04-20-2024  6:37 am   •   PDX and SEA Weather
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NORTHWEST NEWS

Don’t Shoot Portland, University of Oregon Team Up for Black Narratives, Memory

The yearly Memory Work for Black Lives Plenary shows the power of preservation.

Grants Pass Anti-Camping Laws Head to Supreme Court

Grants Pass in southern Oregon has become the unlikely face of the nation’s homelessness crisis as its case over anti-camping laws goes to the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled for April 22. The case has broad implications for cities, including whether they can fine or jail people for camping in public. Since 2020, court orders have barred Grants Pass from enforcing its anti-camping laws. Now, the city is asking the justices to review lower court rulings it says has prevented it from addressing the city's homelessness crisis. Rights groups say people shouldn’t be punished for lacking housing.

Four Ballot Measures for Portland Voters to Consider

Proposals from the city, PPS, Metro and Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District.

Washington Gun Store Sold Hundreds of High-Capacity Ammunition Magazines in 90 Minutes Without Ban

KGW-TV reports Wally Wentz, owner of Gator’s Custom Guns in Kelso, described Monday as “magazine day” at his store. Wentz is behind the court challenge to Washington’s high-capacity magazine ban, with the help of the Silent Majority Foundation in eastern Washington.

NEWS BRIEFS

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 ...

Bank Announces 14th Annual “I Got Bank” Contest for Youth in Celebration of National Financial Literacy Month

The nation’s largest Black-owned bank will choose ten winners and award each a $1,000 savings account ...

Literary Arts Transforms Historic Central Eastside Building Into New Headquarters

The new 14,000-square-foot literary center will serve as a community and cultural hub with a bookstore, café, classroom, and event...

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Announces New Partnership with the University of Oxford

Tony Bishop initiated the CBCF Alumni Scholarship to empower young Black scholars and dismantle financial barriers ...

Record numbers in the US are homeless. Can cities fine them for sleeping in parks and on sidewalks?

WASHINGTON (AP) — The most significant case in decades on homelessness has reached the Supreme Court as record numbers of people in America are without a permanent place to live. The justices on Monday will consider a challenge to rulings from a California-based appeals court that...

The drug war devastated Black and other minority communities. Is marijuana legalization helping?

ARLINGTON, Wash. (AP) — When Washington state opened some of the nation's first legal marijuana stores in 2014, Sam Ward Jr. was on electronic home detention in Spokane, where he had been indicted on federal drug charges. He would soon be off to prison to serve the lion's share of a four-year...

Two-time world champ J’den Cox retires at US Olympic wrestling trials; 44-year-old reaches finals

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — J’den Cox walked off the mat after dropping a 2-2 decision to Kollin Moore at the U.S. Olympic wrestling trials on Friday night, leaving his shoes behind to a standing ovation. The bronze medal winner at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 was beaten by...

University of Missouri plans 0 million renovation of Memorial Stadium

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri is planning a 0 million renovation of Memorial Stadium. The Memorial Stadium Improvements Project, expected to be completed by the 2026 season, will further enclose the north end of the stadium and add a variety of new premium...

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

The drug war devastated Black and other minority communities. Is marijuana legalization helping?

ARLINGTON, Wash. (AP) — When Washington state opened some of the nation's first legal marijuana stores in 2014, Sam Ward Jr. was on electronic home detention in Spokane, where he had been indicted on federal drug charges. He would soon be off to prison to serve the lion's share of a four-year...

Lawsuits under New York's new voting rights law reveal racial disenfranchisement even in blue states

FREEPORT, N.Y. (AP) — Weihua Yan had seen dramatic demographic changes since moving to Long Island's Nassau County. Its Asian American population alone had grown by 60% since the 2010 census. Why then, he wondered, did he not see anyone who looked like him on the county's local...

USC cancels graduation keynote by filmmaker amid controversy over decision to drop student's speech

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The University of Southern California further shook up its commencement plans Friday, announcing the cancelation of a keynote speech by filmmaker Jon M. Chu just days after making the controversial choice to disallow the student valedictorian from speaking. The...

ENTERTAINMENT

Celebrity birthdays for the week of April 21-27

Celebrity birthdays for the week of April 21-27: April 21: Actor Elaine May is 92. Singer Iggy Pop is 77. Actor Patti LuPone is 75. Actor Tony Danza is 73. Actor James Morrison (“24”) is 70. Actor Andie MacDowell is 66. Singer Robert Smith of The Cure is 65. Guitarist Michael...

What to stream this weekend: Conan O’Brien travels, 'Migration' soars and Taylor Swift reigns

Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver” landing on Netflix and Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” album are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as...

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...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

Record Store Day celebrates indie retail music sellers as they ride vinyl's popularity wave

PHOENIX (AP) — Special LP releases, live performances and at least one giant block party are scheduled around...

The drug war devastated Black and other minority communities. Is marijuana legalization helping?

ARLINGTON, Wash. (AP) — When Washington state opened some of the nation's first legal marijuana stores in 2014,...

Tennessee Volkswagen employees overwhelmingly vote to join United Auto Workers union

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Employees at a Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, overwhelmingly voted to...

