04-30-2024  3:48 am   •   PDX and SEA Weather
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

NORTHWEST NEWS

City Council Strikes Down Gonzalez’s ‘Inhumane’ Suggestion for Blanket Ban on Public Camping

Mayor Wheeler’s proposal for non-emergency ordinance will go to second reading.

A Conservative Quest to Limit Diversity Programs Gains Momentum in States

In support of DEI, Oregon and Washington have forged ahead with legislation to expand their emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion in government and education.

Epiphanny Prince Hired by Liberty in Front Office Job Day After Retiring

A day after announcing her retirement, Epiphanny Prince has a new job working with the New York Liberty as director of player and community engagement. Prince will serve on the basketball operations and business staffs, bringing her 14 years of WNBA experience to the franchise. 

The Drug War Devastated Black and Other Minority Communities. Is Marijuana Legalization Helping?

A major argument for legalizing the adult use of cannabis after 75 years of prohibition was to stop the harm caused by disproportionate enforcement of drug laws in Black, Latino and other minority communities. But efforts to help those most affected participate in the newly legal sector have been halting. 

NEWS BRIEFS

April 30 is the Registration Deadline for the May Primary Election

Voters can register or update their registration online at OregonVotes.gov until 11:59 p.m. on April 30. ...

Chair Jessica Vega Pederson Releases $3.96 Billion Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025

Investments will boost shelter and homeless services, tackle the fentanyl crisis, strengthen the safety net and support a...

New Funding Will Invest in Promising Oregon Technology and Science Startups

Today Business Oregon and its Oregon Innovation Council announced a million award to the Portland Seed Fund that will...

Unity in Prayer: Interfaith Vigil and Memorial Service Honoring Youth Affected by Violence

As part of the 2024 National Youth Violence Prevention Week, the Multnomah County Prevention and Health Promotion Community Adolescent...

A massive Powerball win draws attention to a little-known immigrant culture in the US

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Cheng “Charlie” Saephan wore a broad smile and a bright blue sash emblazoned with the words “Iu-Mien USA” as he hoisted an oversized check for jumi.3 billion above his head. The 46-year-old immigrant's luck in winning an enormous Powerball jackpot in Oregon...

Winner of jumi.3 billion Powerball jackpot is an immigrant from Laos who has cancer

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — One of the winners of a jumi.3 billion Powerball jackpot this month is an immigrant from Laos who has had cancer for eight years and had his latest chemotherapy treatment last week. Cheng “Charlie” Saephan, 46, of Portland, told a news conference held by the...

The Bo Nix era begins in Denver, and the Broncos also drafted his top target at Oregon

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — For the first time in his 17 seasons as a coach, Sean Payton has a rookie quarterback to nurture. Payton's Denver Broncos took Bo Nix in the first round of the NFL draft. The coach then helped out both himself and Nix by moving up to draft his new QB's top...

Elliss, Jenkins, McCaffrey join Harrison and Alt in following their fathers into the NFL

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Marvin Harrison Jr., Joe Alt, Kris Jenkins, Jonah Ellis and Luke McCaffrey have turned the NFL draft into a family affair. The sons of former pro football stars, they've followed their fathers' formidable footsteps into the league. Elliss was...

OPINION

Op-Ed: Why MAGA Policies Are Detrimental to Black Communities

NNPA NEWSWIRE – MAGA proponents peddle baseless claims of widespread voter fraud to justify voter suppression tactics that disproportionately target Black voters. From restrictive voter ID laws to purging voter rolls to limiting early voting hours, these...

Loving and Embracing the Differences in Our Youngest Learners

Yet our responsibility to all parents and society at large means we must do more to share insights, especially with underserved and under-resourced communities. ...

Gallup Finds Black Generational Divide on Affirmative Action

Each spring, many aspiring students and their families begin receiving college acceptance letters and offers of financial aid packages. This year’s college decisions will add yet another consideration: the effects of a 2023 Supreme Court, 6-3 ruling that...

OP-ED: Embracing Black Men’s Voices: Rebuilding Trust and Unity in the Democratic Party

The decision of many Black men to disengage from the Democratic Party is rooted in a complex interplay of historical disenchantment, unmet promises, and a sense of disillusionment with the political establishment. ...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

Supporters, opponents of Minnesota trooper charged with murder confront each other at courthouse

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Supporters and critics of a white Minnesota state trooper who's charged with murder for killing a Black motorist confronted each other at a courthouse Monday in an exchange that was heated but peaceful, reflecting the strong emotions that the politically charged case has...

Obstacles remain as women seek more leadership roles in America's Black Church

No woman had ever preached the keynote sermon at the Joint National Baptist Convention, a gathering of four historically Black Baptist denominations representing millions of people. That changed in January when the Rev. Gina Stewart took the convention stage in Memphis, Tennessee, —...

Wild onion dinners mark the turn of the season in Indian Country

OKMULGEE, Okla. (AP) — As winter fades to spring and the bright purple blossoms of the redbud trees begin to bloom, Cherokee chef Bradley James Dry knows it’s time to forage for morels as well as a staple of Native American cuisine in Oklahoma: wild green onions. Wild onions are...

ENTERTAINMENT

Seinfeld's upcoming Netflix movie about Pop-Tarts to be featured in IndyCar race at Long Beach

Jerry Seinfeld's upcoming Netflix comedy will be featured during this weekend's IndyCar race at Long Beach as rookie Linus Lundqvist will drive a car painted to look like a Pop-Tart in recognition of the movie “Unfrosted.” Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 8 will be painted in the texture...

'I was afraid for my life' — Orlando Bloom puts himself in peril for new TV series

NEW YORK (AP) — Orlando Bloom wanted to test himself for his latest adventure project. Not by eating something gross or visiting a new country. He wanted to risk death — with not one but three extreme sports. The Peacock series“Orlando Bloom: To the Edge” sees the “Pirates...

The 2024 Latin Grammys will return home to Miami after a controversial move to Spain

The 2024 Latin Grammys will return to Miami — where the Latin Recording Academy is headquartered. The 25th annual event will air live from the Kaseya Center on Nov. 14. Nominations will be announced on Sept. 17. Last year's ceremony was held in Sevilla, Spain — the...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

These cities raised taxes — for child care. Parents say the free day care 'changed my life'

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Last summer, Derrika Richard felt stuck. She didn’t have enough money to afford child care...

Talks advance on a treaty to end plastic pollution

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Nations made progress on a treaty to end plastic pollution as their fourth round of talks...

The top UN court is set to rule on Nicaragua's request for Germany to halt aid to Israel

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United Nations' top court is ruling Tuesday on a request by Nicaragua for...

Ashley Judd speaks out on the right of women to control their bodies and be free from male violence

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Actor Ashley Judd, whose allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein helped spark the...

Abducted retired Catholic bishop who mediated between cartels in Mexico is located, hospitalized

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A retired Roman Catholic bishop who was famous for trying to mediate between drug cartels in...

Indonesia's Mount Ruang erupts again, spewing ash and peppering villages with debris

MANADO, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Mount Ruang volcano erupted Tuesday for a second time in two weeks,...

Michael Pearson CNN

(CNN) -- Sputtering frustration over replacement officials in the National Football League burst into full-open revolt after a controversial end-zone call that decided the fate -- wrongly, many say -- of Monday night's game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks.

"Fine me and use the money to pay the regular refs," Packers guard T.J. Lang tweeted minutes after the game ended, one in a series of profanity-laced tweets accusing the referees of taking the game from his team.



He wasn't alone. Discussion of the call virtually took over Twitter in the United States and sparked rising calls for the NFL to quickly settle its labor dispute with officials.

In a league where criticizing officials is a big no-no, Lang could well get his wish about the fine, but what happens with the officials remains to be seen.

The Seahawks won 14-12 after replacement officials, standing in for locked-out NFL regulars, gave possession of a disputed pass to Seattle receiver Golden Tate. In what's already become a well-traveled and widely mocked image, two officials in the end zone gave competing signals: one indicating a touchdown, the other an interception.

The decision withstood video review of footage that appeared to show that Tate had just one arm on the ball while Packers defensive back M.D. Jennings had both hands wrapped around it. The ball was pulled tight to Jennings' chest.

The video also appeared to show Tate shoving a Packers defender in the back before going for the ball, a move that would normally draw an offensive pass interference penalty.

The NFL is expected to address the controversy Tuesday, the league's official website, NFL.com, reported.

It was not immediately clear Tuesday morning what action, if any, the NFL administration could take.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy declined to specifically address the call in his post-game news conference but said later that he had "never seen anything like that in all my years in football."

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers called the officiating "awful."

Coming away with a close win, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was less critical.

"From what I understand from the officials, it was a simultaneous catch, that's how they called it," Carroll told reporters. "Tag goes to the runner. Good call."

But he said it's sill time for the dispute to end.

"It's a very, very complex process to handle these games and make the decisions, and there's nothing easy about it," he said. "And it takes years and years of experience to pull it off properly and in a timely fashion and to keep the flow of the game alive and all of that, and it's just time for it to be over."

"The league deserves it," Carroll said. "Everybody deserves it."

Controversy over the replacement officials has been simmering since the preseason. A series of missed or muffed calls has riled coaches, players and fans, many of whom have called for a resolution of the labor dispute for weeks.

Sticking points include salary issues and changes to the retirement program for officials.

On Thursday, the NFL Players Association sent a letter to league owners saying the decision to hire replacement referees "has led to a deteriorating of order, safety and integrity."

"This affirmative decision has not only resulted in poor calls, missed calls and bad game management, but the combination of those deficiencies will only continue to jeopardize player health and safety and the integrity of the game that has taken decades to build," the union wrote.

The outcry for a resolution appeared to be growing after the Monday night game.

On Tuesday, the website FootballZebras.com, which tracks officiating in the NFL, said the Monday night call was "beyond the tipping point, this is the drowning point."

Discussion of the game also accounted for at least four of the top 10 topics on Twitter in the United States, where everyday fans and celebrities appeared united in their frustration.

"If you're holding your baby & I walk up and hug it, according to the NFL replacement refs, you have to give me your baby," comedian Chris Rock tweeted.

In another tweet, former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe said, "the NFL is a Formula 1 race car. The replacement refs are the 3 year old behind the wheel."

Miami Heat star LeBron James said it's time for the replacements to go.

"Packers just got game took from them," he tweeted. "I LOVE NFL football to much to see this type of work."

New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney got into the game on Tuesday, saying he would introduce legislation against holding sporting events officiating by replacement referees.

"This past weekend in the NFL has not only made a mockery of a great sport, but shined a very bright light on how important fully trained and professional officiating is to player safety," said Sweeney, who is a big Packers fan, according to his spokesman. "We wouldn't allow a factory or construction site to operate without fully trained supervisors on hand to ensure the safety of employees. Why should we do anything differently when the job site is a playing field?"

Even the Lingerie Football League -- from which some of the replacement officials were reportedly drawn -- distanced itself from the growing controversy. The league announced it was parting ways with "a couple crews which are apparently now officiating in the NFL."

"We have a lot of respect for our officials but we felt the officiating was not in line with our expectations." league official Mitchell Mortaza said in the statement.

CNN's Jason Moon contributed to this report.

The Skanner Foundation's 38th Annual MLK Breakfast