August 17th, 2021

What A Week   (7/19)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week! I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

• https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2022/07/portlands-world-naked-bike-ride-2022-starting-point-announced.html
  • The World Naked Bike Ride is back in Portland this month and now, an official meetup destination has been put in place. The Portland World Naked Bike Ride will begin at Peninsula Park on Saturday, July 30 at 9 p.m. The route isn’t published ahead of time. This month’s ride marks the return of an organized naked group ride in Portland after sitting out the COVID summers before. Still, organizers are asking out-of-town participants to stay home due to the increased spikes in COVID cases and the ongoing pandemic. The World Naked Bike Ride is a part of a bigger movement of protest against fossil fuel use. The FAQ section of the Portland World Naked Bike Ride website states that the organization is, quote “Using nudity as a way to draw attention to cycling, and the folly of oil dependency. We hope motorists will begin to suspect cyclists have more fun, and hence maybe they don’t need their cars as much as they thought.” end quote.

In-state news:

• 
  https://www.koin.com/news/health/coronavirus/these-21-oregon-counties-at-high-risk-for-covid-19-masks-suggested/
  • With a new subvariant of COVID-19 increasing cases across the country, a data tracker shows that most Oregon counties are now at quote “high” risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 of the state’s 36 counties, including Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties, are “high” risk. The CDC said new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 are calculated using data from July 7 through July 13 – a week total. For communities at levels considered “high” risk, the CDC suggests that community members wear masks in indoor public settings, stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines, and get tested if they experience COVID-19 symptoms.

In National News:

• https://www.oregonlive.com/health/2022/07/nationwide-988-hotline-is-the-911-for-mental-health-emergencies-suicide-prevention.html
  • The United States’ first nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline goes live on Saturday. Quick help for suicidal thoughts and other mental health emergencies can now be obtained by dialling 9-8-8 on your phone. It’s designed to be as easy to remember and use as 911, but instead of a dispatcher sending police, firefighters or paramedics, 988 will connect callers with trained mental health counselors. The federal government has provided over $280 million to help states create systems that will do much more, including mobile mental health crisis teams that can be sent to people’s homes and emergency mental health centers, similar to urgent care clinics that treat physical aches and pains.
• https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/abortion-federal-law-life-threatening?ref=bfbiobuzzfeednews&utm_campaign=bfbiobuzzfeednews&utm_source=buzzfeed.bio&p_id=99176
  • Last Monday, guidance issued by federal officials stated that abortions performed to save a patient's life or well-being are legally protected regardless of state laws that may prohibit them. The guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services is meant to reassure healthcare providers, particularly those in states where abortion is banned, that federal law is on their side  when, quote,  “offering legally-mandated, life- or health-saving abortion services in emergency situations." Officials pointed to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), a federal law passed in 1986, which requires hospitals to treat people experiencing emergency medical conditions, including pregnant patients whose health is in quote "serious jeopardy." Monday's announcement comes days after President Joe Biden issued an executive order directing HHS to take steps to protect access to abortion and other reproductive health services. The order came in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

In International News: 

• 
  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/13/business/euro-dollar-parity.html
  • Last Wednesday, the Euro fell in value, reaching parity with the U.S. dollar for the first time in 20 years. The currency value of the euro has been losing ground against the dollar since the start of the year primarily due to the war on the eurozone’s border, an uncertain energy supply from Russia, and a growing risk of recession. The currency, shared by 19 European countries, has slumped more than 11 percent this year, as the dollar’s strength has been almost unmatched. The euro’s sharp decline has come as the dollar, for generations, one of the safest places to park money, has strengthened against almost every major currency in the world.

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2022/07/11/nasa-james-webb-space-telescope-images/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wp_main&crl8_id=c09bc3cb-36b3-4855-85b4-b10d2e0ea956
  • Last Tuesday, NASA released the first set of full-color images and data obtained by the revolutionary $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope. The picture showed colliding galaxies, a dying star shedding itself layer by layer, a glorious stellar nursery, and the intriguing signs of water vapor and clouds on a giant planet whirling around a faraway star. The telescope is able to see further into the depths of space and time than the acclaimed Hubble, collecting the exquisitely faint infrared light emitted by the first stars and galaxies more than 13 billion years ago.

Closing:  Well that wraps up What a Week! Stay safe and see you guys next week. 

What A Week   (7/12)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week! I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

• https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2022/07/portlands-last-big-float-draws-thousands-to-willamette-river-for-float-finale-photos.html
  • Last Sunday, thousands of people with a wide array of floatation devices spent the day floating the Willamette River in The Big Float, an annual event that has drawn tens of thousands to Portland’s Willamette River since 2011. Sadly, after a two-year pandemic hiatus, this will be Portland’s last Big Float, according to ringleader Willie Levenson. The event first started in 2011 after the $1.44 billion Big Pipe project was completed after 20 years of construction, resulting in a near-total elimination of combined sewer overflows into the river. In response Levenson created the Human Access Project, whose mission is “transforming Portland’s relationship with the Willamette River.” Levenson serves as the nonprofit’s Ringleader. Now, the era of the annual Big Float has come to an end. Levenson stated that putting on The Big Float requires too much energy for the Human Access Project. The project wants to focus on its other goals, like addressing the harmful algae bloom threat at Ross Island Lagoon, replacing swimming docks at multiple public beaches, and creating a new access point on the Willamette as part of the Burnside Bridge replacement. Still, Levenson is holding out hope that another person or group might continue the Human Access Project’s work and revive The Big Float.

