07-07-2024  12:12 am   •   PDX and SEA Weather

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NORTHWEST NEWS

Records Shatter as Heatwave Threatens 130 million Across U.S. 

Roughly 130 million people are under threat from a long-running heat wave that already has broken records with dangerously high temperatures and is expected to shatter more inot next week from the Pacific Northwest to the Mid-Alantic states and the Northeast. Forecasters say temperatures could spike above 100 degrees in Oregon, where records could be broken in cities such as Eugene, Portland and Salem

Cascadia AIDS Project Opens Inclusive Health Care Clinic in Eliot Neighborhood

Prism Morris will provide gender-affirming care, mental health and addiction services and primary care.

Summer Classes, Camps and Experiences for Portland Teens

Although registration for a number of local programs has closed, it’s not too late: We found an impressive list of no-cost and low-cost camps, classes and other experiences to fill your teen’s summer break.

Parts of Washington State Parental Rights Law Criticized as a ‘Forced Outing’ Placed on Hold

A provision outlining how and when schools must respond to records requests from parents was placed on hold, as well as a provision permitting a parent to access their student’s medical and mental health records. 

NEWS BRIEFS

Local Photographer Announces Re-Release of Her Book

Kelly Ruthe Johnson, a nationally recognized photographer and author based in Portland, Oregon, has announced the re-release of her...

Multnomah County Daytime Cooling Centers Will Open Starting Noon Friday, July 5

Amid dangerous heat, three daytime cooling centers open. ...

Pier Pool Closed Temporarily for Major Repairs

North Portland outdoor pool has a broken water line; crews looking into repairs ...

Music on Main Returns for Its 17th Year

Free outdoor concerts in downtown Portland Wednesdays, July 10–August 28 ...

Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care Marks One Year Anniversary

New agency reflects on progress and evolves strategies to meet early care needs ...

Torrid heat bakes millions of people in large swaths of US, setting records and fanning wildfires

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Roughly 130 million people were under threat over the weekend and into next week from a long-running heat wave that broke or tied records with dangerously high temperatures and is expected to shatter more from East Coast to West Coast, forecasters said. Ukiah, north...

More records expected to shatter as long-running blanket of heat threatens 130 million in U.S.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Roughly 130 million people were under threat Saturday and into next week from a long-running heat wave that already has broken records with dangerously high temperatures — and is expected to shatter more from East Coast to West Coast, forecasters said. ...

Missouri governor says new public aid plan in the works for Chiefs, Royals stadiums

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday that he expects the state to put together an aid plan by the end of the year to try to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals from being lured across state lines to new stadiums in Kansas. Missouri's renewed efforts...

Kansas governor signs bills enabling effort to entice Chiefs and Royals with new stadiums

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' governor signed legislation Friday enabling the state to lure the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and Major League Baseball's Royals away from neighboring Missouri by helping the teams pay for new stadiums. Gov. Laura Kelly's action came three days...

OPINION

Minding the Debate: What’s Happening to Our Brains During Election Season

The June 27 presidential debate is the real start of the election season, when more Americans start to pay attention. It’s when partisan rhetoric runs hot and emotions run high. It’s also a chance for us, as members of a democratic republic. How? By...

State of the Nation’s Housing 2024: The Cost of the American Dream Jumped 47 Percent Since 2020

Only 1 in 7 renters can afford homeownership, homelessness at an all-time high ...

Juneteenth is a Sacred American Holiday

Today, when our history is threatened by erasure, our communities are being dismantled by systemic disinvestment, Juneteenth can serve as a rallying cry for communal healing and collective action. ...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

At Essence, Black Democrats rally behind Biden and talk up Kamala Harris

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — As President Joe Biden tries to revive his embattled reelection bid, Vice President Kamala Harris led a parade of Black Democrats who warned Saturday that the threat of another Donald Trump presidency remains the most important calculation ahead of November. Yet...

National Urban League honors 4 Black women for their community impact

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The National Urban League on Saturday honored and recognized the accomplishments of four Black women who have made significant marks in the community. Held amid the backdrop of the 30th Anniversary of the Essence Festival of Culture, the Women in Harmony Awards...

As 'Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Jenn Tran can't stop thinking about being the first Asian American lead in the history of “The Bachelor” franchise — not that she wants to. “I think about it every day, all the time. I think if I pushed it aside, that would be such a dishonor to me in who I am because being...

ENTERTAINMENT

Book Review: Iris Mwanza goes into 'The Lions' Den' with a zealous, timely debut novel for Pride

Grace Zulu clawed her way out of her village and into college to study law in the Zambian capital Lusaka. Now, at the end of 1990 and with AIDS running rampant, her first big case will test her personally and professionally: She must defend dancer Willbess “Bessy” Mulenga, who is accused of...

