11-03-2024  5:11 pm   •   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

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. ...

Metro, Central City Concern and Partners to Mark Affordable Housing Complex Grand Opening With Halloween Celebration

Meridian Gardens will offer 85 single room occupancy and studio apartments to people who are in substance use disorder recovery and...

Oregon MESA Expands with Two New Regional Centers in Washington County and Lane County

“Our regional partners are embedded in the communities MESA serves, bringing a wealth of local knowledge and expertise. Regional...

Historic Seattle Black Church Hosts "Bring Your Ballot to Church" Event to Mobilize Voters

As Seattle's oldest African American-founded church, FAME carries forward the legacy of Black churches as centers of civic engagement...

Nevada lithium mine will crush rare plant habitat US said is critical to its survival, lawsuit says

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Conservationists and an advocacy group for Native Americans are suing the U.S. to try to block a Nevada lithium mine they say will drive an endangered desert wildflower to extinction, disrupt groundwater flows and threaten cultural resources. The Center for...

AP Top 25: Oregon a unanimous No. 1 ahead of 1st CFP rankings, followed by Georgia, Ohio State

Oregon was the unanimous choice for No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, strengthening its bid for the top spot in the College Football Playoff selection committee's first rankings of the season. The Ducks are No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the third straight...

Memphis Tigers open season at home against the Missouri Tigers

Missouri Tigers at Memphis Tigers Memphis, Tennessee; Monday, 8 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tigers -4.5; over/under is 152.5 BOTTOM LINE: Memphis opens the season at home against Missouri. Memphis finished 13-2 at home a season ago while...

Many top players from one-bid leagues left for bigger schools. Here are some of the best who stayed

Identifying the top returning players in the era of the transfer portal is trickier than ever. Now that players can transfer without having to sit out a season, mid-major and low-major programs have essentially become farm systems for power-conference teams. Players who earn...

OPINION

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. ...

Measure 117 is a Simple Improvement to Our Elections

Political forces around the country have launched an all-out assault on voting rights that targets Black communities. State legislatures are restricting voting access in districts with large Black populations and are imposing other barriers and pernicious...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

Harris, Obamas and voting rights leaders work to turn out Black voters in run-up to Election Day

MIAMI (AP) — Concerts and carnivals hosted at polling precincts. “Souls to the Polls” mobilizations after Sunday service. And star-studded rallies featuring Hollywood actors, business leaders, musical artists and activists. Such seemingly disparate efforts all have a single...

Moldova’s pro-Western president wins 2nd term in runoff overshadowed by Russian meddling claims

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Moldova’s pro-Western President Maia Sandu has won a second term in a pivotal presidential runoff against a Russia-friendly opponent, in a race that was overshadowed by claims of Russian interference, voter fraud, and intimidation in the European Union candidate...

Mexico City’s floating gardens have fed people for hundreds of years. Now they’re threatened

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Cassandra Garduño squinted in the sunlight, her pink boots smudged by dirt as she gazed out over her family's chinampa — one of the islands first built up by the Aztecs with fertile mud from the bottom of a lake that, later drained, would one day become Mexico City. ...

ENTERTAINMENT

Samuel L. Jackson lauded at MoMA film benefit by close family and friends

NEW YORK (AP) — The Museum of Modern Art was filled with expletives and laughter Wednesday evening as Samuel L. Jackson’s family and friends celebrated the actor and director’s storied career of box office hits, larger-than-life characters and explosive one-liners at the annual film benefit. ...

A playwright in Africa hopes to break the cultural silence on rape

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Under a spotlight in an otherwise dark room, Oliva Ouedraogo held up a piece of fabric that looked stained with blood. “Long live the girl!” she cried, her voice competing with the loud hum of a generator. Ouedraogo was starring in her own play —...

Music Review: Muna frontwoman Katie Gavin makes her solo debut with folky, evocative 'What A Relief'

On “What a Relief,” the debut solo album from Katie Gavin, the Muna frontwoman tackles love, family and selfhood through folk and country twang that departs from the band's usual dance-forward pop. Don't worry, this isn't the end of Muna — the trio of Gavin, Naomi McPherson and...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

North Carolina sees turnout record with more than 4.2M ballots cast at early in-person voting sites

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina had already surpassed its early-voting record set in 2020, but the State...

When polls close in battleground states on Election Day

WASHINGTON (AP) — The results on Election Day will come down to seven states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan,...

US says Iranian-American held in Iran as tensions high following Israeli attack on country

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a U.S. government-funded...

Cyprus is committed to expanding defense ties with the US, says its president

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The president of Cyprus said Sunday his administration is committed to expanding defense...

Israel's path of destruction in southern Lebanon raises fears of an attempt to create a buffer zone

BEIRUT (AP) — Perched on a hilltop a short walk from the Israeli border, the tiny southern Lebanese village of...

Lawmakers are vetting the EU chief's new team. It might be tough but she has the right on her side

BRUSSELS (AP) — Five months after the European Union lurched to the political right, the influence of...

