News Update for 6/26/20

evergreen_web_banner.png

KBOO is open to the public! To visit the station, contact your staff person or call 503-231-8032.


Hosted by: 
Produced by: 
KBOO
Air date: 
Fri, 06/26/2020 - 4:00pm

Early this month Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler gave city employees the option to take bereavement leave to cope with the deaths of African Americans killed by law enforcement and white supremacists. 

The Oregonian reports today that 295 Portland employees have filed for 40 hours of paid bereavement leave since then -- but the city doesn’t know how many of those people are opting in on the race-based policy because Wheeler ordered that requests be approved without questions. 

About 25 percent of city workers are people of color, including  7.1% Latinx; 7% Asian; 6.8% Black; 1.1% Native American and 0.5% Pacific Islander, according to the Oregonian.  Another 3.9% identify as multi-racial and 0.1% of employees declined to report their ethnicity.

 

The Oregon State Legislature is in session, with multiple bills on police accountability as well as Covid-related policies such as safety guidelines, economic assistance to businesses and public meeting laws in a virtual environment.

Law enforcement policies now under debate include a choke hold ban; establishing a statewide police discipline database; mandating that police report misconduct or unethical acts of other officers; a ban on tear gas; and a move to put the Oregon attorney general in charge of police use-of-force investigations.

Yesterday the Oregon House passed a bill to  clean up rules around taxes for public school funding; a plan to create a statewide meat inspection program; and economic supports for businesses in Eastern Oregon.

 

In Lincoln County, officials have shut down a new policy allowing people of color NOT to wear covid masks in public. Last week the County Board of Commissioners passed a rule allowing the opt-out //on the basis of racial profiling, arguing that people of color might be harassed disproportionately for wearing face coverings in public.

The officials say an article in the New York Post caused a backlash of racist comments and criticism from near and far. Now the commissioners say the policy QUOTE caused more harm than good.

In a statement,  county officials said local residents of color called for the policy to be rescinded because it was making them QUOTE “possible targets for more hate.” 

Lincoln County is a hotspot for covid infections tied to a seafood processing plant in Newport that spread to the community at large.


 

In North Carolina, three police officers have been fired after one was recorded in an accidentally-activated dashcam video calling for a civil war QUOTE to wipe black people off the map.

The video came to light after a regular monthly dashcam audit conducted by the Wilmington Police Department,// which fired Corporal Jessie Moore, and officers Kevin Piner and Brian Gilmore //Tuesday after charging them with violating standards of conduct.

The police department has released the recording to the public.

The video includes racist comments by all three officers. One, Piner, says he is ready for a civil war //and is planning to buy a new assault rifle. 

The Associated Press reports that each of the officers admitted they made the racist comments but all denied being racist. 

 

In related police accountability news, yesterday activist Sean King //published Facebook posts indicating current and retired law enforcement officials in California have been planning to assassinate him. In a column published in the medium this week, //King released screenshots showing multiple individuals in a private Facebook group called California Law Enforcement Officers,//posting with their own names, calling for him to be shot, among other things. King said QUOTE I feel the burden to release this publicly for my own safety and for the safety of my family.

 

And finally, Tina Knowles-Lawson has written a letter to Congress //calling for Covid relief legislation that sets aside money for creating better ballot access for voters//during the November elections.

Known by most people as Beyonce's mother, Knowles-Lawson is supporting the Heroes Act, which if passed would provide $3.6 BILLION dollars for state administration of elections programs.

Working with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, //Knowles-Lawson cited elections in Kentucky this week in which only one polling place opened to serve 600,000 voters, describing the current system as “modern-day voter suppression //plain and simple.”

Download audio file

Episode Playlist

  • Time
    3:00
    Artist
    Sam Cooke
    Song
    A Change Is Gonna Come
    Album
    A Change Is Gonna Come - EP
    Label
    ABKCO
  • Time
    3:03
    Artist
    The Nutmegs
    Song
    Story Untold
    Album
    Ultimate Oldies & Goodies - One Hit Wonders of the 50s & 60s
    Label
  • Time
    3:05
    Artist
    Gene & Eunice
    Song
    This Is My Story (Remastered)
    Album
    The Aladdin Records Story
    Label
    Capitol Records
  • Time
    3:07
    Artist
    Vernon Green & The Medallions
    Song
    I'm In Love With You
    Album
    Speedin'
    Label
    Ace Records
  • Time
    3:10
    Artist
    Fats Domino
    Song
    Don't You Like Me
    Album
    Label
  • Time
    3:12
    Artist
    Robert & Johnny
    Song
    We Belong Together
    Album
    We Belong Together
    Label
    Old Town Records
  • Time
    3:15
    Artist
    The Jive Five
    Song
    Never Never Never
    Album
    Collectors Gold Series
    Label
    Trigger Records
  • Time
    3:17
    Artist
    The Ladders
    Song
    My Love Has Gone
    Album
    Label
  • Time
    3:20
    Artist
    The Channels
    Song
    My Love Will Never Die - Original
    Album
    The Channels' Bye Bye Baby
    Label
    Charly Records
  • Time
    3:23
    Artist
    The Six Teens
    Song
    A Casual Look
    Album
    Ace's Golden Age of American Hits, Vol.1
    Label
    Ace Records
  • Time
    3:25
    Artist
    Johnny Ace
    Song
    Pledging My Love
    Album
    Pledging My Love (Digitally Remastered) - Single
    Label
    Bacci Bros Records
  • Time
    3:27
    Artist
    The Moonglows
    Song
    Most of All
    Album
    The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection: Their Greatest Hits
    Label
    Geffen
  • Time
    3:30
    Artist
    The Cues
    Song
    Burn That Candle
    Album
    Its the Most
    Label
    Start Entertaiments Limited
  • Time
    3:33
    Artist
    Mel & Tim
    Song
    Starting All Over Again
    Album
    Stax Chartbusters, Vol. 1
    Label
    Stax
  • Time
    3:37
    Artist
    Chuck Willis
    Song
    What Am I Living For?
    Album
    I Remember Chuck Willis
    Label
    Rhino Atlantic
  • Time
    3:39
    Artist
    The Vocaleers
    Song
    I Need Your Love so Bad
    Album
    Old Town Doo Wop, Vol. 1
    Label
    Old Town Records
  • Time
    3:42
    Artist
    Clyde McPhatter
    Song
    Baby, Baby
    Album
    Lover Please: The Complete MGM & Mercury Singles
    Label
    Hip-O Select
  • Time
    3:44
    Artist
    Janelle Hawkins & The Dreamers
    Song
    Since You've Been Gone
    Album
    Label
  • Time
    3:46
    Artist
    The Desires
    Song
    Let It Please Be You (Outake)
    Album
    Doo Wop Classics, Vol. 8
    Label
    Rhino
  • Time
    3:48
    Artist
    The Crystals
    Song
    There's No Other Like My Baby
    Album
    Da Doo Ron Ron - The Very Best of the Crystals
    Label
    Legacy Recordings
  • Time
    3:50
    Artist
    The Charts
    Song
    You're The Reason
    Album
    Label
  • Time
    3:53
    Artist
    Elvis Presley
    Song
    Mystery Train
    Album
    The Essential Elvis Presley (Remastered)
    Label
    SBME Strategic Marketing Group

Audio by Topic: