Events Calendar

Aug-Sept 2026

HRC Dems Monthly Meeting
Thurs., Aug. 13, 6:30-7:30 pm
Hood River Library (502 State St.)

• Meet in the downstairs meeting room. Arrive early for social time (6-6:30pm).

• Bring your favorite snack to share.

• Hybrid access: Sign up here to get the zoom link.

Exhibition: The Yasui Family: An American Story
Running through Sun., Sept. 6, 5:00 pm
Oregon Historical Society (1200 Park Ave., Portland)

• More info: www.oregon250.org/calendar

Flip the Vote Info Night
Thurs., Sept. 17, 7:00 pm
Crush Cider Cafe (1020 Wasco, Hood River)

• More info: www.flipthevote.org

NOTES:

Deadline to file for local office for the November 3 election is August 25 or August 18 for incumbents.
Deadline to request endorsement by HRCD is August 18.

News

• In a rule finalized in the federal register on Christmas Eve 2025, the Trump administration changed the way rural postmarks are counted for VOTING and tax-paying. Oregon’s primary election is May 19. Because of these changes, election officials will urge voters to mail their ballots back at least a week prior or use drop boxes instead of relying on timely mail delivery. The shift to regional processing centers and ending evening mail collection means envelopes won’t receive postmarks until they’re processed at the Portland center — so someone mailing a ballot, filing a tax return by mail or who otherwise counts on a postmark as proof a letter was sent by a deadline will have to send their mail earlier or ask for a manual postmark at a post office.

• Oregon Legislators Enact Protections for Immigrants - Oregon lawmakers advanced several bills this session aimed at strengthening protections for immigrants and limiting federal immigration enforcement in sensitive spaces such as schools and hospitals. The legislation responds in part to the Trump administration’s rollback of prior federal protections.

• Americans of Conscience Checklist

• Chop Wood, Carry Water: a political activism newsletter by Jess Craven that comes out 5 days a week. Subscribe to receive a short, encouraging email in your inbox each weekday (except Wed.) telling you how you can make a difference by taking 5-7 minutes worth of EASY actions. The almost weekly Sunday "Extra! Extra!" editions contain a long list of hopeful news, Democratic accomplishments, and all the “blue wins”. July 5  “Extra! Extra!” edition.

• Hood River County voters passed two Parks & Recreation District ballot measures: a bond to fund a new pool and a levy to support district operations.

• Major Jason Watson, an active-duty officer, called for Trump’s and Vance’s impeachment during a protest event on the steps of the Capitol. He was immediately detained, and risks losing everything for his act. Incredible courage.

• A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from implementing a new rule ⁠stripping public service workers of eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness.

• Two people climbed the Empire State Building antenna in New York and unfurled a banner that said “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.” The man also appeared to propose to the woman. Wild!

• ​Colombia passed the first national law requiring beef to be traced back to its origins. The landmark law is designed to stop deforestation connected to cattle ranching.

• The World Health Organization has declared the hantavirus outbreak among cruise ship passengers over, nearly three months after the first case was recorded.

• Despite the Trump administration’s myriad attacks on clean energy, developers have continued building renewables “at a stunning pace” over the past year.

• The largest data center project ever proposed in the U.S.—to be built in Prince William County, VA—is officially dead.

• Conservative backlash to Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche is growing, with a leading conservative courts group publicly announcing their opposition.

• California is returning a stretch of rugged Mendocino County coast to the Indigenous nations whose ancestors once stewarded its shores.

• Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked July 4th with a beautiful, pro-immigrant speech.

• A Lutheran church near Portland, Oregon returned their land and church to the local Native American tribe that it was taken from originally under the "Discovery Doctrine.” In returning the land, they said: “When something is stolen and it is returned, it is not a gift. It is a return.”

• And much more!