Alex Baumhardt - Oregon Capital Chronicle
Alex Baumhardt has been a national radio producer focusing on education for American Public Media since 2017. She has reported from the Arctic to the Antarctic for national and international media, and from Minnesota and Oregon for The Washington Post. She previously worked in Iceland and Qatar and was a Fulbright scholar in Spain where she earned a master's degree in digital media. She's been a kayaking guide in Alaska, farmed on four continents and worked the night shift at several bakeries to support her reporting along the way.
Oregon joins suit against federal transportation agencies for withholding EV charger funding
Oregon is kept from millions promised by the U.S. Department of Transportation to get more electric vehicle chargers installed statewide.
‘Fire season is here,’ Gov. Kotek declares May Wildfire Awareness Month, state prepares
The 2025 fire season is projected to be more intense than the 2024 season fire leaders said, but emergency response agencies have begun preparing early.
Bills to regulate private utilities, curb gas and electric costs for Oregonians at a standstill
Oregon lawmakers are considering at least six bills right now that would limit for what, when and for whom private electric and gas companies can raise rates.
State partners with insurance industry to help Oregon homeowners with wildfire prevention
A new partnership between the Oregon State Fire Marshal and a wildfire nonprofit could help Oregonians harden their homes and keep insurance.
Oregon tells feds schools are following privacy laws
A U.S. Department of Education letter demanding privacy law compliance from school districts threatened to withhold federal funding and claimed many schools are withholding information from parents about students' gender identity.
Electricity demand in Northwest could double in next 20 years, forecast finds
Data centers, electrifying transit and buildings and producing hydrogen will drive demand, according to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
Tuition to rise again at all Oregon’s public universities, up nearly 30% from a decade ago
The rising cost of college is being driven by labor costs, inflation and historic disinvestment in higher education by the Oregon Legislature.
U.S. Rep. Dexter returns from El Salvador: ‘We’re disappearing people’
Oregon congresswoman Maxine Dexter went to El Salvador to demand the release of a wrongfully deported Maryland man and to raise awareness of "constitutional crisis."
Oregon Attorney General leads suit against Trump, administration to block tariffs
Attorney General Dan Rayfield joins 11 other Democratic states attorneys general challenging President Trump’s authority to impose tariffs on nearly all imported goods.
Bills to help Oregon schools fund years of summer learning await governor’s signature
The Oregon Legislature passed two bills to provide consistent funding to summer learning programs and to ensure they boost student academic outcomes.