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Good morning, Northwest.

Violence following the death of a cartel leader in Mexico has affected Oregon residents and expatriates.

People shared accounts from Jalisco state with OPB about the situation unfolding there. We start today’s newsletter with their stories.

In other news, House Republicans staged another walkout in the Oregon Legislature yesterday to protest a contentious bill and the conduct of a Democratic representative.

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

—Bradley W. Parks

Oregon residents and expats among those caught up in cartel violence in Mexico

Hilary Hutler of North Portland was traveling from Guadalajara, Mexico, to the coastal city of Zihuatanejo this weekend when 20 police cars signaled the taxi she was in to turn around.

Hutler told OPB that when her group pulled over to plan their next steps, she saw smoke rising farther up the road.

Hutler is vacationing in Mexico and is currently among the Oregonians in the country — or anxiously watching from afar — as organized crime groups publicly retaliate against the government for a cartel leader’s death, sparking concerns of ongoing unrest in a country with cultural, economic and social ties to the Pacific Northwest.

In Mexico, at least 73 people, including security forces and suspected cartel members, have died in the government’s attempt to capture the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the violent aftermath of his death, Mexican authorities said yesterday. (Riley Martinez, Kyra Buckley, Tiffany Camhi, Megan Janetsky, María Verza)

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3 things to know this morning

• House Republicans boycotted a floor session in the Oregon Legislature yesterday, protesting the Democratic Party’s handling of a hostile workplace complaint against a representative and an upcoming gas tax vote. (Lauren Dake and Bryce Dole)
• After hours of debate, the Oregon Senate passed a bill to move the gas tax vote by a 17-13 margin. If the bill can pass the House by tomorrow, it will ensure Oregon voters decide on the transportation tax and fee increases in May, rather than November as currently scheduled. (Dirk VanderHart)
• Yesterday, a coalition of Eugene-based environmental groups announced the launch of a campaign to create a Eugene Clean Energy Fund similar to Portland’s, which has racked up revenue. (Monica Samayoa)

OPB PRESIDENT’S UPDATE

Growing connection fuels our future

Last year, OPB experienced the elimination of federal funding, and you were there with us. Together, we showed that OPB is here to stay and to thrive.

I’m so proud that OPB stands strong as an independent, nonprofit source for trusted news, information and essential programs. We report the facts — powered by you and over 170,000 wonderful member households in Oregon, Washington and beyond.

OPB was built for this moment. At a time when people seem further apart than ever, we’re driven by a mission to connect.

How do we do pursue that mission effectively in this era, and in the future? (Rachel Smolkin)

Learn more

Headlines from around the Northwest

• Shut out of campaign finance bill, good governance groups tell lawmakers to vote against it (Alex Baumhardt)
• After Supreme Court rebuke, Wyden and other Democrats call for government to refund billions in Trump tariff money (Josh Boak)
• Grants Pass expands free early learning program amid rising demand (Roman Battaglia)
• Trump’s State of the Union address will be delivered to a changed nation and a Congress he has sidelined (Lisa Mascaro)

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):

• Portland Playhouse stages work centering intergenerational experience of Black women artists
• Bend paraplegic skier qualifies for 2026 Paralympic Winter Games

Portland filmmaker James Westby teams up with author Chelsea Cain to make micro-budget movie in Central Oregon

In 1989, James Westby was just a kid in Bellingham, Washington, who wanted to make movies. Seeing Gus Van Sant’s Portland-based film “Drugstore Cowboy” lit the fuse.

“There was something about the look of the film and the city it was filmed in,” Westby said.

Arriving in Portland, James Westby discovered the Northwest Film Center, where he quickly enrolled to study filmmaking. With cinephile obsession, grit and a DIY spirit, Westby began making very low-budget 16mm feature films.

It was in this milieu that Westby began crafting his own worlds and discovering his voice as a filmmaker. (Jacob Pander)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/24/guadalajara-puerto-vallarta-jalisco-violence-oregon-first-look/