Erika Bolstad

Confederate general statue toppled in 2020 to be reinstalled in D.C. The bronze statue depicting Confederate Gen. Albert Pike, which was torn down and burned by protesters in 2020, is being restored, the Park Service said Monday.

A statue of a Confederate general that demonstrators toppled and burned in D.C. in 2020 will be reinstalled, the National Park Service announces.

Women’s contributions and men’s racism erased from history of Muir Woods National Monument An initiative to fill in historical gaps from the Muir Woods National Monument disappeared under pressure from the Trump administration.

Prior to the executive orders, the Trump administration was already taking action to revise information on park websites that did not align with its priorities. @jkutzie.bsky.social reports.

Oregon law schools to receive funding for criminal defense clinics There are currently defense clinics at Willamette University in Salem, Lewis & Clark College in Portland, and the University of Oregon in both Portland and Eugene.

Now, state lawmakers have passed a bill which allocates $3.4 million to support criminal defense clinics. They had previously approved $2.1 million in one-time funding in 2024.

More more more of this kind of journalism everywhere in the USA, please! Looove it!

Independence Day seems like a good day to share that I’m directing a film about the symbols of democracy. Check out the trailer below!
See the film’s website to make a tax-deductible contribution toward production, via @filmindependent.org (And view the full trailer, too.) makingmonumental.com

Journalist searched and detained at US airport CBP searched an Australian journalist’s phone. He noted he was questioned over materials in his blog, social media posts, and reporting

🚨 ATTN: Journalists crossing through a U.S. border 🚨

Alongside @eff.org, we now have an extensive guide on preparing your devices for travel through a U.S. border, including a digital security checklist and additional resources.

Read, bookmark and share:

New signs at incarceration camps raise historical erasure concerns – AsAmNews The Trump administration’s directive aimed at historical sites stirs debate over history of Asian Americans.

New signs at incarceration camps raise historical erasure concerns asamnews.com/2025/06/19/d... via @AsAmNews

A terrific analogy only a human could conjure up.

The situation at historic preservation offices is growing more dire. The nation is turning away from its 60-year commitment to preservation not through elected reps, but through OMB's intransigence.

Still can't get anyone to bite on my piece about this issue!

preservewa.org/advocacy-ale...

Bill to require big tech to pay Oregon newsrooms advances with fewer legal concerns The proposed policy has undergone significant changes to address legal concerns.

Oregon moves one step closer to passing one of the most substantive local news funding bills in the country, requiring Google and Meta pay for news content they’ve used for free to grow their enormous profits while newsrooms shutter from lost revenue
www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Leaving Money on the Table: Inside Portland Water Bureau’s Algorithmic Pricing Program Portland is testing a machine learning algorithm for water bill pricing that promises both affordability and higher revenues. Here’s the first in-depth analysis of the program and the tech be…

🧵Can city utilities boost revenues, reduce debt burdens & do so equitably? My latest personal reporting uses records obtained via public records request to investigate Portland Water Bureau's algorithmic segmented pricing program, inspired by a corporate tech pricing scheme. I dug deep on the data:

All of L.A. is not a ‘war zone.’ We separate facts from spin and disinformation amid immigration raids What's actually happening during the ICE sweeps and protests across Los Angeles.

All of L.A. is not a ‘war zone.’ We separate facts from spin and disinformation amid immigration raids, protests throughout the city. Latest w/ @karenmg.bsky.social @tarantulaarms.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...

A Political Battle Is Brewing Over Data Centers An AI-related provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” could restrict state-level legislation of energy-hungry data centers—and is raising bipartisan objections across the US.

An AI-related provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” could restrict state-level legislation of energy-hungry data centers—and is raising bipartisan objections across the US. www.wired.com/story/a-poli...

Donate • Stateline

🍩 There's only one thing better than a Friday: A Friday that's also National Donut Day!

Send us a donut or a coffee in support of our work: stateline.org/donate/

Hey, check it out! Monumental (the doc I'm directing) is featured here! Curious about it or want to contribute to its production? Click the link!

‘Big Beautiful Bill’ dings states that offer health care to some immigrants here legally • Stateline The Republican budget bill the U.S. House approved last month includes a surprise for the 40 states that have expanded Medicaid: penalties for providing health care to some immigrants who are here leg...

‘Big Beautiful Bill’ dings states that offer health care to some immigrants here legally stateline.org/2025/06/03/b...

In another blow to Crater Lake, superintendent steps down, citing Trump Oregon’s picturesque but beleaguered national park suffered another setback.

Oregon’s picturesque but beleaguered national park suffered another setback.

We Made a Film With AI. You’ll Be Blown Away—and Freaked Out. We tried to direct an AI film. The tools are magic. The process is madness.

Hmm. Not blown away by this AI-generated short "film," not at all.

But freaked out, yes.

www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-f...

Oregon's U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz insists Republicans 'not cutting' Medicaid, SNAP • Oregon Capital Chronicle Bentz said he consulted with former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, a Democrat, weekly for the Medicaid portion of the Republican budget.

When 7 in 10 children in an Oregon congressional district have access to healthcare via Medicaid — yet in a town hall, their representative won’t acknowledge the consequences of looming cuts. By @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social for @oregoncapitalchronicle.com oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/05/22/o...

New law bans Oregon employers from asking for applicants’ age Supporters say House Bill 3187 will help curb age discrimination.

Lawmakers in both legislative chambers have passed House Bill 3187, which proponents say will help curb age discrimination.

Terrible news!

How the Pacific Northwest’s dream of green energy fell apart Oregon and Washington passed aggressive goals to decarbonize their power supply but left it to the Bonneville Power Administration to build the transmission lines needed for wind and solar. The agency hasn’t delivered.

Oregon and Washington trail nearly every other state in bringing wind, solar and other renewable energy projects online. Its aging electrical grid is largely to blame.

I like the 1 mm Pentel Energel pens—not as thick as a sharpie, just right. (Not a lefty but I hate smears.)

Good luck with your book launch!

Boise adds two official flags in latest jab at Legislature’s new law “I don’t think we’re a city that should be so divided. We were never like this,” one protester said.

Here’s Boise’s response: www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/c...

Salt Lake City may have found a way to avoid the state’s ban on pride flags Salt Lake City adopts official versions of the pride and other flags just hours before a new Utah law banning unofficial flags from schools and government buildings takes effect.

Cities are finding some cheeky runarounds to flag bans: www.sltrib.com/news/politic...

Trump Wants Mail Votes to Arrive By Election Day. Red States Are Rushing to Toe the Line. Two more states just banned grace periods for mail ballots that are sent before polls close but arrive after Election Day. Trump and conservative judges stepped up attacks, too.

North Dakota adopted a law last week that changes state rules to toss mail ballots if they arrive after Election Day, even if they were postmarked by Election Day.

Bolts recently reported on the rush of GOP-run states passing similar laws in 2025: boltsmag.org/restric...

In recent weeks, both Idaho and Utah have enacted bans that prohibit Pride flags from being displayed on government property, pitting lawmakers in the Republican-dominated legislatures against the more progressive capitals of Boise and Salt Lake City.

Meet the Pasadena day laborers who built their own media to combat Trump's immigration lies Radio Jornalera gives immigrant workers a microphone and multimedia platform and their voices are reaching millions.

“ She’s like, don’t be afraid, just document. Get a camera, take pictures, take videos and document what is going on there.”

lapublicpress.org/2025/05/meet...

Always in Progress A process dispatch.

How do you know when you're "done?" A process dispatch this week about always being in progress. open.substack.com/pub/erikabol...