Economy
Oregon governor candidates debate education, housing, abortion in Bend
Oregon’s three candidates for governor had another chance to differentiate themselves in their first televised debate in Bend on Tuesday evening. Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and nonaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson answered questions from central Oregon residents before an auditorium of Oregon State University-Cascades students and staff. The debate was largely muted, with candidates […]
USDA to spend $500 million extending high-speed internet to rural America
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will send more than $500 million in loans and grants to telecommunications providers to bring high-speed internet to rural areas across 20 states, Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday. The department will spend $360 million in grants and $141 million in loans through its ReConnect Program to benefit sparsely populated communities, […]
Lack of staff in hospitals leads to patient deaths, health officials say
People in Oregon are dying as a result of the state’s hospital staffing shortage. Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority, told a state legislative committee on Thursday that people in need of intensive care often have to wait for admission because hospitals lack staff. And that, he said, can lead to the worst […]
Oregon needs thousands of construction, government workers to close housing gap
Oregon’s housing shortage is worse today than it was before the start of the Covid pandemic, a state economist told lawmakers Wednesday during a hearing to discuss ways of easing the statewide crunch. The shortage of affordable housing has a big impact: Oregon has one of the highest homeless rates in the U.S., with more […]
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown calls for new tax credit, other semiconductor incentives
Gov. Kate Brown wants the Legislature to act quickly next year to pass a new tax credit and other incentives to expand Oregon’s semiconductor industry. During a state House committee meeting Wednesday, Brown laid out the broad strokes of a plan she worked on with business leaders and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, to position […]
White House: Nearly 500,000 Oregonians qualify for student loan forgiveness
Almost 500,000 Oregonians are eligible to have some or all of their student loans forgiven, the White House announced Tuesday. Most of the Oregon recipients – more than 332,100 – could have up to $20,000 forgiven because they received Pell Grants, which are provided to students whose families can’t help them pay for college. The […]
As rural homelessness increases, HUD aims money at helping people without access to shelters
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has opened up millions of dollars in funding for groups serving unhoused people in rural areas — an unprecedented move by the agency, say housing advocates. People living in cars, parks and on the street at night, which the agency labels unsheltered homelessness, has increased across the nation, […]
Oregon’s latest economic forecast predicts a record $3.4 billion kicker to taxpayers
Brisk wage and employment growth in Oregon are generating record state revenues that could send an unprecedented $3.4 billion back to taxpayers in 2024, the state’s latest economic forecast said. At the same time, the state’s Office of Economic Analysis said the chance of a recession is a “coin flip.” “The outlook is essentially a […]
Biden to wipe out $10,000 in student loan debt for many borrowers
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he will cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for Pell Grant borrowers and up to $10,000 for all other borrowers with an income of less than $125,000 for an individual and $250,000 for a household. Biden also announced his administration is extending a pause […]
Free, simple tax filing puts interest of Americans above corporate profits
Paying taxes is our civic duty. The government’s duty is to make it as easy and inexpensive as possible for us to pay our taxes. But for too long, Congress has failed to uphold this responsibility, favoring instead corporations that profit from our need to file tax returns. A bill recently introduced in Congress would […]
Oregon receives $83.5 million for small businesses from US Treasury
Oregon will receive $83.5 million from the federal government to help small business owners, the U.S. Treasury and Gov. Kate Brown announced Friday. The influx in federal funding comes from the U.S. Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative, a competitive program that provides seed money with the expectation that private investors will invest $10 for […]
Biden signs into law Democrats’ wide-ranging climate change, health care and tax bill
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed his party’s signature climate, health care and tax package into law Tuesday, capping off more than a year of tumultuous negotiations that saw his original proposal to Congress slimmed down considerably. Flanked by a handful of Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and […]