News By his 11th-hour addition of language unacceptable to federal law enforcement officials, Mayor Sam Adams has effectively scuttled the City of Portland's re-entry into the Joint Terrorism Task Force. And he's done it in a way that illustrates some clever political calculations.In a letter [PDF] to Adams sent yesterday, U.S. Attorney for Oregon Dwight Holton made clear that Adams' new proposal—that ...   More

News  Last Friday, when we covered Mayor Sam Adams' decision to delay once again a hearing on Portland rejoining the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, Commissioner Randy Leonard told us he could not support City Hall's latest proposal.But last week, Leonard declined to go public with the reasons why he says he made that decision. He cited the ongoing negotiations between City Hall and the FBI.In today's ...   More

Cops and Courts Last week, Mayor Sam Adams canceled for the third time a hearing on whether Portland should rejoin the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.  And so far, Commissioner Randy Leonard is the only p   More

News While we're waiting for City Hall's next, next move in the debate on whether to rejoin the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, a civil-rights heavyweight weighed in on the issue Friday in Portland. Susan Herman, the national president of the American Civil Liberties Union, told the City Club of Portland the question presents some "very challenging issues of accountability and secrecy."Herman did not ...   More

News Mayor Sam Adams' office has just announced it has once again canceled a hearing—this one scheduled for next week—on whether Portland should rejoin the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.Commissioner Randy Leonard tells WW the move came after he met today with representatives from the mayor's office and the city attorney's office. They met to discuss the latest draft of a new resolution on rejoining ...   More

News Despite the cancellation of today’s City Council hearing on whether Portland should rejoin the federal Joint Terrorism Task Force, about 70 protesters still turned out at City Hall this afternoon to oppose the city’s participation in the JTTF. Chanting “No secrets, no spies, we want our civil rights” and carrying signs reading “Stop FBI Harassment,” protesters said participation in the ...   More

News The wait will go on for City Council to decide whether Portland police should rejoin the federal Joint Terrorism Task Force.Mayor Sam Adams said today that there's not a draft proposed agreement yet ready between the city and the feds, so there will be no council hearing this Thursday, March 10 to take more public testimony on rejoining the JTTF .Adams said in a news release (PDF) that he, the council ...   More

News  Tomorrow is no longer decision day for the Portland City Council on whether the city should rejoin the federal Joint Terrorism Task Force.Mayor Sam Adams' office announced that the hearing scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 24 has been pushed back two weeks to March 10 at 2 pm. What is expected to be released this week, the mayor's office said, is a draft of a document that the council would consider.Here's ...   More

News  The Oregon Progressive Party and other lefty groups are staging a rally tomorrow at City Hall to oppose Portland rejoining the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.(UPDATE at 1:40 PM: The City Council's Feb. 24 hearing has been rescheduled to March 10 at 2 pm)The 12:30 pm rally on Thursday, Feb. 24 precedes a 2pm public hearing inside City Hall on whether the city should rejoin the task force it ...   More

News  As City Hall gears up for another hearing this Thursday on the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, a longtime Portland progressive activist points out that the feds' efforts last week to convince City Council to rejoin the JTTF may have damaged their position in a high-profile terrorism case. When Portland pulled out of the JTTF in 2005, the feds and the city agreed that the mayor get notification ...   More