What A Week

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...

What A Week   (9/27- 10/3)

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/politics/2021/09/downtown-portland-clean-safe-contract-renewed-for-5-years.html
  • Portland city commissioners voted this past Wednesday to allow the Downtown and Old Town enhanced service district to continue to exist with a new five-year, $25 million Clean & Safe contract to provide extra security and trash removal within the district. The deal means the city will collect fees from downtown property owners to pay for armed and unarmed security guards, additional Portland Police Bureau officers, sidewalk cleaning, holiday lights, a staff position at the district attorney’s office, economic development, lobbying, and administration costs. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said in a statement that he believes the new contract is a step in the right direction, paving the way for continued conversation. Some changes made from the previous contract include new uniforms for security guards that will make them distinguishable from police officers, a 25% limit on the number of guards who can be armed, and a three-person mental health team that will join the guards. Additional transparency measures will also be required including increased reporting of Clean & Safe activities and spending to the city.

In-state news:

• 
  https://katu.com/news/local/decrease-in-oregon-covid-hospitalizations-promising-news-gov-brown-says
  • It looks like COVID-19 hospitalizations are declining across Oregon, a trend Governor Kate Brown called "promising news" during a press conference discussing the virus this past Tuesday. As of this past Tuesday, there were 822 Oregonians in the hospital with COVID-19, which is 44 less than there were on Monday. That number is also down from a total of 944 one week ago (Sept. 21), and more than 1,100 were hospitalized a month ago. Health officials say there are 237 COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit, and there’s an 8% availability of open ICU beds statewide. The Oregon Health Authority reported 1,658 new confirmed and presumptive cases of the virus this past Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 326,191 since the pandemic began. As of Tuesday, 2,731,271 people have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 2,501,554 have completed a vaccine series.

In National News:

• https://www.npr.org/2021/10/03/1042846846/a-massive-oil-spill-in-the-pacific-ocean-has-reached-the-southern-california-coa
  • More than 120,000 gallons of oil that spilled into the Pacific Ocean has reached the Southern California coastline, closing parts of the beach as officials warn residents to stay away from the slick. Federal, state, and local agencies are still racing to determine the cause of the spill, which is at least 13 square miles in size. They are also working on developing ways to mitigate the spill’s ecological impact.  Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said in a statement on Saturday quote,  "The ramifications will extend further than the visible oil and odor that our residents are dealing with at the moment. The impact to the environment is irreversible. We must identify the cause of the spill, and for the greater good of our cities, beaches, and coastal ecological habitat we need to understand how to prevent these incidences moving forward” end quote. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, as of this past Saturday, the cause of the spill remains under investigation. 

In International News: 

• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-58729781
  • Australia's Daintree - the world's oldest tropical rainforest - has been returned to its Aboriginal owners in a historic deal. The Eastern Kuku Yalanji people will now manage the national park with Queensland's state government. The Daintree borders the Great Barrier Reef and is one of Australia's top tourism drawcards. It is famed for its ancient ecosystem and rugged, natural beauty which includes forest vistas, wild rivers, waterfalls, gorges, and white sandy beaches. The deal also includes other Queensland national parks including Cedar Bay (Ngalba Bulal), Black Mountain (Kalkajaka), and Hope Islands, a combined area of over 160,000 hectares.
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58780258
  • Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said on Saturday night, that it reported a record number of incursions by Chinese warplanes into its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) for the second day in a row. The US Federal Aviation Administration defines an ADIZ as "a designated area of airspace over land or water within which a country requires the immediate and positive identification, location and air traffic control of aircraft in the interest of the country's national security." 

 The self-governing island said a total of 39 Chinese military aircraft entered the ADIZ on Saturday, one more than the 38 planes it spotted this past Friday. The 38 and 39 planes respectively are the highest number of incursions Taiwan has reported in a day since it began publicly reporting such activities last year. The incursions do not violate Taiwan's airspace, which extends 12 nautical miles from its coast but does pose a concern for the future of the already unstable diplomatic relations between China and Taiwan. 

The US state department responded to this in a statement saying quote, "The United States is very concerned by... China's provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilizing, risks miscalculations and undermines regional peace and stability," end quote. 

Lastly let’s take a look into the world of sports:

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/national-women-s-soccer-league-calls-upcoming-weekend-games-amid-n1280590
  • This past Friday, the  National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) postponed all of its upcoming weekend matches and its commissioner resigned, following allegations of sexual misconduct against a former coach. North Carolina Courage Coach Paul Riley was fired Thursday after a report in The Athletic publication detailed allegations made by players on teams that Riley has coached since 2010. The news also comes after the players’ union

What A Week   (8/16- 8/22)

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/portland/2021/08/demonstrators-congregate-at-portland-waterfront.html
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/23/portland-oregon-clashes-protests-proud-boys-antifascist
  • This past sunday, a rightwing protest in Portland turned into a gunfight, when antifascist demonstrators returned fire at a man who shot at them with a handgun in a downtown street. The firefight took place in the heart of downtown Portland, soon after 6pm on Sunday night. Portland police bureau confirmed that a man had been arrested over the shooting but did not have any information on any injuries. The incident came after a day of protest descended into running clashes involving hundreds of protesters and counterprotesters. This past Sunday’s planned gatherings were spurred by a similar event one year ago where right-wing demonstrators, including some affiliated with the Proud Boys, faced off against anti-fascist counter-demonstrators in downtown Portland. The two groups pelted each other with paintballs, mace and rocks as Portland police stayed mainly out of the way.

In-state news:

• https://www.koin.com/news/health/coronavirus/oregon-surpasses-sad-milestone-of-3000-covid-19-deaths/
  • Last Friday, the Oregon Health Authority reported 19 new COVID-related deaths, raising the state’s death toll to 3,012. OHA Director Patrick Allen in a statement said, “Today, we mark another sad milestone in the pandemic: Our 3,000th COVID-19 related death. Our sadness is deepened by the realization that these deaths are increasingly preventable. We know that the available vaccines provide a reliable protective shield against serious illness and death from COVID-19. These vaccines are saving lives every day and I urge every Oregonian who has not yet received the vaccine to please make a plan to be vaccinated.” end quote.
• https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-reports-4700-new-coronavirus-cases-24-more-covid-deaths-over-the-weekend
  • Oregon health officials reported more than 4,700 new coronavirus cases and 24 COVID-19 related deaths over the span of this past weekend as the delta variant and hospitalizations continue to surge across the state. The Oregon Health Authority has identified 257,644 presumptive and confirmed coronavirus cases since the pandemic started. 

In National News:

• https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/23/1030251410/pfizer-covid-vaccine-fda-approval
  • Last week, The Food and Drug Administration formally approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. The widely anticipated decision replaces the emergency use authorization granted by the agency last December. The vaccine, developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be subject to a full review by the U.S. regulator and to get an approval that puts the vaccine on par with other marketed vaccines. The full approval could make it easier for employers, the military and universities to mandate vaccination and may reassure some people who are still undecided about getting the vaccine. 
• https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/18/1028798003/covid-19-booster-shots-roll-out-september-moderna-pfizer
  • The country’s top health officials announced last Wednesday that COVID-19 booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are set to become available for all U.S. adults beginning next month. Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, spoke on this announcement at a White House briefing saying quote,  "We know that even highly effective vaccines become less effective over time. It is now our clinical judgment that the time to lay out a plan for COVID boosters is now.”  

In International News: 

• 
  ​​https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/23/china/china-zero-case-delta-intl-hnk/index.html
  • Last week China reported no new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases for the first time since July, according to its National Health Commission (NHC), as authorities double down on the country's stringent zero-Covid approach. China has been grappling with the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant since July 20, when a cluster of Covid-19 infections were detected among airport cleaning staff in the eastern city of Nanjing. Since then, it has catapulted into the worst outbreak China has seen since 2020, spreading to more than half of the country's 31 provinces and infecting more than 1,200 people. The surging cases driven by Delta were seen as the biggest challenge yet,  to China's uncompromising zero tolerance virus policy. Local authorities responded by placing tens of millions of residents under strict lockdown, rolling out massive testing and tracing campaigns and restricting domestic travels. The strict measures appear to be working as  daily infections have fallen steadily over the past week into single digits, down from more than 100 from its peak two weeks ago.

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• https://www.npr.org/2021/08/20/1029633740/rain-fall-peak-of-greenland-ice-sheet-first-climate-change
  • Greenland saw rain at the highest point of its ice sheet for the first time since scientists have been making observations there. According to the U.S. National Snow & Ice Data Center, rain fell for several hours on an area 10,551 feet in elevation on Aug. 14, an unprecedented occurrence for a location that rarely sees temperatures above freezing. It was also the latest date in the year scientists had ever recorded above-freezing temperatures at the National Science Foundation's Summit Station. The rainfall coincided with the ice sheet's most recent "melt event," in which temperatures get high enough that the thick ice begins to melt.

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

What A Week   (8/9- 8/15)

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/2021/08/oregon-leaders-condemn-resurgence-of-right-wing-groups-political-clashes-in-portland.html
  • Last week, Oregon elected leaders condemned a resurgence of right-wing groups demonstrating in Portland and the often violent confrontations they provoke among the community. The statement comes days after out-of-town far-right activists and self-described anti-fascist counter-protesters fought with bear spray, air soft rifles and paintball guns in downtown Portland over the past weekend. The tense situation, which did not draw a response from police, garnered national headlines after video captured one right-wing militant wandering through city streets with a replica assault rifle, at one point leveling the weapon at a journalist.

In-state news:

• https://news.yahoo.com/oregon-governor-lays-face-mask-153000982.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFc1WofBsYi4TYcuLa4T0Xw8SH2hdoc6kvoCvq_5Cx1S3QhFlBMyglvB0tY0xYwpafVEjwRkcYt9flOBDlhnaqXqGJwC0oUTABi8PpU0jhoCzU4boojTZbMRMihM-CaEHNR96NXsQVPMDLGNuhwbJfcG6zD6iwYHBZ870pZUMdgQ
  • Last week, Governor Kate Brown announced Oregonians ages five and up would have to wear masks indoors at almost all times. This new guideline took effect as of last Friday. The new  conditions are part of two new health mandates issued by the governor last Wednesday, including new masking rules and required vaccinations for state executive branch staff. The new rules follow a steady surge in new cases and hospitalizations statewide as COVID-19 and its more infectious delta variant spread among primarily unvaccinated individuals.

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/oregon-governor-orders-national-guard-help-frontline-workers-covid-19-n1276817
  • This past Friday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown ordered 500 National Guard members to help frontline workers in their battle against the expanding Covid-19 Delta variant. Brown said the deployment would begin Aug. 20th, when National Guard members will be sent to more than 20 hospitals statewide to help provide logistical support, materials handling, equipment deliveries, and Covid-19 testing. Up to 1,500 National Guard members could ultimately be deployed, she said. In a statement regarding the news, Brown stated, quote "The harsh, and frustrating reality is that the Delta variant has changed everything. Delta is highly contagious, and we must take action now."

In National News:

• https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/new-york-gov-andrew-cuomo-resigns-n1260310
  • Last Tuesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he will resign after a disdainful report from the state’s attorney general documented multiple accusations of sexual harassment against women. The decision heads off his almost certain impeachment and conviction in the state Legislature. Lieutenant governor Kathy  (Hokol) Hochul , a fellow Democrat, will serve the rest of his term when the resignation becomes effective in 14 days. She will become the state's first ever female governor. Although Governor Cuomo apologized to his accusers, he made it clear that he did not believe he stepped over a red line requiring removal from office. Instead, he framed his decision as one necessary to avoid protracted argument and divisiveness that would bring the state's government to a halt.

• https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/14/health/covid-19-vaccine-boosters-explainer-fda-wellness/index.html
  • This past Thursday, The US Food and Drug Administration authorized third doses of both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccines for certain immunocompromised people such as solid organ transplant recipients or quote "those who are diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise." The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has signed off on the authorization and now recommends an additional dose of vaccine for these certain people.

In International News: 

• 
  ​​https://www.npr.org/2021/08/15/1027860324/the-taliban-win-control-of-afghanistan-as-the-u-s-backed-government-collapses\
  • Last weekend, Taliban leaders took over the presidential palace in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and said that they plan to soon declare a new quote “ Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan '', just two decades after they were removed by the U.S. military. The Taliban swept through Afghanistan in a matter of weeks, taking advantage of a vacuum left by the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces working against President Joe Biden’s August 31st deadline to end America’s longest war. 

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.npr.org/2021/08/12/1027223521/jamie-spears-steps-down-britney-spears-conservatorship
  • After 13 years of controlling pop star Britney Spears' finances, Jamie Spears, Britney’s father,  has filed a document in Los Angeles Superior Court agreeing to step down as the conservator of his daughter's estate. The move comes weeks after the singer filed a petition asking that her father be removed from his position, and that he be charged with conservatorshi...

What A Week   (8/2- 8/8)

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/portland/2021/08/toxic-algae-found-in-willamette-river-harmful-to-pets-officials-warns.html
  • Last week, the Oregon Health Authority and the Department of Environmental Quality warned Oregonians about an algal bloom developing on the Willamette River that is harmful to pets. The agencies sent a notice to the Multnomah County Health Department last week about the algae stretching from Sauvie Island to Ross Island. Lab results from samples show the toxin levels are too low to affect humans but can be harmful to pets — especially dogs — if ingested. Blooms develop in rivers when the water becomes slack and warm and may last until weather and rains cool the water levels to a point where the blooms can no longer propagate.

In-state news:

• https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2021/08/oregons-coronavirus-icu-record-shattered-once-again-as-all-signs-point-to-out-of-control-5th-surge.html
• https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/07/1025753258/the-u-s-is-now-averaging-100-000-new-covid-19-infections-a-day
  • The number of newly identified coronavirus cases climbed in Oregon for a fifth consecutive week, according to state data released this past Monday, reaching the highest levels since December. Oregon recorded 8,304 new confirmed or suspected coronavirus infections, up 40% from the previous week. That number includes 1,032 new known cases recorded this past Friday, 964 Saturday and 1,233 Sunday. As of this past Monday, Oregon Governor Kate Brown has taken no action to  re-institute a statewide mask mandate. After a month of rising COVID-19 numbers, Multnomah County, however, became the first county in the state to announce that it is reinstating an indoor public mask mandate starting this Friday.

In National News:

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/06/us-covid-coronavirus-delta-variant
  • Last week, daily Covid-19 cases in the US moved above 100,000 a day for the first time since February, higher than the levels of last summer when vaccines were not available. This news comes as health officials are sounding alarms over lagging rates of vaccination driving the surge of the infectious Delta variant. The seven-day average of hospital admissions has also increased more than 40% from the week before, with health workers describing frustration and exhaustion as hospitals in Covid hotspots are once again overwhelmed with patients, almost 20 months into the pandemic in the US.

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/biden-offers-temporary-safe-haven-hong-kong-residents-u-s-n1276041
  • Last Thursday, President Joe Biden offered temporary "safe haven" to Hong Kong residents in the United States, allowing potentially thousands of people to extend their stay in the country in response to Beijing's crackdown on democracy in the Chinese territory. In a signed memo, Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security to implement a "deferral of removal" for up to 18 months for HongKong residents currently in the United States, citing "compelling foreign policy reasons." Biden said in his memo, "Over the last year, the People’s Republic of China has continued its assault on Hong Kong's autonomy, undermining its remaining democratic processes and institutions, imposing limits on academic freedom, and cracking down on freedom of the press.”

