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Fed chair Kevin Warsh trying to kill inflation, Boise airport adds flight to Hawaii, Subaru recalls over 500k vehicles, Freddy’s to open 20 burger locations in Oregon, House takes steps to stop changing clocks for daylight savings, Salesforce subsidiary signs new lease in Washington, millions in grant funding coming to Oregon semiconductor industry.

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PNW Market Look

As of market close 7.14.26

T. rex sells for $50 million, becoming the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever auctioned (CNBC)

Here’s the inflation breakdown for June 2026 — in one chart (CNBC)

IBM shares plunge 25% as customers shift spending to AI (FT)

Headline Roundup

  • $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge finally set to open (DJC)

  • Warsh pledges Fed policy 'regime change' to rid inflation 'tax' on American people (CNBC)

  • Oregon State, partners receive up to $160 million federal grant to build semiconductor industry (OPB)

  • Senior community in Gig Harbor trades for $73M (DJC)

  • WA vs Albertsons: Trial begins over grocery giant’s alleged role in opioid crisis (KUOW)

  • 6 months in, WA has paid unemployment to more than 100 striking workers (KUOW)

  • Medical cannabis initiative fails to qualify for Idaho’s general election ballot (IDP)

  • Boise says aloha to new direct flight (IDP)

  • Boise ad firm Drake Cooper buys California agency (BD)

  • Subaru issues recall for 541,000 SUVs over label with incorrect weight rating (ST)

  • Oregon launches $25M loan program to ready industrial sites for development (PBJ)

  • Fast food brand plans expansion to Oregon (PBJ)

  • Developer promises 'a better data center' in revealing Salem project (PBJ)

  • House passes bill that would make daylight saving time permanent (Ground)

  • Drone maker Brinc raises $125 million ahead of move to North Queen Anne (PBJ)

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Community Highlight

Pacific and Willamette universities’ merger plan becomes official (OPB)

“Governing boards from both Willamette and Pacific universities signed a binding agreement this month to merge the two schools

Mergers between universities and colleges are becoming more common as schools navigate difficult financial waters. Many higher education institutions in Oregon and across the U.S. are facing declining enrollment, rising costs, sluggish support from state legislatures and uncertainty about federal funding sources.

The financial situation for colleges is so bad that three of the country’s top credit agencies forecast a negative outlook for higher education this year.

The two schools are located about 50 miles away from each other in Oregon’s Willamette Valley - Pacific in Forest Grove and Willamette in Salem - and are the oldest private universities in the state.

The new, unified university is likely to become the state’s largest private institution, serving an estimated 6,000 students.

The name of the new, unified university is up in the air too. In December, school leaders had referred to it as the University of the Northwest.

Tuesday’s agreement announcement revealed that the combined institution will be governed by a single board of trustees and jointly led by the separate schools’ current presidents.”

Rip’s Spotlight

Jury of 7 men and 1 woman will consider if Nike discriminated against a female employee in weeklong federal trial (OPB)

“A jury is in place for a trial eight years in the making over gender discrimination at Nike headquarters near Beaverton.

During the week-long trial, the jury of seven men and one woman is expected to weigh whether Nike paid a former employee less and limited her promotional opportunities because of her gender.

The jury was selected Monday, and opening statements are scheduled to start on Tuesday morning at the federal courthouse in downtown Portland.

While the bigger question at the heart of this case is how one of Oregon’s most globally recognized companies treats women at its headquarters, this week’s trial is narrowly focused on the experience of one woman who worked at Nike as a process engineer.

The original lawsuit was filed by Hender and three other women and included multiple other claims against Nike. Three of the original plaintiffs settled those claims last year. Hender settled some of her claims, but not the pay and promotion discrimination case. The settlement terms that Hender and the other three women agreed to have not been disclosed.

Lawyers for the women originally hoped to expand the case to a class action lawsuit covering hundreds of female employees or former workers at Nike. In 2022, a judge denied the request to turn the case into a class action suit.

Nike’s lawyers plan to emphasize to the jury that this particular case is only about Hender, according to their trial memo. They’re likely to continue to argue that Hender’s pay was appropriate, based on her experience and qualifications.”

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