04-30-2024  11:13 pm   •   PDX and SEA Weather
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NORTHWEST NEWS

US Long-Term Care Costs Are Sky-High, but Washington State’s New Way to Help Pay for Them Could Be Nixed

A group funded by hedge fund executive Brian Heywood is attempting to undermine the financial stability of Washington state's new long-term care social insurance program.

A Massive Powerball Win Draws Attention to a Little-Known Immigrant Culture in the US

An immigrant from Laos who has been battling cancer won an enormous jumi.3 billion Powerball jackpot in Oregon earlier this month. But Cheng “Charlie” Saephan's luck hasn't just changed his life — it's also drawn attention to Iu Mien, a southeast Asian ethnic group with origins in China, many of whose members fled from Laos to Thailand and then settled in the U.S. following the Vietnam War.

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.

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...

Police clear pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall

NEW YORK (AP) — The pro-Palestinian demonstration that paralyzed Columbia University ended in dramatic fashion late Tuesday, with police carrying riot shields swarming the Ivy League campus, bursting into an administration building protesters took over the previous night and making dozens of...

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

PORTLAND, 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...

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

Nearly 50 years later, Asian American and Pacific Islander month features revelry and racial justice

It has been almost 50 years since the U.S. government established that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and their accomplishments should be recognized annually across the nation. What started as just one week in May has evolved over the decades into a monthlong...

Hush money trial judge raises threat of jail as he finds Trump violated gag order, fines him K

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined ,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. If he does it again, the judge warned, he could...

The body of a Mississippi man will remain in state hands as police investigate his death, judge says

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The body of a Mississippi man who was found dead after vanishing under mysterious circumstances will not be released to family members until law enforcement agencies finish investigating the case, a state judge said Tuesday. At a hearing in Jackson,...

ENTERTAINMENT

Dick Van Dyke earns historic Daytime Emmy nomination at age 98

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dick Van Dyke is vying for a historic Daytime Emmy at age 98. The actor was nominated Friday as guest performer in a daytime drama series for his part as amnesiac Timothy Robicheaux on Peacock’s “Days of Our Lives.” Van Dyke is the oldest...

Music Review: Neil Young delivers appropriately ragged, raw live version of 1990's 'Ragged Glory'

The venerable Neil Young offers a ragged and raw live take of his beloved 1990 album “Ragged Glory” with a new album, titled “Fu##in’ Up.” Of course, the 2024 version doesn't have the same semi-youthful energy that the 44-year-old Young put into the original. Maybe his voice...

Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi is 'tickled pink' to inspire a Barbie doll

Like many little girls, a young Kristi Yamaguchi loved playing with Barbie. With a schedule packed with ice skating practices, her Barbie dolls became her “best friends.” So, it's surreal for the decorated Olympian figure skater to now be a Barbie girl herself. ...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

Trump's comparison of student protests to Jan. 6 is part of effort to downplay Capitol attack

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump on Tuesday lamented the possibility that Columbia University's pro-Palestinian...

Greece boosts special firefighting units to cope with its growing heat risk

KRYO PIGADI, Greece (AP) — Skimming over miles of hills blackened by wildfires west of Athens, Fire Lt. Col....

Nearly 50 years later, Asian American and Pacific Islander month features revelry and racial justice

It has been almost 50 years since the U.S. government established that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and...

G7 nations commit to phasing out coal by 2035 but give Japan some flexibility

MILAN (AP) — Energy and environment ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations committed...

Zimbabwe's ZiG is the world's newest currency and its latest attempt to resolve a money crisis

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Out with the Zimbabwe dollar, in with the ZiG. Zimbabwe on Tuesday started...

This fiery economist became Argentina's president railing against politicians. Now he's wooing them

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — When interviewed about his plans after a shock electoral victory last fall,...

By Alan Duke CNN

 




AEG Live's CEO wrote two days before Michael Jackson died that a doctor Jackson was seeing "scares us to death because he is shooting him up with something," court testimony shows.

Randy Phillips' e-mail could contradict his earlier testimony that he had no idea Jackson was getting prescription drugs while he was preparing for his comeback concerts.

Phillips is on the witness stand for a fifth day Tuesday in the Jackson wrongful death trial, which is in its seventh week.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos sent jurors out of the courtroom at one point Monday afternoon so she could lecture Phillips about arguing with Jackson lawyer Brian Panish and appearing to evade his questions.