In International News: 

• 
  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/greece-wildfires-rip-through-towns-residents-watch-horror-n1276290
  • Last week, raging wildfires ripped through parts of Greece,  forcing thousands of people to flee as the blazes threatened entire towns and burned down homes, shops and vast areas of land in their path.  An unprecedented heat wave — Greece's worst in three decades — sent temperatures soaring over the past week as firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish the uncontrollable flames. Greece has also deployed the army to battle the fires, and several countries, including France, Egypt, Switzerland and Spain, have sent help. Greece’s prime minister has blamed climate change for the devastating fires, urging people who had reservations to "come and see the intensity of the phenomena." Greek and other European officials have blamed climate change for the large number of fires that burned through southern Europe in recent days, from Italy to the Balkans, Greece and Turkey. 

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dixie-fire-explodes-largest-blaze-u-s-third-largest-california-n1276202
  •   The Dixie Fire in Northern California became the largest blaze in the country last Friday and the third largest in the state's history. Seven of the largest wildfires in California history, including the Dixie Fire, have occurred within the last three years.

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

What A Week   (7/12- 7/18)

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.kgw.com/article/news/local/here-are-the-sites-being-considered-for-portlands-city-run-homeless-villages/283-5ae50725-66c0-47b8-bf5a-4e1688fd52c1
  • Portland city officials approved a plan last month to build "safe rest villages" throughout the city in an attempt to address Portland’s growing homelessness crisis.  These villages will contain outdoor shelters to provide people with a place to sleep, basic hygiene, access to case management and behavioral health services and, "most importantly, dignity and stability that will lead to permanent housing," a news release from the city of Portland said. Last Friday, Commissioner Dan Ryan shared on the city's website a list of about 70 city-owned sites being considered for safe rest villages. The goal is to have six villages open throughout the city by the end of the year. According to Ryan, they will be covered by $20 million in federal COVID-19 relief money. 

In-state news:

• 
  https://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/2021/07/southern-oregons-bootleg-fire-grows-to-nearly-300000-acres.html
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bootleg-fire-smoke-length-of-oregon/
  • Last Saturday, critical fire conditions pushed the Bootleg fire in southern Oregon east and north, burning nearly 300,000 acres as of this past Sunday. The wildfire was 22% contained as of Sunday, rising from 7% containment since last Friday. The fire is currently growing to the east according to reports. Fire crews established a fire line with bulldozers, as well as burnout. The fire started July 6 northeast of Klamath Falls and threatened more than 5,000 structures, fire officials said.

In National News:

• https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2021-07-16/federal-judge-rules-daca-unlawful-orders-government-to-block-new-applicants
  • A federal judge in Texas ruled last Friday that the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was illegally created, and he ordered the government to stop approving new applications for the program, which grants children brought to the U.S. illegally work permits and protection from deportation. 

• U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen, however, stayed his order for those already in the program, known as DACA, stopping short of shutting the program down entirely and seizing protections from the more than 600,000 young immigrants who are part of it. The government may continue to process DACA renewals, the judge said, as it tries to "remedy the legal defects" of the program. 

• The Biden administration is expected to immediately appeal Friday's decision. The ruling comes as President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress press for a legislative solution for so-called Dreamers in the DACA program, including pathways to permanent residency and citizenship. 
• DACA was created by the Department of Homeland Security in 2012. DACA recipients must meet strict qualifications, and they are in turn granted protections to live and work in the U.S. without threat of deportation.

• https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nicolefallert/la-county-reinstates-mask-mandate
  • Officials announced last Thursday that Los Angeles County will once again require people to wear masks indoors as the number of new COVID cases continues to rise at an alarming rate. 
  • Dr. Muntu Davis, the county's health officer, said at a news conference that the move was largely driven by unvaccinated people and that universal masking makes it easier to implement the mandate while offering additional protection to all residents, no matter their vaccine status. Davis warned that more strict enforcement measures may be put in place if COVID numbers don't decrease. The more contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus has driven the county's concern and has been the most commonly reported variant of the virus identified by health experts since June, prompting warnings from officials at the time to voluntarily wear masks in public indoor spaces. 

In International News: 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/video/germany-hardest-hit-by-worst-flooding-in-europes-history/#x
  • Last week, Germany was one of the hardest hit countries by the worst flooding in Europe's history due to record amounts of rainfall.  Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have also seen devastation. 
  • Germany's government has hit back at criticism over its warning systems after the worst flooding in decades left at least 160 people dead. The severe floods caught many off guard, sweeping away houses and leaving residents trapped in rising waters. More than 170 people are still missing. Flood warning systems sent out alerts a few days before the heavy rain. However, they failed to reach many residents or officials in time.

