Bend awarded $5 million federal grant to fuel affordable housing production
Bend Bulletin The city of Bend has received a $5 million grant intended to kickstart affordable housing supply, the federal government announced Wednesday. Awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the grant set the course for the city to identify and address policies that slow affordable housing
Wyden, Merkley announce $30.1 million in ‘Payments in Lieu of Taxes’ to Oregon counties; $6 million to C. Oregon
KTVZ WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Thursday that counties throughout Oregon will receive more than $30.1 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2024, including over $6 million for Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT
Wyden, Merkley, colleagues call on Postal Service to prepare for November election
KTVZ WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senator Ron Wyden said Thursday he is leading Senate colleagues including fellow Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley in calling on Postmaster General DeJoy and the U.S. Postal Service to share their plans to accommodate high volumes of mail expected in the upcoming 2024 general election in Oregon and nationwide.
Oregon to GET $262M in wildfire recovery funding
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service in Oregon will receive more than $262 million in federal disaster funding to help with wildfire recovery. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the money is part of a $1.1 billion disaster assistance bill that passed last year to help regions across the country recover from
Southern Oregon businesses get $1.3 million in USDA grants
Six Rogue Valley agricultural businesses have been awarded a combined $1.3 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture grants designed to help their businesses grow. Two Jackson County businesses and four Josephine County businesses were among 28 companies across the state awarded $32 million in grants and loans through the USDA’s
Congress pressures more agencies to end use of facial recognition after ID.me debacle
Members of Congress are continuing their push against facial recognition used by the federal government in the wake of the IRS decision to stop using ID.me facial recognition software. On Wednesday, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and Rep Ayanna Pressley joined Senators Ed Markey and Jeff Merkley in calling for DHS
Merkley, colleague demand IRS immediately halt using taxpayers’ biometric data
WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — In a letter sent Thursday to Internal Revenue Services Commissioner Charles Rettig, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Missouri Senator Roy Blunt demanded the IRS immediately discontinue any programs that collect, store, and use any type of biometric data to identify American taxpayers. The lawmakers’ letter comes after the IRS
Is Slavery Still Legal in the U.S.? Yes, Under the 13th Amendment Exception
Visitors have described the drive up to the Louisiana State Penitentiary as a trip back in time. With men forced to labor in its fields, some still picking cotton, for as little as two cents an hour, the prison was — and is — a plantation. If that shocks you, you’re
Democratic lawmakers propose ban on legacy admissions to colleges
WASHINGTON — As the Supreme Court prepares to hear challenges to affirmative action, two progressive lawmakers are moving to end legacy admissions to prestigious colleges and universities, a practice that largely benefits white students. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., are introducing legislation Wednesday that would ban institutions that
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