In-state news:

• 
  https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-department-of-forestry-declares-all-of-oregon-now-in-fire-season-salem-wildfire-fighters-portland-cliff-mass-washington-central-eastern-washington-human-caused
  • This past Monday morning, the Oregon Department of Forestry announced that all the ODF districts are now in fire season. Officials say that public use restrictions may be in place where you live or where you plan on spending time outdoors this summer. The start of fire season was slightly delayed this year in part to heavy rains in May and June according to officials. ODF officials say they are worried about ground fuels, like grass, that grew with the spring rain but will dry out quickly, and those fuels can become a greater risk for human-caused fires.  
  • The Oregon Department of Forestry protects over 16 million acres of private and public lands from wildfire. Most fire districts start their fire season around May or June, and the season ends around the end of October.

In National News:

• https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/clarissajanlim/derek-chauvin-21-years-federal-sentence-george-floyd
  • Last Thursday, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to violating George Floyd's civil rights. Chauvin is currently serving 22 and a half years after a state jury found him guilty of violating police policy and training when he pinned his knee on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds during an arrest in May 2020, which ended up killing Floyd. Chauvin’s 21-year federal sentence will be served concurrently with the state sentence. Chauvin pleaded guilty to federal charges in December 2021 and faced a sentence recommendation of 20 to 25 years, according to the plea agreement. Three other former police officers who were with Chauvin during the arrest — Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane — were found guilty in February of violating Floyd's civil rights by failing to provide medical care. Their state trial, initially set for June this year, was postponed to early 2023.

In International News: 

• 
  https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/adeonibada/prime-minister-boris-johnson-resign-conservative-leader
  • Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation, after several eventful days of UK politics that resulted in 50 members of Parliament officially declaring that they had lost faith in the conservative leadership. Dissent in the party was ignited by the revelation that Johnson was aware of misconduct complaints against former Conservative MP Chris Pincher, who he promoted to a government role, a decision Johnson now says quote "was the wrong thing to do." Fresh allegations of sexual misconduct against Pincher renewed scrutiny of Johnson’s handling of the complaint and called into question the integrity of the party. The 58-year-old conceded that he had been unsuccessful in convincing his colleagues to back his leadership and blamed the power of “Westminster herd instinct” as the driving force behind his downfall. Johnson was confronted last week by senior members of Parliament who called for him to step down after more than 50 resignations from within the party in recent days. Johnson intends to remain as prime minister in a caretaker role until a new leader is selected in October. 
• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-08/shinzo-abe-japan-s-longest-serving-prime-minister-dies-at-67?utm_campaign=instagram-bio-link&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram&utm_content=business
  • Shinzo Abe, the 67-year-old former prime minister of Japan, was fatally shot last Friday. Abe died in a hospital hours after being shot during a campaign event for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Nara, western Japan, according to the  Finance Minister. The death was confirmed by a doctor during a hospital press conference. Abe built a legacy during a record-breaking tenure as a foreign policy hawk, but will likely be most remembered for an aggressive economic-growth strategy that bore his name. 
•  

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-08/musk-says-he-s-terminating-44-billion-deal-to-buy-twitter?utm_campaign=instagram-bio-link&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram
  • E...

What A Week   (5/31)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week! I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

• https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/05/portland-government-email-account-used-to-defraud-city-of-14m-in-cybersecurity-breach.html
  • Last Friday, Portland officials announced that the city is out $1.4 million dollars after a person or group outside the city used a government email account to commit a fraudulent financial transaction. The costly cybersecurity breach occurred in late April but was only discovered weeks later on May 17th when the city flagged a second transaction attempt from the same account, according to a news release issued by the Office of Management and Finance. The news release did not disclose what bureau or office the email account belonged to or how it could be used to draw down substantial sums of money from city coffers. Upon learning of the breach, the city said it immediately launched an investigation and notified the Portland Police Bureau, FBI, and U.S. Secret Service. City officials said this past Friday that they would release no additional information in order to quote “protect the security and integrity of the investigation” end quote.

In-state news:

• 
  https://apnews.com/article/covid-politics-health-oregon-us-navy-70ad479c54e8210a709dcf886222d7b7
  • The USS Oregon officially joined the U.S. Navy fleet this past Saturday, marking the first submarine named after the Beaver State in more than a century. The newest Virginia-class fast attack submarine, which can dive to depths greater than 800 feet, was originally (krisened) christened in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic created some quote “slips in schedule” for the crew, said U.S. Representative  Joe Courtney,, whose district includes General Dynamics Corp.’s Electric Boat Shipyard where the 377-foot submarine was constructed. It marked the Navy’s first in-person commission ceremony since 2019, due to the pandemic. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who said she felt at home with the mist and overcast skies, urged the crew members to embrace the traits Oregonian residents possess, including a sense of adventure as well as being courageous, collaborative and compassionate.

In National News:

• https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/texas-school-shooting-victims-fourth-grade?ref=bfbiobuzzfeednews&utm_campaign=bfbiobuzzfeednews&utm_source=buzzfeed.bio&p_id=95783
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/30/first-thing-biden-visits-uvalde-after-mass-shooting
  • Last Tuesday, 2 teachers and 19 children were killed after a shooter opened fire in a Texas elementary school. The incident at Robb Elementary in (youvawllldee) Uvalde, a small city roughly 80 miles west of San Antonio, was the deadliest shooting at a grade school since the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in 2012. The children, who were largely in fourth grade, were fatally shot in the same classroom just days before summer vacation would have begun. Victims of the shooting were mourned online in social media tributes by their families. The school has opened a memorial fund in their honor.
  • President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited Uvalde this past Sunday to pay their respects to the victims, and the community. The visit marked the second presidential visit related to a massacre within two weeks after a racist attack in Buffalo, New York, as Democrats in Washington offered tentative hope of bipartisan gun reform legislation in Congress.

