, D-Portland: In the last year, amidst a news cycle that just wouldnât quit, the humble e-mail newsletter gained new popularity and prominence for its unfiltered, long-form takes from trusted voices. Historian Heather Cox Richardson and political journalist Matt Taibbi, for example, both offer subscribers their takes on the issues of the day via the Substack platform, which manages their mailing lists and takes a cut of the profits. Dembrow, a low-key, longtime state Senator and former community college professor whose district sprawls from Arleta to Parkrose, is giving them a run for their money, and itâs free. Almost every day, in a leisurely email to constituents, he breaks down the dayâs news in coronavirus and legislative updates, including judicious use of links and some light kibbitzing sprinkled throughout. (Most recently, readers learned that heâd acted on a hot tip from a constituent and snagged a vaccine appointment at a local Walgreens after getting shut out of the Oregon Convention Center lottery.)Â