March 9, 2021

What A Week Episode 4  (3/1- 3/7)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week!, I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

This past Saturday, the headquarters of Portland Public Schools was vandalized overnight in what the district superintendent is calling quote  “an attack on our city’s public school system.” It was reported that multiple school district vehicles were set on fire, office windows were broken and graffiti was scrawled on the district headquarters on 501 N. Dixon St. The vandalism comes after it was reported that the school  district is preparing to return students to school buildings. 

In-state news:

Last Friday, Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order to return all Oregon public school students to the classroom for in-person learning. Brown said in a letter  quote "Thanks to the smart choices Oregonians have made, our COVID-19 numbers have declined… All but six counties now meet or exceed Oregon’s advisory metrics for a return to in-person, hybrid learning for all K-12 grade levels. And... five of those counties meet the advisory metrics for a return to elementary school." 

After the weeks of March 29 and April 19, all Oregon public schools will either be in a fully on-site learning model or a hybrid learning model when their counties meet or exceed Oregon’s advisory COVID-19 metrics. Parents and students will have the option to decide whether they want to go back to school or remain in comprehensive distance learning. Governor Brown has faced increasing pressure over the past few months from parent groups and some lawmakers to reopen the state’s public schools.

In National News:

Early last week, Texas Governor  Greg Abbott announced that he is lifting the state's mask mandate and increasing capacity of all businesses and facilities in the state to 100%.  His new executive order goes into effect on Wednesday, March 10, and it rescinds most of the governor's earlier executive orders related to the coronavirus. This is the  most expansive step by any state to remove coronavirus restrictions. Shortly after Abbott’s decision, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves made a similar announcement, lifting mask mandates and motioning for businesses to operate at full capacity without any state-imposed rules. All around the country, governors and mayors are gauging what is feasible, what is safe and what is politically practical for their own respective states and counties.

This past Saturday, President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill narrowly passed the Senate by a vote of 50-49 with all 50 democratic senators voting for it and 49 republicans voting against it. The package will now go to the House for one more vote before it can be signed into law. The bill contains hundreds of billions of dollars in aid for individuals, schools, local governments, and businesses, as well as programs ranging from COVID-19 vaccinations and contract tracing to funding for raising children, but many aid programs like checks for most Americans were reduced down in order for the bill to pass. According to the Washington Post, the American Rescue Plan is one of the largest federal responses to a downturn Congress has enacted and economists estimate it will boost growth this year to the highest level in decades and reduce the number of Americans living in poverty by a third.

In International News: 

Switzerland follows France, Belgium and Austria after narrowly voting in a referendum this past Sunday to ban full face coverings including the burqa or niqab (nuhqab)  worn by Muslim women in public spaces. The controversial ban was passed by a narrow margin; Official results show the measure had passed by 51.2% to 48.8%. The only exceptions to this measure include places of worship and other sacred sites. According to the text of the proposal published by the Swiss federal government, face coverings will also be allowed if worn for health and safety reasons, because of the weather and in situations where it is considered a quote "local custom" to do so, such as at carnivals, 

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week: