11-05-2024  4:34 am   •   PDX and SEA Weather

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NORTHWEST NEWS

African American Alliance On Homeownership Turns 25, Honors The Skanner Cofounder Bernie Foster

AAAH's executive director Cheryl Roberts recalls how the efforts of Bernie Foster led to an organization that now offers one-on-one counseling for prospective home buyers, homebuyer education, foreclosure prevention services, estate planning, assistance with down payments and more.

Police Say Fires Set at Ballot Boxes in Oregon and Washington Are Connected; ‘Suspect Vehicle’ ID'd

Surveillance images captured a Volvo stopping at a drop box in Portland, just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box. That fire damaged three ballots inside, while officials say a fire at a drop box in nearby Vancouver, Washington, early Monday destroyed hundreds of ballots.

Two Major Affordable Housing Developments Reach Milestones in Portland

Both will provide culturally specific supportive services to residents. 

Washington State AG and Ex-Sheriff Face off in Governor's Race

Former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is trying to become Washington’s first GOP governor in 40 years. But he faces a difficult hurdle in the Democratic stronghold against longtime Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a darling of liberals for his many lawsuits against the Trump administration. 

NEWS BRIEFS

Merkley Statement on the Passing of Bob Sallinger

“Bob was a trusted voice, advising me on ways to safeguard the state’s natural wonders and wildlife and fighting against climate...

Troutdale Library Now Renovation Complete

Library provides refreshed experience for patrons with new, comfortable seating and carpeting ...

AG Rosenblum Releases Election Guidance to Law Enforcement and Message to Registered Oregon Voters

Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum: Haven’t received your ballot? Contact your county elections office! ...

Oregon Begins Rollout of New Housing Benefits for Eligible OHP Members With Health Conditions

The housing benefits include rent assistance for up to six months, utility set-up and payments for up to six months, home...

Oregon Department of Education Releases Cell Phone Policy Guidance

ODE recommends creating policies to limit or reduce cell phone use during the school day. ...

First-term Democrat tries to hold on in Washington state district won by Trump in 2020

SEATTLE (AP) — Among the nation’s most closely watched races is a rematch in southwestern Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, where first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is defending her seat against Republican Joe Kent, a former Green Beret who has called for the...

The top US House races in Oregon garnering national attention

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — One of the most competitive U.S. House races in the country is playing out in Oregon, where the state’s GOP-held 5th Congressional District is among just over two dozen seats nationwide that are considered toss ups. Two other House races in the state’s 4th...

Haggerty scores 22 of 25 after break to rally Memphis past Missouri 83-75 in opener

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — PJ Haggerty scored 22 of his 25 points in the second half when Memphis took over en route to an 83-75 win over Missouri in the season opener for both teams on Monday night. The Tigers trailed by 10 at halftime but shot 58% in the second half, while going 17-20...

Memphis hosts Missouri to start season

Missouri Tigers at Memphis Tigers Memphis, Tennessee; Monday, 8 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tigers -4.5; over/under is 154.5 BOTTOM LINE: Memphis opens the season at home against Missouri. Memphis went 22-10 overall with a 13-2 record at...

OPINION

Why Not Voting Could Deprioritize Black Communities

President Biden’s Justice40 initiative ensures that 40% of federal investment benefits flow to disadvantaged communities, addressing deep-seated inequities. ...

The Skanner News 2024 Presidential Endorsement

It will come as no surprise that we strongly endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president. ...

Black Retirees Growing Older and Poorer: 2025 Social Security COLA lowest in 10 years

As Americans live longer, the ability to remain financially independent is an ongoing struggle. Especially for Black and other people of color whose lifetime incomes are often lower than that of other contemporaries, finding money to save for ‘old age’ is...

The Skanner Endorsements: Oregon State and Local Ballot Measures

Ballots are now being mailed out for this very important election. Election Day is November 5. Ballots must be received or mailed with a valid postmark by 8 p.m. Election Day. View The Skanner's ballot measure endorsements. ...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

Democratic-backed justices look to defend control of Michigan's Supreme Court

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan Democrats and their allies were defending their majority on the state's Supreme Court on Tuesday after a campaign marked by exorbitant spending. Court races are nonpartisan but candidates are nominated at party conventions. Democratic-backed justices...

GOP tries to break Connecticut Democrats' winning streak in US House races

It has been 18 years since Connecticut voted to send a Republican to Washington. Republican George Logan will try to end the party's long losing streak Tuesday in a rematch with U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, the three-term Democrat who defeated him two years ago by a margin of less than 1% of the vote. ...

Democratic mayors in San Francisco and Oakland fight to keep their jobs on Election Day

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Voters are deciding whether to reelect San Francisco Mayor London Breed — the first Black woman in the role — or to pick one of her four challengers in a pricey and competitive race that's heated up over homelessness and public safety. All of the challengers...

ENTERTAINMENT

There's a ton of Hollywood stars on and off Broadway these days. Here's a game you can play

NEW YORK (AP) — There are so many Hollywood stars on New York theater stages or on the way that you might want to level up your stargazing game. Why not play some bingo? Sure, Robert Downey Jr., Daniel Dae Kim, Jim Parsons, Mia Farrow, and Katie Holmes are currently in New York, and...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 3-9

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 3-9 Nov. 3: Actor Lois Smith is 94. Actor-radio personality Shadoe Stevens (“Dave’s World”) is 78. Singer Lulu is 76. Actor-comedian Roseanne Barr is 72. Actor Kate Capshaw (“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”) is 71. Actor Kathy...

Fourth Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland is set for release July 2026

Tom Holland is getting ready to don his Spidey suit again. The fourth installment of the blockbuster series has been set for a July 2026 release, Sony Pictures said Friday. Daniel Destin Cretton, best known for helming Marvel's “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," has also...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

Tropical Storm Rafael spins toward the Cayman Islands as Cuba prepares for hurricane hit

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Rafael chugged toward the Cayman Islands on Tuesday and was forecast...

The Latest: Trump and Harris cede stage to voters who'll also decide control of House and Senate

Election Day is here. Voters are gearing up to head to the polls to cast their ballots for either Donald Trump or...

Puerto Rico holds general election that promises to be historic

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico is holding elections that will be historic regardless of which of the...

Pakistani guard shoots, wound 2 Chinese working in a textile mill in Karachi

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani guard shot and wounded two Chinese nationals working in a textile mill in...

Puerto Rico holds general election that promises to be historic

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico is holding elections that will be historic regardless of which of the...

Belarus' authoritarian ruler will face only token challengers in presidential vote

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus' election commission on Monday allowed seven politicians loyal to President...

George E. Curry NNPA Columnist

Give conservatives credit: They have a loud echo chamber.  It usually begins with a lie or, at best, a clever distortion, and the rest of the right-wing crowd are immediately off to the races. The most recent example is the assertion that President Obama made the economy worse.

That point was advanced in a Wall Street Journal column by Peggy Noonan, a former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and, briefly, George W. Bush. She is the author of 10 books, including When Character was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan and The Case Against Hillary Clinton.

In her attempt to make a case against Obama, Noonan wrote in the June 3 Wall Street Journal:

"Two years ago I wrote of Clare Booth Luce's observation that all presidents have a sentence: 'He fought to hold the union together and end slavery.' 'He brought America through economic collapse and a world war.' You didn't have to be told it was Lincoln or FDR. I said that Mr. Obama didn't understand his sentence. But Republicans think they know it.  "Four words: He made it worse.  "Obama inherited collapse, deficits and debt. He inherited a broken political culture. These things weren't his fault. But through his decisions, he made them all worse."

Fox, the network that likes to blame all bad things on Obama all the time, was quick to amplify what is certain to be a GOP campaign theme in 2012.

Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer said during a June 7 Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier, "…And I think you can argue strongly that the Obama administration made it worse.  In the midterm election last year, the idea that Republicans ran on was that he's a left liberal.  What they're going to run on in 2012 is he's at failure.  He tried all of this stuff.  He promised us we'd get improvement, and it hasn't worked.  It was a huge Keynesian experiment, and it hasn't panned out."   

Bill O'Reilly, host of The O'Reilly Factor on Fox, argued Peggy Noonan's point against resident liberal Alan Colmes [June 7].



O"REILLY: … For you to sit there and say the Obama administration has not made it worse --



COLMES: They made it better.



O'REILLY: -- is for you to just ignore the statistics.



Clearly, Bill O'Reilly is the one ignoring the statistics.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), in a report issued last month on the effectiveness of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, noted that President Obama's economic stimulus plan had helped local and state governments by raising federal matching funds under Medicaid and increased funding for transportation projects.

The stimulus program also provided tax relief for individuals and businesses, increased business write-offs and helped people in need by extending and expanding unemployment benefits as well as increasing benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the Food Stamps program.

According to the CBO, the stimulus program had the following effects in the first quarter of 2011:

·         Raised real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) between 1.1 percent and 3.1 percent

·         Lowered the unemployment rate between 0.6 percentage points and 1.8 percentage points

·         Increased the number of people employed between 1.2 million and 3.4 million

·         Increased the number of full-time equivalent jobs by 1.6 million to 4.6 million compared with what would have happened otherwise



The Center on Policy and Budget Priorities, an independent think tank in Washington, D.C., noted that economic activity as measured by inflation-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) was contracting when the financial stabilization bill known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act were enacted. Since then, however, the economy has grown for seven straight quarters.

Media Matters, the watchdog group, observed: "Economists also agreed that the stimulus was effective.  A March 2010 study in the Wall Street Journal found that 70 percent of economists surveyed said the stimulus 'boosted growth and mitigated job losses.' ABC News reported on February 18, 2010, that most of the economists on its panel thought the economy 'would be worse today without the big aid package.' And a February 2010 survey of 203 members of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) found that 'eighty-three percent believe that GDP is currently higher than it would have been without the 2009 stimulus package."

Those are the statistics that Bill O'Reilly chooses to ignore.

None of this campaign to blame Obama for everything wrong in America should be surprising.  It is part of a pattern by conservatives:  Make up an outrageous lie – such as the President was not born in the United States and is therefore unqualified to hold office – keep repeating that lie over and over until a large segment of ill-informed people believe it and even when the lie is proven to be a lie, continue claiming it is the truth while you make up yet another lie.

Perhaps we should send O'Reilly and the folks at Fox News the lyrics to Sunshine Anderson's 'Heard it all Before:' "Heard it all before. All of ya lies…But your lies ain't working now."



George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. 

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