A federally funded ocean-monitoring network off Oregon and Washington is beginning to be dismantled after National Science Foundation budget cuts.

Why it matters: The removal of research buoys is the latest reduction in climate and ocean research under the Trump administration.

Catch up quick: The Ocean Observatories Initiative was established in 2015 as a way to gather long-term data from roughly 900 sensors in the Pacific, Atlantic and off Greenland.

• The Coastal Endurance Array, in the Pacific Northwest, consists of research buoys off Newport and Grays Harbor, Washington, as well as underwater gliders and cables that collect real-time ocean data on temperature, current, ecosystems and extreme weather events.
• The worldwide network was designed to operate for at least 25 years. But last month, the initiative said the project was being "descoped" because of NSF cuts and that all equipment would be removed by next year.
• The buoy off the Oregon coast is slated for removal June 16.

Yes, but: Undersea cables that measure seismic activity will remain in place and operational in Oregon and Washington.

Follow the money: The initiative, which was deployed at a cost of $368 million, costs about $48 million a year to operate, per the Associated Press, though that doesn't include the significant cost of research vessels.

• There was no estimate for how much the buoy removal operation would cost.

What they're saying: The initiative is not being canceled, Michael England, a spokesman for the NSF, told the New York Times, but is moving to "a nimbler approach to prioritizing support for evolving scientific priorities and emerging technologies."

• Democrats have vowed to fight the cuts, per the Times.

The bottom line: "It's a crippling loss of information," Ed Dever, an Oregon State professor who helped lead the initiative in the Pacific Northwest, told the Associated Press.

• Dever described the buoy removals as part of a broader disinvestment in federally funded climate research.
• "It seems to really mark the end of a federal commitment to basic scientific research — a commitment that has served this nation very well for the last 70 years."

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If you've been getting side eyed — or straight up dive bombed — by crows recently, you're not alone.

State of play: It's currently peak fledgling season, when young crows leave the nest and spend a few days on the ground before learning how to fly.

• Their parents are usually nearby keeping watch and are quick to make a move on anything they perceive as a threat (including you).

The latest: A string of crow attacks at North Portland's Legacy Emanuel Medical Center this week prompted the hospital to post signs, reroute foot traffic and circulate warnings among staff about nests in parking areas, per KOIN.

• Crows and their nests have federal protections, making it a crime to harass them or harm their dwellings.

What they're saying: "Give them a wide berth if it's at all possible," Travis Koons, wildlife care center director at the Bird Alliance of Oregon, told the Oregonian.

• Crows are highly intelligent and may interpret eye contact as a challenge, he added.
• Groups of crows are called a murder for a reason.

The bottom line: The tiny feathered mob bosses currently terrorizing your neighborhood are mostly just stressed-out parents.

• The good news: The fledglings will be able to fly soon and will move on in a few weeks.

☢️ Investors unveiled detailed plans to fill in the algae-plagued Ross Island lagoon with contaminated sediment from the Portland Harbor Superfund site. (The Oregonian)

👟 Nike CEO Elliott Hill said the company is seeing early signs of a turnaround — fueled by growth in performance sports and major investments in soccer, the World Cup and athletes like Caitlin Clark and Victor Wembanyama. (FOX Business)

🎭 Portland State released a proposal to build a hotel and conference center on its campus next to a new performing arts center.

• Yes, but: The plans depend on if the city decides to move forward with the project instead of renovating the Keller Auditorium. (OPB)

Investigators are using new technology in the search for Kyron Horman, a seven-year-old Portland boy whose disappearance 16 years ago sparked nationwide headlines. (KOIN)

🏘️ City councilors approved $2.5 million in funding for two North Portland housing projects aimed at addressing the city's history of displacing Black residents. (Portland Mercury)

As the nation remembers D-Day on tomorrow's 82nd anniversary, a dwindling number of World War II veterans remain with us.

• There were about 980 living WWII vets in Oregon as of 2025, per U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs projections.

Flashback: On June 6, 1944, Allied forces invaded Normandy with more than 150,000 troops.

• It was the "beginning of a prolonged, costly and ultimately successful campaign to liberate northwest Europe," according to the National WWII Museum.

Expansion teams aren't supposed to be super successful in their first year, but the Fire didn't get the memo.

Driving the news: Rip City's newest team is 6-5 a quarter of the way through the season, good for the No. 6 spot in The Athletic's most recent power rankings.

• Sarah Ashlee Barker is hitting game-winning shots, while Carla Leite — aka "the Leite show" — is orchestrating the offense like an emerging star and the whole team is playing with a giant chip on their shoulders.
• They already notched wins over several quality teams, including the New York Liberty (twice) and Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever.

What's next: The Fire have another chance to improve their record tonight against the 3-8 Phoenix Mercury.