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Good morning, Northwest.

Flood watches and warnings remain in effect for large portions of northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington this morning. Here is the latest forecast.

OPB’s Natalie Pate continues today’s newsletter with a look into the loss of a language program in Oregon’s largest school district.

The Language Access Services helped students and families who speak primary languages other than English navigate the Portland Public Schools system. It was recently eliminated.

The district says other language services are still available, but some argue families served by LAS are worse off.

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

—Bradley W. Parks

Flood watches, road closures continue in Oregon, Southwest Washington

Rising waters due to heavy rain prompt lane closures on key Oregon roadways. Evacuation notices have also been issued along Clackamas River. (Andrew Theen and Saskia Hatvany)

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Families, former Portland Public Schools employees fight cuts to language services

The Language Access Services team at Portland Public Schools consisted of seven positions responsible for interpreting and translating non-English languages to support students and parents. It translated the five most used languages among the 145 spoken by PPS families.

The LAS program was eliminated last year amid millions of dollars in budget cuts. Now, the district offers translation and interpretation through contracted work and other district staff.

The district said budget cuts required it to change how it supports families with language needs. However, many families who rely on these services say the district’s new approach isn’t working for them. (Natalie Pate)

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3 things to know this morning

• Parts of Oregon and Washington are experiencing back-to-back atmospheric river events in less than a week. Oregon’s state climatologist, Larry O’Neill, says a changing climate will make these types of storms stronger and more frequent. (Monica Samayoa) 
• For Central Oregon, where outdoor recreation is a big economic driver and a popular way to spend time, warmer weather and lower-than-normal snowpack have affected tourism, jobs and fun. (Kathryn Styer Martínez) 
• Yesterday was the first "Day Without an Immigrant" demonstration in Oregon, a protest meant to illustrate the economic impact immigrants have on their communities. (Joni Auden Land)

Oregon’s big political stories of 2025, looking ahead to 2026

From the return of Donald Trump to the White House to the fumbles and stumbles in this year’s Oregon Legislature, the OPB politics team discusses the big stories of the year. (Alex Zielinski, Bryce Dole, Dirk VanderHart, Lauren Dake and Andrew Theen)

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Headlines from around the Northwest

• Federal judge to rule whether Homeland Security must help detainees meet attorneys (Troy Brynelson) 
• Immigration arrests in Washington state surged in recent months (Jake Goldstein-Street) 
• With new road funding suspended, Oregon lawmakers spar over winter maintenance (Dirk VanderHart) 
• Turmoil at Bandon School District leads to resignations, parental concern (Jane Vaughan) 
• Oregon environmental group leads lawsuit to reverse IRS wind, solar rules (Courtney Sherwood) 
• High school counselor in Lake Oswego subject of investigations, following abrupt retirement of principal (Elizabeth Miller) 
• County commissioner and GOP candidate in Oregon governor’s race faces ethics investigation (Shaanth Nanguneri) 
• Oregon vs. James Madison a study in contrasts as high-profile Ducks host a newcomer to the playoffs (Anne M. Peterson) 
• Trail Blazers outlast Kings 134-133 in overtime on Avdija’s late free throws (Erik García Gunderson)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• The best ‘Think Out Loud’ stories of 2025

Superabundant recipe: Rich chocolate pound cake with candied oranges

Before rail made it easy to ship produce across the country, oranges were considered a rare luxury for special occasions. The sunny winter crop also brought something extra to stockings on Christmas mornings.

Orange with chocolate, however, is a different thing.

Introduced to Europe after Spanish colonizers took chocolate from the Americas in the late 1400s, it took another couple of centuries before French confectioner Félix Bonnat paired it with orange.

To taste just how beautifully the two work together, enjoy this holiday pairing of chocolate pound cake and candied orange slices. And if fruit isn’t your thing, you can substitute crushed candy canes. (Heather Arndt Anderson)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/19/language-access-services-first-look/