03-24-2023  12:28 pm   •   PDX and SEA Weather
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

NORTHWEST NEWS

Idaho Hospital to Stop Baby Deliveries, Partly Over Politics

A rural hospital in northern Idaho will stop delivering babies or providing other obstetrical care, citing a shifting legal climate in which recently enacted state laws could subject physicians to prosecution for providing abortions, among other reasons

Water Contamination in Oregon Could Prompt EPA to Step In

It's been three decades since state agencies first noted high levels of nitrate contamination in the groundwater in Morrow and Umatilla counties and residents have long complained that the pollution is negatively impacting their health.

North Portland Library to Undergo Renovations and Expansion

As one of the library building projects funded by the 2020 Multnomah County voter-approved bond, North Portland Library will close to the public on April 5, 2023, to begin construction processes for its renovation and expansion.

Report: 119K People Hurt by Riot-Control Weapons Since 2015

The report on casualties from a largely unregulated industry cites an alarming evolution of crowd-control devices into more powerful and indiscriminate designs and deployment, including dropping tear gas from drones.

NEWS BRIEFS

Motorcycle Lane Filtering Law Passes Oregon Senate

SB 422 will allow motorcyclists to avoid dangers of stop-and-go traffic under certain conditions ...

MET Rental Assistance Now Available

The Muslim Educational Trust is extending its Rental Assistance Program to families in need living in Multnomah or Washington...

Two for One Tickets for Seven Guitars on Thursday, March 23

Taylore Mahogany Scott's performance in Seven Guitars brings to life Vera Dotson, a woman whose story arose in August Wilson's...

PassinArt: A Theatre Company and PNMC Festival Call for Actors and Directors

Actors and directors of all skill levels are sought for the Pacific NW Multicultural Readers Series and Film Festival ...

Hearing on New Burnside Bridge Construction

The Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge Project team will present HB 3323 and 3301 this Thursday, March 23 from 5-6:30 p.m. ...

Why murder defendant was free before killings in Washington

SEATTLE (AP) — Kirkland Warren was out on bail pending a long-delayed murder trial in Arkansas. But when he was arrested in southwestern Washington state early this month on charges that he assaulted his ex-girlfriend and fired a gunshot into her apartment, he quickly posted bond and was released...

Darcelle, world's oldest working drag queen, dies at 92

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Walter C. Cole, better known as the iconic drag queen who performed for decades as Darcelle XV, has died of natural causes in Portland, Oregon. Cole was 92. Darcelle, who died Thursday, was crowned the world’s oldest working drag performer in 2016 by the...

March Madness: Alabama and surprising bunch remain in South

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Alabama was expected to be in the Sweet 16 as the overall top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Few thought the teams standing between the Crimson Tide and a trip to the Final Four would be No. 5 seed San Diego State, sixth-seeded Creighton and 15th-seeded...

March Madness: Sweet 16 begins from NYC to Las Vegas

March Madness has reached Sweet 16 weekend. Two No. 1 seeds, Kansas and Purdue, are already gone along with millions of busted brackets and a host of bluebloods including Kentucky, Duke and Indiana —though UCLA's drive for a 12th national title remains alive. Here is what to know: ...

OPINION

Celebrating 196 Years of The Black Press

It was on March 17, 1827, at a meeting of “Freed Negroes” in New York City, that Samuel Cornish, a Presbyterian minister, and John Russwurn, the first Negro college graduate in the United States, established the negro newspaper. ...

DEQ Announces Suspension of Oregon’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program

The state’s popular incentive for drivers to switch to electric vehicles is scheduled to pause in May ...

FHA Makes Housing More Affordable for 850,000 Borrowers

Savings tied to median market home prices ...

State Takeover Schemes Threaten Public Safety

Blue cities in red states, beware: conservatives in state government may be coming for your police department. ...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

India expels Modi critic from Parliament after conviction

NEW DELHI (AP) — India's top opposition leader and fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expelled from Parliament Friday, a day after a court convicted him of defamation and sentenced him to two years in prison for mocking the surname Modi in an election speech. The...

1st Black editor named to lead Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday named Leroy Chapman Jr. as its new editor-in-chief, making him the first Black editor to lead the newspaper in its 155-year history. Chapman, 52, has worked in journalism for nearly three decades and has spent the past 12 years at the...

Lawsuit: Slurs, coercion at BBQ chain with racist history

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina barbecue chain known for its pro-segregation stance in a landmark 1960s case and its embrace of the Confederate flag in 2000 is facing allegations of racism and sexual harassment by the fired general manager of one of its restaurants. According...

ENTERTAINMENT

Review: Salvant’s jazz album is a captivating musical mix

“Mélusine,” Cécile McLorin Salvant (Nonesuch Records) Cécile McLorin Salvant’s musical vocabulary is a marvel, and not only because she sings in four languages on “Mélusine.” The ambitious concept album mixes original tunes and inventive interpretations of material...

Book ban attempts hit record high in 2022, library org says

NEW YORK (AP) — Attempted book bans and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association released Thursday. More than 1,200 challenges were compiled by the association in 2022,...

Josh Segarra is becoming a Hollywood go-to scene-stealer

Perhaps you know Josh Segarra from his scene-stealing role as Lance on HBO Max's “The Other Two,” or remember him as a crooked district attorney of Star City in the CW's “Arrow,” or you caught him on Broadway when he originated the role of Emilio Estefan in “ On Your Feet! ” However you...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

Ignoring experts, China's sudden zero-COVID exit cost lives

BEIJING (AP) — When China suddenly scrapped onerous zero-COVID measures in December, the country wasn’t ready...

4 ex-cops charged in Tyre Nichols' death barred from police

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Four of five former Memphis police officers charged in the killing of Tyre Nichols, a...

Amid massive demonstrations, Macron delays Charles' visit

PARIS (AP) — Ongoing unrest across France and calls for a new round of demonstrations against President Emmanuel...

Rwanda says Rusesabagina of 'Hotel Rwanda' fame to be freed

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Rwanda's government has commuted the 25-year sentence of Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired...

UN decries torture, killing of Ukrainian and Russian POWs

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.N. human rights monitors have documented dozens of summary killings of Ukrainian and...

Why does US see Chinese-owned TikTok as a security threat?

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. lawmakers have grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about data security and harmful content, with...

By The Skanner News | The Skanner News

An African American student in Los Angeles charged with "attempted lynching" says a raid by police on Jeremy Marks' family home has left him unable to defend himself or even communicate with the outside world.

The case is attracting attention from civil liberties groups and activists who say the L.A. County District Attorney's office is conducting an overzealous prosecution on the high schooler who is accused of yelling "Kick her ass" when a crowd gathered around the police beating of a 15-year-old. From video evidence of the scene, it's unclear if Marks even uttered the words.  

Click here for a report about the raid by a website for social activism.

The original incident occurred in May 2010, when school resource officer Erin Robles confronted a 15-year-old student for smoking a cigar. She ended up pepper spraying him, hitting him with a baton and smashing his head through a city bus window. The incident was recorded by several students, including Marks, although the available videos on YouTube appear to be after the original violence.

The Skanner News Video 1

The Skanner News Video 2

Here is a report by the LA Weekly detailing the original case.

MLK Breakfast 2023

Photos from The Skanner Foundation's 37th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast.