11-10-2024  2:42 am   •   PDX and SEA Weather

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NORTHWEST NEWS

In Portland, Political Outsider Keith Wilson Elected Mayor After Homelessness-focused Race

Wilson, a Portland native and CEO of a trucking company, ran on an ambitious pledge to end unsheltered homelessness within a year of taking office.

‘Black Friday’ Screening Honors Black Portlanders, Encourages Sense of Belonging

The second annual event will be held Nov. 8 at the Hollywood Theatre.

Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson Wins Governor’s Race in Washington

Ferguson came to national prominence by repeatedly suing the administration of former President Donald Trump, including bringing the lawsuit that blocked Trump’s initial travel ban on citizens of several majority Muslim nations. 

African American Alliance On Homeownership Turns 25, Honors The Skanner Cofounder Bernie Foster

AAAH's executive director Cheryl Roberts recalls how the efforts of Bernie Foster led to an organization that now offers one-on-one counseling for prospective home buyers, homebuyer education, foreclosure prevention services, estate planning, assistance with down payments and more.

NEWS BRIEFS

Volunteers of America Oregon Announces Retirement CEO, Kay Toran

Toran's tenure at VOA Oregon is marked by decades of dedicated public service in the State of Oregon and unwavering commitment to...

NAACP Launches Innovative $200 Million Fund of Funds to Transform the Venture Capital Landscape

The fund will invest in fund managers and startups that are focused on closing gaps facing communities of color. ...

Legal Services Corporation Announces 2025 Grant Awards for Civil Legal Services

The grants are part of LSC's ongoing effort to support legal aid organizations in providing essential services to underserved...

Maxine Dexter Elected to Fill Earl Blumenauer's Seat

Blumenauer: “I can think of no person I would rather have take my place” ...

Dan Rayfield Elected Oregon’s Next Attorney General

Rayfield thanks AG Ellen Rosenblum and is honored "to follow her footsteps." ...

Man accused of stabbing at least 5 people in Seattle ordered held on [scripts/homepage/home.php]M bail

SEATTLE (AP) — A 37-year-old man who police say stabbed five people in Seattle in broad daylight Friday and possibly four others the day before made his first court appearance Saturday where a judge ordered him held on [scripts/homepage/home.php] million bail. “People who live in and travel to the...

Longtime Blazers broadcaster Brian Wheeler dies at 62

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Former Portland Trail Blazers broadcaster Brian Wheeler, the radio voice of the team from 1998-2019, has died. He was 62. The Trail Blazers said Wheeler, affectionately called Wheels, passed away on Friday following a long illness. Wheeler had...

Missouri hosts Eastern Washington following Cook's 25-point game

Eastern Washington Eagles (1-1) at Missouri Tigers (1-1) Columbia, Missouri; Monday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Eastern Washington plays Missouri after Andrew Cook scored 25 points in Eastern Washington's 93-86 victory against the Seattle U Redhawks. Missouri...

Young returns fumble for TD with 22 seconds left to lift Missouri past Oklahoma, 30-23

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Zion Young returned a fumble 17 yards for a touchdown with 22 seconds remaining as Missouri stunned Oklahoma 30-23 on Saturday night. Triston Newson sacked Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold and knocked the ball loose. Young, a defensive end, picked it up and raced in...

OPINION

Why Not Voting Could Deprioritize Black Communities

President Biden’s Justice40 initiative ensures that 40% of federal investment benefits flow to disadvantaged communities, addressing deep-seated inequities. ...

The Skanner News 2024 Presidential Endorsement

It will come as no surprise that we strongly endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president. ...

Black Retirees Growing Older and Poorer: 2025 Social Security COLA lowest in 10 years

As Americans live longer, the ability to remain financially independent is an ongoing struggle. Especially for Black and other people of color whose lifetime incomes are often lower than that of other contemporaries, finding money to save for ‘old age’ is...

