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Karina Brown
Karina Brown has covered justice issues in the Pacific Northwest for over a decade. She writes about climate, tribal sovereignty, policing and other legal issues. She is based in Portland.
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Oregon public defender crisis spurs lawsuit
State prosecutors file charges in three times as many cases as Oregon can provide a public defender for, according to a study by the American Bar Association.
Interior Department releases damning report on federal Indian boarding schools
The report describes how the schools used “systematic militarized and identity-alteration methodologies to attempt to assimilate American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children.”
Klamath Tribes sue feds over endangered sucker fish
The Klamath Tribes say the fish are “existentially important” to their culture, and claim the Endangered Species Act requires the government to prioritize their survival over irrigation during extreme drought.
Portland marks day of awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous people
A 2021 report found 11 missing and eight murdered Indigenous people in Oregon. The city organized a week of events to highlight the issue.
Ninth Circuit declines to stop tribal bison hunt in Montana
People living nearby say the hunt, which culls 10% of the Yellowstone herd in some years, sends stray bullets whizzing past their homes.
Judge adds new conditions to rein in violent police in Portland
Police violence in Portland against people with mental illness has increased despite federal oversight, according to a new study submitted in court documents.
Portland unarmed emergency response team now citywide
The unarmed emergency response program may curb wait times for non-emergency 911 calls in Oregon's largest city, which currently top 30 minutes.
Oregon lawmakers send $400M plan on homelessness, overtime for farmworkers to governor
“We invested in things that are proven and have worked,” said Oregon House Speaker Dan Rayfield.