The longtime combatants in Oregon's timber wars understood that with dying mills, runaway unemployment and forests ripe for catastrophic fire, it was time to stop fighting. They hashed out their differences and agreed on a plan to save both forests and the timber industry. Now Oregon members of Congress and the Forest Service must join them to make it happen. Full story »

The goal of a bipartisan reform bill should be to dial up or down the influx of workers to match U.S. needs  Full story »

Fred Hansen's high energy, political savvy and knack for getting everyone on board helped him deliver Mark Hatfield-like results  Full story »

The primary election for the regional government features a trio of candidates who see its potential in a fresh way  Full story »

Why are City Commissioner Randy Leonard and the city auditor eager to blow off the police chief?  Full story »

Thoughtful critics, including Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., may still have an opportunity to improve the Obama plan, but there is no starting over  Full story »

Portland's proclamation of Tibetan Awareness Day makes waves in China, and raises fears among those concerned with Oregon's trade picture.  Full story »

A recent gathering at city hall shows how treatment, and enforcement, can pay off in reducing neighborhood crime and helping people who are so poor and damaged by substance abuse that they know no other way of living than on the street, and no other way of surviving except through crime. Full story »

Portland must decide whether the plan is truly clever or breaches public trust in how projects are funded  Full story »

Some critical players in the state's economic future wonder whether to stay or put their efforts -- and money -- elsewhere.  Full story »

This will be a long, difficult summer in the Klamath Basin. A drought disaster is coming, and no amount of well-meaning collaboration can substitute for water. But with better relationships, deeper respect and more leadership, there won't be the fear, suspicion and anger that opened such deep cracks in the Klamath Basin in 2001. Now if it would only rain some more.  Full story »

The strength of the turnout in every faction and in every part of the country, along with the apparent closeness of the election, give reason to feel encouraged about Iraq's progress. But there's still a great deal of work to be done ... by Iraqis. Full story »

Once, Middle East watchers would complain about Palestinian actions, a bombing or a shooting, intended to derail beginnings of negotiations. But with Vice President Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East, meant to encourage new, indirect talks to be led by special U.S. envoy George Mitchell, the Israeli government went out of its way to knock things off course. Full story »

But it would be silly and counterproductive to ram changes through without letting Police Chief Rosie Sizer weigh in  Full story »