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Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at San Quentin State Prison and announces plans to transform the facility to focus on training and rehabilitation during a visit on March 17, 2023.
Martin do Nascimento
/
CalMatters
Law and Justice
Gavin Newsom seeks to clear death row, commutes sentences for hundreds of prisoners
Jeanne Kuang, Nigel Duara
Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted death sentences for 548 state prisoners, saying “state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values.” Victims rights advocates criticized his decision.
Looking from the dune, a shot down a beach, rocks and driftwood are in the foreground, then sand, then ocean waves. Two people are walking on the beach, there are large outcroppings and a peninsula in the distance.
Oregon State Parks
Environment, Energy and Transportation
Oregon scores a B in the new "State of the Beach" report
Roman Battaglia
The sun rises behind the U.S. Capitol on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Washington.
Allison Robbert
/
AP
Elections
6 PNW lawmakers could gain powerful positions as Democrats flip Congress
Bryce Dole
A paved path is surrounded by grass and trees.
Jane Vaughan
/
JPR
Education
Oregon studies the future of higher education, seeks public input
Jane Vaughan
JPR NEWS | FEATURED >
On The Jefferson Exchange
A marbled murrelet hunts for fish to feed its offspring.
  1. These Oregon seabirds nest miles inland. Their chicks still depend on the ocean
  2. Southern Oregon’s wilderness offered cover. Local connections helped fugitives stay
  3. A $390K gift will help expand this crowded Grants Pass teen center
JPR MUSIC >
NPR | FEATURED >
NPR Headlines
Kelly Gonez, a longtime school board member in the Los Angeles Unified School District, says public school enrollment declines worsened after ICE raids escalated in the city in 2025. District officials say low birth rates and the loss of immigrant children in classrooms mean school campuses will likely have to close.
  1. Why public schools nationwide are facing a massive drop in student enrollment
  2. After cancer surgery, Pope Leo embarks on Latin America trip
  3. From comedian to convicted rapist: What to know about Russell Brand
OREGON NEWS >
Two headshots of smiling candidates.
Candidate photos
Elections
Bandon voters elect new mayor as North Bend mayor secures fourth term
Theo Greenly
Longtime Bandon Mayor Schamehorn lost her seat to council member Adamson after 22 years leading the city. Meanwhile in North Bend, Mayor Engelke is poised for a fourth term.
Josephine County has a crowded field of six candidates running for County Commission Seat 1. Three of the candidates, Colene Martin, Tracy Thompson and John West, participated in a JPR candidates forum on April 8, 2026.
KTVL-10
Elections
Initial results show Josephine County jail levy voted down
Justin Higginbottom
Four headshots of people side by side
Campaign websites
Elections
Ashland elects three new councilors as voters limit utility-bill fees
Roman Battaglia
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek smiles while walking on stage to speak during the Democratic Party of Oregon’s Election Night party at the Portland Hilton on Nov. 3, 2026 in Portland, Ore.
Jenny Kane
/
OPB
Elections
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek wins re-election
Dirk VanderHart, Lauren Dake
From left to right: John West, Colene Martin, Chad Hansen and Mark Jones
File photos and campaign websites
Elections
Voters choose two seats on the Josephine County Board of Commissioners
Justin Higginbottom
CALIFORNIA NEWS >
People cheer during a performance by Tom Morello at a campaign event for a proposed "billionaires tax," in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026.
Jae C. Hong
/
AP Photo
Elections
California billionaires faced down a tax and won new protections for their wealth
Yue Stella Yu, Kristen Hwang, Jeanne Kuang
California billionaires put Prop. 42 on the ballot to counter a proposed wealth tax. It passed, creating a new obstacle to future wealth taxes.
Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra speaks to supporters during an election night watch party at Drake's: The Barn in West Sacramento on Nov. 3, 2026.
Fred Greaves
/
CalMatters
Elections
Xavier Becerra is California’s next governor: Five things to know
Jeanne Kuang
Shasta County Clerk and Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis in the observation lounge at the Market Street elections office in Redding on Nov. 3, 2026.
Salvador Ochoa
/
CalMatters
Elections
California has one ballot-counting trouble spot. It’s the one run by an election denier
Ryan Sabalow
New homes under construction in Mountain House on May 28, 2022.
Martin do Nascimento
/
CalMatters
California housing bonds: Voters pass Prop. 37, Prop. 1
Ben Christopher
A “Tax the Ultra-Rich Now” bus parked outside the Curran Theater before the start of a "Ballots Over Billionaires" rally in San Francisco on Oct. 3, 2026.
Manuel Orbegozo
/
CalMatters
Elections
California billionaire tax trailing in early returns
Kristen Hwang
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