Can Oregon’s top federal prosecutor balance Trump’s priorities with the law?

By Julia Shumway | Editor

“I don’t think anyone could find fault with any of the cases or any of the positions that we’ve taken. They’re all righteous. If you look at the cases we’ve done since the election, they’re the cases we’ve traditionally done. Our priorities under this administration are the priorities that we’ve always had.” — Scott Bradford, Oregon’s U.S. attorney. The career prosecutor picked by former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has overseen an office that has to work with Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and local police and prosecutors and for a federal government whose focus on immigration places it at odds with the country’s oldest sanctuary state.

Also in today's edition:

Oregon faces large transportation maintenance funding
Northwest tribes hit hard by fire
Protections at polls

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Can Oregon’s top federal prosecutor balance Trump’s priorities with the law? He says ‘yes’

By Shaanth Nanguneri

Scott Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, sits in his office in downtown Portland. He recently sat down for an interview to discuss his record and cases taken by his office. (Photo by Shaanth Nanguneri/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

As the newest top federal prosecutor in Oregon under the Trump administration, Scott Bradford has forged alliances with some of Oregon’s top local prosecutors, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and Portland Police Chief Bob Day. He has also taken aim at one of the state’s signature first-in-the-nation policies which those law enforcement officials must uphold.

Oregon has one of the nation’s largest funding gaps to meet road maintenance needs

By Mia Maldonado

The Oregon Department of Transportation works on safety improvements along the Portland and Gresham city limits.(Oregon Department of Transportation)

Oregon has one of the largest gaps in the country between its highway and bridge maintenance needs and what it spends on addressing them, according to a national study.

Tribes hit hard by wildfires face health effects, cultural losses

By Nada Hassanein

The Columbia Princess Ferry stays on the Gifford side of the Columbia River as the Modrite Fire exhibits extreme fire behavior just south of Inchelium, Washington. Fires in the state hit tribes particularly hard this year. (Photo courtesy of Colville Tribal Broadcasts, News and Information)

Tribal leaders across Washington and Oregon told Stateline that this year’s record-breaking wildfires burned timber that they rely on for income, threatened food sources and waterways, and harmed the health of their communities. Power outages left families without food they’ve hunted or gathered and frozen.