In International News: 

• 
  https://www.democracynow.org/2022/5/27/headlines/only_yes_means_yes_spanish_parliament_passes_sexual_consent_bill
  • Last week, Spain’s parliament approved landmark legislation that would codify the definition of consent as an explicit expression of a person’s will into Spanish law, freeing survivors of sexual assault from the burden of having to prove violence or intimidation was used against them.  The new law, which was known as the quote “only yes means yes” bill, was introduced to give a solid definition of what rape is. Before the introduction of the bill, rape cases in Spain were decided on whether the survivor was threatened with other physical violence or intimidated. ⁣Irene Montero, Spain’s equalities minister, celebrated the new law and said in a statement quote, “From today, Spain is a freer, safer country for all women. We are going to swap violence for freedom, we are going to swap fear for desire,” end quote.⁣ The bill still has to pass through the Senate before being enshrined in Spanish law. ⁣
  •  

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• https://www.npr.org/2022/05/30/1102044111/man-throws-cake-at-mona-lisa-the-louvre
• This past Sunday, a man who seemed to have been disguised as an old woman in a wheelchair threw a piece of cake at the Mona Lisa in Paris. A video posted on social media shows security guards at the Louvre Museum escorting the man away as he spoke in French about the planet.  According to The Associated Press, the man reportedly said quote, "Think of the Earth! There are people who are destroying the Earth! Think about it. Artists tell you: think of the Earth. That's why I did this," end quote. Another video showed someone clearing the cake off the glass protecting the Mona Lisa, as onlookers held up their phones to film the incident's aftermath. The 36-year-old man was detained and sent to a psychiatric unit, according to the AP. The original Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1519. The oil painting hangs in the Louvre's largest room, according to the museum's website.

Closing:  Well that wraps up What a Week! Stay safe and see you guys next week. 

What A Week   (5/24)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week! I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

• https://katu.com/news/local/permits-for-western-columbia-river-gorge-national-scenic-area-may-24-september-5-multnomah-falls-oregon-timed-use-pass-waterfalls
  • The summer permit system will be in effect starting this week for visits to the western Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. From May 24th through September 5th, timed-use permits will be required for cars in the quote, "Waterfall Corridor" between Vista House and Ainsworth State Park. The western Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area includes access to picnic areas, scenic viewpoints, trails, and many waterfalls, including the iconic Multnomah Falls viewpoint. Permits will also be required for the Multnomah Falls exit along I-84 (Exit 31)

In-state news:

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/house-primary-win-oregon-latina-andrea-salinas-make-history-november-rcna29464
  • Oregon state Rep. Andrea Salinas won a crowded Democratic congressional primary last week,, overcoming a better-financed opponent who was backed by the House leadership's campaign arm. If Salinas wins the election in November, she'll be the first Latina elected to Congress from Oregon. Her win would be a boost for Latino Democrats who had publicly clashed with the Democratic leadership's House Majority PAC over its endorsement in the race of political newcomer Carrick Flynn. Salinas said in a statement last Tuesday night quote,  "I am ready to win this seat in November and work hard to expand access to abortion care, tackle the climate crisis, and lower the cost of prescription drugs," end quote. NBC News has declared Salinas the winner in the race. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ political action committee, Bold PAC, threw its backing and $1 million in ad support behind Salinas, while the House Majority PAC’s put $1 million behind Flynn.

In National News:

• https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2022-05-20/pentagon-denies-ukrainian-claims-of-plan-to-destroy-russias-black-sea-fleet
  • Last Friday, the Pentagon denied that it is forging plans to destroy one of Russia’s most consequential navy fleets, despite assertions to that effect from the Ukrainian government, but officials did leave open the possibility of new weapons shipments that would dramatically change the scope of naval warfare in the region. Anton Herashchenko, an official adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, tweeted last Thursday, quote “The US is preparing a plan to destroy the Black Sea Fleet,” end quote, according to a translation, in an attempt to force access to strategic ports that Russia has blockaded. 
  • Control of the seas off Ukraine’s coast has become among the most high-profile issues facing Western officials supporting the government in Kyiv against the Russian invaders. Despite some successes in recent weeks – notably the sinking of the Russian flagship Mosvka – warships loyal to Moscow have succeeded in exerting pressure on Ukraine.
  •  

In International News: 

• 
  https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61505842
  • Last week it was reported that the country of Sri Lanka has defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history as the country struggles with its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years. A 30-day grace period to come up with $78m (£63m) of unpaid debt interest payments expired last Wednesday. The governor of the South Asian nation's central bank said the country was now in a quote "pre-emptive default". Last Thursday, two of the world's biggest credit rating agencies also said Sri Lanka had defaulted. 
  • Defaults happen when governments are unable to meet some or all of their debt payments to creditors. It can damage a country's reputation with investors, making it harder for it to borrow the money it needs on international markets, which can further harm confidence in its currency and economy.

