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Italy Opens Greenwashing Probe Into Shein Website

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Wednesday, September 25, 2024

MILAN (Reuters) -Italy's antitrust agency has launched an investigation into a Dublin-based company that manages the Italian website of online clothing retailer Shein over possible misleading environmental claims on the site.The investigation targets Infinite Styles Services CO. Limited and accuses the company of trying "to convey an image of production and commercial sustainability of its garments through generic, vague, confusing and/or misleading environmental claims," Italy's antitrust authority said in a statement.Infinite Styles Services, which operates Shein websites and mobile applications, and through which Shein does business in Europe, could not immediately be reached for comment. Shein did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The Italian authority said that some of the information on the clothing collection 'evoluSHEIN', declared to be sustainable, could mislead consumers about the amount of "green" fibres used, while also failing to inform them about the fact the garments cannot be further recycled.It also said that Shein's website appears to emphasise a commitment to decarbonisation, which seems to be contradicted by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions shown in Shein's sustainability reports for 2022 and 2023.Founded in China, Shein is known for its cheap tops and dresses. Its treatment of workers and environmental record have come under increased scrutiny following reports that it could list its shares in London.Under European Union anti-greenwashing regulations that came into force this year and will apply in all member states in two years' time, companies are banned from making vague environmental claims about their products, like labelling them "energy efficient" or "environmentally friendly" if they don't provide evidence to back them up.Italy's antitrust body, in addition to dealing with competition issues, is also in charge of consumer protection. It has recently opened investigations into online search giant Google and luxury brands Armani and Dior.Under Italian legislation, companies found in breach of consumer rights rules face fines ranging from 5,000 euros to 10 million euros ($5,590-$11.2 million).Shein has its Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters in Dublin. Its global headquarters are in Singapore.(Reporting by Elisa Anzolin in Milan and Helen Reid in London; Editing by Keith Weir and Mark Potter)Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters.

MILAN (Reuters) -Italy's antitrust agency has launched an investigation into a Dublin-based company that manages the Italian website of online...

MILAN (Reuters) -Italy's antitrust agency has launched an investigation into a Dublin-based company that manages the Italian website of online clothing retailer Shein over possible misleading environmental claims on the site.

The investigation targets Infinite Styles Services CO. Limited and accuses the company of trying "to convey an image of production and commercial sustainability of its garments through generic, vague, confusing and/or misleading environmental claims," Italy's antitrust authority said in a statement.

Infinite Styles Services, which operates Shein websites and mobile applications, and through which Shein does business in Europe, could not immediately be reached for comment. Shein did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Italian authority said that some of the information on the clothing collection 'evoluSHEIN', declared to be sustainable, could mislead consumers about the amount of "green" fibres used, while also failing to inform them about the fact the garments cannot be further recycled.

It also said that Shein's website appears to emphasise a commitment to decarbonisation, which seems to be contradicted by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions shown in Shein's sustainability reports for 2022 and 2023.

Founded in China, Shein is known for its cheap tops and dresses. Its treatment of workers and environmental record have come under increased scrutiny following reports that it could list its shares in London.

Under European Union anti-greenwashing regulations that came into force this year and will apply in all member states in two years' time, companies are banned from making vague environmental claims about their products, like labelling them "energy efficient" or "environmentally friendly" if they don't provide evidence to back them up.

Italy's antitrust body, in addition to dealing with competition issues, is also in charge of consumer protection. It has recently opened investigations into online search giant Google and luxury brands Armani and Dior.

Under Italian legislation, companies found in breach of consumer rights rules face fines ranging from 5,000 euros to 10 million euros ($5,590-$11.2 million).

Shein has its Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters in Dublin. Its global headquarters are in Singapore.

(Reporting by Elisa Anzolin in Milan and Helen Reid in London; Editing by Keith Weir and Mark Potter)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters.

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

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Monarch butterflies could disappear. Butterfly Town USA is scrambling to save them

Pacific Grove is known as ‘Butterfly Town USA’ for its role as an overwintering spot. As the insect’s population plummets, residents are coming to its rescueIn the tiny seaside village of Pacific Grove, California, there’s no escaping the monarch butterfly.Here, butterfly murals abound: one splashes across the side of a hotel, another adorns a school. As for local businesses, there’s the Monarch Pub, the Butterfly Grove Inn, even Monarch Knitting (a local yarn shop). And every fall, the small city hosts a butterfly parade, where local elementary school children dress up in butterfly costumes. The city’s municipal code even declares it an unlawful act to “molest or interfere” with monarchs in any way, with a possible fine of $1,000. Continue reading...

