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Astoria’s cruise season started early last month, and 12 cruise ships are expected to dock in the Oregon Coast city through October. OPB’s Kristian Foden-Vencil was in Astoria speaking with residents about how cruise ships, despite their short stays in town, can boost local businesses and tourism spots.

Plus, as Portland Fire prepares to play its first game at the Moda Center tomorrow, OPB’s Kyra Buckley shares a story about how the Women’s National Basketball Association has served as a platform for women, non-binary and transgender athletes to advocate for the right to play their sport within social systems that tend to favor men.

Here’s your First Look at Saturday’s news.

— Winston Szeto

Ocean cruise ships will bring 28,000 passengers this summer to Astoria, a town of 10,000

Astoria’s cruise season began April 9 this year with the arrival of the Nieuw Amsterdam, a 2,100-passenger ship. By the time the season ends in October, 12 ships will have brought in about 28,000 passengers, with each passenger spending about $100 in town.

With passengers spending that kind of money, it’s easy to see why Astoria’s store owners are happy to see the ships dock. Local museums are happy too.

While cruise ships are good for attendance, there will only be 12 days this season when there’s a cruise ship in town. (Kristian Foden-Vencil)

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3 things to know

1. Portland police say they found an explosive device in a vehicle thatcrashed into the Multnomah Athletic Clubin Southwest Portland early this morning. (Courtney Sherwood)
2. Protests and rallies in honor of International Workers’ Day, or May Day, sprouted up across the Pacific Northwest yesterday. (Kyra Buckley, Joni Auden Land, Conrad Wilson and Troy Brynelson)
3. Emergency officials warn many of Oregon’s waterways remain dangerously coldand say that people should take precautions during this weekend’s heat. (Amanda Linares)

Northwest headlines

• George Fox University first in Oregon to introduce 3-year bachelor’s degrees (Tiffany Camhi)
• 4th District Rep. Val Hoyle faces criticism on economy, and standing up to Trump, in Democratic primary (Rebecca Hansen-White, KLCC) 
• Oregon to add 24 new electric vehicle charging stations across its highways (Mia Maldonado, Oregon Capital Chronicle)
• Rogue Valley voters to decide future of bus service (Jane Vaughan, JPR)
• As potentially significant season kicks off, the US Wildland Fire Service’s first chief shares priorities (Murphy Woodhouse, Boise State Public Radio)

Spark the Portland Fire: An activist league tips off in a city known for protest

Oregon’s new WNBA team, the Portland Fire, will play its first game at the Moda Center on Sunday. It’s a preseason game, meaning it doesn’t count towards the team’s official record, but it will be the first opportunity for fans to see them play in Portland.

Oregon loves basketball and women’s sports, and the state has another connection to its new team: Both the WNBA and Oregon have a history of activism.

Women athletes had to challenge established rules and norms decades ago for opportunities to play. In 1972, a landmark piece of legislation in the U.S. called Title IX barred sex-based discrimination in education, paving the way for more women’s sports teams at the high school and college levels.

But the passage of Title IX didn’t magically mean money and resources flowed to women’s sports.

Instead, women, non-binary and transgender athletes — all of whom play in today’s WNBA — have had to consistently advocate for the right to play their sport within social systems that tend to favor men, according to Roc Rochon, assistant professor of sport leadership and management at Pacific University. (Kyra Buckley)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/02/astoria-cruise-season-opb-first-look/