11-10-2024  9:13 am   •   PDX and SEA Weather

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NORTHWEST NEWS

In Portland, Political Outsider Keith Wilson Elected Mayor After Homelessness-focused Race

Wilson, a Portland native and CEO of a trucking company, ran on an ambitious pledge to end unsheltered homelessness within a year of taking office.

‘Black Friday’ Screening Honors Black Portlanders, Encourages Sense of Belonging

The second annual event will be held Nov. 8 at the Hollywood Theatre.

Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson Wins Governor’s Race in Washington

Ferguson came to national prominence by repeatedly suing the administration of former President Donald Trump, including bringing the lawsuit that blocked Trump’s initial travel ban on citizens of several majority Muslim nations. 

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.

NEWS BRIEFS

Volunteers of America Oregon Announces Retirement CEO, Kay Toran

Toran's tenure at VOA Oregon is marked by decades of dedicated public service in the State of Oregon and unwavering commitment to...

NAACP Launches Innovative $200 Million Fund of Funds to Transform the Venture Capital Landscape

The fund will invest in fund managers and startups that are focused on closing gaps facing communities of color. ...

Legal Services Corporation Announces 2025 Grant Awards for Civil Legal Services

The grants are part of LSC's ongoing effort to support legal aid organizations in providing essential services to underserved...

Maxine Dexter Elected to Fill Earl Blumenauer's Seat

Blumenauer: “I can think of no person I would rather have take my place” ...

Dan Rayfield Elected Oregon’s Next Attorney General

Rayfield thanks AG Ellen Rosenblum and is honored "to follow her footsteps." ...

Man accused of stabbing at least 5 people in Seattle ordered held on [scripts/homepage/home.php]M bail

SEATTLE (AP) — A 37-year-old man who police say stabbed five people in Seattle in broad daylight Friday and possibly four others the day before made his first court appearance Saturday where a judge ordered him held on [scripts/homepage/home.php] million bail. “People who live in and travel to the...

Longtime Blazers broadcaster Brian Wheeler dies at 62

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Former Portland Trail Blazers broadcaster Brian Wheeler, the radio voice of the team from 1998-2019, has died. He was 62. The Trail Blazers said Wheeler, affectionately called Wheels, passed away on Friday following a long illness. Wheeler had...

Missouri hosts Eastern Washington following Cook's 25-point game

Eastern Washington Eagles (1-1) at Missouri Tigers (1-1) Columbia, Missouri; Monday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Eastern Washington plays Missouri after Andrew Cook scored 25 points in Eastern Washington's 93-86 victory against the Seattle U Redhawks. Missouri...

Young returns fumble for TD with 22 seconds left to lift Missouri past Oklahoma, 30-23

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Zion Young returned a fumble 17 yards for a touchdown with 22 seconds remaining as Missouri stunned Oklahoma 30-23 on Saturday night. Triston Newson sacked Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold and knocked the ball loose. Young, a defensive end, picked it up and raced in...

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

One person is dead after a shooting at Tuskegee University

TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) — Homecoming Week at Tuskegee University in Alabama was marred early Sunday by a shooting that left one person dead, school officials said. The victim of the shooting was not a university student, but some of those who were injured were. “The...

Racist text messages referencing slavery raise alarms in multiple states and prompt investigations

WASHINGTON (AP) — Racist text messages invoking slavery raised alarm across the country this week after they were sent to Black men, women and students, including middle schoolers, prompting inquiries by the FBI and other agencies. The messages, sent anonymously, were reported in...

Young Black and Latino men say they chose Trump because of the economy and jobs. Here's how and why

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brian Leija, a 31-year-old small-business owner from Belton, Texas, was not surprised that a growing number of Latino men of his generation voted for Donald Trump for president this year. Leija had voted for the Republican in 2016 and 2020. Leija's rationale was...

ENTERTAINMENT

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade will feature Ariana Madix, T-Pain, 'Gabby’s Dollhouse' and pasta

NEW YORK (AP) — A eclectic group of stars — including reality TV's Ariana Madix, Broadway belter Idina Menzel, hip-hop's T-Pain, members of the WNBA champions New York Liberty and country duo Dan + Shay — will feature in this year's Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Music...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 10-16

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 10-16: Nov. 10: Blues singer Bobby Rush is 90. Actor Albert Hall (“Ally McBeal,” ″Beloved”) is 87. Country singer Donna Fargo is 83. Lyricist Tim Rice is 80. Actor Jack Scalia is 74. Director Roland Emmerich (“The Patriot,”...

Music Review: State Champs’ self-titled album is enjoyable, quintessential, predictable pop-punk

New York pop-punk band State Champs’ self-titled album is one fans of the genre have heard before — a band musing about awkward interactions at parties, overthinking their romantic relationships and scorning the mundane. Across 12 tracks, the album is charming, but unchallenging. ...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

California farmers enjoy pistachio boom, with much of it headed to China

LOST HILLS, Calif. (AP) — In a sprawling plant in the heart of California's farmland, millions of shells rush...

King Charles III and Kate attend remembrance event as both slowly return to duty

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III led the nation Sunday in a two-minute silence in remembrance of fallen service...

AP PHOTOS: Death by water, burial by mud. Images of Spain's floods of the century

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Twelve days have passed since catastrophic flash floods carved a muddy scar through...

Attacks on Israeli soccer fans in the Netherlands prompts prime minister to cancel climate trip

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Saturday canceled a trip to United Nations...

While Syrian refugees don't want to return, officials in Lebanon and Syria see exodus as opportunity

BEIRUT (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees have returned to their country since Israel launched a...

Hungry Palestinians in north Gaza search for food, sealed off from aid for a month by Israeli siege

JERUSALEM (AP) — With virtually no food allowed into the northernmost part of Gaza for the past month, tens of...

Saskia Vandoorne CNN


Nicolas Sarkozy
 

(CNN) -- France has been accused of passing the problems of its long-neglected suburbs off to others, after the country's Socialist president Francois Hollande agreed to a deal in which Qatar will invest millions of euros to help regenerate the disadvantaged "banlieues" of Paris.

The plan, which has been met with widespread criticism from across the political spectrum, was first put forward in November last year under the tenure of former president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Aneld, a group representing local elected officials who advocate for diversity in deprived areas met with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar last November, to secure an investment of 50 million euros.

The vice-president of Aneld, Leila Leghmara, told CNN she had regularly been approached by young people brimming with ambitious projects, but had no financial backing to see them through. The idea behind the fund is to inspire hope in the poor, troubled French suburbs with high immigrant populations.

But the plans were put on hold by Sarkozy, for fear of jeopardizing his chances of re-election -- his infamous suggestion to "clean the suburbs with a high pressure hose" when acting as minister of the interior in 2005 had not been forgotten.

The fund was given new life last week when members of Aneld met with the French industrial recovery minister, Arnaud Montebourg, who approved the plan and agreed to match Qatar's investment, bringing the fund's total to 100 million euros.

With Qatar already having made large investments in French utility companies such as Veolia and Suez environment, as well as media group Lagardere, and more recently the purchase of French football club Paris Saint-Germain, this latest announcement of French-Qatari cooperation was met with heavy criticism by both the French left and right.

Lionel Luca, the Member of Parliament for the center-right Union of Popular Movement (UMP), called for a parliamentary investigation into Qatar's "interest" in France in an open letter to the president of the National Assembly.

"It would not be troubling if Qatar were a secular democracy or even a non-proselytising religious state. However, this country practices fundamentalist Islam," Luca wrote.

Nicolas Demorand, editor-in-chef of France's left wing newspaper Liberation, questioned the motives behind the investment in an editorial.

"To see Qatar land in the French suburbs as a stand-in for a cash-strapped French Republic deserves to be looked at twice," Demorand mused.

Marine Le Pen, head of France's far right National Front party, whose presidential campaign played heavily on the fear of immigrants -- particularly those of Muslim origins, also weighed in with a communique titled "French Islamic Trojan Horse," in which she accused Qatar of investing in the "banlieues" because of the high number of Muslims present there.

"These investments are in no way for humanitarian reasons, they are political and religious. It is a major political mistake to accept this and it will come at the price of our independence not only in our country but also in the context of our international policy," she wrote.

CNN has sought comment from the Qatari government and from French government officials on the plan, but has not yet received a response.

Leghmara is concerned that the fund is proving divisive as the details of how the money will be spent are yet to be decided. She argues the investment will be a huge help to all those who are out of work. With the number of unemployed in France reaching three million in August -- the highest figure since 1999 -- she believes job creation would be welcomed.

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