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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LINCOLN CITY, Ore. — Two Oregon men were arrested this month after undercover officers posed as minors in online stings, the Lincoln City Police Department reports.
On March 13, Mitchell Isham, a 58-year-old resident of McMinnville, was arrested after offering to meet with a minor for sex. Unbeknownst to Isham, the minor he initiated a sexually graphic conversation with was, in reality, an undercover officer posing as a minor.
Isham was arrested and booked into the Lincoln County Jail for two counts of Luring a Minor and two counts of Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the 2nd Degree.
Also on March 13, Richard Brotherton, 63, of Amity, was arrested after initiating a sexually graphic conversation with an undercover officer posing as a minor. Brotherton was arrested and booked into the Lincoln County Jail for Luring a Minor.
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LCPD Officers were assisted by the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office and the McMinnville Police Department.
On March 19, a Lincoln County Grand Jury issued a True Bill Indictment against Isham and Brotherton for the crimes. A “True Bill Indictment” is a formal indictment returned by a grand jury when they find sufficient probable cause to believe a person has committed a crime, authorizing the case to proceed to trial.
The Lincoln City Police Department encourages parents to monitor their children’s social media activity and discuss with them the possible dangers of communicating with strangers online. These investigations are conducted in a continuing effort to protect our children from predators who target children for sexual exploitation and to reduce crime and further enhance the safety of our community.
AUSTIN, Texas — Oregon was simply helpless against Madison Booker.
Texas’ three-time All-American forward did anything she wanted as she scored a career-high 40 points in a rollicking 100-58 win over Oregon on Sunday that earned the No. 1-seeded Longhorns a trip to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year.
Drive for layups? Easy. Her go-to mid-range jumper? Breezy. Step out for 3-pointers? Swish.
Booker set a Texas school record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game.
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It’s still 10 points shy of the overall tournament record of 50 set by Drake’s Lorri Bauman in 1982. But give her time. She’s got at least one more game coming up in Fort Worth, and if the Longhorns are going to play for their first national championship in 40 years, she could get four more.
Booker carried the Longhorns to the Elite Eight as a freshman and to Final Four last season.
“She’s a generational talent,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said.
Texas forward Madison Booker (35) drives to the basket against Oregon forward Ehis Etute (35) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Austin, Texas. Credit: AP/Eric Gay
And an unselfish one. Schaefer often has to tell his star player to go get her shot instead of making the extra pass to a teammate.
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“I want her to hunt to go get a bucket,” Schaefer said.
That side of her is emerging now that it’s time to start collecting trophies.
Booker came in to the tournament averaging 18.9 points. She set her previous career high of 31 just a couple of weeks ago against Mississippi in the Southeastern Conference tournament, which Texas won.
The previous Texas tournament scoring record of 32 was set by Clarissa Davis in 1986 and Heather Schreiber in 2003. The 1986 team won the national title. The 2003 team made the Final Four.
“Coach Schaefer has pushed me into taking a big role, being aggressive on the offensive end,” Booker said.
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She was dominant from the start against Oregon, scoring 14 points in the first quarter. Bookers’ final stat line included 14-of-21 shooting, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and no turnovers.
“I’ve never seen that. I’d like to see it again,” Texas senior guard Rori Harmon said. “I saw the look in her eyes when she came in. I saw something special coming today.”
When the Oregon Ducks’ spring football roster was officially released earlier this month, a lot of eyebrows raised at the fact that Nebraska Cornhuskers transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola was changing his number from No. 15 to No. 8.
While Raiola had often mimicked the stylings of Patrick Mahomes — who also wears No. 15 — throughout his career at Nebraska, the switch to No. 8 — famously worn by Oregon Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota — was interesting, to say the least.
In a “Meet the Flock” video released by the football program on Saturday, giving a closer look at the QB room, Raiola opened up about the number change and revealed that he received permission from Mariota and Dillon Gabriel to wear the number at Oregon.
“The last two people to wear it, if you look at Dillon Gabriel and Marcus Mariota,” Raiola said. “So before I even thought about wearing it, I called Dillon, and I asked him. And then I actually asked him if I could have Marcus’ number, and I called Marcus. I was blessed with the opportunity to wear it.”
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While Raiola’s football journey has taken him all across the country, with stops in Texas, Arizona, Georgia, and Nebraska, it all started in Hawaii, where he was born and spent the early years of his life. During that time, Mariota’s legend grew in Eugene and Hawaii, as he became the first Duck and the first Hawaiian-born player to win the Heisman.
“I’m from Hawaii. I lived there for about nine or 10 years, so I call that home, and I always go back there and visit,” Raiola said.
Whether or not the number change means that Raiola is going to start trying to play in a similar fashion as Mariota did is yet to be seen, but Oregon fans everywhere would be thrilled to see him have similar success down the road.
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