Chuck Slothower
@chuckslothower.bsky.social
Reporter and editor, Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland. Interested in housing, development, CRE, design, construction, public policy. Oregonian. Typing at my kitchen table.
The other shoe drops.
January 29, 2026 at 11:43 PM
The other shoe drops.
Reposted by Chuck Slothower
Trump: "People that own their homes -- we're gonna keep them wealthy. We're gonna keep those prices up. We're not gonna destroy the value of their homes so that somebody who didn't work very hard can buy a home."
January 29, 2026 at 5:40 PM
Trump: "People that own their homes -- we're gonna keep them wealthy. We're gonna keep those prices up. We're not gonna destroy the value of their homes so that somebody who didn't work very hard can buy a home."
Counterpoint: If you bring your goddamn Zoom meeting into the Yukon Tavern, I will throw my beer at you. pdx.eater.com/dining-repor...
This Dive Bar in Sellwood Could Double As Your Remote Work Haunt
Yukon Tavern has more outlets than your average cafe, and all the wood paneling and pinball one craves in a low-key bar
pdx.eater.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Counterpoint: If you bring your goddamn Zoom meeting into the Yukon Tavern, I will throw my beer at you. pdx.eater.com/dining-repor...
Heckuva news lede.
January 28, 2026 at 2:30 AM
Heckuva news lede.
Portland Permitting & Development's decision to allow a Dairy Queen drive-thru to be rebuilt on Division Street is being appealed. djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
City’s decision to allow DQ drive-thru appealed
A dilly of a zoning dispute has reached a new stage with an appeal of a proposed Dairy Queen drive-thru in Portland's Mount Tabor neighborhood.
djcoregon.com
January 27, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Portland Permitting & Development's decision to allow a Dairy Queen drive-thru to be rebuilt on Division Street is being appealed. djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
Reposted by Chuck Slothower
New rendering of the James Beard Public Market, from the design review notice www.portland.gov/ppd/zoning-l...
January 26, 2026 at 6:45 PM
New rendering of the James Beard Public Market, from the design review notice www.portland.gov/ppd/zoning-l...
Aren't most reptiles opaque? A transparent reptile would be rather disquieting.
January 26, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Aren't most reptiles opaque? A transparent reptile would be rather disquieting.
ICYMI, state transportation commissioners last week blasted Interstate Bridge project leaders for keeping rising costs hidden, and questioned whether the project could be built if it costs more than $12 billion.
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
Oregon policy group blasts Interstate Bridge cost secrecy
State transportation commissioners on Thursday slammed Interstate Bridge replacement program leaders for failing to disclose cost estimates jumping as high as $17.7 billion.
djcoregon.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:54 PM
ICYMI, state transportation commissioners last week blasted Interstate Bridge project leaders for keeping rising costs hidden, and questioned whether the project could be built if it costs more than $12 billion.
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
Interesting point from Selvej Balle.
January 24, 2026 at 1:27 AM
Interesting point from Selvej Balle.
“If those numbers are correct, we can’t build this project.” - Oregon Transportation Commission Vice Chairman Lee Beyer.
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
Oregon policy group blasts Interstate Bridge cost secrecy
State transportation commissioners on Thursday slammed Interstate Bridge replacement program leaders for failing to disclose cost estimates jumping as high as $17.7 billion.
djcoregon.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:46 PM
“If those numbers are correct, we can’t build this project.” - Oregon Transportation Commission Vice Chairman Lee Beyer.
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
Trying to plan anything with my Midwest-raised parents. ↓↓
January 23, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Trying to plan anything with my Midwest-raised parents. ↓↓
The Interstate Bridge program is now saying official cost estimates will be released in March, after City Observatory got ahold of internal estimates of up to $17.7 billion and published them last week.
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
Interstate Bridge project cost estimates soar up to $17.7B
The anticipated cost to replace the Interstate Bridge has more than doubled, raising funding questions even after the U.S. Coast Guard approved a fixed-span design.
djcoregon.com
January 22, 2026 at 6:01 PM
The Interstate Bridge program is now saying official cost estimates will be released in March, after City Observatory got ahold of internal estimates of up to $17.7 billion and published them last week.
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
2025 saw significant thawing in credit markets as CRE and multifamily lending surged. Some discussion from last week's HFO forecast: djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
Commercial lending surges as credit markets thaw
Real estate loan originations surged in late 2025 as credit markets reopened, boosting liquidity, office lending and investor activity.
djcoregon.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:25 PM
2025 saw significant thawing in credit markets as CRE and multifamily lending surged. Some discussion from last week's HFO forecast: djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
Take my amateur political analysis FWIW: Power bills are going to be a salient issue in '26, and data centers offer a big, bright-red target.
Pham is early to the party and there's going to be a lot more folks coming.
Pham is early to the party and there's going to be a lot more folks coming.
While our classroom teachers are told to do more with less, while our roads and bridges crumble, and public transit services are being shut down today -- Oregon is giving away billions to big tech. Thanks to The O for this reporting:
https://loom.ly/ScFJ2eg #orpol
https://loom.ly/ScFJ2eg #orpol
‘A 9-gigawatt problem’: Northwest’s soaring energy demand, supply constraints, could spark new power crisis
Data centers are straining electricity supplies even as Oregon tries to switch to renewable power. That’s put the grid’s reliability in doubt.
www.oregonlive.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:03 PM
Take my amateur political analysis FWIW: Power bills are going to be a salient issue in '26, and data centers offer a big, bright-red target.
