Oregon

US gun violence: Two dead in shooting at hotel near Portland International Airport

PORTLAND (Oregon), March 15 (NNN-XINHUA) — Two people were killed on Wednesday in a shooting at a hotel in Portland in the US state of Oregon, police said.

Port of Portland Police responded to the shooting at the Embassy Suites hotel near Portland International Airport (PDX) around 2 am. A man and a woman were confirmed dead, police said, adding their identities have not been confirmed.

“There is no ongoing threat to the PDX airport or the surrounding area at this time,” police said in a statement. No information about the suspect has been released.

USA: Voter distrust taxes front line of US election integrity

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — As complaints about elections, many of them unfounded, pile up around the country, investigators tasked with dealing with them find themselves on the front line of defending the integrity of America’s system for choosing local, state and national leaders.

In blue states like Oregon and red states like Idaho, elections officials say investigating the complaints is critical for maintaining voter confidence. Many are dealing with a sharp increase of complaints in the runup to the 2022 midterm election after unfounded claims of rampant voter fraud in 2020.

Renters face charging dilemma as U.S. cities move toward EVs

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Stephanie Terrell bought a used Nissan Leaf this fall and was excited to join the wave of drivers adopting electric vehicles to save on gas money and reduce her carbon footprint.

But Terrell quickly encountered a bump in the road on her journey to clean driving: As a renter, she doesn’t have a private garage where she can power up overnight, and the public charging stations near her are often in use, with long wait times. On a recent day, the 23-year-old nearly ran out of power on the freeway because a public charging station she was counting on was busy.

USA: Biden knocks Truss economic plan, says he is not concerned about dollar strength

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday criticized British Prime Minister Liz Truss's original economic plan as a mistake and said he was not concerned about the strength of the soaring U.S. dollar.

Truss on Friday fired her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng and scrapped parts of their economic package after it sparked financial market turmoil, including a steep dive in the value of the pound.

‘Devastating’: Mass shootings obscure daily U.S. gun toll

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Cameron Taylor was watching an illegal street race that had attracted hundreds to an intersection in Portland, Oregon, but decided to leave as the crowd got increasingly unruly. Moments later, gunfire erupted and Taylor was hit by a stray bullet as he and a friend headed to their car.

Police, who were overwhelmed with 911 calls about other shootings, couldn’t control multiple street takeovers in the city that night and had trouble finding the victims of three shootings that occurred during the chaos.

Northwestern US heat wave could have hottest day on Tuesday

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The temperatures in Portland, Oregon, could top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) on Tuesday, making it likely the hottest day of a week-long heat wave for the Pacific Northwest region that rarely sees such scorching weather.

Forecasters issued an excessive heat warning for parts of Oregon and Washington state. Temperatures could hit the 90s (32 C) in Seattle and 110 F (43.3 Celsius) in eastern parts of Oregon and Washington.

Tear gas: Senators decry lack of federal safety assessment: USA

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — In 2020, Black Lives Matter protesters were doused with tear gas, making them gasp for breath, their eyes feeling as if they were on fire. Bystanders, including children and pregnant women, were also exposed.

As police responded to mass protests across the nation two years ago with tear gas and other chemical munitions, more than a dozen U.S. senators asked the congressional watchdog to find out whether federal agencies have assessed how safe they are.

USA: Pandemic pushes Oregon’s public defender system to the brink

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s public defender system has shown cracks for years, but a post-pandemic glut of delayed cases has exposed shocking constitutional landmines impacting defendants and crime victims alike in a state with a national reputation for progressive social justice.

In an about-face, liberal US cities target homeless camps

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Makeshift shelters abut busy roadways, tent cities line sidewalks, tarps cover broken-down cars, and sleeping bags are tucked in storefront doorways. The reality of the homelessness crisis in Oregon’s largest city can’t be denied.

“I would be an idiot to sit here and tell you that things are better today than they were five years ago with regard to homelessness,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said recently. “People in this city aren’t stupid. They can open their eyes.”

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