Natalie Fertig

Trump paints chaos. Portland stages comedy. The courts get to decide who's right. The administration says rising arrests and unruly protests justify federal troops. Portland says frog costumes tell the real story.

“This is also a propaganda war,” Portland City Councilor Angelita Morillo told me. “We have to show that our city is not what they’re painting it to be.”

Inside Portland’s effort to keep protests peaceful and - at times - absurd. My latest:

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Why Democrats can’t match Trump’s gerrymander push Legal hurdles make it practically impossible for blue states to redraw maps before the 2026 midterms.

Legal hurdles make it practically impossible for most blue states to redraw district maps before the 2026 midterms.

www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

‘I just had flashbacks’: Portland looks to avoid repeat of 2020 protests Trump sent federal officers into Portland to quell riots five years ago. A tired city — watching events in LA — hopes it won’t happen again.

ICYMI, Portland changed a lot of things after the 2020 protests with the goal of NOT having federal agents or national guard return to police the city. I wrote about it in June: www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Top official from Oregon tells Trump she welcomes federal crackdown: ‘I hope you will come to Portland’ Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer made the remarks during a cabinet meeting.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer (former Oregon congresswoman) to POTUS about ICE: "I hope you will come to Portland, Oregon and crack down."

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Utah "can no longer use maps that carved up Salt Lake City, a Democratic stronghold in an otherwise red state, and must draw new lines using an independent commission in compliance with a 2018 ballot measure approved by Utah voters."
www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

This blue state is the first to grapple with megabill response Colorado has a roughly $1 billion budget hole to address in a legislative special session.

Colorado is the first state to call lawmakers back to the Capitol to grapple with the ramifications of the massive federal tax and spending bill.

My latest:

www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

"Officials ... decided to let the fire burn for seven days — even as fuel and weather conditions repeatedly reached the brink of critical thresholds for fire risk."

Important reporting on the Grand Canyon fire from @azcentral.com:
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...

Minnesota assassination spurs wave of state bills to protect elected officials The push to shield lawmakers’ personal information from prying eyes is drawing concerns about public transparency.

States have been passing bills to shield lawmakers’ personal info following the assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman.

But those laws also have been criticized for making it harder to hold politicians accountable.

My latest:

www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

Spotted at the Del Ray flea

‘A disaster of a year’: Oregon farmers say 2025 is a sour season for sweet cherries Labor shortages and challenging market conditions are marring the harvest season of Oregon's fourth most valuable fruit.

Cherry farmers in Oregon are facing problems this season:

"Chandler’s season began around the time that [ICE] began targeting California farms, where many of his employees work before Oregon’s cherry season. He thinks this drove his June labor shortage."

www.oregonlive.com/business/202...

😭😭😭😭

Where I’m coming from ➡️ where I’m going.

Why. 💀

I asked a bunch of people about in-migration and they said while it contributed a bit, the shift started before the major influx of people and migration hasn’t been large enough to cause that seismic of a political shift all on its own. But I get why you’d think about that cause/effect, I did too.

Did you, like, read the story?

Texas flood forecasts were accurate. It wasn’t enough to save lives. The National Weather Service issued timely alerts, meteorologists say, but few were listening in the hours before the early morning flash floods.

"The National Weather Service issued timely warnings in advance of the deadly floods, meteorologists say. But they emphasized that forecasts are only one piece of an effective response."

via @chelseaeharvey.bsky.social:

www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

I also asked Polis about *that tweet* — the one about RFK that earned him blowback from the progressive crowd.

He was unapologetic.

I'm fascinated by how involved Jared Polis was in the state's story — not just as an elected official, but as one of the millionaires who funded Colorado's blue shift.

Over the last 20yrs, he essentially helped make Co. into a state that could elect him Governor. www.politico.com/news/magazin...

I went to Denver in late April for a retreat held by Progressive Policy Institute, the same group that helped ferry Clinton to the presidency in 92.

They think Colorado's combo of libertarian ideals, progressive programs and pocketbook-focused governance could be used as a national blueprint.

The People Who Brought You Bill Clinton Want to Introduce You to the 'Colorado Way’ One group is betting the state’s blend of libertarianism and progressivism can be packaged to appeal to voters who have drifted toward Trump over the past few cycles.

Few states over the last decade have been more successful for Democrats than Colorado.

Between 1972 and 2004, the GOP won all but one presidential election there. But since 2008, Dems have swept the field — even routing Rs by more than 10 points in 2020 & 2024. www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Blue state lawmakers' response to Medicaid cuts: Keep calm and bash Republicans As they stare down federal funding losses they cannot possibly make up for, lawmakers are applying their energy to attacking Republicans while waiting to see what the full impact will be.

“The only thing voters hate more than people who take away their benefits are people who lie and take away their benefits.” -veteran Dem strategist Lis Smith on how voters will respond to Republicans making cuts to Medicaid.

www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

Fourth of July in rural Oregon

Father’s Day ❤️❤️

Police declare riot at Portland ICE facility, multiple arrests made Tense demonstrations outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland were declared a riot Saturday as federal officers once again faced off with protesters.

Local coverage:

Protests at ICE facility declared riot www.opb.org/article/2025...

Thousands turn out to peaceful protests across northwest: www.opb.org/article/2025...

Update: Portland on Saturday saw…

-10k peaceful protestors in waterfront park

-In late afternoon/evening a few hundred gathered outside ICE office clashed with DHS. That demonstration was declared a riot by PPD. 3 arrested by local police, at least one detained by DHS.

Per @opb.org

It’s not “my premise” it’s a direct quote from local officials, and confirmed (with skepticism about the efficacy of the changes) by local activists.

‘I just had flashbacks’: Portland looks to avoid repeat of 2020 protests Trump sent federal officers into Portland to quell riots five years ago. A tired city — watching events in LA — hopes it won’t happen again.

“If you push, Portland pushes back ... If they come to Portland acting up, Portland’s gonna return that LA energy.”

www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

‘It’s a winner for him’: Dems work to turn LA debate from immigration to Trump’s executive powers Democrats are scrambling to shift the fight away from immigration, instead highlighting Trump’s use of executive powers.

Trying on the new beat for size: called up a number of state lawmakers, and chatted with a few current and former House members about their cities/states for this story about how Democrats are framing what's happening in Los Angeles. www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Politico's Fertig moving to state beat - Talking Biz News Natalie Fertig, who has been covering federal policy around the cannabis industry for Politico, is moving to a new beat. She will be writing about states, from key legislative battles to political rac...

@natsfert.bsky.social leaving cannabis industry beat to cover state issues for @politico.com: talkingbiznews.com/media-news/p...

Some professional NEWS: After nearly 7 years on the cannabis beat — more than 5 of those at POLITICO — I am moving on.

I’ll be covering all things STATES for POLITICO, from key legislative battles to political races — and I’m wildly excited about it!

Head of CBS News to Depart Amid Tensions With Trump

"Legal experts have called the suit baseless, but Paramount’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, has said she favors settling the case. She is seeking the Trump administration’s approval for a multibillion-dollar sale of her company to a Hollywood studio..."
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/b...