05-13-2024  1:59 am   •   PDX and SEA Weather
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

NORTHWEST NEWS

Portland OKs New Homeless Camping Rules That Threaten Fines or Jail in Some Cases

The mayor's office says it seeks to comply with a state law requiring cities to have “objectively reasonable” restrictions on camping.

Safety Lapses Contributed to Patient Assaults at Oregon State Hospital

A federal report says safety lapses at the Oregon State Hospital contributed to recent patient-on-patient assaults. The report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services investigated a recent choking attack and sexual assault, among other incidents. It found that staff didn't always adequately supervise their patients, and that the hospital didn't fully investigate the incidents. In a statement, the hospital said it was dedicated to its patients and working to improve conditions. It has 10 days from receiving the report to submit a plan of correction. The hospital is Oregon's most secure inpatient psychiatric facility

Police Detain Driver Who Accelerated Toward Protesters at Portland State University in Oregon

The Portland Police Bureau said in a written statement late Thursday afternoon that the man was taken to a hospital on a police mental health hold. They did not release his name. The vehicle appeared to accelerate from a stop toward the crowd but braked before it reached anyone. 

Portland Government Will Change On Jan. 1. The City’s Transition Team Explains What We Can Expect.

‘It’s a learning curve that everyone has to be intentional about‘

NEWS BRIEFS

Governor Kotek Issues Statement on Role of First Spouse

"I take responsibility for not being more thoughtful in my approach to exploring the role of the First Spouse." ...

Legislature Makes Major Investments to Increase Housing Affordability and Expand Treatment in Multnomah County

Over million in new funding will help build a behavioral health drop in center, expand violence prevention programs, and...

Poor People’s Campaign and National Partners Announce, “Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington, D.C. and to the Polls” Ahead of 2024 Elections

Scheduled for June 29th, the “Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington, D.C.: A Call to...

Legendary Civil Rights Leader Medgar Wiley Evers Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

Evers family overwhelmed with gratitude after Biden announces highest civilian honor. ...

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. ...

Backcountry skier dies after being buried in Idaho avalanche

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A backcountry skier has died after being buried by an avalanche in Idaho, officials said. The avalanche occurred Friday when two experienced backcountry skiers were traveling on Donaldson Peak in Idaho's Lost River Range, the Sawtooth Avalanche Center said. ...

Seattle man is suspected of fatally shooting 9-month-old son and is held on million bail

SEATTLE (AP) — A Seattle man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of his 9-month-old son. Officers responded to reports of a shooting in the Magnolia neighborhood Wednesday evening, the Seattle Police Department said in a post on its website. A woman told officers...

Defending national champion LSU boosts its postseason hopes with series win against Texas A&M

With two weeks left in the regular season, LSU is scrambling to avoid becoming the third straight defending national champion to miss the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers (31-18, 9-15) won two of three against then-No. 1 Texas A&M to take a giant step over the weekend, but they...

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...

OPINION

The Skanner News May 2024 Primary Endorsements

Read The Skanner News endorsements and vote today. Candidates for mayor and city council will appear on the November general election ballot. ...

Nation’s Growing Racial and Gender Wealth Gaps Need Policy Reform

Never-married Black women have 8 cents in wealth for every dollar held by while males. ...

New White House Plan Could Reduce or Eliminate Accumulated Interest for 30 Million Student Loan Borrowers

Multiple recent announcements from the Biden administration offer new hope for the 43.2 million borrowers hoping to get relief from the onerous burden of a collective

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...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

Australian judge lifts court ban on X showing video of Sydney church stabbing

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian judge Monday lifted a ban on the social media platform X showing Australians a video of a bishop being stabbed in a Sydney church. The temporary ban was put in place April 22, but the judge rejected the application from Australia’s...

Trump suggests Chinese migrants are in the US to build an 'army.' The migrants tell another story

NEW YORK (AP) — It was 7 a.m. on a recent Friday when Wang Gang, a 36-year-old Chinese immigrant, jostled for a day job in New York City's Flushing neighborhood. When a potential employer pulled up near the street corner, home to a Chinese bakery and pharmacy, Wang and dozens of...

Caitlin Clark, much like Larry Bird, the focus of talks about race and double standards in sports

For much of the past two years, Caitlin Clark has been the centerpiece of the college basketball world. Now Clark, like NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird was 45 years ago, is involuntarily the focus of discussions about race and her transition to professional basketball. Though Clark...

ENTERTAINMENT

Paul Auster, prolific and experimental man of letters and filmmaker, dies at 77

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Auster, a prolific, prize-winning man of letters and filmmaker known for such inventive narratives and meta-narratives as “The New York Trilogy” and “4 3 2 1,” has died at age 77. Auster's death was confirmed by his wife and fellow author, Siri Hustvedt,...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 12-18

Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 12-18: May 12: Actor Millie Perkins (“Knots Landing”) is 88. Singer Jayotis Washington of The Persuasions is 83. Country singer Billy Swan is 82. Actor Linda Dano (“Another World”) is 81. Singer Steve Winwood is 76. Actor Lindsay Crouse...