"Arguing with the lawyers is not going to help," Palazuelos told Phillips. "It's not going to help your case. It's not going to help anybody. It's lengthening your testimony. "

Jackson's mother and three children are suing AEG Live, saying the concert promoter is liable in Jackson's death because it hired, retained or supervised Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

Phillips and other AEG Live executives ignored "red flags" that should have alerted them that Jackson's health was at risk as they pressured him and his doctor to stop missing rehearsals as the "This Is It" tour premiere approached in the summer of 2009, Jackson lawyers argue.

Jackson, not AEG Live, chose and controlled Murray, company lawyers argue. Although they negotiated a contract to pay Murray $150,000 a month to attend to Jackson, it was never fully executed because Jackson died before they signed, they say.

AEG executives -- including Co-CEO Paul Gongaware, who had managed Jackson's last two tours -- had no way of knowing that Jackson was abusing drugs, especially the surgical anesthetic propofol, which the coroner ruled played the largest role in his death, AEG Live lawyers argue.

Murray told investigators he was infusing propofol into Jackson nearly every night to treat his insomnia so Jackson would be rested for rehearsals.

On Monday, Panish confronted Phillips about an e-mail exchange that he had two days before Jackson's death in which Phillips was asked if Dr. Arnold Klein was "on the list of doctors that will help get us from today to the opening night."

"He scares us to death because he is shooting him up with something," Phillips replied.

Michael Kane, who was Jackson's business manager, shared with Phillips that Klein's office sent him a $48,000 bill for Jackson's frequent visits to his Beverly Hills dermatology clinic in the months before his death.

Klein's invoice said Jackson had been treated with Restalyne, Botox and unidentified drug injections, Kane wrote to Phillips.

"There were a lot of bills for injections, I didn't know what it was," Phillips said in his deposition before the trial.

Klein or his staff injected Jackson with 6,500 milligrams of Demerol during the last three months of his life, according to documents and testimony at Murray's criminal trial.

"Since we owe him $48K and he wants payment, maybe I should stop paying him so he would stop shooting him up," Kane told Phillips. "I have the details of what he is doing."

It was unclear why Kane would share Jackson's medical records with an AEG Live executive since the company's lawyers insist they were not involved with and did not pry into Jackson's health care.

Phillips' testimony differs from CNN interview

Phillips met with Jackson, Dr. Murray and show director Kenny Ortega on June 20, 2009, after production manager John "Bugzee" Houghdahl sent an e-mail to producers titled "trouble at the Front."

"I have watched him deteriorate in front of my eyes over the last 8 weeks. He was able to do multiple 360 spins back in April. He'd fall on his ass if he tried now," Houghdahl wrote about Jackson.

Ortega sent Jackson home from a rehearsal the night before because of his strange behavior.

"He was a basket case and Kenny was concerned he would embarrass himself on stage, or worse yet -- get hurt," Houghdahl wrote. "The company is rehearsing right now, but the DOUBT is pervasive."

Phillips' testimony about the meeting this week contradicts what he told CNN's Don Lemon in 2010, just before the first anniversary of Jackson's death.

He testified Monday that it was a "highly charged situation" because of producers' concerns about Jackson's readiness for the show just three weeks away, although he downplayed the drama in the CNN interview.

Contrary to the production manager's e-mail, Phillips told CNN there was no concern about Jackson's dancing. "You know, there was very little to worry about him performing."

"Kenny felt that Michael was taking this show a little too nonchalantly," Phillips told CNN.

Phillips testified Monday that the meeting with Dr. Murray and Jackson -- which he called "an intervention" in an e-mail -- was called to find out what was wrong with Jackson.

But in the CNN interview, Phillips denied it was AEG Live who wanted Murray to be there. "Michael brought him," he said. "That was Michael's choice. He brought Dr. Murray into the meeting."

"I didn't invite Dr. Murray into the meeting," Phillips said in response to a follow up question by Lemon. "Michael brought Dr. Murray into the meeting."

"Why would Jackson feel he needed his doctor to meet with the concert promoters?" Lemon asked.

"Because he was using Dr. Murray like he would a manager or a representative," Phillips said. "He wanted him to speak for him."

"Did that seem odd to you?" Lemon asked.

"No, nothing seems odd in Michael world," he said.

CNN's Stan Wilson contributed to this report.

The Skanner Foundation's 38th Annual MLK Breakfast