Pacific NW Portal

Refreshed at 4:30 AM Pacific on Monday, October 20th, 2014

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  • Welcome to Pacific NW Portal, an NPI project that simplifies the task of staying up to date with news that matters to you. Pacific NW Portal does the hard work of keeping tabs on hundreds of different media sources at once, giving you a bird's eye view of what's going on. To see more of the front page, just scroll down. Use the links above to narrow your focus to a particular state, check weather and traffic, or simply see what's breaking now.
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  • Did you know? This version of Pacific NW Portal — Version 5.0 (Newport) — is the result of more than half a decade of development and reader feedback. Almost all of the new features were suggested by readers like you. If you've got a complaint or an idea for a future version, we want to hear from you! You're also welcome to submit your blog to our Regional Blogs Directory if you're progressive and you blog about politics from the Northwest.
In Brief

Quotation

In short, two very distinct worldviews have both come to the same conclusion: we need to provide a basic universal income that allows people to live in dignity and unleash their creative potential toward their own interests. It’s a bipartisan view.

— David Atkins, writing for The Washington Monthly (Bipartisan consensus for universal basic income)

# (Sunday, October 19, 2014)

Quotation

The game is rigged, and the Republicans rigged it.

— Elizabeth Warren, speaking to an audience of progressive activists in Minnesota during a rally for Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton. 

# (Sunday, October 19, 2014)

Quotation

The extent of and continuing increase in inequality in the United States greatly concern me… I think it is appropriate to ask whether this trend is compatible with values rooted in our nation’s history, among them the high value Americans have traditionally placed on equality of opportunity.

— Excerpt from Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s groundbreaking speech on income inequality, delivered earlier today in Boston, Massachusetts.

# (Friday, October 17, 2014)

Recommended Link

Unanimous Arkansas Supreme Court rules voter ID unconstitutional

Progressives in Arkansas scored a big victory yesterday when the Supreme Court of Arkansas unanimously struck down a Republican voter suppression scheme for violating the state’s constitution. The decision means that the people of Arkansas won’t be prevented from voting for lack of photo identification.

# (Thursday, October 16, 2014)

Recommended Link

Royals head to World Series after sweeping Orioles in ALCS

The Kansas City Royals have done something remarkable: They have won eleven straight games – including four games that went to extra innings – to earn a trip to the World Series next week. The Royals defeated the Oakland Athletics in the sudden death, wild-card playoff round, then proceeded to sweep the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the ALDS and the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS.

# (Wednesday, October 15, 2014)

Recommended Link

Private charities are no substitute for public services

Businessweek’s Charles Kenny explains why private charities aren’t in a position to tackle income inequality or address the needs of millions of Americans living in poverty. Part of the reason is that the super-wealthy simply aren’t voluntarily giving very much of their wealth to charity. It’s only by pooling our resources through taxes that we’ll be able to effectively combat poverty.

# (Monday, October 13, 2014)

Quotation

I have to say to the government of Israel that if they are losing people like me, they will be losing a lot of people.

— Conservative MP (Member of Parliament) Richard Ottaway, the chairman of the House of Common’s Foreign Affairs Committee, explaining his decision not to oppose a symbolic motion recognizing the State of Palestine.

# (Monday, October 13, 2014)

Quotation

Elected officials shouldn’t get to choose who gets to choose elected officials. Look: People marched and fought and died for the right to vote. And they want to legislate away that sacrifice to stay in power? Not on my watch, baby!

— Comedian Lewis Black, raging against Republican schemes to suppress the vote in a video for the American Civil Liberties Union.

# (Saturday, October 11, 2014)

Quotation

I wholeheartedly support programs at Microsoft and in the industry that bring more women into technology and close the pay gap. I believe men and women should get equal pay for equal work.

— Microsoft’s Satyar Nadella, in an email to Microsoft’s staff, taking back comments about women’s pay which he said were “inarticulate” and “wrong”.

# (Friday, October 10, 2014)

Federal, State, and Local Levels

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Progressive Thought

The latest analysis and policy briefs from progressive think tanks focused on both regional and national politics.

