💊 Over-the-counter birth-control pills arrive in Oregon

Over-The-Counter Pill Is Here

Last summer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an over-the-counter birth-control pill. It makes taking the pill simple for anyone who doesn’t have easy access to a doctor, or for when a prescription has expired and a doctor’s appointment is months away. Taking Opill, a progestin-only pill, is low-risk, lower even than the traditional pill, which contains a combination of estrogen and progestin. And it’s available as of this week at drug stores across the state. [OPB]

Weigh In on Portland’s Tree Planting

Portland is soliciting views on trees for its Urban Forest Management Plan. Take the city’s survey (deadline: May 2). Get involved: Attend an April 24 open house. (Hat tip to the Portland Mercury, which has more details of what the city’s up to.)

• Related: Multnomah County has put together a map of the hottest (and coolest) places around the region, based on temperature readings on a hot sunny summer day last year. A spot next to Forest Park (where there are a lot of trees) had a low of 77 degrees, while Tualatin registered a high of 94 degrees. [OPB]

Drop in Cardiac-Arrest Survival Rate

Multnomah County has previously pointed to the survival rate after cardiac arrests as evidence that the ambulance system was successful. Areas with slow response times are correlated with worse outcomes, researchers have found. In 2022, 15.8% people in Multnomah County who experienced a cardiac arrest survived — far exceeding the national average of 9%. But in 2023, the survival rate here dropped 3 percentage points. County officials attribute the decline to overdose deaths with little chance of survival. [Willamette Week]

More to the Christopher Knipe Case

On the Friday news roundup, there are questions about the Portland Police Bureau’s handling of a decades-old rape case, which is linked to a man who killed a well-known Portland activist. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Wonky 3-Point Lines, Not Enough Behavioral Health Staff, and PPB’s Handling of the Christopher Knipe Case

On the Friday news roundup, there’s the Portland Police Bureau’s handling of a decades-old rape case linked to a man convicted of killing a well-known Portland activist. Plus, this year’s legislative session funded additional mental health and drug treatment beds, but now there’s a need for staff. And the Moda Center had irregular 3-point lines discovered by a fan at this year’s women’s March Madness games. OPB producer and podcast host of “The Evergreen” Jenn Chávez joins City Cast Portland podcast host Claudia Meza and executive producer John Notarianni.