The threats come as figures across the political spectrum fear political violence following the Charlie Kirk assassination.
Sens. James Manning Jr., center, and Kayse Jama, right, were among top Senate Democrats that received emailed threats on Thursday.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
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Three senior Democrats in the Oregon state Senate received emailed threats Thursday morning – false claims that bombs were lodged in their home mailboxes.
Among those to receive the phony threats were Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, and Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama, D-Portland. According to the Oregonian/OregonLive, which first reported on the threats, Senate President Pro Tem James Manning Jr., D-Eugene, was the third member to receive a message.
State Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, was among top Senate Democrats that received emailed threats on Thursday.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
“Explosives Technicians responded to all three locations and conducted thorough checks,” Oregon State Police Lt. Casi Hegney wrote in an email to lawmakers explaining the incidents Thursday afternoon. “All threats were determined to be false, and no explosive devices were located.”
The threats come at an extremely tense time in national politics – a day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on a Utah university campus. While a motive has not been conclusively established and the killer remains at large, the murder has drawn concerns from across the political spectrum that it could incite further violence. Some members of Congress have canceled public appearances as a precaution.
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“While these incidents fortunately turned out to be unfounded, we recognize that these types of messages can create stress and fear,” Hegney, the state law enforcement official, wrote Thursday. “We are aware of the heightened tensions that exist both locally and nationally right now, and we understand that news of these threats can be unsettling for those who work in and around the [Oregon State] Capitol.”
Wagner’s office declined to provide details of the threats beyond the state police email Thursday evening.
“Let me express my deepest gratitude to the Lake Oswego Police for its swift response to the threat on myself and my family, as well as the other law enforcement agencies which responded to threats today,” Wagner said in a statement. “Acts and threats of political violence have no place in our democracy. In this dark moment, we must seek the common humanity in one another and work toward healing our nation.”
Jama similarly thanked law enforcement for a “swift and professional” response.
“We can oppose each other’s ideas without resorting to violence and intimidation,” he said in a statement.
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The threats Thursday targeted the three top Democrats in the state Senate, and two of the state’s only Black lawmakers. The email from state police did not indicate any threatening emails sent to House members. It was not immediately clear whether any Republicans received threats Thursday.
State police are working with the FBI to investigate the matter.
While rare, threats are not unheard of in Oregon politics.
Last year, the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office briefly shut down phone lines, after a rush of threats.
The callers in that case were swayed by social media posts suggesting then-Presidential Candidate Donald Trump had been excluded from Oregon’s voter’s pamphlet. In reality, Trump’s campaign declined to appear in the document.
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PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Fireworks are on sale in Oregon until July 6, but state and local rules limit where they can be used and what types are allowed.
In Portland, fireworks use and sales are banned year-round.
Fireworks are also banned on beaches and in state and national parks.
Statewide, fireworks that fly into the air, explode, act unpredictably or move more than 12 feet horizontally are illegal. Banned fireworks include sky lanterns, missiles, rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, cherry bombs and M-80s.
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Fountains, sparklers, ground spinners and smoke devices are among the fireworks allowed under state rules.
Officials said people should not call 911 to report illegal fireworks. They said reports should go to the non-emergency line for the area.
First responders said there were 263 fires across Portland during last year’s fireworks season, and 27 were caused by fireworks.
For more details about fireworks regulation in Oregon, click here.
In Washington, fireworks sales legally begin Sunday and run through July 4.
GEARHART, Ore. (KATU) — Another gray whale washed up on the Oregon coast last week, this time in Gearhart, according to Seaside Aquarium.
The 41-foot-long male had been dead for months before washing up on the beach, Seaside Aquarium general manager Keith Chandler said.
He noted that there have been 19 total whale strandings or carcasses washing up on beaches just this year on the Oregon coast region.
The Cascadia Research Collective is reporting at least 30 on Washington coastline alone. | TIMELINE
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Of those deaths, more than half were at least partially attributed to malnutrition. That could have been the cause in more strandings, however, necropsies were not performed in roughly a dozen of the 30 strandings.
Chandler said strong wind from the west this year has been contributing to why coastal towns are seeing a lot of whales and other things washing up on shore. However he also noted that many of the Grey whales washed ashore were emaciated with necropsies showing signs of malnourishment.
“The food sources have been compromised. The warmer water means the nutrients that they’re getting aren’t as good, so the whole food chain is kind of not as healthy,” Chandler said.
He pointed to the warming waters with climate change as the main reason noting that warm water plankton–Grey Whale’s main food source–is thinner and has fewer nutrients than plankton in cooler waters.
Chandler says this whale will not have a necropsy done because of its level of decomposition.
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“The fresher ones, the team from Portland State [University] will come down and they’ll go in and do measurements, take samples and stuff, measurements of the internal organs. But on one this decayed, you won’t gain anything from it scientifically. And it’s just kind of a mess to do when they’re this rotten,” he said.
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You can report a whale stranding to the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network Hotline by calling 1-866-767-6114.
SALEM, OR — Gov. Tina Kotek announced today that she will appoint Nathan J. Lichvarcik to the Lane County Circuit Court bench, filling a vacancy created by the upcoming resignation of Judge Debra K. Vogt.
Lichvarcik’s appointment is effective Aug. 1, 2026.
Lichvarcik is a criminal law attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He has worked in the office’s Eugene branch for the past 14 years and has served as branch supervisor for the Eugene and Medford offices since 2020.
He has also taught Trial Advocacy at the University of Oregon Law School for the past 10 years.
