Black Lives Matter demonstrations are a mixed bag for downtown businesses. 

Tom Bedell listens to the trees.

It’s no surprise given the state’s alarming employment trends that one can hardly throw a shoe these days without hitting a politician who claims to be creating jobs.

Oregon's unemployment rate is among the highest in the country and is heading toward double digits. If employment does not improve, one out of every 10 Oregonians will be looking for work by the middle of the year.