04-25-2024  9:14 am   •   PDX and SEA Weather
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NORTHWEST NEWS

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. 

Lessons for Cities from Seattle’s Racial and Social Justice Law 

 Seattle is marking the first anniversary of its landmark Race and Social Justice Initiative ordinance. Signed into law in April 2023, the ordinance highlights race and racism because of the pervasive inequities experienced by people of color

NEWS BRIEFS

Mt. Tabor Park Selected for National Initiative

Mt. Tabor Park is the only Oregon park and one of just 24 nationally to receive honor. ...

OHCS, BuildUp Oregon Launch Program to Expand Early Childhood Education Access Statewide

Funds include million for developing early care and education facilities co-located with affordable housing. ...

Governor Kotek Announces Chief of Staff, New Office Leadership

Governor expands executive team and names new Housing and Homelessness Initiative Director ...

Governor Kotek Announces Investment in New CHIPS Child Care Fund

5 Million dollars from Oregon CHIPS Act to be allocated to new Child Care Fund ...

Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge US to prosecute the company

Boeing said Wednesday that it lost 5 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers. ...

Authorities confirm 2nd victim of ex-Washington officer was 17-year-old with whom he had a baby

WEST RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) — Authorities on Wednesday confirmed that a body found at the home of a former Washington state police officer who killed his ex-wife before fleeing to Oregon, where he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was that of a 17-year-old girl with whom he had a baby. ...

Missouri hires Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch for the same role with the Tigers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri hired longtime college administrator Laird Veatch to be its athletic director on Tuesday, bringing him back to campus 14 years after he departed for a series of other positions that culminated with five years spent as the AD at Memphis. Veatch...

KC Current owners announce plans for stadium district along the Kansas City riverfront

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The ownership group of the Kansas City Current announced plans Monday for the development of the Missouri River waterfront, where the club recently opened a purpose-built stadium for the National Women's Soccer League team. CPKC Stadium will serve as the hub...

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

Bishop stabbed during Sydney church service backs X's legal case to share video of the attack

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A Sydney bishop who was stabbed repeatedly in an alleged extremist attack blamed on a teenager has backed X Corp. owner Elon Musk’s legal bid to overturn an Australian ban on sharing graphic video of the attack on social media. A live stream of the...

Biden just signed a bill that could ban TikTok. His campaign plans to stay on the app anyway

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Joe Biden showed off his putting during a campaign stop at a public golf course in Michigan last month, the moment was captured on TikTok. Forced inside by a rainstorm, he competed with 13-year-old Hurley “HJ” Coleman IV to make putts on a...

2021 death of young Black man at rural Missouri home was self-inflicted, FBI tells AP

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal investigation has concluded that a young Black man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a rural Missouri home, not at the hands of the white homeowner who had a history of racist social media postings, an FBI official told The Associated Press Wednesday. ...

ENTERTAINMENT

Music Review: Jazz pianist Fred Hersch creates subdued, lovely colors on 'Silent, Listening'

Jazz pianist Fred Hersch fully embraces the freedom that comes with improvisation on his solo album “Silent, Listening,” spontaneously composing and performing tunes that are often without melody, meter or form. Listening to them can be challenging and rewarding. The many-time...

Book Review: 'Nothing But the Bones' is a compelling noir novel at a breakneck pace

Nelson “Nails” McKenna isn’t very bright, stumbles over his words and often says what he’s thinking without realizing it. We first meet him as a boy reading a superhero comic on the banks of a river in his backcountry hometown in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia....

Cardi B, Queen Latifah and The Roots to headline the BET Experience concerts in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cardi B, Queen Latifah and The Roots will headline concerts to celebrate the return of the BET Experience in Los Angeles just days before the 2024 BET Awards. BET announced Monday the star-studded lineup of the concert series, which makes a return after a...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

Columbia's president, no stranger to complex challenges, walks tightrope on student protests

Columbia University president Minouche Shafik is no stranger to navigating complex international issues, having...

US abortion battle rages on with moves to repeal Arizona ban and a Supreme Court case

Action in courts and state capitals around the U.S. this week have made it clear again: The overturning of Roe v....

Venice tests a 5-euro entry fee for day-trippers as the city grapples with overtourism

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Under the gaze of the world’s media, the fragile lagoon city of Venice launched a pilot...

Venezuela broke its HPV vaccine promises, and there's barely any sex ed. Experts say it's a problem

PUTUCUAL, Venezuela (AP) — Some of the 10 women and teenage girls who recently came to a medical clinic in...

