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Good morning, Northwest.
The University of Oregon announced last week it had received five reports of sexual assault on or near its Eugene campus during the first week of classes.
Former UO professor Jennifer Freyd, a leading expert on sexual violence, spoke with OPB about what those reports mean in the context of an alleged rape at Cornell University gaining national attention. Our interview with Freyd begins today’s newsletter.
In other news, Oregon gubernatorial candidates met for their second debate last night while contenders in a Southwest Washington congressional race met for their first.
Here’s your First Look at Thursday’s news.
— Bradley W. Parks
Top story
Jennifer Freyd in 2021. Freyd taught at UO for 35 years and is a national expert on interpersonal violence and institutional betrayal.
Courtesy of Jennifer Freyd
National expert, former UO professor shares what colleges, families can learn from the Cornell rape case and recent Eugene reports
University of Oregon officials announced last week that they’d received five reports of sexual assault on or near campus within the first week of classes. Nationally, more than half of college sexual assaults take place at the start of the fall term, something experts often call the “red zone.”
Experts like Jennifer Freyd, a retired UO psychology professor and national expert on sexual violence, say the recently reported incidents at UO and the national news about the alleged rape of a female student by seven men at Cornell University in 2024 are only a fraction of the problem.
Similar incidents of sexual violence have happened before, including the alleged rape of a female athlete at UO in 2014, involving three members of the Ducks’ basketball team.
But Freyd also sees this as a learning moment for university administrators. (Natalie Pate)
3 things to know
Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan, left, and Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek pictured in a screenshot from the KOBI5 livestream of a Oct. 7, 2026, debate in Medford, Ore.
Screenshot from KOBI5 video
- The Oregon Department of Transportation announced yesterday that the construction project that closed Interstate 5 southbound through Portland’s Rose Quarter would wrap early, with crews beginning the process of reopening lanes last night around 10 p.m. (Casey Frizzell)
- A sharp rise in immigration arrests in broad daylight across the Portland metropolitan area is sparking fears among advocates that another federal operation could be underway. At least nine people were confirmed detained on Tuesday across Gresham, Troutdale and parts of eastern Portland. (Holly Bartholomew and Troy Brynelson)
- Oregon’s gubernatorial candidates met again last night for a second debate, talking taxes, schools, food benefits and other policies. They seemed to agree on two things: Oregon should stay away from a sales tax and the budget needs careful trimming. (Dirk VanderHart)
Northwest headlines
FILE - Portland Public Schools Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong introduces a proposal about closing up to 14 schools, during a board meeting on Oct. 6, 2026.
Eli Imadali / OPB
- Gluesenkamp Perez and Braun meet in first debate for Southwest Washington’s battleground House district (Elena Neale-Sacks)
- Q&A: Chiefs for Change and school closures in Oregon (Courtney Sherwood)
- Battle Ground school levy activists try for a November win after 3 defeats (Erik Neumann)
- Oregon’s drought eases slightly, but forecast conditions could mean the problem persists or worsens (Zac Ziegler, KLCC)
- Developers move ahead with downtown housing project across from Eugene bus station (Rachael McDonald, KLCC)
- Air Force approves F-35 training at Klamath Falls base (Justin Higginbottom, JPR)
- Nonprofit recruits volunteers to help track wildlife impacted by Oregon’s roads (Mia Maldonado, Oregon Capital Chronicle)
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):
- Amazon delivery by drone may soon be coming to Portland
- Eugene voters facing ballot measure modeled after the Portland Clean Energy Fund
- How music educators in Oregon are handling their first year in the classroom
One more look
FILE - Oregon head coach Dana Altman motions to his team during an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, March 3, 2026, in Champaign, Ill.
Craig Pessman / AP
Oregon men’s basketball coach Dana Altman announces his retirement
Longtime Oregon Ducks men’s basketball coach Dana Altman is retiring effective immediately, the school announced.
Altman, 68, took over ahead of the 2010-11 season and is the winningest coach in Oregon history with a 382-182 record. The Ducks made nine NCAA Tournament appearances over that span, including a Final Four berth in 2017.
Oregon also won four Pac-12 regular season titles and four Pac-12 tournament titles during his tenure. (Anne M. Peterson, AP)
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