Columbia Riverkeeper and other groups sue Trump administration to prevent weakening Endangered Species Act

Astoria City Council’s new camping proposal goes into effect at the same time it's downtown shelter may close

People experiencing homelessness in Astoria will have to abide by new camping codes going into effect Wednesday, July 15. The changes to the camping codes make it illegal for people to camp knowingly on public property if they have access to “reasonable shelter,” which will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The code also provides exemptions depending on someone’s circumstances. At the same time, Clatsop County budget and funding formula changes  mean one of the city’s low-barrier shelters, LiFEBoat, will be seeing major cuts that could lead to a reduction in services and even closure. Osarch Orak is the executive director of the shelter. He joins us to share more on what these camping code changes mean for the nonprofit and the people they serve.

Multnomah County Sheriff’s office still using solitary confinement too often, says auditor’s report

In 2022, the Multnomah county auditor looked into the jails run by the county sheriff’s office. The audit [https://multco.us/file/jail_conditions_audit_report/download] found that adults in custody who were Black or had mental health conditions were disciplined and put in isolation or solitary confinement more often. That audit made several recommendations, but a new report [https://multco.us/info/recommendation-status-evaluation-jail-conditions] says the sheriff’s office has not implemented the recommendations related to the use of solitary confinement. While the sheriff’s office did not include a response to this report, a public information officer told OPB that their operations were grounded in best practices, and that the auditor’s office refused their request to meet before the report was released. The sheriff’s office also said that “a decision to not adopt a specific recommendation does not diminish our commitment to providing exemplary public safety services.”

What’s the latest on Moda Center funding?

A Moda Center deal is in the works, and the Portland City Council will vote in just a few weeks to decide if it will spend public money on a renovation. But details are hazy about where exactly the funding would come from.   Mayor Keith Wilson and city councilors have suggested they’ll draw upon city revenue streams such as the Portland Clean Energy Fund and a fund within Prosper Portland, the city’s urban development agency. But the boards that govern those sets of funding would first have to determine if their revenue can be spent on the arena.   It’s just the latest in a long saga that has involved negotiations between the Trail Blazers and city officials to keep the team in Portland and meet demands for renovations.   Alex Zielinski covers Portland politics for OPB. She joins us to break down the latest  updates.

Columbia Riverkeeper and other groups sue Trump administration to prevent weakening Endangered Species Act

ON TUESDAY, COLUMBIA RIVERKEEPER [https://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/2026/defending-endangered-species-legal-challenge/] JOINED A COALITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS THAT SUED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER A RULE CHANGE THAT WOULD UNDO PROTECTIONS UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT FOR ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES OF ANIMALS LIKE COLUMBIA RIVER SALMON, STEELHEAD AND NORTHERN SPOTTED OWLS. OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS AND TRIBES HAVE ALSO FILED SEPARATE LAWSUITS OVER THE RULE CHANGE, INCLUDING THE SWINOMISH AND SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBES IN WASHINGTON STATE [https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/07/15/wa-tribes-environmental-groups-sue-over-endangered-species-act-rule-change/] AND EUGENE-BASED CASCADIA WILDLANDS [https://cascwild.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ESA-Harm-Complaint-Stamped-07.14.26.pdf].   The rule change [https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/14/2026-14195/rescinding-the-definition-of-harm-under-the-endangered-species-act], which is scheduled to take effect in September, removes the regulatory definition of “harm” under the ESA that for more than 50 years has been interpreted to include harm to endangered species’ habitats. That interpretation was affirmed by the Supreme Court in a 1995 decision. U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a press release [https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/department-interior-restores-clear-esa-enforcement-rescinding-misguided-harm]the rule change “restores common sense, respects private property, provides much-needed certainty for landowners and follows the statute Congress actually passed.”   Miles Johnson, legal director of Columbia Riverkeeper, joins us for more details.

iLoveMakonnen headlines his first Portland Pride weekend concert

For most artists, Portland isn’t the place to relocate amid the heights of their career. But for iLoveMakonnen [https://www.ilovemakonnen.com/], relocating to Portland from Atlanta offered a space away from the pressure and attention of the music industry, and the opportunity to explore himself. Makonnen joins us to share more about his upcoming performance [https://www.startheaterportland.com/?s=iLoveMakonnen] at the Pride in Demand Queer Takeover and what has kept him in Portland nearly 10 years later.