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Good morning, Northwest.

The ousted CEO of OHSU Health has filed a $15.5 million wrongful termination lawsuit against the health system.

OPB health reporter Amelia Templeton starts today’s newsletter looking into the allegations leveled by Tarek Salaway and OHSU’s response to them.

Also this morning, Pendleton leaders toured Portland to learn about the city’s homelessness programs.

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

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

Former executive sues OHSU alleging wrongful termination, retaliation

The former CEO of OHSU Health has filed a lawsuit alleging that an investigation that led to his firing was tainted by bias, including racism, sexism and anti-Muslim sentiment.

Tarek Salaway, a healthcare executive with a $1.4 million salary who came to OHSU after a long career in California, was placed on an involuntary leave on March 10, less than three months after OHSU hired him. He was subsequently fired.

Salaway’s civil suit, filed on Friday in Multnomah County, alleges he was subject to wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation and discrimination, and seeks $15.5 million in damages.

In response to the lawsuit, an OHSU spokesperson said Salaway’s termination was not related to concerns about alleged patient safety or quality, or bias of any kind. (Amelia Templeton)

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3 things to know

• The water tower on top of the Centennial Mills warehouse in Portland’s Pearl District came down in a shattering explosion at 2:30 p.m. yesterday. (Riley Martinez)
• On Friday, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission found that Heppner Republican Rep. Greg Smith used his role running a Morrow County economic development organization to win an improper pay increase, among other violations. (Dirk VanderHart)
• Pendleton Mayor McKennon McDonald toured Portland with a specific focus on studying the city’s homelessness response and taking back lessons to Eastern Oregon. (Antonio Sierra)

Northwest headlines

• US Department of Energy whittles down Hanford board that gives feds, state advice on cleanup (Anna King, NWPB)
• As wildfires get worse, some states are struggling to pass fire protection rules (Lauren Sommer, NPR)
• As Washington caregiver union pushes for pay hike, state seeks wage freeze (Jake Goldstein-Street, Washington State Standard)
• US ’28 track trials headed back to Eugene (not LA) over compressed 6-day schedule (Eddie Pells, AP)

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One more look

With fire blocking PCT, Beaverton hiker and friends build monument to celebrate journey’s abrupt end

For hikers heading north on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Canadian border is the destination. But in recent years, wildfires have gotten in the way. This year, the trail ends 43 miles short of the border because of a fire in Washington.

Faced with an unceremonious ending, this summer, Beaverton’s Ian Irwin and his fellow hikers decided to build a temporary monument so hikers could celebrate reaching their destination, albeit abruptly.

More importantly, though, their marker honored the journey, one that traverses roughly 2,600 miles of rugged terrain from Mexico to Canada and takes five months or more to complete. (John Ryan, KUOW)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/08/18/tarek-salaway-ohsu-lawsuit-first-look/