The Skanner Endorsements: Oregon State and Local Ballot Measures

Ballots are now being mailed out for this very important election. Election Day is November 5. Ballots must be received or mailed with a valid postmark by 8 p.m. Election Day. View The Skanner's ballot measure endorsements. ...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

Actor Tony Todd, known for his role in the movie 'Candyman' and other films, dies at 69

Actor Tony Todd, known for his haunting portrayal of a killer in the horror film “Candyman” and roles in many other films and television shows, has died, his longtime manager confirmed. He was 69. Todd died Wednesday at his home in the Los Angeles area, his manager Jeffrey...

Man charged with participating in march with flaming torch has pleaded guilty to lesser charge

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Another man charged with carrying a flaming torch with the intent to intimidate during a 2017 rally at the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville has agreed to a plea deal. Dallas Jerome Nicholas Medina, 32, of Ravenna, Ohio, was originally...

Trump’s gains with Latinos could reshape American politics. Democrats are struggling to respond

MIAMI (AP) — From Pennsylvania to Florida to Texas, areas with high numbers of Hispanics often had little in common on Election Day other than backing Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris for president. Trump, the president-elect, made inroads in heavily Puerto Rican...

ENTERTAINMENT

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade will feature Ariana Madix, T-Pain, 'Gabby’s Dollhouse' and pasta

NEW YORK (AP) — A eclectic group of stars — including reality TV's Ariana Madix, Broadway belter Idina Menzel, hip-hop's T-Pain, members of the WNBA champions New York Liberty and country duo Dan + Shay — will feature in this year's Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Music...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 10-16

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 10-16: Nov. 10: Blues singer Bobby Rush is 90. Actor Albert Hall (“Ally McBeal,” ″Beloved”) is 87. Country singer Donna Fargo is 83. Lyricist Tim Rice is 80. Actor Jack Scalia is 74. Director Roland Emmerich (“The Patriot,”...

Music Review: State Champs’ self-titled album is enjoyable, quintessential, predictable pop-punk

New York pop-punk band State Champs’ self-titled album is one fans of the genre have heard before — a band musing about awkward interactions at parties, overthinking their romantic relationships and scorning the mundane. Across 12 tracks, the album is charming, but unchallenging. ...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

California farmers enjoy pistachio boom, with much of it headed to China

LOST HILLS, Calif. (AP) — In a sprawling plant in the heart of California's farmland, millions of shells rush...

King Charles III and Kate will attend remembrance events as both royals slowly return to duty

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III and the Princess of Wales both plan to attend the United Kingdom's annual...

AP PHOTOS: Death by water, burial by mud. Images of Spain's floods of the century

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Twelve days have passed since catastrophic flash floods carved a muddy scar through...

Russia open to hearing Trump's proposals for ending the war, an official says

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is open to hearing President-elect Donald Trump’s proposals on ending the war, an...

Tens of thousands celebrate fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago with concerts and art installations

BERLIN (AP) — Tens of thousands of people celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago in Germany's...

Trump victory spurs worry among migrants abroad, but it's not expected to halt migration

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Donald Trump's victory in the United States presidential election instantly changed...

Thomas Beaumont the Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Mitt Romney faces a daunting to-do list as he transitions into the role of likely Republican presidential nominee.

Among the tasks: Raise as much money as possible for the general election campaign against President Barack Obama. Hire more people and send them to the most critical states in the fall race. Hone his message to appeal to voters across the political spectrum.

And do it all quickly while fending off challenges from GOP rivals who refuse to quit the primary race.

Obama, with the advantages of an incumbent, is well ahead of Romney on fundraising, organization and broad pitches to voters. So Romney can be expected to spend part of his time over the next three weeks trying to catch up. There's a break in the primaries lasting until April 24, when several Northeastern states vote.

Romney also must start thinking about a running mate and strategy to amass the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House on Nov. 6.

The former Massachusetts governor must prepare to put his imprint on the Republican National Committee and figure out how to achieve unity with a conservative base that has resisted his candidacy. In the general election, party loyalists will be counted on to raise money and get out the vote.

