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Earthquake hits Puget Sound, Bozeman to lose staple business Wild Joe*s, Bend to lose staple business Tactics, FEMA releases $14M in funding for Astoria, Congress votes to end the penny, Montana Fish & Wildlife euthanize 14 black bears, all eyes on Micron’s earning report after market close today.

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PNW Market Look

As of market close 9.29.26

Robinhood’s Next Big Bet: AI Bots That Trade While You Sleep (WSJ)

Headline Roundup

Trump touts America.gov, but its government-sourced AI answers undercut many of his statements (AP)
FEMA releases $14 million for Astoria hospital to finish tsunami upgrade (OPB)
Feds release $14.6 million to Oregon hospital after withholding funding for more than a year (ORL)
Puget Sound Energy seeks $1.5 billion rate increase (KUOW)
U.S. Supreme Court sides with Trump administration in third-country deportations (KUOW)
Holland restarts former Vulcan apartment project in Bellevue (DJC)
Kent warehouse sells for over $10M (DJC)
COMPASS hosts economist on cost-benefit analysis of bike paths in Meridian (IBR)
Idaho State University plans expansion of anatomy labs to boost health care careers (IBR)
Swickard Group acquires nearly all of Portland’s Park Avenue West (DJC)
Bend bus ridership plummets since addition of fares (BB)
Amazon plans $100M Indiana manufacturing hub, 300 jobs (SA)
Nampa to hold open house on 2050 comprehensive plan (IDP)
From motorcycles to booze, US ban on $1 billion worth of Canadian imports goes into effect (ST)
Idaho school districts will ask voters for more than $307 million in November election (IDC)
Genentech breaks ground on $750M expansion of Hillsboro manufacturing operation (PBJ)
Travel Oregon gives $4.5M to Port of Portland for new international PDX route (PBJ)
(MT) Rural EMS agencies to receive $9M in federal funds to purchase new equipment, ambulances (Missoulian)
Missoula TIF revenue triples to $22M (Missoulian)
Boon Boona Coffee lands Costco Wholesale deal (PBJ)

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Community Highlight

(MT) Union and governor’s office sign agreement to reduce state employees’ healthcare rate hike (MTFP)

“Individual deductibles will increase from $1,000 to $2,000. Out-of-pocket maximums for individuals will rise from $4,000 to $6,500, and for families from $8,000 to $13,000.

Healthcare insurance costs for state employees will go up in January, though an agreement between the Montana Federation of Public Employees and the office of Gov. Greg Gianforte has mitigated some of the spikes that the Montana Department of Administration announced at the end of August.

About 28,000 people use the state healthcare plan, including current state employees and their families and retirees. The DOA announced in late August an even more dramatic increase in health insurance costs — tripled deductibles and doubled out-of-pocket maximums — beginning in the new year. According to the DOA, the funds the state uses to pay healthcare claims are running low, necessitating the increases.

To help stabilize the healthcare fund, the state will propose legislation in 2027 to increase its spending on state employee healthcare.

That package will include a $30 million investment into the healthcare pool from the general fund in July 2027, according to Charlie Roth, a spokesperson for the governor. The state will also propose raising its monthly contribution by an additional 5% on top of a 2.5% increase already scheduled for January. For 2028 and 2029, which did not have scheduled increases because they had not yet been bargained for, the state will propose a 7% increase. “

Rip’s Spotlight

Oregon brewer shuttering Portland, Eugene taprooms after 20 years of operations (KOIN)

“We’ve faced years of rising costs, increasing competition, the financial damage of COVID, and changes in how people gather to eat and drink,” Althouse wrote on social media. “We worked hard to adapt, but we can’t continue operating Oakshire as a whole. To everyone who brewed our beer, served our community, worked together, or gathered in our spaces: thank you. You made Oakshire great.”

Oakshire was founded in Eugene in 2006, according to the company’s website. In addition to its 4,000-square-foot brewery, it also operates the Public House in Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood.

Althouse plans to close the Concordia neighborhood taproom on Wednesday, Sept. 30. The founder noted the company hasn’t yet established a closing date for its Eugene taproom, which currently has a 20th anniversary party slated for Saturday, Oct. 3.”