The Conversation: Ravages of aging resistant to reversal

By ELLEN QUARLES Of the University of Michigan You likely know some folks who seem to age slowly, appearing years younger than their birth dates suggest. And you likely have seen the opposite — ...

Gary Conkling: Stay the course with our two-party system

A third major party wouldn’t end America’s political polarization. It would just muddy our political waters. We should have more faith in the two-party system to help us lurch forward. Even ...

Whatchamacolumn: Time to advise city on taxes, services

August is history; school has started; Labor Day weekend will soon be gone. There is, however, one great season-ending activity available — the ninth annual Walnut City Music Festival, live this ...

Rachel Thompson/News-Register##McMinnville’s Andrew Anderson, left foreground, listens as Rep. Lucetta Elmer, right, speaks in her town hall Aug. 23 at Union Block Coffee. The audience was small but the discussion was lively.

Back, and Forth: Despite turnout, town hall maintains traditional spirit

There’s an irony to the term “town hall,” as it can refer to both a gathering and a building. “An event at which a public official or political candidate addresses an audience ...

Image: Sannyas Wiki##A Buddhafield Transportation bus brings sannyasins to Rajneeshpuram past the marble welcome sign.

Offbeat Oregon: 'The Rolls-Royce Guru’ came to Oregon / Part 4, Unraveling

After the election, the new formerly homeless residents of Rajneeshpuram were the most pressing problem for Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his followers. They cost a lot of money to feed and house, and they ...

The Conversation: Why a federal judge blocked Tennessee's drag show ban

By MARK SATTA Of Wayne State University The drag shows will go on — at least for now. Earlier this summer, Judge Thomas Parker, a Trump-appointed federal judge, ruled Tennessee’s Adult ...

From Library of Congress files, courtesy of Wikipedia Commons##Ku Klux Klan rally held in Portland circa 1921-22, when the city’s Klan membership ran upwards of 15,000.

Randy Stapilus: Lessons from the Klan's reign in Oregon

"A Fever in the Heartland” is one of the most pertinent new books this season, especially for Oregon, where extremism is on the rise. It is a thoughtful history, and an engrossing if disturbing ...

Whatchamacolumn: Political courage to fight polarization

It seems that partisan politics will dominate national public discourse for the foreseeable future. As evidenced this week, eight Republican presidential candidates were asked if they would support Donald ...

Back, and Forth: Bouncing around those moments of meaning

Hoops is my hobby, and I plan to keep weaving as long as I can. After a long time away, I’ve gotten back into playing against other guys — competing, sometimes. No matter what happens between ...

Image: Ted Quackenbush##The town of Antelope as it appeared in the summer of 1985, after the Rajneeshees had taken control.

Offbeat Oregon: ‘The Rolls-Royce Guru’ came to Oregon / Part 3, Occupation

In the courtyard at the Antelope Post Office today, there stands a large bronze plaque attached to the base of a flagpole. It reads, “Dedicated to those of this community who throughout the Rajneesh ...

The Conversation: DeSantis' war on woke whitewashes our history

By EILEEN KANE Of Connecticut College and ROCHELLE ANNE DAVIS Of Georgetown University A law that took effect on July 1 restricts how educators in Florida’s public colleges and universities ...

Matthew Meador: White privilege embedded deeply into our social fabric

When I first saw the term “white privilege” being used commonly in discussions on race, I assumed it meant I had it easier than people of color simply because I am white. I assumed it was a ...

Whatchamacolumn: It's time to chop downtown trees

Part 2 of a recent column about McMinnville trees begins with a provokement: It’s time to start aggressively removing trees in downtown McMinnville. Astonishing? Outrageous? If so, you haven’t ...

Local Perspective: Yamhill County citizens, you can defeat a giant

By JANICE ALLEN Newberg Trails Advocate This is a story about how Yamhill County citizens, like the biblical David, can come to overpower a giant. The question: Why are city and county officials ...

Image: Sannyas Wiki##The first “ranch crew” relaxing after a hard day of working to build Rajneeshpuram, in 1981.

Offbeat Oregon: ‘The Rolls-Royce Guru’ came to Oregon / Part 2, Arrival

On June 1, 1981, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh boarded a Boeing 747 for a flight from Mumbai to New York City. Officially the trip was for medical treatment, and authorities were told he’d be heading back ...