In the tiny seaside village of Pacific Grove, California, there’s no escaping the monarch butterfly.Here, butterfly murals abound: one splashes across the side of a hotel, another adorns a school. As for local businesses, there’s the Monarch Pub, the Butterfly Grove Inn, even Monarch Knitting (a local yarn shop). And every fall, the small city hosts a butterfly parade, where local elementary school children dress up in butterfly costumes. The city’s municipal code even declares it an unlawful act to “molest or interfere” with monarchs in any way, with a possible fine of $1,000.After all, Pacific Grove is better known by its other, self-given nickname: “Butterfly Town, U.S.A.”But Butterfly Town, and the rest of California, has a problem. The species behind the fanfare is disappearing at an alarming rate, amid rampant pesticide use, habitat loss, extreme weather and the climate crisis. The stakes are dire; monarch populations in the western US have plummeted by more than 99% since the 1980s.If nothing changes, experts fear the western monarchs have a nearly 100% chance of extinction by 2080.“It’s important to recognize that Butterfly Town is about living creatures that need our help, not just orange-and-black merchandise,” stressed Natalie Johnston, the education manager at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, who also runs the museum’s monarch programs.Pacific Grove has long been an official “overwintering” resting site for monarch butterflies, which flock from the Pacific north-west down to the California coast every late fall and winter on their annual migration route. In years past, tens of thousands of monarchs have taken shelter in the town’s designated monarch sanctuary, amassing around the branches of trees in huge clumps and bursting through the air in giant orange clouds.One week in December 2022, volunteers counted nearly 16,000 butterflies sheltering within Pacific Grove’s sanctuary. But this year, on a similar December week, the butterfly count there was 107.In Pacific Grove, it’s unlawful to ‘molest or interfere’ with monarchs in any way. The fine for breaking that law was upped from $500 to $1,000. Photograph: Amanda UlrichFor many biologists, monarchs serve as a canary in the coal mine for environmental impacts to come, especially for other pollinators.“They are one of the best-studied butterflies,” said Emma Pelton, senior conservation biologist for the nonprofit Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “So the more we know about them, and the more we understand all the threats they face, that’s a direct correlation to the threats that these other butterflies and other insects face.”Although the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed that the entire monarch species, including populations in the east and west, be formally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, the Department of the Interior has delayed making a decision on that listing.Still, all hope is not yet lost for Butterfly Town. Johnston, from the natural history museum, and a band of other staff and volunteers are fighting for the namesake invertebrates by diligently tracking their numbers and calling for their protection.We continue to lose sites, and we continue to have a lack of meaningful legal protection for the vast majority of themOn a recent brisk December morning, Johnston and four volunteer “citizen scientists” gathered outside the city’s small monarch sanctuary, bundled up in hats and gloves, for their weekly butterfly count. Up and down the state, researchers rely on citizen scientists to collect real-time data, helping them to get a true sense of where the monarch population stands.One butterfly counter and docent for the history museum, Kat Morgan, described herself as “a data geek”. Part of the appeal of the butterfly count, she said, is to be able to contextualize current numbers within broader patterns and trends.“My job is to help people fall in love with the butterflies, or fall deeper in love, so that they’ll take action,” she said.Equipped with binoculars, clipboards and small green laser pointers (to aid in counting), the volunteer group set out into the wooded, roughly three-acre preserve.Inside the sanctuary, butterflies hung from the branches of eucalyptus trees in shadow, like a darkened chandelier, occasionally flitting into the sunlight in sudden brilliant color. The volunteers were largely quiet as they peered upwards, squinting into their binoculars. The Pacific Ocean thudded dully in the distance.When monarchs cluster in big groups, volunteers are able to count them by estimating the general density of the butterflies and how many are typically in one area. But when they’re more scattered, like this December morning, the volunteers count each flattened set of wings they see.Signs celebrating the monarch butterfly are everywhere in Pacific Grove. Photograph: Amanda UlrichThe monarchs’ presence here at all, year after year, has a somewhat mysterious quality to it; because migrating monarchs have a lifespan of just nine months or less, each wave of butterflies that arrives to Pacific Grove has never been there before. Scientists still don’t understand how, exactly, they know which tiny plot of land and specific tree to fly to, hundreds of miles south from where they started their journey.Near the top of one eucalyptus, the volunteer group spied a solid bunch of nestling monarchs. One person counted 27 butterflies, another 28. Johnston checked the butterfly tally on her clipboard.“If we do in fact have 28, that makes this our highest count of the year,” she reported.After another beat of counting, another volunteer agreed with the higher number: “28!”“Yay!” Johnston cheered, encouraging them along.The volunteers’ final tally of the morning was 226 butterflies: A very far cry from the huge counts of years past, but better than every other week of the 2025 season in Pacific Grove. It’s anyone’s guess, the volunteers said, why this particular weekly count may have been different. The numbers fluctuate, and there could always be butterflies the volunteers don’t spot.On a broader scale, the reasons why monarch counts have plunged in the last 50 years are more obvious.Starting in the 80s, frenzied coastal development across the state likely sparked some of the major drop-offs, Pelton said. Even the Pacific Grove sanctuary today, she pointed out, is a “green space in a sea of houses”.“That’s the same for so many of these core overwintering sites,” she said. “We lose sites every year. We continue to lose sites, and we continue to have a lack of meaningful legal protection for the vast majority of them.”The climate crisis is also driving some of the decline. This winter may prove to be the second or third-lowest count of western monarchs on record, the Xerces Society reported in early December, partially due to a warmer summer and drought conditions across the west.“Now climate change might be like the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Pelton said. “But there are these other root causes that, thankfully, we can probably address more easily than climate change in the very near term, such as reducing our pesticide use.”There’s something about monarch butterflies that seems to resonate ... Pesticides have been a particularly glaring issue in Pacific Grove. In early 2024, Butterfly Town was the center of a monarch “mass mortality event” after hundreds of butterflies were exposed to pesticides and died.Johnston and the other volunteers still remember stumbling upon the dying butterflies on a private property just off the sanctuary grounds: seeing them convulse in clumps on the ground for days. Several volunteers still can’t bear to look at the photos and videos from those days, or read about any of the scientific findings. Witnessing the impacts of pesticides in real-time – “the convulsions, the seizures” – was horrific, Johnston said.A total of 15 different pesticides were found in the butterflies’ systems, a new study reported this year. County officials and the study’s authors, including Pelton, weren’t able to pinpoint the specific source, but determined that the toxins could have come from an unreported or untraceable residential or commercial use in Pacific Grove. Aside from pesticides used in large-scale farming operations, simple residential use of the household products can be a huge threat to monarchs – and homeowners don’t have to report using them.To many, the whole 2024 saga ended up feeling like an unsolved murder investigation.“There were dead bodies,” Pelton said, “but no weapon, no perpetrator.”Butterflies hang from a eucalyptus tree in the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary. Photograph: Amanda UlrichThe mass die-off did, however, spark a wider conversation in Pacific Grove about pesticides, including seemingly benign ones labeled as “organic”, which homeowners may not realize are harmful to monarchs as they fly across the city before landing in the sanctuary. Johnston started knocking on neighbors’ doors and handing out brochures about how to maintain their properties with butterflies in mind, like planting flowering, native plants and avoiding pesticides.“Monarch butterflies depend on you!” the brochures implored.Luckily, for now, Butterfly Town is still flush with monarch enthusiasts. People eagerly impart their own personal meanings onto butterflies, Johnston said. Visitors to the sanctuary will often tell her they love the species because of its strength – they weigh less than a paper clip, but can fly more than 100 miles in a day – or because of its transformation from lowly caterpillar to winged beauty.Whatever the reason, in Pacific Grove the butterflies carry weight.“They’re harmless and they’re beautiful,” Johnston said. “There’s something about monarch butterflies that seems to resonate with everybody.”

