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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The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
