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Good morning, Northwest.
More than 750,000 Oregonians are enrolled in the government-run Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
And if the government shutdown continues, they might not receive food stamps next month.
Three OPB reporters lead this morning’s newsletter with a deep dive into how delays in SNAP payments will impact Oregonians, food pantries and local economy.
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers began their season with a thud, losing the lead and their opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves last night. To make things worse, head coach Chauncey Billups has been arrested in a federal gambling probe.
Here’s your First Look at Thursday’s news.
— Sukhjot Sal
A person gets canned pears from the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s Northeast Emergency Food Program food bank in Portland, Ore., on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.
Eli Imadali / OPB
‘Food is the first thing to go,’ Oregonians brace for SNAP delays if federal shutdown drags on
Hundreds of thousands of people could be left without food stamp benefit payments in November if the federal government shutdown continues.
One in six Oregonians receives SNAP benefits, leaving many unsure how they will get by. In Oregon, 6.4% of in-store grocery purchases use federal food benefits, meaning a pause would have economic impacts as well.
Already stretched, food bank staff are warning that any disruptions to SNAP will leave more families hungry. This week, they’re stocking shelves, preparing for a surge in visitors. (Alejandro Figueroa, Bryce Dole, Kyra Buckley)
(L) Phil Cash Cash walks through the snowy lands of Pashwá’i, also known as Bend, Ore. (R) Acosia Red Elk takes a moment to reflect on Bigfoot stories on Umatilla land.
Cameron Nielsen / OPB
Things to know this morning
- Cultural and community leaders of Nch’i-Wána, or Columbia River, tribes share perspectives and oral histories of Bigfoot as a spiritual being that teaches one to enter into a relationship with the land. (LaRonn Katchia)
- The Portland Trail Blazers season got off to a rough start. Head coach Chauncey Billups has been arrested in a federal gambling probe, and the team lost its opening game at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Associated Press)
- Oregon cities have railed for the better part of a year against a law that limits when they can sweep homeless camps. Now the state’s largest business group will ask voters to weigh in. (Dirk VanderHart)
- A pair of congressional investigative committees will look into the October arrest of a Milwaukie resident by immigration officials as part of a wide-ranging investigation of immigration arrests of more than 170 U.S. citizens. (Holly Bartholomew)
FILE — A firefighter watches grasses burn during a prescribed fire in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Areas within the Siuslaw National Forest in February 2022.
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service
Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation
Noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):
- As crypto and romance scams grow more sophisticated, Vancouver police sergeant shares how to protect yourself
Shell Galloway welcomes customers into the Underhill Haunted House, located in the basement of the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Portland on October 25, 2024.
Mia Estrada / OPB
‘At Work With’: Building a ‘haunt family’ and expelling energy with a haunted house actor
Spooky season is here and that means haunted houses are opening their doors. For the actors playing the monsters, it’s more than just a night of frights — it’s a haunt family.
“We call this our haunt family,” said Michele “Shell” Galloway, a haunt manager at Underhill Haunted House, located in the basement of Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Outside Halloween season, Galloway is a retired X-ray technician.
In this installment of OPB’s “At Work With” series, we shadow Galloway and see what it’s like to work in a haunted house. (Lillian Karabaic and Mia Estrada)
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