressing, analysis. "Although there are cases where targeted tariffs can be effective...the overall pattern is that countries that raise tariffs become poorer." Tariffs: Another American act of intentional self-harm, by @Noahpinion

Reports of abductions by masked, non-uniformed ICE? agents are not getting the attention they deserve, esp. when any "we don't need no stinking badges" vigilantes with a black van can do the same with impunity.

History is shaped by legal battles and advanced in courtrooms and on the front steps of courthouses in a way that can rivet public attention and change public opinion more than the debates between entrenched political parties.

If, for now, the best defense vs. Trump/Musk is the courts, we need a fundraising effort, campaign-style, to defend those illegally targeted and support the most capable spokespersons to make the case for the defense and carry the fight to the regime.

Not the -2 amendment, which will be the subject of the hearing. That amendment, wisely, does not include ranked choice voting.

There are new reasons for both Ds and Rs to support an "all-candidates, all-voters" reform of our currently closed primary elections. Can hyper-partisan national politics convince both parties to support open primaries in Oregon?

In this commentary, I dug into the sources of Oregon's huge surge in revenues predicted for its next budget period. Spoiler: It's not sustainable. Oregon’s revenue surge can produce a false sense of abundance

Who checks the fact checker? After reading the explanation, I'd disagree with the FALSE rating for the Mayor's statement abt the % of shelter beds unused on a given night. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has a lot to say about homelessness. It’s not all true

Yes, but don't belittle the better grad rates, esp. for students enrolled in career-technical courses. Hands on learning is connected learning. During the M 98 campaign, I met a kid enrolled in a auto mechanics course who went on to study aeronautics. We need more H.S. pathways.

Better grad rates but worse test scores befuddle lawmakers, validate reformers 

Doubters of the data argue that some kids just don't do well on tests. Okay, but isn't that the case for all kids nationwide, or is OR a state whose kids are esp. bad test takers. I doubt the doubters. Oregon’s near-worst-in-nation education outcomes

Meme coins is too polite a term. They're GRIFTO

Biden's "rule of law" pardons will have the opposite effect - implying that every White House gets to make its own rules for its own people and, most importantly, that those who sign up to run our democracy shouldn't have to put their bodies on the line to defend it.