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| | |  | More whales are washing up on beaches in California, Oregon, and Washington. This dead gray whale was found on Huntington Beach in Southern California in 2025. (I RYU/VCG / Getty Images) |
| Why Are So Many Gray Whales Dying? | Three dead whales have washed up on the Oregon Coast this year — most recently, an emaciated 40-foot gray whale, which floated ashore on Seaside Beach last week. Other whales have been found stranded off the coasts of Oregon and Washington. Experts theorize that gray whales aren’t getting enough to eat to survive their migration to the Bering Sea north of Alaska. [OPB] | | - Facts: Gray whales are typically born dark gray, and lighten as they age, growing to be approximately 90,000 pounds and up to 49 feet long. They make one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal, traveling 10,000 miles or more round-trip. Eastern North Pacific gray whales aren't considered to be endangered (unlike their counterparts in the western North Pacific), but their numbers have dropped significantly in recent years. [NOAA]
- An unusual mortality event? From 2018-2023, gray whales became stranded along the West Coast in high numbers, in what biologists called an Unusual Mortality Event. While the population seemed to be rebounding in 2024, reproduction rates are still low, and fewer whales migrated north in 2025. [NOAA]
- The role of climate change: Gray whales depend on the algae and crustaceans found on Arctic ice, so the alarming rate at which the ice is melting threatens that food supply. They may be searching for food outside their usual sources, which could explain why more gray whales than usual have been spotted feeding off the West Coast. Unfortunately, this has resulted in many deaths from collisions with vessels. Crabbing gear entanglements also put the whales at risk. [OPB]
- This isn't just happening in the Pacific Northwest: Whales are also washing up on beaches in California. In 2025, a record number of 21 dead gray whales were found in the San Francisco Bay. [BBC]
- What to do if you find a stranded whale: Give it plenty of space and report it to NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network by calling 866-767-6114. [OPB]
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| | | Here in Oregon, we look out for bikes on the road every day – especially during National Bicycle Safety Month. As the weather warms up and more people bike and roll to work and school, let’s remember to keep each other safe: Slow down. Stay alert. And always leave extra space for bikes. Let’s share the road, in May and all year long. So we can all get there safely. A reminder from ODOT. | |
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| What Portland's Talking About |
| | ICE Federal Protest Reports Released | The federal government released more than 420 pages of incident reports describing protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in South Portland from June to September 2025, some of which reveal friction between federal officers and local police. These documents were collected as part of the state’s legal challenge of President Trump’s attempt to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, and were made public after media outlets requested that the court unseal them. [Oregonian] | | Beloved Portland Restaurant To Close Next Month | It’s the end of an era for longtime restaurateurs Eugen and Lenor Bingham, who have announced that The Slide Inn will be closing for good on May 10. This German-inspired restaurant opened in 2012 in Southeast Portland, and was often featured on “Portlandia.” The Binghams describe the closure as a “convoluted one,” and don’t know what’s next for the building on Southeast Ankeny Street. [Portland Tribune, Oregonian] | - The Slide Inn is open Wednesday-Sunday for the next couple weeks, and you can dine in or order food to-go. Slide in for a last meal before they close!
| | What's Next for Intel? | Today on the podcast, we're looking into Intel's recent announcement that it would play an unspecified role in Elon Musk’s “Terafab” project. Intel’s stock is up 50% in the last few weeks, but what do Portlanders really think about this partnership — and just how bright is Intel’s future in Oregon? [Oregonian / City Cast Portland 🎧] |
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