By Deirdre Walsh CNN Senior Congressional Producer



House Speaker John BoehnerWASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Republican leaders were forced on Thursday to delay rolling out their bill to raise nation's debt limit, after conservatives complained the package failed to include deep enough budget cuts and significant changes to entitlement programs.

The setback comes as Speaker John Boehner prepares to wrestle with his conference over how to ultimately handle short term spending and the prospect of a government shutdown beginning on Tuesday, if Congress does not act to refill federal coffers.

Boehner and his top lieutenants initially hoped to move ahead with their proposal to permit Washington to borrow more money to pay its bills while waiting for the Senate to vote on a plan -- called a continuing resolution -- to keep the government funded through mid-November.

The debt package includes a lengthy list of GOP priorities, including a one year delay of Obamacare, provisions to roll back regulations on businesses, tax reforms, and approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

But the added items have not garnered enough support from House Republicans.

"It definitely has a lot of goodies in it. Things that arguably would grow the economy and would arguably would generate more revenue," Alabama Republican Rep Mo Brooks told reporters, saying he was undecided on how he would vote on the plan.

But he added that the issue of government spending overall must be considered.

"Washington has a spending problem and this debt ceiling bill does not address the problem," Brooks said.

Rep. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming told CNN that she was also undecided but wanted to see deeper budget cuts on the measure.

"I came here to cut spending and to reduce the size of the federal government so when those opportunities arise I want to take advantage of them," Lummis said.

Some House Republicans questioned the strategy of skipping ahead to the debt ceiling fight before Congress resolved the question on spending and the possible shutdown. They argued the GOP still had some leverage to force a change to Obamacare on that measure.

"I think we need to focus on the CR first. I think it's important that we complete that before we move onto the debt ceiling," Minnesota Republican Michele Bachmann said outside the House floor.

The draft plan GOP leaders had been working on was really a collection of bills previously approved by the Republican-controlled House.

Leaders learned from the last bruising fight in 2011 over the debt limit that a bloc of conservatives would resist any legislation to authorize new borrowing by the Treasury, so they decided to attach sweeteners.

Kansas Republican Rep Tim Huelskamp complained the GOP plan fell short of Boehner's pledge to demand an equal amount of spending cuts for the amount of the increase in new borrowing authority.

He also said it contained "very little" in the way of changes to entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid for the elderly and poor.

When asked early on Thursday about the scope of cuts, Boehner told reporters that "in this bill, we have spending cuts and we have issues that will help spur more economic growth. We think the balance is correct."

House Republican leaders likely will need to modify the package.

They need a unified conference because House Democrats won't vote for it, insisting the House should pass an extension of the debt limit without any conditions. Senate Democrats mocked the proposal.

"The House is attaching the Republican Party platform to the debt ceiling. In a week full of absurdities, this takes the cake," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said in a written statement.

At an event in Maryland on Thursday, President Barack Obama reiterated that he would not negotiate over the debt ceiling.

As Boehner works to corral his own members on the debt limit vote he also needs to beat the clock to avoid a government shutdown.

Senate Democrats are scheduled to vote Friday on the House GOP passed spending bill and are expected to strip out the provision that defunds Obamacare.

Boehner indicated on Thursday that House Republicans will modify that bill and kick it back to the Senate as the clock ticks down toward the deadline.

The speaker dodged questions on what specifically House GOP would tack on, but he downplayed that this move - with so little time remaining - would increase the chances of a possible shutdown.

"We have no interest is seeing a government shutdown, but we've got to address the spending problems that we have in this town and so there will be options available to us. There's not going to be any speculation about what we're going to do or not do until the Senate passes their bill," Boehner told reporters on Capitol Hill.

Multiple House GOP aides and members have told CNN that there are no final decisions, but the House could add a one year delay of the Obamacare requirement that all individuals enroll in health care coverage.

The administration already allowed a one year delay for corporations to provide coverage.

Another possible option, one most GOP aides believe could be used, is to add a provision that repeals a tax imposed on medical device manufacturers that helps pay for part of the costs of the new health care law.

On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called the medical device tax a "stupid tax," but told reporters he doesn't want to deal with it as part of the stopgap spending bill.

Later, a Reid spokesman clarified that the Nevada Democrat was referring not to the tax itself, but to the idea of attaching that provision to the spending bill, saying the House should pass a "clean" spending measure.

Another option under consideration is adding a provision to the spending bill that repeals federal support for health care premiums that the government covers for members of Congress and their aides.

Under the Affordable Care Act, which is set to take effect in the states on Tuesday, members and their aides would obtain coverage under the new health care exchanges and the government, as their employer, would cover a major portion of that premium.

Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Charlie Dent told reporters he could support a so-called "clean" spending bill that continues funding, but warned "if there's going to be a relaunch it should be something that the Senate will accept before October 1st."

Boehner pushed back on the notion that continued back and forth over the measure only increases the chances of a shutdown. Though he said, "I do not expect that to happen."

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