May 3rd, 2022

What A Week   (5/3)

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: 

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/04/portlands-mayor-to-propose-spending-39-million-to-add-unarmed-public-safety-specialists-in-police-bureau.htmlThis week Portland mayor Ted Wheeler will propose spending $3.9 million to more than triple the city’s number of unarmed public safety specialists to free up sworn police officers to handle higher priority calls. The public safety specialists handle low-level, non-emergency calls. There are now 20 active public safety specialists. Two more are anticipated to be hired soon and contingency funding is available for another 12, bringing the total positions now funded to 34. The mayor wants to fund another 28 specialists next fiscal year to bring the total number to 62. The specialists now can handle 33 types of calls, including stolen vehicle cold calls, cold theft calls, calls about stolen vehicles or other property recovered, suspicious subjects, vandalism and non-injury accidents. They also help police with traffic detours, conduct searches for missing persons and attend neighborhood meetings. The mayor’s request is expected to be released Tuesday as part of his requested city budget for the next fiscal year. 

In-state news:

https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-rolls-out-digital-covid-19-vaccine-cardsLast wednesday, Oregon health officials rolled out a digital vaccine card option which allows people to keep track of their COVID vaccination records online. The Oregon Health Authority said the quote “My Electronic Vaccine Card” is an easy way to present proof of your COVID vaccines when requested by shops, airports, or other businesses. The card, which is completely optional, is available in 13 languages. “The only information stored on the digital card is your name, date of birth and the types of vaccines you’ve received in Oregon,” the state said.

In National News:

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/26/1061867530/kamala-harris-test-positive-covid-vice-presidentThe White House announced last Tuesday that vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19. They stated that Harris exhibited no symptoms and will be isolating at home. The White House further said quote "Harris has not been a close contact to the President or First Lady due to their respective recent travel schedules… She will follow CDC guidelines and the advice of her physicians. The Vice President will return to the White House when she tests negative." end quote. Like President Joe Biden, Harris had been cautious about the virus, masking indoors and minimizing large gatherings. The White House dropped most of those precautions this spring, and since then, has seen several covid cases, amid a larger uptick in Washington, D.C. https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2022-04-28/critical-ukraine-aid-covid-19-funding-facing-potential-roadblocks-in-congressLast Thursday, President Joe Biden renewed his calls for Congress to swiftly pass tens of billions of dollars in additional Ukrainian aid as well as more COVID-19 funding but both priorities face an uncertain path if they’re linked together and could cause further delays of aid Biden and others deems critical. The two distinct emergency aid packages have bipartisan support, especially when it comes to funding for Ukraine to counter Russia’s unabating invasion but the legislative process could threaten swift passage of aid seen as time sensitive. In addition, Republicans have remained committed to demands for a vote on a Trump-era border policy as part of covid-funding.

 

In International News: 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/29/china-says-nato-is-messing-up-europe-and-warns-over-role-in-asia-pacificLast week, China’s ministry of foreign affairs  accused Nato (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization)  of messing up Europe and stirring up conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region, after the UK’s foreign secretary indirectly called out the Chinese government. In a speech at Mansion House in London last Wednesday, Liz Truss renewed calls to boost Nato in the wake of the Ukraine war, and said the coordinated moves to isolate Russia from the world economy proved that market access to democratic countries was no longer a given. In her speech, she also delivered a direct warning to China stating quote “Countries must play by the rules. And that includes China,” end quote. Truss has previously accused China and Russia of being quote “aggressors working in concert”, telling Australian media she couldn’t rule out China using Russia’s invasion as an opportunity to launch its own act of aggression.Last Thursday Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s ministry of foreign affairs, dismissed Truss’s comments and accused Nato of demanding other countries abide by basic norms while it has quote “wantonly waged wars and dropped bombs in sovereign states, killing and displacing innocent civilians”. China has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, one of its closest allies, drawing criticism and urgings from European and other governments to use its influence on Moscow. 

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

https://news.yahoo.com/central-african-republic-adopts-bitcoin-104407031.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFc1WofBsYi4TYcuLa4T0Xw8SH2hdoc6kvoCvq_5Cx1S3QhFlBMyglvB0tY0xYwpafVEjwRkcYt9flOBDlhnaqXqGJwC0oUTABi8PpU0jhoCzU4boojTZbMRMihM-CaEHNR96NXsQVPMDLGNuhwbJfcG6zD6iwYHBZ870pZUMdgQThe Central African Republic has officially adopted bitcoin as legal tender, the president's office said last Wednesday.  The Central African Republic is now the second country in the world to do so behind El Salvador. According to a statement the chief of staff Obed Namsio made,  lawmakers unanimously adopted a bill that made bitcoin legal tender alongside the CFA franc and legalized the use of cryptocurrencies. President Faustin Archange Touadera signed the measure into law.  Namsio also said in the statement q...