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• https://www.npr.org/2021/07/18/1017606827/two-athletes-have-tested-positive-for-covid-19-inside-the-olympic-village
• https://www.npr.org/2021/07/18/1017661844/u-s-tennis-star-coco-gauff-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-will-miss-tokyo-olympi
  • Over the past few weeks, there have been lots of disapproval and lack of support for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics due to the fact that we’re all still in a global pandemic. There has been a rising tally of covid-19 infections surrounding this year’s Tokyo games with less than a week before the opening ceremonies begin.  At least two players on the South African soccer team have tested positive for COVID-19 inside the Olympic Village. The two players are the first athletes to test positive for the coronavirus at the site of the Olympic Village in the Japanese capital. A video analyst for the team...

What A Week   (7/5- 7/11)

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.kgw.com/article/news/crime/mailbox-explosions-northeast-portland-oregon/283-db5e6692-41e5-4bc2-a2a5-29586d0c622f
  • Portland police are investigating explosions of a neighborhood library exchange box and a mailbox in Northeast Portland over the weekend. The explosions happened this past Saturday and early this past Monday, about 5 miles from each other. There was debris of wood and books spread around the scene. Flying debris appeared to have caused minor damage to at least two residences, but nobody was injured. Police said at this time they have no suspect information or evidence that indicates the two explosions are related.

In-state news:

• 
  https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-reports-more-than-500-new-coronavirus-cases-over-the-weekend
  • Oregon recorded 506 new confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases over the last three days, the state's health authority reported this past Monday. The latest report brings the statewide total cases to 210,729 since the pandemic first began. The Oregon Health Authority also reported five new fatalities related to the virus. The latest update brings the state's COVID-19 death toll to 2,797. More than 2.2 million Oregonians have completed their vaccination series. Since the state hit the governor's 70% vaccination goal and the economy has fully reopened as of June 30th, the OHA will no longer report new cases over the weekend.

In National News:

• https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-11/record-breaking-temperatures-set-as-heat-wave-continues-across-california
  • After a major record breaking heat wave swept through the Pacific Northwest a few weeks ago, the wrath of the sun is now setting new heat records throughout the state of California. The rapidly rising temperatures have made it difficult for forecasters to keep up with new record setting temperatures. Death Valley, California was expected to reach record-breaking temperatures this past Sunday with a high of 130 degrees, which equals the hottest temperature recorded on Earth in nearly a century, but that record came two days early, this past Friday afternoon.  
  • More than 30 million people in the West are under excessive heat alerts. The heat alerts stretch from northern Washington state down to the Arizona/Mexico border. Forecasters said a noticeable cooling will likely happen this coming Wednesday as temperatures decline across the region throughout the week.

• CDC fully vaccinated students and teachers don’t need masks

In International News: 

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/italy-wins-european-soccer-championship-3-2-penalty-shootout-n1273643
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/italy-england-european-championship-shootout-11626040786
•  
  • This past Sunday night, Italy’s men’s soccer team earned its first major title in 15 years with a penalty shootout win over England in the Euro 2020 final. The winner was determined by a penalty-kick shootout after extra time that kept the score even at 1-1. Italy won the shootout 3-2 after England's final shot was blocked. In a highly anticipated lead up to the game hosted by England in Wembley stadium, English fans were seen chanting the phrase “It’s Coming Home” all over live television as well as on social media.  For the vast majority of English fans in attendance, this was something they had never experienced in their lifetimes. The incredible representation of national pride seen throughout the country leading up to the finals is partially due to the fact that it has been 55 long years since England was last in a major international final and fans to have known only heartache and disappointment since that World Cup triumph in 1966. 

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

• 
  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57773472
• https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/asia/china-giant-pandas-endangered-scli-intl-scn/index.html
  • As of last week, Chinese officials announced that Giant pandas are no longer classified as endangered but are still vulnerable species. The classification was downgraded as their number in the wild has reached 1,800.
  •  China has spent half a century attempting to boost the population of its famous animals, creating sprawling panda reserves across several mountain ranges in an effort to save them from extinction. China considers pandas a national treasure, but has also loaned them to other countries as diplomatic tools. The new classification comes years after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had already removed the animal from its endangered species list and re-labelled it as "vulnerable" in 2016. At the time, however, Chinese officials had disputed the decision, saying that it could mislead people into believing that conservation efforts could be relaxed. Last week's announcement by China's environmental ministry is the first time the animal's status was changed on its own endangered species list, which uses similar standards as the Swiss-based IUCN.

