Michael Andersen

The hidden double standards driving our housing crisis Apartments are safer and more affordable than single-family homes. Why do we treat them like a hazard?

Very comprehensive Vox article on building code research and reform efforts across the country, fearing John Zeanah’s report for the Center for Building on low-rise multifamily housing and Michael Eriksen’s academic work on building code costs www.vox.com/future-perfe... (gift link)

Flyer with a blue tinted photo of various people sitting at a Portland Brewery, with the following text: February Happy Hour! [Portland: Neighbors Welcome logo] Thursday, February 5th! 6-8PM @ Migration on Williams Hear from city staff about the Central City Code Amendments Project!

Hello wonderful neighbors! Our next happy hour is TOMORROW, February 5th at Migration brewing on Williams from 6-8PM! We are excited to announce that we will be joined by members of Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability who are working on the Central City Code Amendments project!

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Immigration agents have profiled other U.S. citizens in Oregon but this stop appears to mark the first instance of extensive injuries to a citizen here.

Read more at https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2026/02/us-citizen-was-running-errands-after-ice-stop-she-ended-up-at-the-hospital-instead.html

Commentary is cheap to make and someone will always be willing to pay to make (their preferred) commentary free to read.

Information is expensive to make and some people will always be willing to pay for it, as long as most people can’t.

Easily accessed, reliable, & impartial information: Yikes

❤️+💔

Issaquah is pretty fancy

"There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect."

neat! for the record I did figure it out after googling "pfennig."

boy I don't understand a word you just said

fortunately, @bradleyclover.com has a plan bsky.app/profile/brad...

Nate Silver published a Bluesky takedown that only revealed, to me, that in Oregon Bluesky is the more relevant place to be www.natesilver.net/p/what-is-bl...

I don't understand why more U.S. cities don't have eiffel towers

Chart showing a big jump from 2024 to 2025 in the number of pre-application proposed residential units. No year has ever gone above 1000 until that year

After adopting housing reforms that included eliminating parking mandates and increased density limits throughout the city, Bothell has seen a major jump in pre-applications for residential projects.

Average number of units entering pre-application over the past 5 years: 580
In 2025: 1000+

It's near-white out conditions in Chicago as the snow comes down, and tonight's anti-ICE/CBP rally is wrapping up in front of city hall.

But not before the crowd bounces and chants, "I believe that we will win!"

I can’t speak for others but my take was never that people should not smash things or not try to barricade in the cops to avoid the use of teargas. The point of demonstrating virtue is to attract sympathy and delegitimize the overreactor, right?

People from other countries account for most of Oregon’s growth Domestic migration is essentially flat but immigrants kept Oregon growing — barely.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said that in regards to immigration, Spain needs to choose between being an open and prosperous country or a closed-off, poor country.

I don’t know if this has sunk in here yet, but Oregon has the same choice. www.oregonlive.com/business/202...

U.S. citizen injured by federal agents in Salem who demanded to see “papers,” union says - Salem Reporter A home care worker and union worker was pulled from her car and injured by federal agents Thursday according to a statement by SEIU 503. To comment on this story, use the form at the end of the repor...

4 federal agents pull over an elderly US citizen for the suspected crime of being brown, break her car window, throw her to the ground, then drive off after they find her US Passport in her purse. The Salem Police, when called, say there’s nothing they can do. www.salemreporter.com/2026/01/31/u...

Stephen Miller @StephenM In America, for generations now, the policy has been that anyone who would economically benefit from moving to the US can do so, exercise the franchise in the US and their children, the moment they are born, will be full American citizens with all the rights and benefits therein.

this fucking sucks actually / (literal coolest thing ever)

Ammon Bundy Is All Alone The anti-government militia leader can’t make sense of his allies’ support for ICE violence.

“There’s certain rights that a person has that they’re born with. Everybody has them equally, not just in the United States,” he said. “But on this topic they are willing to completely abandon that principle.”
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

I join my City Councilors in calling for prosecution of ICE for this flagrant violation of city and state law. This is illegal, and if ICE does this to families and children on a sunny peaceful daytime protest, I shudder to think what they do without that kind of daylight and public scrutiny.

Are you a parent of kids who got tear gassed? DM me.

That is very sweet

I did have time to distribute my chocolate chip cookies first. Photo by Mo

I think the mayor put it pretty well:

“To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave. Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame."

We were a little farther back, so my 9-year-old didn't need to get a face bath - just a few coughs www.opb.org/article/2026...

urban pdx Portland housing and transportation policy

here's a longer form housing post, with three proposals for housing policy ideas portland could pursue in 2026 to increase housing production: urbanpdx.blog/a-2026-portl...

Ok, fair enough!

Study May Undercut Idea That Cash Payments to Poor Families Help Child Development

I wouldn’t characterize the results that way at all, unfortunately www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/u...

Oregon tried giving homeless youth $1,000 a month with no strings attached. Here’s what happened The program helped 94% of participants secure housing while building financial literacy skills that could break the cycle of homelessness.

Seems promising www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Like you need to say “by the way don’t fuck it up” every time you ask it to do something?