Pham is early to the party and there's going to be a lot more folks coming.
Pham is early to the party and there's going to be a lot more folks coming.
Reposted by Chuck Slothower
The Dalles wants to pull more water out of the Mt Hood forest. It says it’s for a growing population, but the city hasn’t grown much in recent years. What has: Google’s footprint.
The tech giant uses a third of the city’s water.
www.opb.org/article/2026...
The tech giant uses a third of the city’s water.
www.opb.org/article/2026...
As Google’s water demands grow, The Dalles aims to pull more from Mount Hood forest
The Dalles, a rural city in north-central Oregon, wants to expand its reservoir in the Mount Hood National Forest so it can store more water. While city officials say the water is needed for a growing...
www.opb.org
January 15, 2026 at 4:37 PM
The Dalles wants to pull more water out of the Mt Hood forest. It says it’s for a growing population, but the city hasn’t grown much in recent years. What has: Google’s footprint.
The tech giant uses a third of the city’s water.
www.opb.org/article/2026...
The tech giant uses a third of the city’s water.
www.opb.org/article/2026...
Just a heads-up for Portlanders: My kid's school in S.E. Portland has classes that are almost half-empty with kids out sick. (Not an exaggeration, 24 of 52 in band, etc.) If you're immunocompromised, now might be a good time to stay in.
January 13, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Just a heads-up for Portlanders: My kid's school in S.E. Portland has classes that are almost half-empty with kids out sick. (Not an exaggeration, 24 of 52 in band, etc.) If you're immunocompromised, now might be a good time to stay in.
A Southeast Portland Dairy Queen will get its drive-thru after all.
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
Drive-thru approved for Dairy Queen in Southeast Portland
The team planning to build a new Dairy Queen restaurant on Southeast Division Street can include a drive-thru after the city reversed its position.
djcoregon.com
January 13, 2026 at 7:59 PM
A Southeast Portland Dairy Queen will get its drive-thru after all.
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
djcoregon.com/news/2026/01...
Indiscreet sex has always been part of politics, but the Trump crowd seems particularly ardent in their adultery. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Labor secretary's top aides sidelined amid inspector general complaint
Lori Chavez-DeRemer's chief of staff and deputy chief of staff are accused of scheduling official events to facilitate her personal travel plans.
www.politico.com
January 13, 2026 at 7:57 PM
Indiscreet sex has always been part of politics, but the Trump crowd seems particularly ardent in their adultery. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Plans for an extension of Portland's North Park Blocks and Green Loop drew questions about timing, sequencing and feasibility from design commissioners.
Extension plan for Portland’s North Park Blocks scrutinized
The Portland Design Commission on Thursday provided advice on plans to extend the North Park Blocks as part of the Green Loop. Members expressed concerns about timing, maintenance and interim uses.
djcoregon.com
January 9, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Plans for an extension of Portland's North Park Blocks and Green Loop drew questions about timing, sequencing and feasibility from design commissioners.
It sounds like OR-229 on the coast won't open for a while yet, and full rebuilding "is expected to take years" after a huge landslide on Dec. 12.
January 9, 2026 at 8:40 PM
It sounds like OR-229 on the coast won't open for a while yet, and full rebuilding "is expected to take years" after a huge landslide on Dec. 12.
It's worth noting, if this was in fact a Customs and Border Protection agent who fired, Portland is not a border city. We're about 280 miles from Canada, 1,100 miles from Mexico and 90 miles from the Pacific. It's unclear which border the agency is protecting here.
www.opb.org/article/2026...
www.opb.org/article/2026...
January 9, 2026 at 1:20 AM
It's worth noting, if this was in fact a Customs and Border Protection agent who fired, Portland is not a border city. We're about 280 miles from Canada, 1,100 miles from Mexico and 90 miles from the Pacific. It's unclear which border the agency is protecting here.
www.opb.org/article/2026...
www.opb.org/article/2026...
Reposted by Chuck Slothower
There has apparently been a shooting of Portland residents by federal agents. I'm on the scene here in east Portland
January 9, 2026 at 12:36 AM
There has apparently been a shooting of Portland residents by federal agents. I'm on the scene here in east Portland
Reposted by Chuck Slothower
The IBR will cost as much as $17.7 billion, more than double the previous max. cost of $7.5 billion, according to documents unearthed by City Observatory. cityobservatory.org/17-7-billion...
January 8, 2026 at 1:31 AM
The IBR will cost as much as $17.7 billion, more than double the previous max. cost of $7.5 billion, according to documents unearthed by City Observatory. cityobservatory.org/17-7-billion...
How your email finds me.
January 7, 2026 at 7:43 PM
How your email finds me.
Reposted by Chuck Slothower
The share of the Hispanic population who use “Latinx” to describe themselves remained statistically unchanged from 2019 to 2023.
More than half of Latinos asked have never heard of ‘Latinx,’ and only 4% use it, Pew study finds
The share of the Hispanic population who use “Latinx” to describe themselves remained statistically unchanged from 2019 to 2023.
nbcnews.to
January 6, 2026 at 10:40 PM
The share of the Hispanic population who use “Latinx” to describe themselves remained statistically unchanged from 2019 to 2023.