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/22/world/rhino-population-population-growth-scn-trnd/index.html
  • Nepal's population of one-horned rhinos has increased to its highest number in more than 20 years, partly owing to a pause in tourism due to the Covid-19 pandemic that allowed the animals' habitats to regenerate, conservationists said. The population of rhinos across four national parks in Nepal increased to 752 in the latest count, up by more than 100 from 645 animals in 2015, according to an information officer at Nepal's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). Since 2000, no previous survey of rhino populations by the Nepali government has found more than 650 of the animals. 

Closing:  Well that wraps up What a Week! Stay safe and see you guys next week. 

What A Week   (5/17)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week! I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

• https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/05/more-than-20-old-town-encampments-home-to-dozens-of-people-swept-in-past-few-days.html
  • Last week,  an order by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was subsequently cleared, allowing for the removal of at least 21 homeless encampments in Old Town, ranging in size from one to four city blocks, said Cody Bowman, a spokesman in Wheeler’s office. An estimated 165 tents or structures were removed, according to the city office that cleans and removes camps. Typically one to three people live in each temporary home. It is unprecedented for the city to sweep so many camps in one area within three days. Bowman said in a report quote “The (Old Town Community Association) has rightly asked for an intervention to address the high rate of murder and other crimes in Old Town. They have rightly pointed out that a high number of victims murdered or injured in Old Town have been Portlanders experiencing homelessness.” At least five people experiencing homelessness have died from homicide in Portland this year.

In-state news:

• https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-crime-lawsuits-portland-2f52f54495baf53da222f55c48eba3ed
  • This past Monday, criminal defendants in Oregon who have gone without legal representation for long periods of time amid a critical shortage of public defense attorneys filed a lawsuit that alleges the state violated their constitutional right to legal counsel and a speedy trial. The complaint, which seeks class-action status, was filed as state lawmakers and the Oregon Office of Public Defense Services struggle to address the huge shortage of public defenders statewide. The crisis has led to the dismissal of dozens of cases and left an estimated 500 defendants statewide — including several dozen in custody on serious felonies — without legal representation. Crime victims are also impacted because cases are taking longer to reach resolution, a delay that experts say extends their trauma, weakens evidence and erodes confidence in the justice system, especially among low-income and minority groups.
  •  The lawsuit specifically names Gov. Kate Brown and Stephen Singer, the recently appointed executive director of the state’s public defense agency, and asks for a court injunction ordering criminal defendants to be released if they can’t be provided with an attorney in a reasonable period of time. Oregon’s system to provide attorneys for criminal defendants who can’t afford them was underfunded and understaffed before COVID-19, but a significant slowdown in court activity during the pandemic pushed it to a breaking point. A report by the American Bar Association released in January found Oregon has 31% of the public defenders it needs. Every existing attorney would have to work more than 26 hours a day during the work week to cover the caseload, the authors said.

In National News:

• https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/making-sense-of-the-racist-mass-shooting-in-buffalo
• https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/amberjamieson/buffalo-tops-supermarket-mass-shooting
  • Last  Saturday, 10 people were killed and 3 were wounded in a mass shooting at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, on according to law enforcement officials who spoke to the Associated Press.
  • The US attorney's office announced that the FBI was investigating the shooting as a hate crime and racially motivated violent extremism. The shooting took place at Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue in the neighborhood of Masten Park, a predominantly Black neighborhood. Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia described the shooter as an 18-year-old white man, and told reporters that he was wearing tactical gear and using a camera to livestream the attack.
  • The suspect, who is eighteen, used a weapon painted with a white-supremacist slogan and live-streamed his attack. Prior to the shooting, he also allegedly posted a manifesto, which relies heavily on the so-called great replacement theory, a racist conspiracy that has become increasingly mainstream in a number of Western countries, from France to the United States. 
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-deaths-1-million-biden/
  • Last Thursday, President Biden commemorated the 1 million American lives lost to COVID-19 in his remarks opening the second Global COVID Summit, a virtual gathering of world leaders, nongovernmental organizations and private sector companies hosted by the the White House. In recognition of the disease's high toll, Mr. Biden also issued a proclamation ordering flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset on May 16. The president also urged Congress to approve more funding for his administration's COVID-19 efforts, saying the world is quote "at a new stage in fighting this pandemic, facing an evolving set of challenges."
  • COVID-19 ranks behind only heart disease and cancer as America's leading causes of death over the past two years, claiming vastly more lives than other infectious diseases. By comparison, the flu season of 2017-18, one of the deadliest in recent decades, claimed an estimated 52,000 lives. 

In International News: 

• 
  https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2022/05/13/elon-musk-twitter-deal-temporarily-hold/9765540002/
• https://nypost.com/2022/05/13/elon-musk-says-twitter-deal-temporarily-on-hold/
  • Elon Musk said this past Friday that his planned $44 billion purchase of Twitter is quote “temporarily on hold” pending details on spam and fake accounts on the social media platform. In a tweet, the Tesla billionaire linked to a Reuters story from May 2nd citing a financial filing from Twitter that estimated false or spam accounts made up fewer than 5% of the company's "monetizable daily active users" in the first quarter. Musk tweeted the following quote, "Twitter deal temporarily on hold pending details supporting calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users," end quote. Musk’s tweet caused Twitter stocks to dip more than 25% to as low as $33.79 in pre-market trading early this past friday and caused a load of uncertainity into the weekend. 
  •  

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.npr.org/2022/05/16/1099079032/mcdonalds-leaving-russia
  • Last...

