Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.
Good morning, Northwest.
Washington County voters have elected a slate of new leaders who have vowed to push the local politics to the left.
OPB’s Bryce Dole and Holly Bartholomew report on the new direction for the suburban Oregon county.
Also this morning, the analog dream of the ’90s is alive in Portland, where a burgeoning community has come together around a love for VHS tapes.
Here’s your First Look at Friday’s news.
— Bradley W. Parks
Top story
FILE - Hillsboro City Council candidates Diana Jackson and Dorian Russell write on a whiteboard that has candidate names on it at the Washington County Democrats headquarters on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.
Jenny Kane for OPB
Progressives dominate in Washington County elections
Progressive Democrats in Washington County won big in the 2026 midterm elections, as a slate of left-wing candidates were elected to state and local offices.
The group found success in an election that saw a nationwide push to the political left, largely in opposition to the Trump administration. Some candidates had little, if any, previous government experience and billed themselves as working-class activists pushing back against data centers and powerful corporate interests.
Many ran against candidates backed by politically influential groups — like chambers of commerce and public safety unions — but received ample support from labor unions and other progressive groups that power today’s Democratic politics.
The Washington County Democrats endorsed 17 candidates this election, many of whom ran on this progressive platform, including those who align themselves with the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA. Fifteen have won and another was leading their race as of yesterday. (Holly Bartholomew and Bryce Dole)
3 things to know
A staff member directs participants at the Financial Aid and Scholarship Application Workshop at Clackamas Community College’s Oregon City campus on Oct. 8, 2026.
Natalie Pate / OPB
- The Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed a positive result of the highly pathogenic avian influenza at a Morrow County dairy. It’s the first confirmed case at a commercial dairy in Oregon. (Alejandro Figueroa)
- College admissions officials, parents and students are all aware that financial assistance is only getting more critical as the cost of higher education continues to rise. We’ve compiled some things to know about financial aid. (Natalie Pate)
- Vancouver City Council plans to vote tonight on whether to fire City Manager Lon Pluckhahn. Officials have provided no explanation in public documents about why Vancouver’s top appointed official could be terminated. (Erik Neumann)
Northwest headlines
The NuScale Energy Exploration Center at Oregon State University, where its small modular reactor technology was invented and researched.
Courtesy of Oregon State University
- Oregon nuclear company sued by investors over executives’ stock sales (April Ehrlich)
- Newly elected, Washington’s first openly transgender legislator ready to ‘stand on business’ (Jake Goldstein-Street, Washington State Standard)
- Trump administration wants to sell public lands and shrink the federal estate (Matthew Brown, AP)
- DOGE cuts cost tribes $470M, gutting funding for climate projects (Joseph Lee, Grist via AP)
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):
- Sport psychology program at University of Western States in Portland earns national accreditation
- Willamette University’s Halle Ford Museum of Art has a new director
- ‘An American Gulag’ documents the impact of immigration detention in the US
One more look
People arrive at Cinemagic movie theater for VHS Night on Aug. 7, 2026, in Portland, Ore. VHS Night is held every first Friday of the month at Cinemagic and features VHS cult classics on the big screen.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Physical media is making a comeback. For Northwest film fans, VHS never left
On a hot August night in the heart of Southeast Portland, dozens of moviegoers lined up under the soft glow of the Cinemagic Theater marquee. Inside, where the smell of fresh popcorn lingered in the air, people buzzed with excitement.
It was a sold-out crowd in the single-screen auditorium. But the audience didn’t come to see the latest summer blockbuster. It was the first Friday of the month: VHS Night.
For nearly five years, co-owners Ryan Frakes Nicholas Kuechler have teamed up to showcase films and trailers on VHS that may have otherwise been lost to time and obscurity. (Donald Orr)
Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.