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

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.cnn.com/2021/06/27/us/northwest-heatwave-record-high-temperatures/index.html
https://www.oregonlive.com/weather/2021/06/portland-expected-to-hit-114-degrees-monday-in-3rd-consecutive-record-setting-day-of-oregon-heat-wave.html
It is one scorching hot week for Portland residents. The Pacific Northwest is currently experiencing a record-breaking heat wave, with an all-time high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit reported as of this past Sunday in Portland, Oregon. The National Weather Service in Portland predicts that on Monday, it will hit 114 degrees in the afternoon, breaking this past Sunday’s record-setting 112 degrees. Sunday’s high had broken the 108 degree record set Saturday, which broke the previous high of 107, first set in 1965. Along the West Coast, more than 20 million people are under a heat warning or advisory, from the Canadian border to the Mexican border.
https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2021/06/trimet-suspends-max-wes-lines-until-tuesday-citing-heat-related-mechanical-issues.html
The TriMet this past Sunday shut down all MAX lines until Tuesday after record-high temperatures began disrupting the light rail service.  Portland’s record setting temperatures strained the power grid and overhead wires delivering electricity to the MAX, a system built to run in conditions as high as 110 degrees. TriMet said mechanical issues caused by the heat wave disrupted MAX Blue, Green, Red and Yellow lines earlier Sunday, and high temperatures forecasted through Tuesday morning would put MAX trains at risk of more disruptions. 
In-state news:
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/gov-brown-announces-oregon-will-reopen-by-june-30/283-34eb091e-2475-4ad4-895e-a6d8b48e1fcf
Last Friday, Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced that the state will reopen by no later than Wednesday, June 30th. Brown’s new executive order will lift all state COVID-19 health and safety restrictions -- including the statewide mask mandate, physical distancing requirements and capacity limits -- when Oregon reaches a 70% first-dose vaccination rate for adults, or by June 30th, whichever comes sooner. Under the new recovery order, masks will no longer be required statewide but they will still be required in some places under federal guidance, including airports, public transportation and health care settings. 
In National News:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/25/us/derek-chauvin-sentencing-george-floyd/index.html
Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who killed George Floyd on a Minneapolis street last year, was sentenced last Friday to 22 and half years in prison. Under Minnesota law, Chauvin will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence, or 15 years -- and he will be eligible for supervised release for the remaining seven and a half years. The sentence exceeds the Minnesota sentencing guideline range of 10 years and eight months to 15 years for the crime. Floyd's death last year has since sparked massive protests across the nation over police brutality. Chauvin, 45, was convicted in April on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for his role in Floyd's death.
In International News: 
https://news.yahoo.com/outbreaks-emerge-across-australia-phase-010359598.html
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/27/australia/sydney-lockdown-australia-covid-pandemic-intl-cmd/index.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/sydney-australia-s-largest-city-enters-hard-two-week-covid-n1272444
Last week, Sydney, Australia’s largest city entered a hard two-week Covid-19 lockdown along with some other surrounding areas.. as authorities are struggling to control a fast-spreading outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant that has grown to 80 cases. More than 1 million people in downtown Sydney and eastern suburbs of Australia's biggest city were already under lockdown due to the outbreak, but health authorities said they needed to expand the curbs after more infections were recorded, with exposure sites increasing beyond the initial areas of concern. New Zealand has since suspended the travel bubble between the two countries. 
Australia has been more successful in managing the pandemic compared to many other advanced economies. Through the application of swift border closures, social distancing rules and high compliance, Australia reports just over 30,400 cases and 910 Covid-19 deaths, but the country has struggled with its vaccination rollout, and states have been plagued in recent months by small outbreaks. These outbreaks have been contained through speedy contact tracing, isolation of thousands of people at a time or snap hard lockdowns. 
Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:
Despite the historic heatwave that wiped through the Pacific Northwest last weekend, there were a number of records set at the track and field Olympic trials held in Eugene, Oregon. Ryan Crouser, a 28-year-old from Oregon, heaved a 16-pound iron ball farther than any other man in history . The shot splashed into the dirt 23.37 meters away, making it the new shot put world record by a quarter of a meter. Sydney Mclaughlin, set a new world record for the fastest time by a woman on the 400m hurdles by crossing the finish line at 51.9 seconds. 

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

Intro: 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.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/dual-plans-to-house-portlands-homeless-promise-to-get-1000-off-the-streets-in-the-next-year/283-43194cf0-f1fe-4495-ba50-699d96949912

• The city of Portland and Multnomah County announced in a joint press release last Thursday stating officials are working on two separate, coordinating plans that would allocate historic amounts of funding towards housing services. Multnomah County is planning to spend up to $1 billion over the next ten years. The city of Portland is adding an additional $20 million to create multiple outdoor camps that would provide those experiencing homelessness with shelter and services. The officials stated that the goal is to have six up and running designated outdoor camps by this September. The city's $20 million would come from money received from the federal government for COVID-19 relief. The county's $1 billion dollars could come from homeless services tax measure voters passed in May of last year. 

In-state news:
https://www.koin.com/news/health/coronavirus/declines-continues-as-oregon-covid-cases-hospitalizations-again-fall/

• The Oregon Health Authority reported just 257 cases this past Sunday, continuing a downward trend of positive cases of the coronavirus around the state. The latest infections brought Oregon’s total number of cases to 201,260. Two more Oregonians died from the virus–two men from Marion County, a 44-year-old and 57-year-old. OHA said the older man had underlying medical conditions. Week-to-week hospital data showed COVID-19 hospitalizations were down 11.3% from two weeks ago. The OHA issued a statement this past Sunday saying quote“As of today, 1,843,416 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series…. There are 2,237,342 people who have had at least one dose.” The seven-day running average of doses being administered throughout the state is about 26,000 per day.