Book Review: What dangers does art hold? Writer Rachel Cusk explores it in 'Parade'

With her new novel “Parade,” the writer Rachel Cusk returns with a searching look at the pain artists can capture — and inflict. Never centered on a single person or place, the book ushers in a series of painters, sculptors, and other figures each grappling with a transformation in their life...

Veronika Slowikowska worked toward making it as an actor for years. Then she went viral

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When Veronika Slowikowska graduated from college in 2015, she did what conventional wisdom says aspiring actors should do: Work odd jobs to pay the bills while auditioning for commercials and background roles, hoping you eventually make it. And although the...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

Russian strikes leave thousands in northern Ukraine without power and water

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian strikes overnight left over 100,000 households without power in northern Ukraine...

'Freedom!' chants at Venezuelan opposition rallies ahead of election show depth of needs and fear

BARINAS, Venezuela (AP) — The chant is concise, but it could not be more meaningful for millions of Venezuelans...

Jon Landau, Oscar-winning 'Titanic' and 'Avatar' producer, dies at 63

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jon Landau, an Oscar-winning producer who worked closely with director James Cameron on three...

Texas coast braces for looming hit by Beryl, which is expected to regain hurricane strength

HOUSTON (AP) — Texas officials urged coastal residents to brace for a looming hit by Beryl, which was a tropical...

Putin sees no need for nuclear weapons to win in Ukraine. But he's also keeping his options open

The message to NATO from President Vladimir Putin was simple and stark: Don't go too far in providing military...

France's president called a surprise election. The result could diminish his power in world affairs

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron could awake — if he has slept at all — with clipped wings on...

By The Skanner News | The Skanner News

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Casting about for innovative job-creation ideas, President Barack Obama is naming one of his critics to an advisory council responsible for finding new ways to promote economic growth and bring jobs to the U.S.

The Skanner News Video here, starting at 11:35 a.m. Friday

Obama will name Intel Corp. CEO Paul Otellino to the jobs and competitiveness council during a visit to the company's semiconductor manufacturing facility in Hillsboro, Ore., on Friday, a White House official said.

The aide requested anonymity to speak before Obama's formal announcement.

As recently as September, Otellini complained that administration policies had created too much uncertainty for businesses and had failed to spark job growth or boost consumer confidence in the economy.

Otellini will appear with Obama on Friday. Obama created the council last month and named General Electric Co. chief executive Jeffrey Immelt as its chairman.

The president is on the West Coast promoting his agenda to make the U.S. more competitive globally.

Besides touring the semiconductor facility, Obama was to learn about programs the company has to encourage studies in science, technology, engineering and math, and get people the skills they need to compete for new high-tech jobs. He also was speaking about education's role in fostering job creation and innovation.

Continuing his outreach to business leaders, Obama traveled to the San Francisco Bay area Thursday for dinner with a dozen top innovators, including Eric Schmidt of Google, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Steve Jobs of Apple, who is on his third medical leave as concern about his health mounts. Also present were the chief executives of Yahoo!, Oracle, NetFlix and Twitter, and the president of Stanford University.

Obama is pushing for new spending on innovation, education, high-speed rail, faster Internet service and other programs that he says will better position the U.S. to compete against other nations.

But Republicans are pushing back, arguing that government spending without restraint is actually hindering job creation. They want to slash the budget. The Republican-controlled House was also nearing a vote on whether to do just that by cutting $61 billion from government spending this year.

"We're broke," says House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, about the country's finances.

As that money fight raged in Washington, Obama left town Thursday on the latest in a series of weekly trips he's been taking to promote the competitiveness agenda he outlined in his State of the Union address.

With unemployment holding at 9 percent, a seal of approval from Silicon Valley's leading innovators could bolster Obama's sales pitch.

At the Woodside, Calif., home of venture capitalist John Doerr, Obama and the innovators brainstormed ideas. White House spokesman Jay Carney said afterward that Obama wants to keep exchanging ideas with the group "so we can work as partners to promote growth and create good jobs in the United States."

Over dinner, Obama discussed his proposals to spend on research and development and to expand incentives for companies to grow and hire, Carney said. The president also talked about his goal of doubling exports within five years to help support and create new jobs, his plans for spending on education and a new initiative to assist small businesses and start-up companies, he said.

The group also discussed ways to encourage people to study science, technology, engineering and math and to pursue careers in those fields, he said.

Despite Otellini's criticism of Obama, Intel is partnering with the administration on education.

Last year, Intel announced a 10-year, $200 million commitment to promote math and science education. It also is one of four companies that are working to help meet Obama's goal of getting the U.S. to first place in science and math education in a decade.