🚑 Portlanders have a new top concern

What Medicaid Cuts Could Mean for Oregon

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Trump's massive $3 trillion budget bill. If the Senate passes it too, it’ll reduce federal spending on Medicaid by nearly $700 billion over the next 10 years. U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter (D., Ore.), who’s also a doctor, has been outspoken about the ways these cuts will affect hundreds of thousands of Oregonians. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Warning of a New Toxic Algae

Many local dog owners already know about the danger of algae blooms in slow-moving rivers, lakes, and ponds. But after the death of two dogs, Clark County, Wash., is now warning about a toxic algae that can be found in fast-moving rivers too. [Oregonian]

• Related: How to spot benthic algae. [Clark Co., Wash. brochure]

Emergency Response Is Now Portlanders’ Top Issue

New polling from the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center shows that Portlanders are concerned about both parks and police — two issues that city politicians are currently battling over. But of greater concern for Portlanders are emergency response, streets, sidewalks, and mental health care. [Willamette Week]

• Related: See the poll results. [Oregon Values and Beliefs Center]

Portland has seen a lot of change, particularly since the pandemic. But I admit to having a “is Portland over?” moment recently 🥾

I’ve looked at the Portland-is-dying stories as hyperbolic fear-mongering, for the most part 🤷 Sure, downtown property owners were losing money. Sure, the downtown business district hasn’t been the same since the lockdown 💸 But that’s not what figures large in my idea of what Portland is.

But now, this question keeps reoccurring for me: What is Portland without the local outdoor retailer Next Adventure?

Something feels different about this ending than, say, loving and losing a favorite restaurant (R.I.P., Ataula, Old Salt, and Aviary). Those felt like bright stars going out, but the constellation of good eats is still going strong 🍽️

Maybe this store's imminent closure feels significant because REI already closed its Portland store 🎒 Or maybe it’s because Next Adventure has loomed large in my personal experience of good times outdoors.

Whatever the reason, don’t forget to go for a few last visits ⛷️ Sales start today — May 28; they’ll close all their shops by the end of September (or whenever they’ve sold off their inventory).

📲 Your turn: Are there moments when you’ve wondered if Portland would ever be the same? (Were there closings or other changes in our city?) Please email me or answer the prompt here. I’ll share with your fellow readers.