  • Devolution and the changing nature of power
    (Policy Network) — Post Scottish referendum, the politics of identity in the UK is more salient than ever. This Policy Network, Barrow Cadbury Trust and Renewal Journal ev....
  • Eurozone futures and democratic reform: ....
    (Policy Network) — This half day event will focus on the future of economic governance: which reforms are desirable and feasible? How to improve the EU’s legitimacy? How....
  • In Case You Missed It…
    (Off the Charts Blog | Center....) — This week on Off the Charts, we focused on new Census data on poverty and the safety net, housing, state budgets and taxes, food assistance, health poli....
  • Housing Vouchers Help Families Live in B....
    (Off the Charts Blog | Center....) — Policymakers over the last several decades have tried to improve low-income families’ access to low-poverty, higher-opportunity neighborhoods.  With thi....
  • New Poverty Figures Show Impact of Worki....
    (Off the Charts Blog | Center....) — The  Child Tax Credit  (CTC) and  Earned Income Tax Credit  (EITC) together lifted 9.4 million people out of poverty in 2013 and made 22.2 million other....
  • Why We Should Give Wages Room to Grow
    (Off the Charts Blog | Center....) — My latest post for U.S. News’ Economic Intelligence blog shows that American workers have been shortchanged in the recovery from the Great Recession and....
  • Neera Tanden on Ron Klain’s A....
    (Center for American Progress) — Washington, D.C. — Neera Tanden, Center for American Progress President and former advisor on health reform in the Obama administration, issued the foll....
  • Indiana Should Revise Medicaid Waiver Pr....
    (Off the Charts Blog | Center....) — Indiana has proposed to expand Medicaid and extend health coverage to as many as 374,000 uninsured Hoosiers through the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) 2.0. ....
  • Lasting School Cuts Endanger Critical Re....
    (Off the Charts Blog | Center....) — States have imposed large cuts in general education spending — as our new report details and I explained yesterday — with serious consequences for stude....
  • Gun Violence in Washington State
    (Center for American Progress) — There are many facets of gun violence in Washington state that stand out as exception, unusual, or above the national average, explain Chelsea Parsons a....
  • Weekend Reading 10/17/14
    (Sightline Daily) — Editor’s Note: Recently, we invited board members to contribute to weekend reading when they like. Chris Troth took us up on the offer this week! ....
  • Rental Assistance Kept Over 3 Million Pe....
    (Off the Charts Blog | Center....) — Rental assistance programs kept millions of people above the poverty line in 2013, according to CBPP’s analysis of new Census data.  The findings highli....
  • Prediction: Cloud Peak’s Coal Export Div....
    (Sightline Daily) — Cloud Peak Energy---a major coal producer in the Powder River Basin, and one of the top coal exporters in the western US---will release its third quarte....
Occupy Radar

Occupy Radar tracks the latest dispatches from the Occupy Movement in cities across the Pacific Northwest. We are the 99%!