In National News:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/24/health/us-coronavirus-monday/index.html
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/05/25/1000171685/half-of-all-u-s-adults-will-be-fully-vaccinated-against-covid-19-as-of-tuesday

• The U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program has gone from zero to 50% in less than six months.  As of last Tuesday afternoon, the Biden administration stated that half of the country's adults are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Andy Slavitt, a White House senior adviser on the COVID-19 response, said during a briefing quote "This is a major milestone in our country's vaccination efforts… The number was 1% when we entered office Jan. 20th. End quote. As of present, nearly 130 million people age 18 and older have completed their vaccine regimens since the first doses were administered to the public in December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Another 70 million vaccine doses are currently in the distribution pipeline, according to the agency. Vaccinations have risen sharply in children 12 years and older, weeks after the Food and Drug Administration said that these cohorts are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech. Nearly 5 million adolescents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC's latest data.

In International News:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57291530
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/28/canada-remains-indigenous-children-mass-graves

• Last week, a mass grave containing the remains of 215 children was found in Canada at a former residential school set up to assimilate indigenous people. The children were students at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. The Kamloops Indian residential school was established in 1890 under the leadership of the Roman Catholic church, and closed in 1978. It was part of a cross-Canada network of residential schools created to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children by removing them from their homes and communities, and forbidding them from speaking their native languages or performing cultural practices. Physical, emotional and sexual abuse were widespread within these institutions, and so was forced labour. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was a quote "painful reminder" of a "shameful chapter of our country's history." The First Nation is working with museum specialists and the coroner's office to establish the causes and timings of the deaths, which are not currently known. Rosanne Casimir, the chief of the community in British Columbia's city of Kamloops, said the preliminary finding represented an unthinkable loss that was never documented by the school's administrators.

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/28/world/spain-stamps-skin-color-trnd/index.html

• Last week, Spain's postal service ended a widely criticized stamp campaign inspired by different skin tones, just three days after its launch, following criticism that it perpetuated racism. The government-run postal service earlier last week debuted "Equality Stamps," a collection of four stamps meant to represent different skin colors. The palest of the stamps cost 90 cents more than the darkest stamp -- a price difference meant to reflect the value Spaniards place on people based on their skin color, according to an ad campaign for the stamps. The online response to this new campaign was extremely negative. Thousands of Twitter users criticized the campaign upon its launch, calling it tone-deaf or "accidentally racist." Many users expressed shock that a government-run service would approve such a product. Sales of the stamps ended last Friday morning, a spokesman for Spain’s postal service told CNN. He said the postal service quote  "will not make comments" about the criticism the campaign received.

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

Intro: 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.kgw.com/article/news/local/city-to-remove-homeless-encampments-more-aggressively-following-covid-19-pause/283-4bd805d1-3af4-476f-9238-0bdd3be1c825

• Last Wednesday, the city of Portland announced that it will get more aggressive in removing what it deems the most problematic homeless encampments in the city. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the city has scaled back how many camps officials can remove, and how quickly the removal process happens. The scale-back was an effort to limit COVID-19 transmission among people living on the streets and was in line with recommendations from the CDC. The city stopped all camp removals between March and July  of 2020, and since then has removed fewer camps than typical and given campers more time to move after an eviction notice was posted. Under the new guidance effective as of Monday, May 24, city officials can prioritize removing campsites that meet certain criteria.

In-state news:

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/20/998660102/oregone-7-oregon-counties-vote-to-back-seceding-so-citizens-can-vote-gop-in-idah
https://www.forbes.com/sites/palashghosh/2021/05/21/heres-why-5-oregon-counties-that-voted-to-move-to-idaho-probably-cant/?sh=26218e0f6c9d
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/20/oregon-liberal-greater-idaho-conservative-vote/

• Last week, five conservative rural counties in eastern Oregon passed ballot initiatives  to ask county commissioners to consider changing borders to allow them to join Idaho—though the odds are heavily against that ever happening. This is just the latest illustration of a persistent  deep blue-red divide in many parts of the United States. Mike McCarter, president of the advocacy group Citizens for Greater Idaho stated, "This election proves that rural Oregon wants out of Oregon...If we're allowed to vote for which government officials we want, we should be allowed to vote for which government we want as well." All seven counties voted heavily for former President Donald Trump — whose name appears 17 times in the advocacy group's 41-page proposal to shift the borders. In the movement led by McCarter, conservative voters want to reshuffle counties in eastern and southern Oregon, making them part of Idaho. The plan's backers want to get ballot initiatives placed on the ballot in more of Oregon's 36 counties. Despite seven counties now backing it, the push to secede is not likely to succeed. As Oregon Public Broadcasting notes, "the Oregon and Idaho legislatures and the U.S. Congress would need to sign off" on the plan.

In National News:

• New coronavirus cases across the United States have tumbled to rates not seen in more than 11 months, sparking optimism that vaccination campaigns are effectively controlling both severe COVID-19 cases and the spread of the virus. As cases, hospitalizations and deaths steadily dropped last week, pre-pandemic life in America has largely resumed. As the seven-day average for new cases dropped below 30,000 per day last week, Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pointed out cases have not been this low since June 18, 2020. The average number of deaths over the last seven days also dropped to 552—a rate not seen since July last year. Despite the good news, health experts still caution that not enough Americans have been vaccinated to completely extinguish the virus, leaving the potential for new variants that could extend the pandemic.

