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Good morning, Northwest.

Debate over the future of the Moda Center heated up yesterday.

Billionaire Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon doubled down on his request to publicly fund arena renovations while multiple Portland city councilors protested the very thought of it outside the building.

OPB business reporter Kyra Buckley and city politics reporter Alex Zielinski break down the issue to start today’s newsletter.

In other news, an invasive mussel found in Prineville Reservoir marks an ominous first for Oregon.

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

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

Moda Center takes center stage as city leaders grapple over how – or if – to fund arena renovations

With Portland officials under a tight deadline to negotiate a deal with the Trail Blazers on major Moda Center renovations, team owner Tom Dundon is showing little interest in making concessions.

Instead, Dundon told a crowd of more than 750 business and political leaders yesterday that he’s already done a lot to help the city by purchasing the team and isn’t interested in further commitments. He said the Rose City is an expensive place to do business.

Dundon’s statement was, in part, a response to why he’s not planning on spending his own money on needed renovations at the Moda Center, the 30-year-old, city-owned arena that’s home to Portland’s NBA and WNBA teams.

“There’s lots of places that don’t have taxes at the same rate,” Dundon told the crowd. “So if you charge people taxes and invest it back into the thing that helps generate the money relative to the market, other places … it’s a huge investment.” (Kyra Buckley and Alex Zielinski)

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3 things to know

• Yesterday, dozens celebrated the transfer of the Bethany Lutheran Church in Portland to the Native American Youth and Family Center, or NAYA. (Joni Auden Land)
• A dead quagga mussel was found on the shoreline of Prineville Reservoir in Central Oregon in early June. This is the first time the highly invasive, thumbnail-sized freshwater mussel has been spotted near a body of water in Oregon. (Alejandro Figueroa)
• A group of agencies and local governments is urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to halt its plans to draw down the Detroit Reservoir on the North Santiam River later this winter. (OPB staff)

Northwest headlines

• Oregon will pay millions to those who caught COVID-19 while incarcerated (Lauren Dake and Conrad Wilson)
• Oregon court throws out conviction in 2020 Ashland fatal shooting (Justin Higginbottom, JPR)
• Judge extends deadline for removal of Eugene Federal Building fence (Nathan Wilk, KLCC)
• Portland 911 call wait times improving, audit finds (Alex Zielinski)
• Washington transgender prisoner policy lands before state Supreme Court (Jake Goldstein-Street, Washington State Standard)
• Washington’s gas tax is going up, but state transportation revenue is falling short (Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard)
• Why Portland’s Nodoguro couldn’t have started anywhere else (Crystal Ligori)
• 7 Chicago players score double figures to lead Sky over Fire 101-78 (AP)

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.

One more look

Portland-based dating show lets dogs take the lead on love

Ask just about anyone these days, and they’ll tell you: modern dating bites. But a new reality-style dating show currently being filmed in the Portland area wants to make it less ruff.

“Fetching,” hosted by two local comedians, brought 20 singles and their dogs to a field in Hillsboro recently to film the first episode.

The idea is to match up dating hopefuls based on whose dogs play together.

If production goes smoothly, the show is set to release this fall on YouTube. (Jess Hazel)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/25/moda-center-tom-dundon-protest-first-look/