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.
Hundreds Gather at White House to Demand President Biden Let Youth Climate Case be Heard
‘We will not be silenced’ by the DOJ,' youth say ...
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 ...
Net neutrality restored as FCC votes to regulate internet providers
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday voted to restore “net neutrality” rules that prevent broadband internet providers such as Comcast and Verizon from favoring some sites and apps over others. The move effectively reinstates a net neutrality order the...
Biden celebrates computer chip factories, pitching voters on American 'comeback'
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday sought to sell voters on an American “comeback story” as he highlighted longterm investments in the economy in upstate New York to celebrate Micron Technology's plans to build a campus of computer chip factories made possible in part with...
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...
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. ...
South Africa will mark 30 years of freedom amid inequality, poverty and a tense election ahead
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — As 72-year-old Nonki Kunene walks through the corridors of Thabisang Primary School in Soweto, South Africa, she recalls the joy she and many others felt 30 years ago when they voted for the first time. It was at this school on April 27, 1994, that Kunene joined...
Repatriated South African apartheid-era artworks on display to celebrate 30 years of democracy
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A selection of South African artworks produced during the country’s apartheid era which ended up in foreign art collections is on display in Johannesburg to mark 30 years since the country's transition to democracy in 1994. Most of the artworks were taken out...
Tennessee lawmakers adjourn after finalizing jumi.9B tax cut and refund for businesses
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's GOP-controlled General Assembly on Thursday adjourned for the year, concluding months of tense political infighting that doomed Republican Gov. Bill Lee's universal school voucher push. But a bill allowing some teachers to carry firearms in public schools and...
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...
Tennessee House Kills Bill That Would Have Banned Local Officials From Studying, Funding Reparations
Charges against Trump's 2020 'fake electors' are expected to deter a repeat this year
An Arizona grand jury's indictment of 18 people who either posed as or helped organize a slate of electors falsely...
Paramedic sentencing in Elijah McClain's death caps trials that led to 3 convictions
DENVER (AP) — Almost five years after Elijah McClain died following a police stop in which he was put in a neck...
A look at past and future cases Harvey Weinstein has faced as his New York conviction is thrown out
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Harvey Weinstein's landmark New York sexual assault conviction was thrown out by an appeals...
‘There’s Still Tomorrow’ director Paola Cortellesi talks success, toxic relationships and hope
LONDON (AP) — Actor Paola Cortellesi has long been a staple on the Italian pop culture scene, mostly known for...
The Latest | Officials say Egypt sending cease-fire delegation to Israel
Egypt is sending a high-level delegation to Israel in the hope of reaching a cease-fire agreement with Hamas in...
The TikTok law kicks off a new showdown between Beijing and Washington. What's coming next?
WASHINGTON (AP) — TikTok is gearing up for a legal fight against a U.S. law that would force the social media...
Landmark Report Presents Recommendations on Giving Immigrants and Refugees Greater Voice
The King County Immigrant and Refugee Task Force recommends the best way to ensure the successful integration of these communities into the County is the creation of a commission that will become their voice in King County government.
Created by the Metropolitan King County Council, the task force presented their recommendations to Councilmembers. The recommendations are part of a report compiled by the 13-member panel that examines what steps the County should take to ensure that these communities have the opportunity to successfully integrate and become “engaged, thriving members of the community.”
From 2000-2010, more than half of King County’s new population was foreign-born, a number that continues to grow, with the majority of the population being located in communities outside of Seattle.
In the case of refugees, these are individuals and families moving to King County who are fleeing their home countries out of fear, whether it be due to war, persecution, or environmental disasters. They have a special refugee status secured while outside the country. Others are immigrants coming to King County and moving to America in the quest for a better life, perhaps to join family or perhaps knowing no one. Over the last four decades, there has been a change in those coming to the U.S., with a decrease in the number of citizens moving primarily from Europe to those born in Africa, Mexico and Southeast Asia.
The recommendations of the Task Force are the result of 10 months of exploration and the input received after more than 20 meetings held in communities throughout King County over a six-week period. Task Force members focused on how King County could achieve the goals that are part of the County’s equity and social justice vision, including assisting these communities in having fair and just access to services and opportunities. The community meetings targeted specific areas that prevent immigrants and refugees from full participation. Those include:
The members of the task force stressed while there are community groups that have been created to help these populations, those groups are limited because these is no umbrella organization to coordinate or streamline their efforts. They see a county-based commission as the best opportunity for that to occur.
Additional recommendations from the Task Force include:
Learn How to Research Family History at the Seattle Public Library Aug. 29 and Sept. 12
The Seattle Public Library will offer two workshops on researching family history on Aug. 29 and Sept. 12 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave, Level 4, Boeing Technology Training Center Room 4, 206-386-4636.
Library events are free and open to the public. Registration is required for both workshops. To register, send an email using Ask A Librarian or call 206-386-4636 and ask for the genealogy desk. Parking is available in the Central Library garage at the regular rates.
Beginning Your Family History Research - 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 29 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 4, Boeing Technology Training Center Room 4, 206-386-4636. Genealogy librarian Mahina Oshie will give an introduction to family history research and an overview of research resources available in the Seattle area. Sample genealogy charts and bibliographies will be provided in the class.
Genealogy Databases: Ancestry Library Edition – 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 4, Boeing Technology Training Center Room 4, 206-386-4636. Genealogy librarian John LaMont will demonstrate how to use the electronic databases and internet resources found on the Library's website to search for ancestors. This workshop will focus on how to use the database "Ancestry Library Edition."
For more information, call the Library at (206) 386-4636 or visit https://www.spl.org/using-the-library/get-help/ask-a-librarian/ask-a-librarian-email-form.
Seattle Public Library Hosts Technology Petting Zoo Aug. 27
The Seattle Public Library invites everyone to drop in and try out tomorrow's technology alongside nostalgic old technology from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 at the Northeast Branch, 6801 35th Ave. N.E., 206-684-7539.
Library events are free and everyone is welcome. No registration is required. Free parking is available in the branch parking lot.
The Library's Teen Service Learning interns will help attendees test drive a variety of new technology that will include Little Bits inventor kits, 3-D printing, Finch robots and more. There will also be a showcase of old technologies that include a typewriter and gramophone.
For more information, call the branch at 206-684-7539 or visit https://www.spl.org/using-the-library/get-help/ask-a-librarian/ask-a-librarian-email-form.
Unique Donation Will be Used to Purchase Land
King County’s “green curtain” received a boost today with the unanimous approval of the Metropolitan King County Council to accept an anonymous donation of $392,000 that can only be used for the purpose of purchasing open space.
A local family that wishes to stay anonymous contacted the Seattle Foundation trying to find out how they could make a donation towards the purchase of open space in South King County. The Seattle Foundation put the family in contact with Forterra, who worked in collaboration with the County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks to find potential parcels for purchase.
King County Code allows the County’s Parks and Recreation Division to solicit gifts, but requires that gifts of $50,000 or more must be approved by the Council by motion. The adopted motion authorizes the Executive to accept a donation of $392,000 from Forterra for the purpose of acquiring the properties.
The three properties that will be purchased with this donation have been identified as critical preservation and habitat areas and will add to the County’s network of open spaces and trails. Two of the properties to be purchased will add to existing public lands in the Spring Lake/Lake Desire Park bordering the unincorporated community of Fairwood. The third will add to the open space network along Soos Creek near Covington.
For more Seattle and Portland area events, see the Community Calendar.