Oregon's Election Countdown, Salem's ICE Controversy & School Closures - Newsmakers At Noon 10/13/26

Election Day is just three weeks away, and there was plenty to talk about on today’s Newsmakers at Noon!

Denise and Hunter kicked things off with the U.S. Navy’s 251st birthday, a little history, and some impressions of The Oregonian’s gubernatorial endorsement video.

Then it was straight into Oregon politics. Today is the voter registration deadline, ballots begin mailing tomorrow, and Governor Tina Kotek and challenger Christine Drazan face off tonight in Bend for their final debate. What’s at stake, and are Oregonians ready for a change?

Closer to home, the Salem-Keizer School Board is considering six elementary school closures, raising questions about academic performance, enrollment, costs and the impact on families.

We also discussed the controversial ICE confrontation in Salem, the responses from Governor Kotek and Christine Drazan, and a student walkout protesting immigration enforcement. Where do public safety, lawful protest and federal enforcement intersect?

Local elections were also on the radar, including Salem’s razor-thin Ward 8 contest between Micki Varney and Chris Cummings and the Ward 6 write-in campaign by incumbent Mai Vang.

And because we can’t spend an entire hour on politics, we wrapped in a couple of unusual stories: a bed bug outbreak aboard a Qantas flight (yikes!) and Apple’s new HomeView technology, which raises some interesting questions about privacy in our increasingly connected homes.

🎙️ From Oregon’s election countdown to decisions affecting Salem families, there’s plenty to unpack. Catch today’s Newsmakers at Noon!

Links from Today’s Show