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Feed a goat and other ways to recycle real Oregon Christmas trees

Here are ways experts suggest a post-Christmas trees can be put to good use.

Ready to remove a real Christmas tree from the living room? Consider donating it to feed a goat. The 130-acre Topaz Farm on Sauvie Island will accept trees, stripped of their holiday decorations, 10 a.m.-noon Jan. 3-4, at 17100 N.W. Sauvie Island Road in Portland.Most of the trees dropped off for free at Topaz Farm, however, will be used to make biochar to improve soil health, according to owners Kat Topaz and Jim Abeles.“Bringing the tree to the farm can be a family tradition that gets people outside and keeps trees out of landfills,” said Topaz, who serves as an elected representative for the West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District. While at the farm, visitors can also see and hear sandhill cranes and bald eagles, said Topaz, who also sits on the board of the nonprofit Bird Alliance of Oregon.The trees to be converted into biochar are burned in a kiln at high temperatures to minimize smoke. While still in a charcoal state, they’re extinguished with compost tea. The biochar is then put into fields where it acts like a sponge in the soil, holding water and nutrients in place and storing carbon underground instead of releasing it into the atmosphere, Topaz added. “Combined with compost and cover crops, it helps us grow healthier, more nutrient-dense food,” Topaz said. “It’s a practical example of regenerative farming — taking a material many people consider waste and using it to rebuild the soil."The Oregon Department of Forestry encourages repurposing only Christmas trees grown in the state. Non-native Christmas trees sold at some stores can carry invasive pests.If you suspect there is a bug on an out-of-state Christmas tree, contact the forest department, cut up the tree, place the pieces in plastic bags, and seal them in your garbage can. Do not leave it in the backyard for an extended period or donate it to a group that will use it in a forest or waterway.Environmental groups are authorized to collect cut trees to strategically submerge into creeks to protect young salmon and steelhead from predators, and for wetland restoration work.Biodegradable trees cleared of ornaments, lights, tinsel, wire, nails, spikes, stands, plastic and other non-plant products can also be chipped and used as ground cover at parks.Collecting trees and wreaths after Christmas are fundraising projects for Scout troops and other nonprofits. For a small fee and on specified days, volunteers will pick up greenery set on curbs and driveways outside a home or brought to designated sites.Find Oregon Scout troops at beascout.scouting.org.Garbage collection services accept trees as recyclable yard debris if the tree fits inside the bin and is collected on the regularly scheduled pick-up day. A large tree can be cut up and the debris placed in the bin and picked up over several weeks. Some haulers charge an additional fee for the extra garbage, and some do not accept flocked trees, those sprayed to look snow-covered.Visit Metro’s Find-A-Recycler to determine the closest yard debris recycling facility or seasonal tree recycling event. Send a question, call 503-234-3000 or contact your garbage hauler.Repurpose a treeWishing Well is a family-owned business in Medford sells cut Oregon-grown fresh Christmas Trees.Janet Eastman/The Oregonian/OregonLiveOnce stripped of decorations and non-plant materials, a real Christmas tree can be used in the yard as mulch or a wildlife habitat. Here are ways experts suggest a post-Christmas trees can be put to good use:Make mulch: Cut off the boughs and place them around plants to insulate roots from the cold. Decomposing wood releases nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, improving soil quality and plant growth. Wood chips can also be used to fill in garden paths and reduce weeds.Enhance a compost pile: Bend blogger Linda Ly of Garden Betty suggests cutting the tree into smaller pieces and letting the pile sit until the pine needles have fallen off and the branches are dry and brittle. Then, use these brown materials as a carbon source for a compost bin, as needed.Benefit wildlife: Move the tree in its stand outdoors for the winter, where it can provide food and shelter for wild birds. Hang a bird feeder or suet cage from the branches. Ly wrote that her goats like eating the trees and that putting branches in a chicken run “is a good way to help chickens beat winter boredom.”A fish home: With the pond owner’s permission, sink a tree in a deep pond to become habitats for fish and aquatic insects. In shallow wetlands, trees can act as barriers to sand and soil erosion.Make a trellis: Move the tree to a corner of the yard and in the spring set it up in the garden as a trellis for peas or beans.

