OPB’s First Look: Portland Fire still have no players

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Good morning, Northwest.

Portland’s new professional women’s basketball team will officially tip off its inaugural season in May.

But the Portland Fire have no players — and it’s unclear when they will.

Contract negotiations between the WNBA and its players union could affect Portland’s ability to assemble a team. OPB’s Kyra Buckley leads off today’s newsletter with more on the issue.

Also this morning, why some Oregon elk may escape the clutches of a deadly disease.

Here’s your First Look at Thursday’s news.

—Bradley W. Parks

Portland Fire to tip off May 9. Who will be on the team is unknown

The WNBA’s Portland Fire have no players on their roster, and no idea when they’ll have those players.

But yesterday, along with the rest of the league, the Fire released their 2026 schedule, starting May 9 at the Moda Center.

The Fire’s announcement was expected — the WNBA put out the schedule for the league’s 30th regular season just minutes before individual teams released their schedules.

However, Portland and the other expansion team starting play this season, the Toronto Tempo, are in a different position than the WNBA’s 13 existing teams: They have no players. (Kyra Buckley)

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3 things to know this morning

• A federal judge ruled yesterday that a man shot by U.S. Border Patrol in Portland this month would be held in custody ahead of an upcoming trial. Luis Nino-Moncada faces federal charges stemming from the Jan. 8 shooting. (Holly Bartholomew and Conrad Wilson) 
• Oregon House Speaker Julie Fahey and Senate President Rob Wagner hope to bump a vote on unpopular tax increases to May instead of November, ensuring voters take up the tax question on a primary ballot when the governor and other Democrats are less likely to risk political penalties. (Dirk VanderHart) 
• The National Weather Service has issued a cold weather advisory through 10 a.m. today, covering many areas from the southern Cascade foothills in Washington through the southern Willamette Valley. (OPB staff)

Headlines from around the Northwest

• Oregon attorney general talks federal shootings, lawsuits ahead of Portland event (OPB staff)
• Washington Gov. Ferguson asks Trump for $21M to help flood victims (Jake Goldstein-Street)
• An icy reception for Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson’s proposed budget cuts (Jerry Cornfield)
• Klamath Community College child care center will serve families and train teachers (Jane Vaughan)
• New labor coalition hopes to spur job growth to meet Oregon’s clean energy targets (Alex Baumhardt)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• A third of Oregon’s licensed psilocybin service centers have closed, New York Times finds
• Celebrated Portland cartoonist launches kids’ podcast about animals
• University of Oregon professor wins prestigious arts fellowship for work centering queer Latinx youth

Oregon elk show genetic fortitude against a fast-moving and deadly disease

Thousands of deer, elk and moose across North America have died in recent years from chronic wasting disease. Up until now, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona have escaped its clutch.

Scientists say it’s only a matter of when not if Oregon will see the disease cause major declines in deer and elk populations.

But now research suggests there may be hope for some of Oregon’s elk.

That’s because genetic testing conducted by a group of researchers shows a significant portion of the state’s elk population may carry a genetic variation associated with resistance to the disease. (Jes Burns)

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