PRONOUNCER: Alejandro Figueroa ah-leh-HANH-drow FEE-geh-row-ah))

Oregon is in the middle of a record-breaking snow drought. As OPBs Alejandro Figueroa reports, If conditions don’t change, it could spell a challenging year ahead for cities, wildlife and farming.

LEDE: With inflated food prices and a rash of grocery store closings at the end of last year, legislators are looking to address the cost of getting groceries for Washingtonians. State Government reporter Sarah Mizes-Tan [MYE-zez Tan*] has more.

There’s a bipartisan effort in Congress to remove or greatly change a portion of U-S law that many say helped build the modern-day internet. But, one of the authors of Section 230, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, remains staunchly in support of it. KLCC’s Zac Ziegler spoke with Wyden about the law and attempts to change it:

There are nearly 40 seats on the Hanford Advisory Board. But since October, more than a dozen new and continuing members are waiting for approval by the U-S Department of Energy. That means the board can’t include those unapproved members when writing official advice on Hanford. Miya Burke is vice chair of the HAB.

[FEATURE: Will a new program in Washington help ranchers protect birds? 021126CF_RanchBirds_FEATURE.wav 3:59 02/11/26 Courtney Flatt/JD]

HOST LEDE: Bird species are on the decline across the U.S. for all different reasons – they’ve lost habitat. The climate is changing. Food sources are disappearing. But there’s a new program in Washington that hopes to create more habitat for birds … using ranches. [N-W-P-B’s senior environmental correspondent Courtney Flatt starts off the story in Wenatchee.] [SOQ 3:59]

NON-OPTIONAL NWPB HOST OUT: This story is part of N-W-P-B’s efforts to report not just on problems, but on how our communities are seeking solutions.

So how do the agencies that clean up the Hanford site know if they’re on the right track? The Hanford Advisory Board — or HAB [HAB rhymes with NAB] — creates written advice that helps direct the cleanup. But a portion of the board hasn’t been able to fully participate since last fall. That’s because the U-S Department of Energy hasn’t approved them yet. So why care about the HAB?

Eugene City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Monday declaring a humanitarian crisis in Eugene due to federal immigration actions.

A small part of Oregon's new business recycling fees is on hold — but some companies are asking lawmakers for a broader halt. OPB's April Ehrlich [[ER-lick]] reports.

A federal judge has pressed pause on part of Oregon's recycling program.

Top Oregon Democrats are proposing a plan to set a new campaign finance reform law into action. OPB’s Bryce Dole reports.