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20 stories of Oregonians who inspired us in 2025

From a 16-year-old chess grandmaster to a bus driver who thwarted a hijacking, these Oregonians made remarkable impacts in their communities this year.

Among the accomplishments of elementary and high school students, business owners, professional athletes and artists, The Oregonian/OregonLive journalists had no shortage of inspirational stories to tell in 2025. This year, we celebrated remarkable Oregonians such as Rosie Lanenga, Oregon’s Kid Governor, who championed climate change awareness, and Manny Chavez, who courageously addressed the impact of immigration enforcement on his community. We also highlighted the philanthropic efforts of athletes such as Blake Wesley, who exemplified compassion through his outreach, and artists like Aaron Nigel Smith, who brought history to life with his folk opera. These stories reflect the resilience and creativity that define Oregon, reminding us all of the potential for positive change in our communities. Here are some of the Oregonians who inspired us to be kinder, braver, determined and selfless in 2025. Woman Grandmaster Zoey Tang at the Portland Chess Club.Samantha Swindler/ The OregonianZoey TangAt just 16 years old, Zoey Tang made history as Oregon’s first woman grandmaster in chess, a prestigious title awarded by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE). During her junior year at Westview High School in Beaverton, Tang’s achievement was remarkable in a field where only about 500 players worldwide hold the woman grandmaster title, out of approximately 350,000 active FIDE-rated players, Samantha Swindler reported in January. Tang, who held a rating of 2306 and was a FIDE Master in January, aims to achieve the open grandmaster title within the next four years. She is also the Oregon state champion, competing successfully against players of all genders and ages. Beyond her competitive success, Tang founded Puddletown Chess, a nonprofit aimed at increasing participation among young players, particularly women and those from underrepresented backgrounds. Her journey reflects a commitment to not only excel in chess but also to foster a more inclusive community in the game.2025 Kid Governor Rosie Lanenga poses for a photo at the Oregon Capitol on Thursday, January 16, 2025, in Salem.Vickie Connor/The OregonianRosie LanengaOregon’s 2025 Kid Governor, Rosie Lanenga, made climate change her top priority this year when she stepped into her role. Elected by her peers from across the state as a fifth-grader last school year, the student from Portland’s Riverdale Grade School was sworn in at the Oregon State Capitol alongside her cabinet members in January, Samantha Swindler reported. Lanenga emphasized the importance of addressing climate change, stating, “I want Oregon to stay as beautiful as it is right now, and climate change is affecting that.”As part of her campaign, Lanenga introduced her A.C.T. plan, which encourages individuals to take action at home, hold discussions about reducing carbon footprints and share knowledge with others. With aspirations of becoming a lawyer and a passion for politics, Lanenga engaged with state leaders throughout her yearlong term. Her commitment to environmental advocacy highlights the potential of young leaders to influence positive change in their communities.Mike Perrault, a TriMet bus driver, faced an armed man on his bus in January of this year.SubmittedMike PerraultTriMet bus driver Mike Perrault displayed extraordinary bravery during a harrowing 12-minute hijacking of his Line 4 bus in Portland on Jan. 29. With nearly a decade of experience, Perrault faced an armed man who forced him to drive through the streets of Old Town. Despite the life-threatening situation, he remained calm and focused on de-escalating the tension, assuring the hijacker that he would be safe on the bus.“I told him that while he was on my bus, he’d be safe. He could give me the gun or he could put it down, but while he was on the bus, I wouldn’t let anything happen to him,” Perrault told reporter Zane Sparling.Perrault successfully persuaded the gunman to surrender his weapon, allowing Perrault to toss it out the window and escape the bus unharmed. Perrault’s quick thinking and composure under pressure garnered widespread praise, highlighting the resilience and dedication of public transit workers in the face of danger. Anthony and Marlie Love on their trip to Coos Bay. Photo courtesy of Traveling While Black.Traveling While BlackAnthony and Marlie LoveAnthony and Marlie Love, a Seattle-based couple originally from Missouri, are making waves in the travel community as advocates for Black travelers in the Pacific Northwest. Through their YouTube channel, “Traveling While Black,” they provide essential resources and insights, including a unique Black comfortability rating system for various destinations. Earlier this year, the Loves appeared on the Peak Northwest podcast in February to discuss their Oregon coast trip, where they highlighted local Black history and the importance of safe travel experiences. Although they are from Washington, their mission extends beyond state lines, aiming to foster inclusivity and understanding in travel. With over 170 episodes under their belt, the Loves are inspiring a new generation of travelers to explore the region while acknowledging its historical context and promoting a welcoming environment for all.Jenn LockwoodJenn Lockwood, training supervisor at the Mt. Hood Meadows Learning Center, is the face of Mt. Hood Meadows’ She Shreds program, which empowers women in the skiing and snowboarding communities. Featured on a March episode of Peak Northwest, Lockwood discussed how the program offers both camps and clinics designed to create a supportive environment for women to learn and develop their snowsport skills together.The She Shreds initiative encourages participants to leave their egos behind, fostering a sense of camaraderie and community among skiers and snowboarders. Many women who join the program go on to form lasting connections, continuing to shred together long after the clinics conclude. Lockwood’s insights highlight the transformative power of community and empowerment in sports, making She Shreds a vital resource for aspiring female skiers and snowboarders.Sprague High's constitution team team of two, Matthew Meyers, in red sweater, and Colin Williams, in black shirt, hold hands with each other and members of the Lincoln High School constitution team while they wait to find out if both teams made it into the final rounds of the national civics education competition We the People.Courtesy of the Lincoln High constitution team​​Matthew Meyers and Colin WilliamsA two-student civics team from Salem’s Sprague High School, with no history of national wins and far fewer resources than their competitors, delivered one of Oregon’s most improbable academic victories this year, Julia Silverman reported in April. Seniors Matthew Meyers and Colin Williams stunned judges and peers alike at the national We the People Constitution competition, mastering the same exhaustive constitutional law, history and casework typically divided among teams of 20 to 30 students. Working largely on their own — supported by their social studies teacher and fueled by marathon research sessions — the pair advanced from regionals