What A Week   (5/10)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week! I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

• https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/05/police-arrest-34-year-old-portland-man-accused-of-vandalizing-synagogues-setting-fire-to-mosque.html
  • Last Friday, Portland Police arrested Michael Edgar Bivins, a 34-year-old Portland man suspected of intentionally setting a fire at a Muslim community center, as well as breaking windows at two Jewish congregations and leaving graffiti on one of them. Bivins was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center around 4 a.m. this past Saturday on five charges of arson and criminal mischief. Four of the charges are felonies. 
  • Bivins was a freelance journalist who frequently covered protests in Portland over the past decade. Bivins had written or co-written about 20 stories for Willamette Week between 2016 and 2019, according to the newspaper’s website. Willamette Week said on Saturday that it was conducting a review of his work.

In-state news:

• https://www.kptv.com/2022/05/07/first-case-new-bird-flu-outbreak-detected-oregon/
• https://katu.com/news/local/bird-flu-found-in-oregon-for-the-first-time-since-2015
  • For the first time since 2015, the highly pathogenic avian (AVEEan) influenza (HPAI), also known as the bird flu, was found in a non-commercial backyard flock in Oregon. Officials say the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed that the bird flu was found in a non-commercial, backyard flock (non-poultry) in Linn County.
  • H5N1 is a highly contagious virus that transmits easily among wild and domestic bird species. However, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recent bird flu detection does not present an immediate public health concern. The avian flu, or bird flu, is spread by migrating birds. The outbreak started in the Midwest and has been spreading across the country. It has impacted both private flocks and commercial farms. Wildlife officials said they were expecting the highly contagious virus in the Pacific Northwest after an infected bald eagle was found in British Columbia this past March. 
  • So far, the bird flu has not been found in commercial poultry in Oregon. The outbreak has led to the culling of 37 million chickens and turkeys in the U.S. since February. It’s also caused an increase in egg and poultry prices.

In National News:

• https://www.buzzfeed.com/victoriavouloumanos/effects-of-roe-v-wade-overturned
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61302740
  • Last week, political journalism company Politico published a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.  Its publication last Monday night sparked an immediate outcry from Democrats, as well as protests by both pro-choice and anti-abortion campaigners nationwide. The document suggests that the 1973 landmark decision that recognized the constitutional right to abortion could be overruled within the next two months. Though this would not ban abortion in the US, the right to abortion would be left for each state to independently decide. As of May 2022, 28 states are set to ban or restrict abortion if it is not federally protected. Thirteen states have already passed so-called trigger laws that will automatically ban abortion if Roe is overruled this summer. Some 36 million women could then lose abortion access, according to research from Planned Parenthood, a healthcare organization that provides access to safe abortions.  

• It is still unclear whether this leaked supreme court document represents a final opinion, as justices have previously changed their views during the drafting process. The Supreme Court's justices are expected to issue a ruling in late June or early July. President Joe Biden said in a statement last Tuesday quote, "If the court does overturn Roe, it will fall on our nation's elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman's right to choose," end quote. 

In International News: 

• 
  https://www.npr.org/2022/05/08/1097457937/dozens-feared-dead-after-russian-bomb-levels-ukraine-school
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61369229
• https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-business-kharkiv-moscow-65f9cf07670ad6021b9dbe35220f3bde
  • This past Sunday it was reported that an estimated 60 people were killed after a bomb hit a school in east Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Authorities said about 90 people were sheltering in the basement. Emergency crews found two bodies and rescued 30 people, but quote  “most likely all 60 people who remain under the rubble are now dead,” according to the governor of the Luhansk province. 
  •  U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was quote  "appalled" by the reported school bombing Saturday in the eastern village of Bilohorivka and called it another reminder that quote "it is civilians that pay the highest price" in war. 
• https://www.npr.org/2022/05/08/1097460153/ukraine-jill-biden-visit-mothers-day
  • In more updates on the Russian-Ukraine war,  First lady Jill Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine this past Sunday and met with the country's first lady, Olena Zelenska. It was the first time a U.S. first lady has traveled solo to a combat zone since 2015 when Michelle Obama visited Qatar's al-Udeid Air Base. Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has been in hiding along with their children since the beginning of the war. This was the first time since the war began that Zelenska had emerged in public. Biden said to the traveling press quote, "I wanted to come on Mother's Day. We thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop, and this war has been brutal. And the people of the U.S. stand with the people of Ukraine,” end quote. 

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.npr.org/2022/05/08/1097485283/nepali-climber-climbed-everest-for-the-26th-time-world-record
  • Last Saturday, Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa made history after summiting Mount Everest f...

What A Week   (5/3)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week! I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

• https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/04/portlands-mayor-to-propose-spending-39-million-to-add-unarmed-public-safety-specialists-in-police-bureau.html
  • This week Portland mayor Ted Wheeler will propose spending $3.9 million to more than triple the city’s number of unarmed public safety specialists to free up sworn police officers to handle higher priority calls. The public safety specialists handle low-level, non-emergency calls. There are now 20 active public safety specialists. Two more are anticipated to be hired soon and contingency funding is available for another 12, bringing the total positions now funded to 34. The mayor wants to fund another 28 specialists next fiscal year to bring the total number to 62. The specialists now can handle 33 types of calls, including stolen vehicle cold calls, cold theft calls, calls about stolen vehicles or other property recovered, suspicious subjects, vandalism and non-injury accidents. They also help police with traffic detours, conduct searches for missing persons and attend neighborhood meetings. The mayor’s request is expected to be released Tuesday as part of his requested city budget for the next fiscal year. 

In-state news:

• https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-rolls-out-digital-covid-19-vaccine-cards
  • Last wednesday, Oregon health officials rolled out a digital vaccine card option which allows people to keep track of their COVID vaccination records online. The Oregon Health Authority said the quote “My Electronic Vaccine Card” is an easy way to present proof of your COVID vaccines when requested by shops, airports, or other businesses. The card, which is completely optional, is available in 13 languages. “The only information stored on the digital card is your name, date of birth and the types of vaccines you’ve received in Oregon,” the state said.

In National News:

• https://www.npr.org/2022/04/26/1061867530/kamala-harris-test-positive-covid-vice-president
  • The White House announced last Tuesday that vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19. They stated that Harris exhibited no symptoms and will be isolating at home. The White House further said quote "Harris has not been a close contact to the President or First Lady due to their respective recent travel schedules… She will follow CDC guidelines and the advice of her physicians. The Vice President will return to the White House when she tests negative." end quote. Like President Joe Biden, Harris had been cautious about the virus, masking indoors and minimizing large gatherings. The White House dropped most of those precautions this spring, and since then, has seen several covid cases, amid a larger uptick in Washington, D.C. 
• https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2022-04-28/critical-ukraine-aid-covid-19-funding-facing-potential-roadblocks-in-congress
  • Last Thursday, President Joe Biden renewed his calls for Congress to swiftly pass tens of billions of dollars in additional Ukrainian aid as well as more COVID-19 funding but both priorities face an uncertain path if they’re linked together and could cause further delays of aid Biden and others deems critical. The two distinct emergency aid packages have bipartisan support, especially when it comes to funding for Ukraine to counter Russia’s unabating invasion but the legislative process could threaten swift passage of aid seen as time sensitive. In addition, Republicans have remained committed to demands for a vote on a Trump-era border policy as part of covid-funding.

In International News: 

• 
  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/29/china-says-nato-is-messing-up-europe-and-warns-over-role-in-asia-pacific
  • Last week, China’s ministry of foreign affairs  accused Nato (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization)  of messing up Europe and stirring up conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region, after the UK’s foreign secretary indirectly called out the Chinese government. In a speech at Mansion House in London last Wednesday, Liz Truss renewed calls to boost Nato in the wake of the Ukraine war, and said the coordinated moves to isolate Russia from the world economy proved that market access to democratic countries was no longer a given. In her speech, she also delivered a direct warning to China stating quote “Countries must play by the rules. And that includes China,” end quote. Truss has previously accused China and Russia of being quote “aggressors working in concert”, telling Australian media she couldn’t rule out China using Russia’s invasion as an opportunity to launch its own act of aggression.
  • Last Thursday Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s ministry of foreign affairs, dismissed Truss’s comments and accused Nato of demanding other countries abide by basic norms while it has quote “wantonly waged wars and dropped bombs in sovereign states, killing and displacing innocent civilians”. China has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, one of its closest allies, drawing criticism and urgings from European and other governments to use its influence on Moscow. 

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://news.yahoo.com/central-african-republic-adopts-bitcoin-104407031.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFc1WofBsYi4TYcuLa4T0Xw8SH2hdoc6kvoCvq_5Cx1S3QhFlBMyglvB0tY0xYwpafVEjwRkcYt9flOBDlhnaqXqGJwC0oUTABi8PpU0jhoCzU4boojTZbMRMihM-CaEHNR96NXsQVPMDLGNuhwbJfcG6zD6iwYHBZ870pZUMdgQ
  • The Central African Republic has officially adopted bitcoin as legal tender, the president's office said last Wednesday.  The Central African Republic is now the second country in the world to do so behind El Salvador. According to a statement the chief of staff Obed Namsio made,  lawmakers unanimously adopted a bill that made bitcoin legal tender alongside the CFA franc and legalized the use of cryptocurrencies. President Faustin Archange Touadera signed the measure into law.  Namsio also said in the statement q...

What A Week   (4/26)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week! I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

• https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/10m-to-be-used-toward-cleaning-up-garbage-around-metro/
  • Last week it was announced that 10 million dollars in new state funding will now be officially used to help clean up dumped garbage in Portland. Oregon state governor Kate Brown approved the funding last week which will be used to clean up public spaces in the metro. Nearly 75% of the funding will be directed toward cleanup programs, specifically bettering current services and developing new ones. 
  • Meanwhile, the Metro said the remaining funds will be allocated toward installing sharps boxes, replacing vegetation and signage, and reducing graffiti and fencing.  Metro Council President Lynn Peterson said in a statement quote, “Over the course of the pandemic, we have seen a significant increase in the amount of illegal dumping and littering, and the government has struggled to keep up with the problem,” end quote. 
  • More than 1,400 sites have reportedly been cleaned so far in 2022. Those sites accounted for about 3 tons of trash picked up each day, metro officials said. The funding will not be used to move camps or anyone experiencing homelessness.

In-state news:

• https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/covid-cases-rise-hospitalizations-follow-gentler-path/283-5ca071a0-d0f4-42cf-8aa0-21f8b2267b52
  • Last week the state of Oregon saw an uptick in COVID-19 cases primarily due to the BA.2 variant, but some health experts feel confident severe illness and hospitalizations won't climb much. The BA.2 variant is moving through the Pacific Northwest, much like it already has in Europe and the northeastern United States. Oregon's seven-day average, which had been under 400 cases per day for most of the past month, is now pushing toward 700 cases per day. Experts said the state could get up to 1,000 cases per day, but likely will not get anywhere near the 9,000 per day during the height of the omicron surge. Dr. Peter Graven at Oregon Health & Science University said relatively high vaccination rates coupled with people's natural immunity to the virus will likely keep cases from skyrocketing again.