"I do think the Romney team is thinking about how they put in place their fall campaign," said Terry Nelson, a former top aide to President George W. Bush. "But they clearly have some contests to get through, so they won't be able to turn their eyes entirely to that."

There's little question that Romney will clinch the nomination in June, if not earlier. He has a wide lead in the race for the 1,144 delegates required to secure the GOP nomination. But chief rival Rick Santorum says he'll press on at least through the end of the month. Pennsylvania, which he represented in the House and Senate, votes April 24, along with Connecticut, Delaware, New York and Rhode Island.

In hopes of convincing Republicans it's time to rally behind Romney, leading Republicans such as Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin have endorsed him recently; both are viewed as potential running mates. Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri has said he would back Romney and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad may announce his support soon.

Romney is sounding more like a general election candidate each day. "It isn't about one person or about even one party," he said last week. "We're Republicans and Democrats in this campaign, but we're all connected with one destiny for America."

After a break for the Easter holiday, Romney is expected to plunge back into fundraising in New York and South Florida. That's none too soon for Republicans, given Obama's fundraising advantage.

"Ultimately, the thing we have to focus on is getting the general election money raised," said Brian Ballard, of Florida, one of Romney's top fundraisers.

Obama, without a Democratic challenger, has been free to raise money strictly for the general election. He's so far raised more than $300 million for his re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Romney can't raise cash for the Republicans until he clinches the nomination, but he's brought in more than $75 million for his campaign.

Romney aides said solicitations for general election donations were starting to go out.

Obama showed his fundraising clout recently by spending about $1.4 million on TV ads in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Nevada and Virginia that criticize Romney. An outside group that supports Obama also is running ads attacking Romney in those states, as well as in Michigan and New Mexico.

Illustrating the disparity, Romney's team responded to the Obama ad with a statement promoting an Internet attack video.

It's not just money where Romney lags.

The president's re-election team has opened offices and assembled teams of workers in Ohio, Florida and other critical states. The campaign has mapped out the combination of states it will compete in as it works to reach the 270 electoral votes needed for victory.

"No question Mitt Romney is the best-organized Republican I've seen in a long time, but that's not the question," said Florida Republican campaign strategist Susie Wiles, a senior Romney adviser in the state. "The question is not whether he is organized. It is whether he can identify his supporters and get them to vote better than the Obama people. I wouldn't bet against him."

Romney's team is tight-lipped about how he can get to 270. It also won't discuss when and where staff will go in the coming weeks or when it will run ads in the most contested states.

That's probably because there isn't a definitive plan - or maybe even a tentative one.

Republicans expect Romney will compete most vigorously in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Nevada, Virginia, Michigan and New Mexico, states considered among the most contested in the general election.

Obama won all eight in 2008 against Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. In 2004, all but Michigan were carried by Bush during the Republican president's re-election. Republicans say Romney sees Ohio, Michigan, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado as fertile ground this year.

Romney aides say they've lined up staff to send out to states once Romney secures the nomination, and the campaign is preparing the first floor of its three-story Boston headquarters for the influx.

Some key players have returned to states, such as Romney's Florida director Matthew Parker. And, aides point out, Romney has loyal activists and a network of supporters in key battleground states where he won primaries such as Florida and Ohio.

At the same time, the RNC is opening coordinated campaign offices in Florida and other battleground states, and has spent more than a year raising millions to support the eventual nominee. But Romney and the RNC are barred from coordinating until the nomination is in hand. Even so, the candidate and the party are entering a joint fundraising agreement to get ready for that day.

Once Romney seizes the nomination, he's expected to have little trouble taking over the party, considering his campaign manager, communication director and political director all are RNC veterans.

But an alliance with the RNC doesn't mean the party's rank-and-file will automatically rally behind Romney.

Veteran GOP presidential campaign strategist Mary Matalin said Romney needs to anchor his schedule with "unifying events" that focus on the conservative establishment.

In a sign that Romney knows he has work to do on this front, he has scheduled an appearance before the National Rifle Association's annual meeting on April 13.

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