to state, then shocked the field by reaching the national finals. They initially emerged as sole national champions before a scoring correction elevated Portland’s powerhouse Lincoln High School into a shared title. The result: an unexpected, “can’t-make-this-up” co-championship that returned the trophy to Oregon.In Venezuela, Nava Ulacio planned to be a civil engineer. Moving to the United States allowed her the opportunity to pursue her music dreams.Allison Barr/The OregonianSofia Nava UlacioSofia Nava Ulacio, a 21-year-old Venezuelan immigrant, graduated from Portland Community College with a perfect 4.0 GPA and a full scholarship to Lewis & Clark College, Eddy Binford-Ross reported in June. In 2022, Nava Ulacio arrived in Oregon unable to speak English, having fled political unrest in Venezuela. To overcome language barriers, she immersed herself in school activities, using Google Translate for her coursework and joining the jazz band, theater and choir. At PCC, she excelled in her music studies, founded a choir club, and now teaches music at Backbeat Music Academy. Nava Ulacio leads the Sofi Nava Trio, performing Latin and contemporary music. She aims to inspire other female Latin musicians and views her music as a connection to her roots, honoring her family’s sacrifices and her cultural heritage.Jamie Breunig leads a one-woman community paramedic program in Clackamas County focused on providing medical care to people living outside.Beth NakamuraJamie BreunigAs Clackamas County’s sole community paramedic, Jamie Breunig delivers medical care, treating patients where they live, even if that means beside a tent or in a motel room. Since the county launched its community paramedic program in October, Breunig has provided medical care or case management to more than 110 unhoused residents, aiming to improve health outcomes while reducing costly 9-1-1 calls, ambulance transports and emergency room visits.Funded by the regional homeless services tax, the $200,000 program reflects a growing recognition that unsheltered people cannot be ignored and that emergency rooms are often the wrong place for basic care, reported Lillian Mongeau Hughes in June. A veteran paramedic and former foster youth, Breunig builds trust with patients who are often deeply distrustful of institutions, helping manage chronic illness, prevent medical crises and, at times, reconnect people to housing, family and hope.Instructors Anna Schneider and Karen Ceballos demonstrate moves for attendees to follow.Allison Barr/The OregonianQueer Baile leadersThroughout the year, the leaders of Queer Baile broke gender norms and fostered community through free Latin dance lessons. Founded by Lydia Greene in 2019, Queer Baile offers inclusive, nongendered classes that celebrate the joy of dance while creating a welcoming space for all. “The space feels way less intimidating than a lot of dance scenes can feel,” Karen Ceballos, a bachata instructor, told me in June.With a focus on cumbia and bachata, the group has seen attendance soar, transforming from a small gathering at a local bar to a vibrant community event at the White Owl Social Club. Volunteer instructors, including Sarah Arias and Kylie Davis, emphasize the importance of consent-based dancing, allowing anyone to lead or follow, regardless of gender.Oregon Representative Thủy Trần has created a new play, “Belonging: A Memoir,” based on the events of her life. Jamie Hale/The OregonianThủy TrầnIn August, state Rep. Thủy Trần shared her journey as a Vietnamese refugee in a one-night theatrical performance titled “Belonging: A Memoir,” which marked the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. The show at the Winningstad Theatre recounted Trần’s escape from Vietnam at age 9 and her path to becoming an Oregon legislator. Co-created with actor Libby Cozza, the production featured a nearly all-Vietnamese cast and three actresses portraying Trần at different life stages. Funded by a $10,000 grant, the project aimed to benefit local organizations, including Portland Public Schools’ Vietnamese Dual Language program, Megan Robertson reported in July. Trần described the experience as a challenge to be vulnerable and authentic, showcasing her remarkable journey from refugee to state representative.Tim Cook, the president of Clackamas Community College, poses at Portland Community College's Sylvania campus on Aug. 1, 2025. He ran more than 1,400 miles around Oregon to raise money for students' basic needs.Allison Barr/The OregonianTim CookClackamas Community College President Tim Cook achieved an extraordinary feat by running 1,400 miles across the state, raising over $127,000 to support students facing basic needs. On this 52-day journey, Cook visited all 17 of Oregon’s community colleges while highlighting food insecurity and homelessness among students, wrote reporter Maddie Khaw in August.Running roughly a marathon each day and wearing through six pairs of shoes, Cook’s determination shone through. He said witnessing students living in cars and struggling to access food sparked the fundraising campaign to provide essential resources to help students stay in school. Cook’s journey not only raised over $177,000 for community college student basic needs but also drew attention to the urgent need for systemic solutions to support students in crisis across Oregon.Marcus Lattimore poses for a photo on the steps outside the Portland Playhouse, a performing arts theater in Northeast Portland. Sean Meagher/The OregonianMarcus LattimoreMarcus Lattimore, a former football star and standout running back at the University of South Carolina, has reinvented himself as a poet in Portland, finding new purpose and identity through spoken word. After a knee injury cut his football career short, Lattimore turned to poetry as a means of expression, exploring complex themes of race, culture and personal growth.Now performing at open mic nights and engaging with the local theater community, Lattimore is making waves in Portland’s arts scene. He has since published a book of verse and continues to expand his work through teaching and performance, marking a significant shift from the career that once defined him, Bill Oram reported in September.Shantae Johnson and Arthur Shavers announce the official reopening of Multnomah County's CROPS farm Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.Austin De Dios / The OregonianShantae Johnson and Arthur ShaversShantae Johnson and Arthur Shavers, a Portland couple with deep roots in the Black farming community, have transformed Multnomah County’s CROPS Farm into a vital food hub for East Portland, wrote Austin De Dios in September. Their journey began with a small garden at their condo, which ignited their passion for horticulture and led them to leave their careers to pursue farming full-time. Officially reopened on Aug. 27 after five years of development, the 3-acre farm now distributes fresh produce to around 200 families weekly and offers training and support for Black, Indigenous and people of color who are farmers. With a commitment to community, Johnson and Shavers aim to expand their services and create a local food hub in Gresham, where they recently acquired a 5-acre property. Oregon Army National Guard Physician Assistant Maj. Tommy Vu looks up during his world record attempt for most chest-to-ground push-ups at West Coast Strength gym in West Salem