Author

Diane Megaw

Diane Megaw is a veteran regional journalist at Daily Tidings, reporting across Southern Oregon and statewide developments from a Medford area lens.
Her coverage spans business and the economy, housing and labor, public safety and courts, with a focus on what policy and legal decisions mean for local communities.
Contact: [email protected]

News

Oregon Cracks Down on AI Chatbots With New Mental Health Safety Rules

Diane Megaw May 10, 2026

Oregon enacted a landmark piece of legislation on Thursday, aimed at establishing critical guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence in mental health contexts. AI chatbots will now have to refer users to real-life helpers. …

News

Oregon Foundation Launches $100 Million Push to Build 10,000 Homes for Middle-Income Residents

Diane Megaw May 9, 2026

Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) announced yesterday that a $100 million down payment to help finance 10,000 new housing units for middle-income Oregonians over 10 years has been committed. Oregon Community Foundation’s Building…

News

Oregon Wins New Legal Battle Against Trump Tariffs on Everyday Imported Goods

Diane Megaw May 8, 2026

A 24-state coalition, including Oregon, prevailed in the Court of International Trade, with the court ruling yesterday that President Trump's latest efforts to impose illegal tariffs on products purchased by American businesses and…

News

Oregon Supreme Court Upholds Washington County Ban on Menthol and Flavored Tobacco

Diane Megaw May 8, 2026

In a ruling seen as a massive win for public health, the Oregon Supreme Court has affirmed Washington County’s 2021 law ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and all other flavored tobacco products. Flavored Tobacco Product Bans…

News

Missing Oregon Mushroom Hunter Survives Three Nights in the Wilderness After Family Trip Goes Wrong

Diane Megaw May 7, 2026

The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO) confirmed that 69-year-old Mickey Dean Cearns of Stanfield, Oregon- who went missing just north of the Mt. Emily Snow Park off National Forest Road 3102 during a family mushroom hunting trip on…

Environment

Severe 2026 Wildfire Season Could Be Ahead for Oregon, Leaders Warn

Diane Megaw May 6, 2026

At a meeting at the Oregon Department of State Fire Marshal (OSFM), Oregon wildfire leaders warned that the state is heading into what could be a severe 2026 wildfire season, and urged Oregonians to prepare now. Severe 2026…

News

Peter Thiel Backs Portland Startup Building Ocean Powered AI Systems Off the Oregon Coast

Diane Megaw May 6, 2026

Panthalassa, a Portland, Oregon-based renewable energy and ocean technology company, announced on Monday that it has raised $140 million in Series B financing led by Peter Thiel to manufacture and deploy the first set of autonomous,…

News

Southern Oregon Healthcare Giant Asante Warns of More Than 300 Job Cuts as Losses Mount

Diane Megaw May 5, 2026

MEDFORD, Ore. — Citing several factors, Asante noted that the organization is facing a cumulative operating loss of $16 million for the first half of the year and anticipates further job cuts of 300 or more roles. Asante Mulls…

Environment

Hot Dry Summer Set to Push Already Stressed Oregon Trees Closer to the Edge

Diane Megaw May 5, 2026

The Oregon Department of Forestry has noted that this summer's anticipated hot, dry weather- similar to 2015’s peak high temperatures and drought- will put trees in Oregon under more of the chronic stress they've been experiencing from hot…

Oregon Retail Jobs Fall Nearly 6% as State Ranks Among Worst in Nation

Diane Megaw May 4, 2026

According to Oregon state and federal data, the state’s retail jobs declined 5.9% since 2019, compared with a national average decline of 1.3%- the 10th sharpest decline nationwide. Oregon’s Retail Sector Steadily Declining…

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