Multnomah County, Oregon

Workers at Multnomah County, Oregon, represented by Oregon AFSCME Local 88, rallied outside the county building in Portland to oppose a new return-to-office mandate. The county announced in August that it would shift to a "Hybrid Workplace" model requiring in-person work at least three days a week starting in 2027, with department directors ordered to increase in-person presence by Oct. 19.

Union organizers say employees have worked remotely for six years without a drop in productivity, citing a county study, and argue the county has not been transparent about the costs of building out office space to accommodate returning staff. They also say no exceptions will be made for workers hired as full-time remote employees or those who relocated. The county says 75% of hires already work in person or on hybrid schedules. County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson defended the policy as a way to better serve residents, while Commissioner Shannon Singleton, a candidate for her seat, sided with protesting workers, citing unresolved questions on cost and morale.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. v. Board of County Commissioners of Boulder County, a case testing whether local governments can use state tort law to seek damages from energy companies for climate-related harms tied to global carbon emissions. Boulder County filed its suit in Colorado state court in 2018, arguing that fossil fuel producers should pay damages for local impacts of climate change. It is one of dozens of similar suits filed by cities, counties, and states nationwide, including a $51.5 billion claim from Multnomah County, Oregon.

Critics argue these suits are an attempt to achieve carbon-tax-like outcomes through litigation rather than legislation, and that allowing them to proceed would let a single jurisdiction effectively dictate energy policy nationwide, raising energy costs for consumers. Supporters of the litigation maintain they seek only monetary damages, not regulatory changes. The Court's ruling could determine whether similar climate liability suits against the energy industry continue across the country, with major implications for energy markets and producers.

Absentee voting is underway in Detroit as Michigan prepares to elect a new governor, U.S. senator, members of Congress, the state Legislature, and other state and local offices. According to Detroit Votes, the city's nonpartisan voter information campaign, about 85,000 of Detroit's roughly 101,000 requested absentee ballots had been mailed as of Monday morning, with the remainder expected to go out later in the week.

Election officials are urging voters to return completed ballots promptly, including via 38 secure drop boxes located throughout the city. Michigan's nine-day statewide early voting period begins Oct. 24, offering another option for Detroiters to cast ballots ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. The pace of absentee returns in a major Democratic stronghold like Detroit is a closely watched indicator for statewide turnout trends.

Portland-area election officials say they remain confident in Oregon's vote-by-mail system after an unidentified whistleblower alleged the U.S. Postal Service is rushing out a ballot-processing system riddled with errors, warning a single scanning mistake could block an entire batch of ballots. The new USPS system is tied to a March executive order requiring states to submit lists of eligible voters for mail ballots, an order Oregon and other states are challenging in federal court as unconstitutional.

Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said the county's system remains secure and convenient, and expects a temporary restraining order against the executive order to hold. He noted vote-by-mail was established by a 1998 Oregon voter initiative, not legislators. Clackamas County officials say they are proceeding as with any election, urging voters to confirm their addresses, request ballots if needed, and sign up for tracking. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said the state will keep challenging the USPS plan while ensuring safe, accurate elections regardless of the outcome. President Trump has said the order targets election fraud.