on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris ClyneTommy VuMajor Tommy Vu of the Oregon Army National Guard set a remarkable new world record for the most chest-to-ground pushups in September, completing an impressive 1,721 repetitions in one hour at West Coast Strength gym in West Salem. Vu’s achievement, which surpasses the previous record of 1,530 pushups, marks his sixth world record, Sean Meagher reported.The 38-year-old Vu maintained a steady pace using a metronome set to 2.1 seconds per repetition during the grueling hour. Vu donated $1 to the Oregon Humane Society for every pushup completed, totaling $1,721, in memory of his in-law’s beloved dog. Looking ahead, Vu is already preparing to reclaim the chest-to-ground burpee record, previously held by him."York the Explorer‘s" book and music were composed by Grammy-nominated producer Aaron Nigel Smith.Image courtesy of The ReserAaron Nigel SmithAaron Nigel Smith, a Portland-based composer and producer, made waves through his folk opera, “York the Explorer.” The show premiered in late October as part of the inaugural York Fest, honoring the legacy of York, the only Black member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Smith was inspired to create the opera after a bust of York in Mount Tabor Park sparked renewed interest in his remarkable story, which has often been overlooked in history.“It’s just a story of hope, perseverance and courage,” Smith told me in September. “I think not only Black and brown people around the world, but all people can really benefit and learn and grow from knowing this story.”With a commitment to amplifying York’s contributions, Smith has dedicated two years to researching and composing this significant work. The opera not only aims to educate audiences about York’s historical impact but also serves as a platform for fostering community engagement and awareness of Black history in Oregon. Through his artistic vision, Smith is helping to ensure that York’s legacy is celebrated and remembered for generations to come.Mary E. Brunkow poses for a portrait after winning a Nobel Prize in medicine for part of her work on peripheral immune tolerance, in Seattle, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)APMary E. BrunkowMary E. Brunkow, a molecular biologist and graduate of St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, in October was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for her groundbreaking research on peripheral immune tolerance. This prestigious award recognizes her significant contributions to understanding how the immune system distinguishes between harmful pathogens and the body’s own cells, a discovery crucial for developing treatments for autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and lupus. Brunkow, now a senior program manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, shares this honor with fellow researchers Fred Ramsdell and Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi. Their collaborative work has unveiled critical pathways that regulate immune responses. Emily Purry surfing in Costa Rice during a Surf Bikini Retreat. Photo courtesy of Emily Purry and Surf Bikini Retreat.Surf Bikini RetreatEmily PurryEmily Purry, a blind surfer from Oregon, entered the world of adaptive surfing at the age of 40, transforming her life and advocating for inclusivity in outdoor sports. After being encouraged to compete, Purry quickly made waves, earning a spot on Team USA Para Surfing just weeks after her first competition in Japan. Despite the challenges of navigating international travel alone and adapting to her sight loss from Stargardt’s macular degeneration, Purry’s resilience shines through. Surfing has not only restored her confidence but also helped her reconnect with her identity, she told Peak Northwest podcast listeners in November, when she discussed her participation in the ISA World Competition in Oceanside, California. Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Chavez, a teenager from Hillsboro, offers an emotional testimony on the toll of immigration enforcement at a city council meeting on November 4, 2025.The OregonianEmmanuel ChavezEmmanuel “Manny” Chavez, a 16-year-old from Hillsboro, captured national attention with his November testimony about the impact of immigration enforcement on his family and community. Speaking at a Hillsboro City Council meeting, Chavez expressed his fears for his parents’ safety amid escalating ICE detentions, stating, “I shouldn’t be scared. I should be focusing on school.” His heartfelt remarks resonated with many, leading to over 3.4 million views after a local newspaper shared the video on social media.Chavez, a junior at Hillsboro High School, was inspired to speak out after witnessing the detention of friends’ family members, wrote Gosia Wozniacka in November. In the wake of a sharp increase in ICE arrests in Oregon, he has taken action by launching an online fundraiser to support families affected by these enforcement actions, raising over $8,000 in just two days. Community members and leaders have praised his courage, with his soccer coach highlighting his admirable leadership and solidarity.The 15th annual Tatas for Toys raised over $60,000 for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.Allison Barr/The OregonianTatas for Toys performersIn December, exotic dancers and burlesque performers in Portland became unlikely champions for children in need through the annual Tatas for Toys fundraiser. Over the past 14 years, the event has raised $183,000 worth of toys for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Samantha Swindler reported in December. The 15th annual event added another $60,000 to that total. Founded by Aaron Ross, the event evolved from a small toy drive at Dante’s nightclub into a theatrical extravaganza featuring dance, magic, and live auctions. The performers not only entertained but also actively engaged the audience, encouraging donations to support the hospital’s Child Life Therapy Program, which helps children cope with hospitalization through play and creative activities. Portland Trail Blazers guard Blake Wesley poses for photos during the NBA basketball team's media day in Portland, Ore., Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)APBlake WesleyBlake Wesley, a player for the Portland Trail Blazers, displayed his commitment to philanthropy during a recent Christmas Eve encounter with a homeless man named Dave. After finding his favorite sneaker store closed, Wesley spontaneously invited Dave to share a meal, treating him to gyros and donuts from Voodoo Doughnut, wrote Joe Freeman in December. Wesley said the encounter reflected his deep-rooted belief in helping those in need, a value instilled in him by his parents.Wesley is not only known for his generosity on the streets but also through his nonprofit, The Wesley Legacy Foundation. The foundation focuses on empowering youth and their families, offering free basketball camps and community support initiatives. Recently, it hosted the “Warm a Heart for the Holidays” event in South Bend, where hundreds of children received new coats. Faith and cultural connectionsThe Oregonian/OregonLive receives support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to bring readers stories on religion, faith and cultural connections in Oregon. The Oregonian/OregonLive is solely responsible for all content.