  • Occupy eugene general assembly (Occupy Eugene) — Occupy Eugene continues to hold GA's at Growers Market. It is now being held 6:00 pm on the third Friday of each month. Please join us at our General A....
  • February 11th 2014 is the day we fight .... (Occupy Eugene) — Why is there a US news blackout on Edward Snowden's January 27 interview (in English) on German TV? Maybe because he accuses the US Director of Nationa....
  • Whoville granted reprieve through febru.... (Occupy Eugene) — On January 27, 2014, the Eugene City Council granted Whoville and its advocates 30 days to find a new location for the Whoville Unhoused Sanctuary. Cit....
  • System status as of jan. 9th at 11 pm pct (Occupy Tacoma) — The Occupy Tacoma / Assembly Tacoma site has been rebuilt and the temporary site at Tacomatest2.us is now abandoned,  We are still experiencing DOS att....
  • System status as of jan. 7, 2014 (Occupy Tacoma) — The Occupy Tacoma website was hacked (probably after Dec. 3, 2013 and most likely during the Christmas – New Year period).  Over the last 2 weeks....
  • System status as of dec. 29, 2013 (Occupy Tacoma) — The site has been experiencing very poor performance on an intermittent basis.  We have been unable to determine the cause, but we continue to investig....
  • System status as of dec. 23 2013 (Occupy Tacoma) — The following improvements have been accomplished over the last few days: When a new idea (proposal, article, vision, whatever) is published, the ratin....
  • System status as of dec. 17th 2013 (Occupy Tacoma) — On Sunday, Dec. 15th, 2013, in respect of the Jul. 22, 2013 vote to create the On Line General Assembly, the Occupy and Assembly websites now share a c....
  • Systems status as of nov. 5, 2013 (Occupy Tacoma) — The Occupy Tacoma web site is and will probably remain the “display site” for Occupy Tacoma. But the Assembly Tacoma site is the controllin....
  • Film showing & discussion: “growthbusters” (Occupy Portland) — Occupy Portland Elder Caucus presents a provocative documentary GrowthBusters, where one man takes on City Hall, Wall Street, and The Pope as he questi....
  • The start of something new: transitioni.... (Occupy Portland) — The OPDX Info Team and the Friends of Occupy Portland (FOOP) have been in discussion over the decline in General Assembly (GA) attendance and whether i....
  • Occupy eugene launches sustaining donor.... (Occupy Eugene) — Occupy Eugene is asking for your sustained financial support to help our organizers and activists to achieve the change the 99% wants to see.
  • In time for the giving season – our bit.... (Occupy Portland) — Do you use Bitcoin? Touted as a collective, public, peer-to-peer alternative currency subverting the authority of big banks, it is gaining widespread p....
PNW Topic Hotlist

The PNW Topic Hotlist curates blog posts from local blogs based on current events. Posts categorized under the top three topics of the moment are shown below.

  • Minimum Wage
    • NPI Advocate: Tim Eyman wants $2.2 million for statewide initiative to repeal $15/hour minimum wage - Remember back in June when Tim Eyman filed a statewide initiative to prevent cities like Seattle from raising the minimum wage above the level set by state law? Several media outlets, including the Puget Sound Business Journal, erroneously assumed – and then wrongfully reported – that Eyman was already ... September 3 at 0:27 Pacific Time
    • HorsesAss.org: Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza! - That Canadian Immigrant: Ted Cruz’s dad explains black peopleLiberal Viewer: Ted Cruz’s inappropriate joke after 9 year old kills instructor with Uzi.Mark Fiore: The Presidential Painsuit. Puppet Nation: ISIS Schmisis. Cheap Labor: Thom: Economic terrorism paid for by goons.James Rustad: Fight for $15: Thom: ... September 6 at 0:30 Pacific Time
    • BlueOregon: Modern-Day Labor Day: Finding the Humanity in Business - By Angelica Maduell of Portland, Oregon. Angelica is a freelance writer, marketer and political activist. The modern meaning of Labor Day is lost amongst traffic jams, crowded campgrounds, and forgetful barbecues. For most Americans, it’s simply another 3-day weekend: a day off work. For others, it’s an opportunity for ... September 5 at 12:0 Pacific Time
  • Gun Control
    • HorsesAss.org: I-594’s First TV Ad Hits WA Airwaves - "Our background check law has stopped over 40,000 people in Washington State—felons, domestic abusers, you name it—from getting guns," says former Bellingham Police chief Don Pierce in the first TV ad from I-594 sponsor Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility. "But there’s a dangerous loophole in the law," Pierce ... September 5 at 12:36 Pacific Time
    • Politics Northwest: NRA sends more money to fight I-594 - As we've tallied the dollars flowing toward the pro-background check indep endent-expenditure campaign known as Washington Alliance for Gun Re sponsibility,we've been wondering where the National Rifle Association (NRA)is. The NRA started its own spending committeein Juneto oppose I-594, a measure on the November ballot that ... September 10 at 15:31 Pacific Time
  • Gay Rights
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