Young: FACT. The Ducks are presently fourth in the Rivals.com Team Recruiting Rankings and are surging by the week. Combine a staff led by head coach Dan Lanning that has proven to be relentless in pursuit of its top targets — the Ducks have already won some major recruiting battles they weren’t pegged to win a few months ago, like for five-star running back Jordan Davison — and the kind of NIL backing needed nowadays to recruit with the best in the country, and that’s the recipe needed to truly recruit at an elite level.
Since June 25, Oregon has landed commitments from five Rivals250 four-star prospects and two five-stars in Davison (No. 2 RB and No. 18 overall) and receiver Dakorien Moore (No. 1 WR, No. 4 overall). The Ducks are stacking talent across the field, and even after losing out to LSU this week for five-star athlete DJ Pickett they’re far from done while looking strong for five-star safeties Jonah Williams and Trey McNutt and four-star top-100 receiver Michael Terry. Whether Oregon does or does not ultimately get to No. 1 this cycle, the Ducks have everyone’s attention and are definitely a top threat for that spot.
Levenson: FACT. I thought about this for a moment and was very close to going with fiction and siding with Alabama as the biggest threat. But there was one key aspect that leaves to me go with Oregon. The Ducks are currently No. 4 in the 2025 class and looking at the top five, Oregon has the fewest commits by a fairly wide margin.
Ohio State (24), Alabama (22), Georgia (20), Oregon (16), and Notre Dame (21) makes for an interesting look at what the future holds. Ohio State does not have many additions left for the year. Alabama at 22 and Notre Dame at 21 are in the same boat. Georgia is in a bit a decent spot for some more growth but Oregon with just 16 leaves so much room to grow. And looking at prospects like Williams, McNutt, and Terry are just three possibilities. There remains so major prospects around the country who could very well end up in Eugene. With so much room to grow and a number of elite prospects with real interest, they are set to make big moves up the ranks.
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*****
2. LSU-Alabama will still be a heated rivalry in the post-Nick Saban era.
Jalen Milroe (left) and Harold Perkins Jr. (right)
Powell: FACT. To say that the LSU-Alabama rivalry just won’t be the same without Nick Saban leading the Crimson Tide would be a big understatement. But it’s hardly the demise of this long storied series. We’re talking about a rivalry that dates back to Grover Cleveland’s time in the White House, a time where Theodore Roosevelt was president of the New York City Police Board, six years before he became the 26th President of the United States. There’s a lot of history in this series.
Some say that history tends to repeat itself. If that’s true, you could make an argument that the rivalry could become even more heated. The height of this rivalry has been over the last 40 years, following the retirement of another Alabama legend in Bear Bryant in 1982. While Alabama is saying goodbye to another legend this season, the next chapters of this century old rivalry have yet to be written. But the characters in those stories are not as important as the stories themselves.
This rivalry doesn’t need a Bear Bryant or Nick Saban to be one of the most heated rivalries in college football, it just needs the first Saturday in November.
Levenson: FACT. I think Powell described this situation perfectly. There was always an added layer to the rivalry between the two SEC powers given that Saban was once a national championship winning coach in Baton Rouge before eventually ending up at Alabama. However, that only added to the fire that was already burning. LSU has seen a rotation of quarterbacks over the past 20 years and you could argue the passion is added to as LSU fans hope and expect for a new coach to get the best of their biggest rival.
Now, with Kalen DeBoer at the head of the Tide, both fanbases are eager to see how this will play out. Alabama is looking to prove DeBoer belongs in this role to take down the likes of LSU and other SEC foes. Meanwhile LSU is looking to capitalize on what they are calling a potential downfall of Alabama with Nick Saban no longer at the helm.
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I fully expect the 2024 rendition of the rivalry and beyond to be the normal level of craziness and passion we are used to.
*****
3. Texas A&M is the team to beat for 2026 four-star ATH Dequane Prevo.
Dequane Prevo
Rosow: FACT.Texas A&M has seemingly been the program getting most of his attention for the past few weeks. It starts with the multiple visits he’s taken to College Station and is added to by the fact that he loves his relationship with coach (Holmon) Wiggins and believes in Mike Elko’s vision for him. I believe the talented wide receiver will end up committing to the Aggies.
Levenson: FACT.Dequane Prevo announce a commitment date of July 30 recently with a top schools of Texas A&M, USC, Arkansas, Penn State, and Baylor. Immediately upon putting out the news, I went ahead and logged a FutureCast for Texas A&M to land his commitment.
With an early commitment coming, I felt the Aggies were the clear answer at this time. They are the program he has visited most to this time, going back to 2022. He was most recently on campus in College Station on June 20, where Prevo was able to spend time with head coach Mike Elko. With just two weeks before a decision, Prevo looks like he is heading to Texas A&M as of now.
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.
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Oregon hit back in the battle over transgender health care Tuesday, leading a coalition of states suing to block a proposed Trump administration policy that would cut off federal funding to institutions that provide gender affirming care to minors.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that rule change Dec. 18, with a declaration that condemned “sex-rejecting procedures” for minors as “neither safe nor effective”—putting the force the the U.S. federal government on the side of a mounting global movement that sees medical interventions, ranging from puberty blockers to hormone therapy to surgery, as plainly inappropriate treatments for youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
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In the new suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Eugene, Oregon and 18 other plaintiffs states say the declaration is not only wrong—”research and clinical data support gender-affirming care as a safe and effective treatment for gender dysphoria in adolescents”—but in violation of multiple federal laws.
The declaration violates laws banning the federal government from intervening in certain ways in the practice of medicine, the plaintiffs say. They also argue it violates laws governing how new federal rules are established. And though the declaration says it is issued “pursuant to the authority vested in” HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the plaintiffs say he does not in fact have the authority to declare the standard of medical care in the United States.
The suit also notes the way federal guidance conflict with the laws of certain plaintiff states. For example, Oregon law guarantees that the Oregon Health Plan cover gender-affirming care. If systems like Oregon Health & Science University and Legacy Health cease to provide this care, the plaintiffs say, patients under the Oregon health plan will lose access to gender-affirming care for which they are statutorily guaranteed coverage.
The legal battle comes as different countries, and U.S. states, issue divergent policies governing medical treatment for transgender youth.
Compounding the confusion is the fact that gender affirming care is a rather capacious term. It can refer to social affirmation of someone’s chosen gender identity, or legal affirmation, where government documents reflect that identity (the Trump administration has moved to restrict this too).
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The term can also refer to medical treatments, such as puberty blockers, which are generally reversible, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It says other treatments like hormone therapy are partially reversible, while surgery is not reversible. The AAP endorses carefully-administered gender-affirming care in minors with gender dysphoria as a way to promote their physical and social well being.
The stakes in this debate are high for Oregon because OHSU has in recent years become a major provider of such care. The university’s press office hasn’t offered details on the scope of its patient base but, in a 2023 report, OHSU described its Transgender Health Program as one of the “largest and most comprehensive” in the United States.
The new Holgate Library opens in Southeast Portland on Saturday, July 13, 2024. The expanded space is now one of largest libraries in Multnomah County.Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
The Multnomah County Library on Tuesday released the names of its most popular books in 2025, and the lists include several gems, including classics by literary giants Jane Austen and (for the under 5 set) Mo Willems.
Multnomah County’s 19 branches together hosted visitors more than 2 million times and checked out or renewed books and other items almost 9 million times so far this year.
Are your favorite books on the lists? Here are the most popular titles as of Dec. 1:
Physical books:
Top adult titles:
James: A Novel by Percival Everett (1,089 checkouts)
Tilt: A Novel by Emma Pattee (1,059 checkouts)
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (1,004 checkouts)
All Fours by Miranda July (973 checkouts)
Intermezzo: A Novel by Sally Rooney (758 checkouts)
Top teen titles:
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (507 checkouts)
The Blue Line Letters by Steven Christiansen (338 checkouts)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (217 checkouts)
Heartstopper. Volume 5. by Alice Oseman (192 checkouts)
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (168 checkouts)
Top kids titles:
The Thank You Book by Mo Willems (636 checkouts)
Pigs Make Me Sneeze!: An Elephant & Piggie Book by Mo Willems (625 checkouts)
My New Friend Is So Fun! by Mo Willems (611 checkouts)
Watch Me Throw the Ball! by Mo Willems (569 checkouts)
I Will Surprise My Friend!by Mo Willems (560 checkouts)
E-books and audiobooks (checkouts combined):
Top adult titles:
Solito by Javier Zamora (10,006 checkouts)
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (7,835 checkouts)
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (6,320 checkouts)
Pride and Prejudiceby Jane Austen (4,923 checkouts)
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson (4,824 checkouts)
Top teen titles:
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (3,215 checkouts)
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (2,958 checkouts)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (2,902 checkouts)
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (2,822 checkouts)
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (1,923 checkouts)
Top kids titles:
Hot Mess by Jeff Kinney (2,814 checkouts)
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (1,923 checkouts)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (1,808 checkouts)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling (1,478 checkouts)
Beth Slovic is an editor on the public safety/breaking news team. She previously covered Portland City Hall at The Oregonian/OregonLive and has taught journalism at a number of Portland-area universities and…
Forecasters with the National Weather Service are closely monitoring the windstorm but say it’s still too early to predict how strong those winds will be on Wednesday.
A car is crushed by a fallen tree on Northeast 24th Avenue on Wednesday, Dec. 17., 2025 in Portland.
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Saskia Hatvany / OPB
A windstorm packing gusts of up to 65 mph could hit western Oregon and Southwest Washington on Christmas Eve, triggering power outages and downing trees, forecasters and electric utilities warned Monday.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service are closely monitoring the windstorm as it moves up the coast, but say it’s still too early to predict exactly how strong those winds will be on Wednesday.
Gusts of at least 45 miles per hour could pass through much of western Oregon and Southwest Washington between 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
While there is still a lot of uncertainty around the windstorm, now is the time for residents to get ready, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland.
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“People should take precautions such as securing any outdoor decorations, garbage bins, and be prepared for the potential for some localized power outages or tree damage,” she said.
Further south, two winter storms will bring snow and rain to Southern Oregon and northern California this week, just in time for holiday travel.
California’s Siskiyou County will get the brunt of the storms, particularly at higher elevations, starting Tuesday and lasting through Friday.
Heavy snow is expected on mountain passes over 4,500 feet, and some snow could fall on Interstate 5 in the area around California’s Mount Shasta on Friday as the snow level drops, according to the forecast.
Portland General Electric urged residents to prepare an outage plan and get emergency kits ready in case the power goes out. The utility company is also warning people of potential weather hazards like downed power lines.
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“You should always assume they are alive,” John Farmer, a spokesperson with PGE, said. “You should never go near them. Don’t touch them. Don’t use a stick or a branch to move. Just stay away.”
Following the heavy rains that plummeted the region last week, the NWS also warns that soils across the state are still really saturated. That, combined with gusty winds, could knock over weakened trees and branches.
Mindy McCartt, a spokesperson with the Oregon Department of Transportation, says their crews are still working to clear up debris left behind by last week’s storms.
“Crews will continue cleanup from the previous storms while also preparing and staffing up for the next potential event,” she said. “If the storm hits as forecast, maintenance crews will be ready to respond as soon as conditions allow.”
McCartt says people who are planning to hit the road this holiday week should take extra precautions. She also recommends checking road conditions before heading out for possible closures or delays.
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