China launches 3-member crew to its space station as it seeks to put astronauts on the moon by 2030

JIUQUAN SATELLITE LAUNCH CENTER, China (AP) — China launched a three-member crew to its orbiting space station...

Here's why Spain's leader is mulling his future while denouncing a 'smear campaign' against his wife

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez left Spain in suspense after announcing he may...

Damon Lillard holds ball as he tries to get past NY Knicks defenders
By Helen Silvis | The Skanner News

 LaMarcus Aldridge believes the key to the Trail Blazers' early success this season is chemistry.

“I think this team is jelling together better than any other team I've been on,” said Aldridge, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds for Portland in the team's 11th straight victory, a 102-91 win over the slumping New York Knicks on Monday night.

Nicolas Batum had 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Blazers, who are riding their longest winning streak since they won 13 straight in December 2007.

The Knicks are headed in the opposite direction with six straight losses. Carmelo Anthony had 34 points and 15 rebounds.

New York trailed by as many as 22 points but pulled to 81-74 on Andrea Bargnani's 3-pointer early in the final quarter. Batum responded with a dunk and Wesley Matthews added a 3-pointer to extend the lead again.

Again the Knicks narrowed it, closing to 98-91 after Anthony's jumper and a free throw with 1:47 to go. But Damian Lillard had consecutive jumpers for Portland and that was as close as New York would come. Lillard finished with 23 points.

“We're winning ugly and pretty games, like tonight,” Aldridge said. “We didn't shoot it great but I thought we made plays down the stretch offensively and defensively. We're just winning different ways right now.”

Anthony said the Knicks' problem is sharing the ball.

“When the ball doesn't move, you can't get into a rhythm,” he said. “(When the) ball's not moving around, that makes it tough for the rest of the team to have fun out there. Right now, we're not having fun.”

The Blazers (13-2) were without guard Mo Williams, who was serving a one-game suspension without pay for his role in a scuffle during Saturday night's 113-101 victory at Golden State.

The brawl was touched off by Andrew Bogut's elbow to Joel Freeland's jaw. Williams, Matthews and Warriors reserve Draymond Green were ejected from the game. The league on Monday fined Aldridge $45,000, while Matthews and Green were both fined $20,000.

Bogut was also suspended without pay for a game and will sit out Golden State's game against New Orleans on Tuesday.

On the same day that the discipline was handed down by the NBA, Aldridge was named the Western Conference player of the week.

Aldridge averaged 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, two steals and 1.75 blocked shots in wins last week against Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Chicago and Golden State. He had had 30 points and 21 rebounds against the Warriors. Monday night's output gave him his seventh double-double this season.

The Knicks (3-10) were without starting guard Raymond Felton, a former Blazer, for a fourth game because of a sore lower back and left hip. And center Tyson Chandler remains out of New York's lineup with a broken leg.

The Blazers took off on a 12-0 run to take a 22-12 lead with just under five minutes left in the first quarter, capped by Matthews' layup. Batum hit a 3-pointer to end the quarter and give the Blazers a 34-18 lead.

Matthews hit a 3-pointer to give the Blazers a 44-22 lead midway through the second quarter after a 17-4 run, and Portland led 56-39 at the half.

Amare Stoudemire's layup with four minutes left in the third quarter pulled to Knicks to 71-61. But the Blazers responded and Aldridge's rebound 3-pointer that extended the lead to 79-63.

“One of the things we've been concerned about was how we've started games, especially defensively. I was really pleased with the way we set the tone in the first quarter, particularly on the defensive end, and we maintained that throughout the first half,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “We're a little disappointed we let them get back in it, but New York has a lot of talented scorers and 3-point shooters and we made a few mistakes.”

New York was coming off a 98-89 loss at Washington on Saturday.

Anthony says his frustration is at an “all-time high.”

“I've worked my butt off to get in tip-top shape and to be able to compete at the highest level,” he said. “To work that hard and to be losing like we are, it's not a great feeling.”

NOTES: Portland has won 11 of their last 13 against the Knicks in Portland. The Blazers swept the season series with New York last season. ... It was Portland coach Stotts' birthday. ... The Blazers have scored at least 90 points in each of their first 15 games for the first time since 1993-94. ... The Knicks last lost six straight from March 4-12 in 2012.

The Skanner Foundation's 38th Annual MLK Breakfast