OPB’s First Look: A test for Oregon’s AI disclosure law

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Good morning, Northwest.

An image used online by a campaign opposing Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards’ bid for county chair has drawn complaints that it was manipulated by AI.

OPB’s Alex Zielinski reports this morning on how an investigation into the photo would put Oregon’s AI disclosure law to the test.

In other news, the new-look Portland Trail Blazers opened their season last night with a 41-point rout of the Phoenix Suns.

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

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

Did a Multnomah County campaign violate Oregon’s AI disclosure law?

A political action committee formed to oppose Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards’ run for county chair is facing scrutiny from the Oregon secretary of state’s office for posting a photo online of Brim-Edwards that appears to have been edited with AI.

“Don’t Rank Julia,” posted a photo that appears to resemble a video still from a 2023 KGW interview with Brim-Edwards, yet Brim-Edwards’ complexion and expression are more ashen than the original. The background has also been slightly altered.

A 2024 law requires a disclaimer for AI-assisted campaign materials that creates “a materially different understanding or impression than a reasonable person would have from the unaltered, original version of the image, audio recording or video recording.”

A spokesperson with the secretary of state’s office said it doesn’t know whether it will investigate the complaint. An investigation could help bring clarity to a still nascent law. (Alex Zielinski)

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3 things to know

• A teacher wounded in last week’s attack on a special education classroom at a Bend elementary school says she never had a chance to try to shelter any of the children inside. (Gene Johnson, AP)
• Republican state Sen. John Braun, one of the candidates vying for Southwest Washington’s competitive U.S. House seat, has spent the final sprint before Election Day running hard for a ballot measure that would ban transgender girls in girls’ youth sports. (Elena Neale-Sacks)
• Two renewable energy nonprofits with roots in Oregon are merging to overcome a tough funding landscape. As aid to those groups dwindles, nonprofit mergers could become more common. (Kyra Buckley)

Northwest headlines

• Portland jumps out to huge lead, torches Suns 124-83 in season opener (Joni Auden Land)
• State approves Oregon’s first rural hospital network (Theo Greenly, JPR)
• Spending tops $20 million in Washington state’s hottest congressional race (Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard)

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):

• Blazers open NBA season with dominant home victory as Moda Center deadline looms
• For the first time, PNW monarch butterflies are being digitally tracked on their annual migration

One more look

Putting diversity center stage: How Beaverton’s Reser Center has bucked tradition and succeeded

The nonprofit, 550-seat Patricia Reser Center for the Arts opened in 2022 with a mission to make Beaverton a modern arts destination.

Its programming has focused on diversity of all kinds, featuring everything from mariachi bands and street dance to symphonies, ballet, jazz bands and nontraditional storytellers.

“Rhythm + Revolution,” the theme of the 2025-26 season, was created to highlight hip-hop as a cultural and artistic phenomenon, and recent numbers show it was a financial success, attracting hundreds of new patrons to well-attended shows all year. (Sukhjot Sal)

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