In International News:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-57195537
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/22/un-security-council-calls-for-full-adherence-to-gaza-cease-fire.html

• This past Saturday, the  U.N. Security Council called for a “full adherence” to the cease-fire in Gaza and urged immediate humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians in its first statement on the 11-day war between Israel and Hamas. The cease-fire, which took effect last Friday, has held so far despite clashes in Jerusalem outside Al Aqsa mosque between Israeli police and Palestinians just hours after the truce officially began. Al Aqsa mosque is one of the most sacred places in Islam and sits in a site known in Judaism as the Temple Mount, the religion’s holiest site. Clashes at the complex were one of the factors that sparked the war. The security council urged a “restoration of calm in full” and emphasized “achieving a comprehensive peace based on the vision of a region where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace with secure and recognized borders."

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/worlds-largest-iceberg-just-broke-off-an-antarctic-ice-shelf/3069724/

• Last week, it was reported that an  enormous chunk of ice bigger than Rhode Island broke off an Antarctic ice shelf, according to the European Space Agency. The floating mass covers more than 1,600 square miles, making it the largest iceberg in the world, agency officials said. The iceberg, named A-76, calved off the Ronne Ice Shelf into the Weddell Sea. The European Space Agency's twin Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites spotted the giant slab of ice breaking away on May 13. The U.S. National Ice Center—which is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Navy and the Coast Guard—confirmed the calving event the following day and recorded the position of A-76 in the Weddell Sea.

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

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: 

• Last weekend the city of Portland put out more officers on the street to respond to an increase in shootings while city leaders continued to call for an end to gun violence. Despite these efforts, there were two shootings this past Sunday which left a woman dead and a man seriously injured. While it’s unclear if the two shootings are connected, they come amid an acknowledged gun violence problem in Portland. Last Sunday’s shootings represented the fifth shooting homicide that police responded to this month and at least the 15th injury shooting.

In-state news:

https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2021/05/gov-kate-brown-outlines-path-to-reopening-when-70-of-oregon-gets-partially-vaccinated-shell-lift-most-covid-19-restrictions.html
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/oregon-governor-kate-brown-covid-vaccinations-reopen-economy/283-1052dde7-0285-4bb6-86a8-509c1e8528b7

• Last Tuesday Gov. Kate Brown laid out a specific roadmap for fully reopening Oregon’s economy and making a big step toward normalcy: When 70% of the state’s residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, she’ll eliminate most statewide restrictions meant to reduce the spread of the disease. That includes the lifting of capacity limits on restaurants, bars, stores, gyms, sporting venues, movie theaters and limitations on the number of people who can gather indoors or out for events such as road races and festivals. No counties will remain under the current “risk level” tiers based on their rates of infections.The statewide mask mandates on indoor public spaces and physical distancing requirements could, however, remain for some time. The governor said she’d continue to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in determining when to lift mask rules.

In National News:
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/cdc-masks-covid-guidance-vaccinated-people
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/13/health/cdc-mask-guidance-vaccinated/index.html

• Last Thursday, the CDC announced new guidelines stating  that fully vaccinated people in the US can go without a mask and stop socially distancing in almost all indoor and outdoor settings.  This marks a milestone in the coronavirus pandemic that has been ongoing in the country for more than a year now.  CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House Covid-19 briefing"If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic...We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy."

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/health/pfizer-vaccine-children-kids.html

• Last Monday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds in the United States a crucial step in the nation’s steady recovery from the pandemic and a boon to millions of American families eager for a return to normalcy. The authorization caps weeks of anticipation among parents, who have been grappling with how to conduct their lives when only the adults in a household are immunized. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is already available to anyone ages 16 and older.

In International News:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/16/middleeast/israel-palestinian-conflict-intl/index.html
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/janelytvynenko/photos-pro-palestinian-protests-global

• Last week, media outlets captured thousands of people across the world showing their support for Palestinians in protests amid some of the worst fighting between Israelis and Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza War, with demonstrators from Canada to Japan waving flags and chanting quote "Free Palestine". The violence first began when Israeli security forces raided Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan two weeks ago, injuring many worshippers and causing Hamas to retaliate with rocket fire. Israeli police also violently clamped down on protesters demonstrating against the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Most recently, Israel bombed the house of Hamas' Gaza leader and obliterated a family's home in Gaza as Hamas launched more than 100 rockets toward Israel this past Sunday, marking the deadliest day of the week-long conflict so far, according to data from the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza and Israeli authorities. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said this past Sunday morning that it had bombed the house of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader since 2017. IDF spokesperson told local media that Sinwar had been unhurt in the airstrike. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least 43 Palestinians this past Sunday. With the latest casualties, the death toll in Gaza has climbed to a total of 197, including at least 58 children and 34 women, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Since the beginning of the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza last week, at least 1,235 Palestinians have been injured, with the number expected to rise, the health ministry said, as paramedics continue to carry out search operations. Ten Israelis have been killed by rockets fired from Gaza, according to the IDF.

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/10/media/golden-globes-nbc-diversity/index.html

• Last week, NBC will not be airing the Golden Globes next year temporarily ending a decades-long relationship between the network and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the nonprofit responsible for the awards. The network announced that it would not carry the show in 2022 after controversy surrounding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's lack of diversity and ethical questions related to financial benefits given to some members along with forms of bribery. 

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