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are officially divorced and single

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are officially divorced and single. The dissolution of the couple’s marriage was finalized Friday by a Los Angeles County judge, nearly two years after the two were married. The judgment comes hours after the...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry

LIVONIA, Mich. (AP) — A tiny, low-priced electric car called the Seagull has American automakers and politicians...

Campus protests over Israel-Hamas war scaled down during US commencement exercises

Protests over the Israel-Hamas war have spread across U.S. university and college campuses in recent weeks,...

Sleepy far-flung towns in the Philippines will host US forces returning to counter China threats

SANTA ANA, Philippines (AP) — The far-flung coastal town of Santa Ana in the northeastern tip of the Philippine...

A rural Ugandan community is a hot spot for sickle cell disease. But one patient gives hope

MBALE, Uganda (AP) — Barbara Nabulo was one of three girls in her family. But when a sister died, her mother...

Wary of wars in Gaza and Ukraine, old foes Turkey and Greece test a friendship initiative

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Old foes Turkey and Greece will test a five-month-old friendship initiative Monday when...

Flash floods in northern Afghanistan sweep away livelihoods, leaving hundreds dead and missing

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Shopkeeper Nazer Mohammad ran home as soon as he heard about flash floods crashing into the...

By The Skanner News | The Skanner News

LONDON (AP) -- The video is painful to watch, an artistic train wreck for all to see. The question is what Amy Winehouse is going to do next.

The five-time Grammy Award winner, whose battles with alcohol and drug abuse have long overshadowed her music career, had a very public meltdown on stage Saturday night in Belgrade, the first stop of her European summer concert tour.

The disastrous performance shattered the goal of the troubled singer's comeback tour: A renewed focus on her musical ability, not her substance abuse problems. It also raised serious doubts about whether she is well enough to perform before an audience.

Winehouse was jeered and booed as she stumbled around the stage unable to remember the lyrics to her own songs. At times she could barely stand up. She was not able to carry a tune, appearing disoriented and unaware of her surroundings. At one point she dragged over a backup singer to take the mike and sing.

The crowd at Belgrade's Kalemegdan Park was often unable to decipher even what song Winehouse was performing -- a startling problem for a singer who is popular in Serbia. Many of the 20,000 fans walked out in protest, angry that they paid steep ticket prices for such a spectacle.

Serbian media called the concert a "scandal," with the Blic daily labeling it "the worst in the history of Belgrade."

Instead of continuing to Istanbul on Monday and Athens on Wednesday for long-scheduled concerts, Winehouse canceled those concerts and returned to her London home. She is now holding talks that are expected to lead to further cancellations of her 12-date European tour.

The Belgrade meltdown has raised questions about Winehouse's future viability as a live act.

Winehouse, 27, has been hospitalized twice for injuries suffered after fainting and falling at home, and her father said she has health problems stemming from smoking cigarettes and crack cocaine.

Neil Warnock, chief executive of The Agency Group booking agency, said Winehouse and her tour promoters may be entitled to insurance coverage for any cancellations. He said insurance settlements would depend on what previous information was provided to the insurance companies.

"If you fairly disclosed any pre-existing conditions, and what caused the cancellation is a new condition, then the artists and promoters would be covered," he said. "If it's a pre-condition, then it wouldn't be covered, or if it's an undeclared condition that should have been declared, that wouldn't be covered."

He said the legal and financial issues that followed Michael Jackson's sudden death in advance of a series of London performances were based on similar questions.

Warnock said even bands with long histories of substance abuse like the Rolling Stones were traditionally able to meet their contractual obligations and perform at their gigs. He would not speculate directly on Winehouse's future.

The British press reported that Winehouse had turned down payment for the Belgrade fiasco, and Serbian fans flooded the Internet with demands for refunds. Her management did not comment on the reports.

The singer's next scheduled concert is July 8 in Bilbao, Spain, but it is likely to be canceled. The tour was to end in Bucharest, Romania, on Aug. 15. The demanding schedule was supposed to be an important test of Winehouse's ability to stand up to the rigors of live performing.

In addition to her stage troubles, her recording career has also been put on hold. There have long been plans for a follow up to her two successful albums -- including the breakthrough "Back to Black" released in 2006 -- but new material has not been released.

It has been a dramatic fall for Winehouse, whose grasp of pop and soul -- along with her trademark beehive hairdo and her raunchy stage act -- brought her worldwide fame and substantial sales.

Her first album "Frank," released in 2003, was heavily influenced by contemporary jazz and earned her critical acclaim. "Back to Black" arrived three years later and was an overwhelming success with its unusual fusion of jazz, pop and soul with a heavy debt to the girl groups of the early, pre-Beatles 1960s.

It was edgy as well, with the song "Rehab" dealing with the health issues that were soon to sidetrack her musical career.

"They tried to make me go to rehab," Winehouse sang on the hit. "I said 'No, no, no."'

Winehouse has sought rehab therapy in the past after her widely publicized battles with alcohol and drugs.

The Skanner Foundation's 38th Annual MLK Breakfast