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Louis Gerstner, Former IBM CEO Who Revitalized 'Big Blue,' Dies at 83

Dec 28 (Reuters) - Louis Gerstner, the former CEO ‌and ​chairman of IBM, died ‌on Saturday, aged 83.IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna ​announced...

Dec 28 (Reuters) - Louis Gerstner, the former CEO ‌and ​chairman of IBM, died ‌on Saturday, aged 83.IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna ​announced Gerstner’s death in an email sent Sunday to employees, but did not ‍provide a cause of death."Lou ​arrived at IBM at a moment when the company's future was ​genuinely ⁠uncertain. His leadership during that period reshaped the company. Not by looking backward, but by focusing relentlessly on what our clients would need next", Krishna said in his email. Gerstner moved to IBM from being the CEO of ‌RJR Nabisco in April 1993 after stints at American Express and the ​consultancy McKinsey, ‌becoming the first outsider ‍to ⁠run Big Blue, as IBM was called. During the nine years he led the computer giant, he was widely credited with turning around a company that was facing potential bankruptcy, pivoting the company to business services. He radically changed IBM's culture and focus while slashing expenses, selling assets and repurchasing stock. Gerstner retired as ​CEO of IBM in 2002, with the stock some 800% higher than when he had started, moving to become the chairman of Carlyle Group until his retirement in 2008. The author of "Who Says Elephants Can't Dance" and co-author of "Reinventing Education: Entrepreneurship in America's Public Schools," Gerstner was on the board of several companies including Bristol-Myers, the New York Times, American Express, AT&T and Caterpillar. Gerstner was passionate about public education in the U.S, launching an initiative at IBM ​to use company technology in schools.He established the Gerstner Philanthropies in 1989, which included the Gerstner Family Foundation, emphasizing support for biomedical research, environmental and education initiatives, and social services serving New York ​City, Boston, and Palm Beach County, Florida.(Reporting by Chandni Shah in BengaluruEditing by Nick Zieminski)Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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Sure, the Newspaper Informed. but as It Fades, Those Who Used It for Other Things Must Adjust, Too

The lurch in the media business has changed America over the last two decades

The sun would rise over the Rockies, and Robin Gammons would run to the front porch to grab the morning paper before school.She wanted the comics and her dad wanted sports, but the Montana Standard meant more than their daily race to grab “Calvin and Hobbes” or baseball scores. When one of the three kids made honor roll, won a basketball game or dressed a freshly slain bison for the History Club, appearing in the Standard's pages made the achievement feel more real. Robin became an artist with a one-woman show at a downtown gallery and the front-page article went on the fridge, too. Five years later, the yellowing article is still there. The Montana Standard slashed print circulation to three days a week two years ago, cutting back the expense of printing like 1,200 U.S. newspapers over the past two decades. About 3,500 papers closed over the same time. An average of two a week have shut this year.That slow fade, it turns out, means more than changing news habits. It speaks directly to the newspaper's presence in our lives — not just in terms of the information printed upon it, but in its identity as a physical object with many other uses.“You can pass it on. You can keep it. And then, of course, there’s all the fun things,” says Diane DeBlois, one of the founders of the Ephemera Society of America, a group of scholars, researchers, dealers and collectors who focus on what they call “precious primary source information.”“Newspapers wrapped fish. They washed windows. They appeared in outhouses,” she says. “And — free toilet paper.”The downward lurch in the media business has changed American democracy over the last two decades — some think for better, many for worse. What's indisputable: The gradual dwindling of the printed paper — the item that so many millions read to inform themselves and then repurposed into household workflows — has quietly altered the texture of daily life. American democracy and pet cages People used to catch up on the world, then save their precious memories, protect their floors and furniture, wrap gifts, line pet cages and light fires. In Butte, in San Antonio, Texas, in much of New Jersey and worldwide, lives without the printed paper are just a tiny bit different. For newspaper publishers, the expense of printing is just too high in an industry that's under strain in an online society. For ordinary people, the physical paper is joining the pay phone, the cassette tape, the answering machine, the bank check, the sound of the internal combustion engine and the ivory-white pair of women's gloves as objects whose disappearance marks the passage of time.“Very hard to see it while it’s happening, much easier to see things like that in even modest retrospect,” says Marilyn Nissenson, co-author of “Going Going Gone: Vanishing Americana.” “Young women were going to work and they wore them for a while and then one day they looked at them and thought, ‘This is ludicrous.’ That was a small but telling icon for a much larger social change.”Nick Mathews thinks a lot about newspapers. Both of his parents worked at the Pekin (Illinois) Daily Times. He went on to become sports editor of the Houston Chronicle and, now, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri's School of Journalism.“I have fond memories of my parents using newspapers to wrap presents,” he says. “In my family, you always knew that the gift was from my parents because of what it was wrapped in.”In Houston, he recently recalled, the Chronicle reliably sold out when the Astros, Rockets or Texas won a championship because so many people wanted the paper as a keepsake. Four years ago, Mathews interviewed 19 people in Caroline County, Virginia, about the 2018 shuttering of the Caroline Progress, a 99-year-old weekly paper that was shuttered months before its 100th anniversary. In “Print Imprint: The Connection Between the Physical Newspaper and the Self,” published in the Journal of Communication Inquiry, wistful Virginians remember their senior high school portrait and their daughter’s picture in a wedding dress appearing in the Progress. Plus, one told Mathews, "My fingers are too clean now. I feel sad without ink smudges.”Flush with cash from Omahans who invested years ago with local boy Warren Buffett, Nebraska Wildlife Rehab is a well-equipped center for migratory waterfowl, wading birds, reptiles, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, mink and beaver.“We get over 8,000 animals every year and we use that newspaper for almost all of those animals,” Executive Director Laura Stastny says.Getting old newspapers has never been a problem in this neighborly Midwestern city. Yet Stastny frets about the electronic future.“We do pretty well now,” she says. “If we lost that source and had to use something else or had to purchase something, that, with the available options that we have now, would cost us more than $10,000 a year easily.”That would be nearly 1% of the budget, Stastny says, but “I’ve never been in a position to be without them, so I might be shocked with a higher dollar figure."Until 1974, the Omaha World-Herald printed a morning edition and two afternoon ones, including a late-afternoon Wall Street Edition with closing prices.“Afternoon major-league baseball was still standard then, so I got to gorge on both baseball and stock market facts,” an 85-year-old Buffett told the World-Herald in 2013, By then, he had become the world’s most famous investor and the paper’s owner.The World-Herald ended its second afternoon edition in 2016 and Buffett left the newspaper business five years ago. Fewer than 60,000 households take the paper today, according to Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, down from nearly more than 190,000 in 2005, or about one per household.Few places symbolize the move from print to digital more than Akalla, a district of Stockholm where the ST01 data center sits at a site once occupied by the factory that prints Sweden main newspaper, Kaun says.“They have less and less machines, and instead the building is taken over more and more by this co-location data center,” she says.Data centers use huge amounts of energy, of course, and the environmental benefit of using less printing paper is also offset by the enormous popularity of online shopping.“You will see a decline in printed papers, but there is a huge increase in packaging,” says Cecilia Alcoreza, manager, of forest sector transformation for the World Wildlife Fund. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution announced in August that it would stop providing a print edition at year’s end and go completely digital, making Atlanta the largest U.S. metro area without a printed daily newspaper.The habit of following the news — of being informed about the world — can't be divorced from the existence of print, says Anne Kaun, professor of media and communication studies at Södertörn University in Stockholm. Children who grew up in homes with printed newspapers and magazines randomly came across news and socialized into a news-reading habit, Kaun observed. With cell phones, that doesn't happen. "I do think it meaningfully changes how we relate to each other, how we relate to things like the news. It is reshaping attention spans and communications,” says Sarah Wasserman, a cultural critic and assistant dean at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire who specializes in changing forms of communication. “These things will always continue to exist in certain spheres and certain pockets and certain class niches,” she says. “But I do think they’re fading."Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See – December 2025

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The Story of a Forest

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Modern Nature

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Food
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