Panama Papers trial's public portion comes to an unexpectedly speedy end

PANAMA CITY (AP) — The public portion of a trial of more than two-dozen associates accused of helping some of...

Has Salman Rushdie changed after his stabbing? Well, he feels about 25, the author tells AP

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly two years after the knife attack that nearly killed him, Salman Rushdie appears both...

Venice Biennale titled 'Foreigners Everywhere' platforms LGBTQ+, outsider and Indigenous artists

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Outsider, queer and Indigenous artists are getting an overdue platform at the 60th Venice...

still from Jem and the Holograms
Kam Williams

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Jem and the Holograms (PG for mature themes, reckless behavior, mild epithets and suggestive content) Live-action adaptation of the animated TV series starring Aubrey Peeples as the lead singer of an all-girl rock group with an underground cult following which morphs into a worldwide sensation. With Molly Ringwald, Juliette Lewis, Stefanie Scott and Aurora Perrineau.

The Last Witch Hunter (PG-13 for violence and frightening images) Action-oriented fantasy revolving around a valiant warrior (Vin Diesel) representing the last hope for humanity in an epic showdown with a reincarnated demon (Julie Engelbrecht). Supporting cast includes Elijah Wood, Rose Leslie and Michael Caine.

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (R for violence and profanity) Sixth and final installment of the found footage horror franchise featuring supernatural phenomena around the haunted house in Palo Alto just moved into by a married couple (Chris J. Murray and Brit Shaw) with of a young son (Dan Gill) and daughter (Ivy George). With Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown and Hallie Foote.

Rock the Kasbah (R for profanity, drug use, sexual references and brief violence) Musical comedy about a broke rock producer (Bill Murray) who helps an Afghani teenager (Leem Lubany) compete on her country's reality-TV version of American Idol after he finds himself stranded in Kabul. Featuring Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis, Danny McBride and Scott Caan.

Steve Jobs (R for profanity) Michael Fassbender portrays the late Apple founder in this warts-and-all biopic spanning the critical period from 1984 to 1998 and highlighting the Machiavellian CEO's drive to gain the competitive edge in technological innovation. Cast includes Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Katherine Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg.

Suffragette (PG-13 for intense violence, mature themes, brief profanity and partial nudity) Historical drrama, set in England, chronicling the selfless fight for women's equality staged by feminists at the dawn of the 20th Century. Co-starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep.

 

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Burnt (Unrated) Culinary dramedy about a disgraced Parisian chef's (Bradley Cooper) attempt to restore his reputation in London with the help of an attractive assistant-turned-love interest (Sienna Miller). With Omar Sy, Uma Thurman, Emma Thompson and Alicia Vikander.

Difret (Unrated) Women's rights drama, set in Ethiopia, revolving around a 14 year-old girl (Tizita Hagere) on trial for the murder of the man (Girma Teshome) who'd kidnapped and raped her with the intent of turning her into his child bride. Co-starring Meron Getnet, Abel Abebe and ShitayeAbraha. (In Amharic)

Extraordinary Tales (Unrated) Animated adaptation of five short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, including "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar," and "The Masque of the Red Death." Voice cast includes Christopher Lee, Guillermo del Toro and Roger Corman

Heart of a Dog (Unrated) Performance artist Laurie Anderson wrote, directed, produced, filmed, scored, animated and stars in this introspective auto- biopic reflecting upon the deaths of her mother, dog and husband, Lou Reed.

I Smile Back (R for profanity, substance abuse, disturbing behavior and graphic sexuality) Dysfunctional family drama revolving around a New Jersey housewife's (Sarah Silverman) quest for redemption following a self-destructive descent into depravity marked by addiction, promiscuity and child abuse. With Josh Charles, Skylar Gaertner and Shayne Coleman.

India's Daughter (Unrated) Women's rights documentary recounting the events surrounding the murder of Jyoti Singh, the 23 year-old, medical student gang-raped on a moving bus in Delhi in December of 2012. (In English and Hindi with subtitles)

The Looking Glass (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama about a recently-orphaned 13 year-old (Grace Tarnow) forced by circumstances to move to Indiana to live with a grandmother (Dorothy Tristan) suffering from Alzheimer's. With Trish Basinger, Ed Ernstes and Elizabeth Stenholt.

Nasty Baby (R for sexuality, profanity, drug use, graphic nudity and disturbing violence) Homoerotic drama, set in Brooklyn, about a gay couple (Sebastian Sliva and Tunde Adebimpe) that enlists the help of their best friend (Kristen Wiig) in their attempt to have a baby. Support cast includes Alia Shawkat, Mark Margolis and Reg E. Cathey. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

The Pearl Button (Unrated) Eco-documentary highlighting the importance of H2O to the indigenous peoples of Patagonia, and, by implication, to folks all over the planet. (In Spanish with subtitles)

Top Spin (Unrated) Ping pong documentary chronicling the efforts of three teenagers in 2012 to qualify for the United States' Olympic Table Tennis team. (In English and Mandarin with subtitles)

The Skanner Foundation's 38th Annual MLK Breakfast