In National News:

• https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/18/politics/cdc-mask-mandate-ruling/index.html
  • Last Monday, A federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden administration's mask mandate for airplanes and other public transport methods, and a Biden administration official says the order is no longer in effect while the ruling is reviewed. US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle said the mandate was unlawful because it exceeded the statutory authority of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and because its implementation violated administrative law. Biden administration officials said Monday night quote, "In the meantime, today's court decision means CDC's public transportation masking order is not in effect at this time. Therefore, TSA will not enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs at this time. CDC recommends that people continue to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings" end quote. The developments added fresh confusion to masking policies nationwide, with several airlines and travel authorities quickly announcing last Monday evening that masks are now optional. It is unclear if the Justice Department will seek an order halting the ruling and file an appeal.
  •  

In International News: 

• 
  https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/amansethi/elon-musk-buys-twitter
  • This past Monday, Twitter’s board of directors accepted Elon Musk’s offer to buy the influential social media network, bringing a quick end to the weeks of uncertainty that began on April 4th, when Musk announced he had become the company’s biggest shareholder. The Tesla CEO will buy the social network for about $44 billion, taking it private by purchasing its shares for $54.20 in cash. The company announced that Musk had secured $46.5 billion to finance the acquisition and that it expects the deal to close in 2022. Twitter users have responded to Musk’s acquisition in predictably polarized ways. After Reuters reported on Monday that the board was planning to accept Musk’s offer, #RIPTwitter started trending on the platform. During a press briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki responded to the news by stating quote,  "No matter who owns or runs Twitter, the president has long been concerned about the power large social media platforms have over our everyday lives," end quote..
  •  

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.npr.org/2022/04/25/1094630648/the-worlds-oldest-person-japans-kane-tanaka-dies-at-age-119
  • Last week, the world's oldest person, Japan's Kane Tanaka, passed away at the age of 119 according to Japanese authorities. Although she didn't quite make it to her personal goal of 120 years old, Kane Tanaka still lived long enough to become the world's oldest person — a title she held for the past three years, and attributed to family, sleep, hope and faith. Tanaka, who had been living at a nursing home in Fukuoka, died last Tuesday at a hospital. According to Guinness World Records, Tanaka was born prematurely on Jan. 2, 1903. She was the seventh child in her family.

Closing:  Well that wraps up What a Week! Stay safe and see you guys next week. 

What A Week   (4/12)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week! I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

• https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2022/04/group-sets-dumpster-on-fire-at-police-precinct-damages-several-buildings-in-north-and-ne-portland-police-say.html
• https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/group-protesting-police-killing-in-michigan-damages-portland-oregon-businesses-patrick-lyoya-protestors-police-bureaus-north-precinct-mlk-jr-boulevard
  • This past Saturday, a group of protesters marched through the streets of northeast Portland, damaging buildings and lighting a dumpster on fire at the Portland Police Bureau’s north precinct. Police reported that some members of the group vandalized a Starbucks coffee shop, two banks, and three bus shelters on Northeast MLK Jr. Boulevard.  According to posts on social media, the Peninsula Park gathering and march were intended as a demonstration calling for justice for Patrick Lyoya, who was shot and killed by a police officer in Grand Rapids, Michigan during a traffic stop on April 4th. Lyoya, who moved to the United States with his family from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2014, was shot in the back of the head by a police officer as he laid face down on the ground, a video released last week shows.

In-state news:

• https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/elliott-state-forest-deal-bill-research-logging-public/283-20d6709a-c369-4e07-b6d8-11d226f0beb4
  • Last week, a compromise deal was reached to keep Elliot State Forest, Oregon’s oldest state forest, in public ownership, preserving it for future generations.  With Senate Bill 1546, ceremonially signed by Governor Kate Brown last week, the state will pay more than $200 million to the common school fund — and in exchange, the forest will no longer be counted on to financially support public schools. The passing of the state senate bill will transition the Elliott into a research forest, but will also allow some logging. 

The Elliott State Forest is full of old-growth trees and is a habitat for several endangered species. Since 1930, timber sales from the forest were part of funding K-12 education in Oregon. The 91,000-acre forest is located east of Coos Bay in southwest Oregon.

• https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/president-biden-coming-to-portland-seattle/283-edbebf2c-452b-480d-b3f1-ba4bd03954e6
  • President Joe Biden will visit Portland on Thursday, April 21, to speak about investments being made from the recent infrastructure bill, according to the White House. There are currently no formal details as to where in the city and what time his visit will take place. Back in November, Congress passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill and it was announced that both Oregon and Washington were going to receive billions of dollars in federal funding. Oregon estimated it would receive about $1.2 billion over the next five years. The Oregon government said in November it was considering the I-5 Bridge and the Rose Quarter highway redesign project as candidates for a big portion of the funds.

In National News:

• https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-04-13/cdc-extends-federal-mask-mandate-for-transportation-into-may
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last Wednesday that they will be extending the federal mask mandate for transportation, including on planes, trains, and in airports, through the beginning of May. The order was set to expire on April 18, but the agency wants more time to monitor for potential increases in severe cases of COVID-19 as infections rise. The order will now extend to May 3rd. The transportation mask mandate is one of the few federal coronavirus measures left in place. The order has faced legal challenges and pushback after the CDC updated its guidance to reflect that virtually all Americans live in areas where they no longer need to wear masks indoors.

In International News: 

• https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2022-04-13/biden-approves-800-million-for-ukraine-white-house-defends-genocide-remark
  • President Joe Biden announced last Wednesday that he’s authorizing an additional $800 million in security assistance for Ukraine as the U.S. continues to step up its response to Russia’s invasion. After recently accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of war crimes, Biden took it a step further last Tuesday during a speech in Iowa by referring to the invasion as a quote “genocide,” later adding that the determination is up to the international courts. 

Russia is still currently striking Ukraine and troops are expected to advance toward the east. Earlier last week, the Pentagon expressed alarm about reports of chemical weapons used against Ukrainian troops in Mariupol and is monitoring the situation. 

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.theverge.com/23026874/elon-musk-twitter-buyout-news-updates
• https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/richardnieva/elon-musk-twitter-acquisition-offer-ted
  • Last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a formal offer in his SEC filing to buy Twitter for 43 billion dollars. Hours after this disclosure, Elon Musk said in a TED live conference in Vancouver that his offer to buy Twitter is about his desire to quote “increase the trust of ...

What A Week   (4/12)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week!  It’s been a while since our last podcast, but we are finally back. I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

• https://www.pdx.edu/celebration-life-mara-marluke
• https://psuvanguard.com/psu-community-gathers-for-vigil-to-amara-marluke/
  • Last week, the Portland State University community mourned the tragic death of Amara “Mara” Marluke,  a PSU student who was shot and killed on Monday, April 4th.  More than 300 people gathered in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom on Saturday, April 9th to celebrate the life of the remarkable young woman, musician, and activist.  As PSU President Stephen Percy said in his remarks, Mara “represented the best of PSU.”  Friends, family, and college and high school classmates of Mara urged the community to live on with her memory and with courage to fight injustice. Several other memorials and vigils were held by the community throughout the week to commemorate mara’s death. 

In-state news:

• https://www.koin.com/weather/this-was-the-most-april-snow-portland-has-seen-in-at-least-82-years/
• https://katu.com/news/local/the-last-time-there-was-snow-in-april-in-portland-was-69-years-ago-climatologist-says
  • New weather records were set this past Monday from the rare April snowstorm that swept across Northwest Oregon. According to the National Weather Service, Portland’s snowfall on Monday was enough to surpass the most it has seen on a single day in April since they started tracking weather in the area in 1940. The unusual amount of snowfall this late into the season left many wondering whether this was a result of climate change or simply just the weather. Larry O'Neill, associate professor with Oregon State University and Oregon state climatologist, spoke about this matter agreeing that snow this late into spring is unusual but not unprecedented. He states quote “ climate change probably did not cause this snowstorm or contribute to it. In fact, in a warming climate, we actually expect fewer freezing temperatures in the Willamette Valley, and a little bit less snow and more rain." end quote. He further mentions that this could change in the future but right now, there doesn’t seem to be any grounding evidence that this unusual weather occurrence was directly caused by the climate change crisis. 

In National News:

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/06/us-covid-coronavirus-delta-variant
  • The Senate voted last Thursday to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the US Supreme Court. The Senate voted 53–47 to confirm Jackson, with Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney joining Democrats. Jackson’s confirmation makes her the first Black woman to ever serve on the nation’s highest court in its more than 200-year history. Jackson is also only the third Black person and sixth woman to ever join the court. She will replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer at the end of the court’s term this summer, fulfilling one of President Biden’s early campaign promises of having a Black woman serve on the bench. Her appointment represents a dramatic step forward in diversifying a federal bench where people of color and women have been historically underrepresented. 
• https://www.npr.org/2022/04/06/1091018301/student-loan-pause-extended
  • The Biden administration announced last Wednesday that it is again extending the moratorium on federal student loan payments, interest, and collections,  until Aug. 31st of this year. The U.S. Department of Education also introduced a plan to reset the roughly 7 million borrowers who are in default, using the pandemic pause to restore their accounts to good standing.
  •  The loan repayment freeze began in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, and will now last at least two and a half years. 
  • News of this latest extension received mixed reviews from borrower advocates and from fellow democrats not only because it was shorter than expected but also because Biden has still yet to comment on the possibility of broader student loan cancellations, a pledge he made during his campaign trail.

In International News: 

• 
  https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/apr/08/global-food-prices-rise-to-highest-ever-levels-after-russian-invasion-ukraine-wheat
  • A United Nations report revealed that global food prices rose to their highest ever levels in March as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s monthly food price index published last Friday… cooking oils, cereals and meats have hit an all-time high. The Russia-Ukraine war has negatively impacted supply chains in the crucial Black Sea breadbasket region, affecting global trade flows and sparking panic about shortages of key food staples such as wheat and cooking oils. 
  • Last week, the World Food Programme said the effect of blocked exports would hit several countries in East Africa, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan – countries already experiencing severe drought and conflict. The WFP stated that the price of local foods has already increased by a quarter, on average, compared with last year but have been as high as 92% in countries like Sudan. 

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.npr.org/2022/04/08/1091681181/the-academy-bans-will-smith-for-10-years-for-chris-rock-slap
  • This past Friday, the  Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted to ban actor Will Smith from all its events, virtually or in person, for 10 years. This decision is a direct response to the chaos that erupted during the Oscars  when Will Smith infamously walked on stage to slap comedian Chris Rock after he made a snide joke about Smith’s wife. 

Will Smith previously made a statement acknowledging his inexcusable actions at the Oscars and his resignation from the Academy. Upon making their decision, the Academy's board of governors issued an official statement stating quote, "This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith's behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety...