NATION
Did Obama meet goals from last State of the Union?
Page 2A
East Oregonian
By NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Pres-
ident Barack Obama used his
last State of the Union to de-
clare 2014 a “Year of Action,”
and he can claim credit for
accomplishing several of the
goals he laid out. The smaller
ones.
That’s because while he was
able to check off most of what
he promised to do through ex-
ecutive action in last year’s
speech, Obama was unable
in the bitterly partisan elec-
tion year to get Congress to
go along with the bigger plans
he had for the country that re-
quired their approval.
As Obama prepares to make
that annual trek up Pennsylva-
nia Avenue to address Congress
once again, here’s a look back a
-
es he made — and which got
AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File
President Obama is turning to his biggest television audi-
ence of the year to pitch tax increases on the wealthiest
Americans and put the new Republican Congress in the po-
sition of defending top income earners over the middle class.
and eligible for work permits.
MINIMUM WAGE
One of Obama’s most
ambitious ideas was to raise
America’s minimum wage
from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour,
upping the ante from the $9-an-
hour proposal he made in the
2013 State of the Union. Con-
gress wasn’t keen on the idea,
but the president was able to
unilaterally make the change
for new federal contractors.
The White House estimated
it would directly help a few
hundred thousand people, but
argues the bigger impact has
been that several states and lo-
calities raised their minimum
wage last year after Obama
IMMIGRATION
“Let’s get immigration re-
form done this year,” Obama
declared to a Congress that had
long blocked his efforts. And
so he did, although it was not
the broad plan he envisioned
that would have allowed a path
to citizenship for more than 11
million immigrants illegally
in the United States. Instead,
Obama took executive action
to make more than 4 million
of those immigrants eligible
for protection from deportation
raised the debate.
RETIREMENT SAVINGS
Obama was able to create a
new retirement savings account
— dubbed “myRA” for “my
IRA” — geared toward low-
and middle-income Americans
who don’t have the upfront
investment that many commer-
cial IRAs require. For years,
Obama has been asking Con-
gress to encourage more Amer-
icans to grow a retirement nest
egg by allowing all workers to
be automatically enrolled in
opt out. But Congress hasn’t
acted on that, so Obama of-
fered the more modest myRA
plan. The Treasury Department
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
NORTHWEST BRIEFLY
has set up a new security as the
basis for the investment and
for the past month has been
running a pilot program with a
small group of employers, with
plans to expand the program by
the end of 2015.
TAXES
While most of Obama’s
proposals last year were posi-
tions he had long advocated,
one of the few new proposals
he offered was extension of
the earned-income tax credit,
which helps boost the wages of
low-income families through
tax refunds. Obama wanted
it broadened to provide more
help to workers without chil-
dren, a view embraced by some
Republicans and conservative
economists. “Let’s work to-
gether to strengthen the credit,
reward work, and help more
Americans get ahead,” Obama
said optimistically — too op-
timistically, it turned out. The
proposal never passed.
ENERGY
Obama said the goal of his
energy policy is to create jobs
and a cleaner planet and an-
nounced that he wanted to set
higher fuel economy standards
for trucks. He followed up by
visiting a Safeway distribution
center to promote the idea. The
process for making the change
is underway within the admin-
istration, with a new regula-
tion planned to be proposed in
SEATTLE (AP) — At least six people have
a leg injury as protesters chanting “black lives
a state highway and interstate off ramps.
Seattle police spokesman Patrick Michaud told
and it was related to the protests, but didn’t give
further details.
alternate routes Monday afternoon as dozens of
people blocked the northbound lanes of State Route
and southbound off ramps to Mercer Street was
also impacted as protesters marched to that area in
the South Lake Union neighborhood.
Police moved to clear protesters from the
roadways, and by about 4:30 p.m. both State Route
Organizers said they were engaging in “civil
disobedience” to protest police violence.
USDA sending $23M to Washington
SALEM (AP) — The U.S. Department of
Agriculture is sending $23 million to Washington
prevent soil erosion.
The Capital Press reports the federal dollars
will be matched by conservation districts, tribes,
in the projects.
The federal money comes from a new program
created in the 2014 Farm Bill.
The projects include:
• A group of efforts in the Palouse Conservation
District.
• Work led by Trout Unlimited on the Upper
Columbia.
March 2016.
habitat in the Puget Sound.
Middle school class ponders: What would zombies do?
“When you’re president,
will you remember me?” Davis
asked Georgia.
Other students, though con-
cerned about the government
lacking plans to store radioac-
tive leftovers, believe nuclear
energy is more environmentally
friendly than fossil fuels, such
as coal, which release harmful
carbon dioxide emissions.
Students in Davis’ class are
almost evenly divided over
the topic, with slightly more
in favor of nuclear energy than
against.
The class, called “Zombie
Apocalypse,” has intrigued
By JOSEPHINE
WOOLINGTON
The Register-Guard
EUGENE — Some sev-
enth- and eighth-grade science
students at Spencer Butte Mid-
dle School have a bit of advice
for coming up with long-term
solutions for nuclear waste dis-
posal: Stop spending money on
nuclear power.
“I feel like before you start
making all this nuclear energy,
you need to have a secure place
to get rid of it,” 13-year-old
Georgia Carleton said. “When
you make a cake, you know
where you’re going to store and
get rid of your ingredients be-
fore you make it.
“There’s a lot of risk in-
volved,” she added.
The comments impressed
teacher Shanna Davis.
last school year — and not just
because they think they’ll get to
learn about zombies.
Students study natural disas-
ters, epidemics, survival skills
and what to do during emer-
gency situations. By the end of
the year-long class, they’ll be
trained in CPR.
The class also covers why
American culture obsesses
over apocalyptic TV shows and
movies, dating back to World
War II.
Many students say they ap-
preciate learning about topics
that they otherwise wouldn’t be
taught. They say the class helps
them understand what’s being
talked about in the news.
“It doesn’t get boring,”
14-year-old Kaia Lane said.
“It’s practical science,”
12-year-old Abby Fowler add-
ed.
One student admitted that,
before the class, the only thing
he knew about nuclear energy
Power Plant in “The Simp-
sons.”
Davis’ class has become one
of the most popular elective
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SALEM (AP) — An Oregon jogger thought
someone knocked him in the head or he got hit
by lightning or may have suffered a stroke when
he felt a big blow to the head last week as he was
jogging in Bush’s Pasture Park.
When the 58-year-old man, Ron Jaecks of
Salem, was struck a second time he saw a large
winged animal he thought was a massive bat.
Willamette University biology Professor David
Craig told the Statesman Journal the attacker was
likely an owl.
Great horned owls are nesting in January and
are known to attack anything they think threatens
their nest.
Corrections
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mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-0818.
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by the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the
Yakima Nation as well as the tribes of the Colville
Reservation.
classes — courses that students
are not required to take — at
the south Eugene school. The
school added an additional sec-
tion of the class this school year
so more students can sign up,
and Madison Middle School in
northwest Eugene also started
using the curriculum this year.
Davis’ husband, Geoff Davis,
teaches the class at Madison.
Shanna Davis, 32, created
the curriculum two years ago.
The goal is to teach students
critical thinking skills and how
to be prepared for a natural di-
saster or emergency.
“Even as a seventh- and
eighth-grader, I want them to
know that they’re powerful and
-
vis said.
She also wanted to show
students that science, history,
politics and geography are re-
lated to each other in life.
To submit a Letter to the Editor:
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TODAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Fog in the a.m.;
mostly cloudy
Freezing fog in the
morning
Mainly cloudy
44° 27°
39° 26°
41° 30°
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
50°
37°
42°
28°
67° (1968) -13° (1922)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.70"
0.96"
0.70"
0.38"
0.96"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
54°
42°
61° (1977)
39°
29°
-6° (1957)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.43"
0.79"
0.43"
0.27"
0.79"
SUN AND MOON
Jan 20
Jan 26
Partly sunny
40° 32°
48° 39°
Full
Feb 3
42° 30°
46° 38°
53° 40°
54° 42°
Seattle
49/33
PENDLETON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
New
First
Intervals of clouds
and sun
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
through 3 p.m. yesterday
Yesterday
Normals
Records
SATURDAY
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Forecast
FRIDAY
7:29 a.m.
4:44 p.m.
7:12 a.m.
5:32 p.m.
Last
Feb 11
Spokane
Wenatchee
35/23
39/26
Tacoma
Moses
48/30
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 39/25
39/25
49/35
48/31
45/25
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
49/31
43/28 Lewiston
44/27
Astoria
43/27
51/36
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
50/34
Pendleton 38/16
The Dalles 45/29
44/27
46/31
La Grande
Salem
39/18
50/31
Albany
Corvallis 50/31
49/32
John Day
40/21
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
37/23
48/30
42/22
Caldwell
Burns
36/23
40/19
Medford
51/29
REGIONAL CITIES
Today
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
REGIONAL FORECAST
Eastern and Central Oregon: Areas of freez-
ing fog in the morning; partly sunny today.
Western Washington: Clouds giving way to
some sun today; areas of morning fog. Areas
of fog late tonight.
Eastern Washington: Areas of fog during
the morning; otherwise, mostly cloudy
today.
Cascades: Clouds giving way to some sun
today; areas of freezing fog in the morning.
Northern California: Partly sunny today.
Clear tonight. Plenty of sunshine tomorrow.
Lo
36
15
22
40
19
16
30
25
29
21
19
18
18
29
38
37
23
27
27
34
21
31
23
21
31
28
25
W
pc
c
pc
pc
pc
c
pc
pc
c
pc
pc
c
c
pc
pc
pc
c
c
c
pc
pc
pc
c
pc
pc
c
c
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Hi
52
29
45
57
35
37
46
41
41
41
47
38
36
51
53
57
34
41
39
48
45
48
33
42
48
39
41
Lo
42
17
28
43
17
18
35
25
30
20
21
23
21
31
42
42
25
28
26
37
26
36
24
24
35
28
28
W
pc
c
pc
s
pc
c
pc
c
c
c
s
c
c
s
pc
pc
c
c
c
pc
pc
pc
c
c
pc
c
c
Hi
45
68
61
39
74
26
36
55
36
82
51
Lo
24
56
47
35
48
-2
29
44
24
70
37
W
s
s
s
c
pc
c
c
sh
pc
c
pc
Hi
42
71
66
41
73
11
38
57
42
80
44
Wed.
Lo
18
55
47
32
47
-1
30
43
27
72
42
W
s
s
s
sh
pc
pc
sn
r
c
t
r
WINDS
Boardman
Pendleton
Today
Wednesday
NNE 3-6
N 4-8
NNE 2-4
NNE 3-6
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Coastal Oregon: Partly sunny today, but
more clouds across the north. Clear tonight.
Hi
51
33
42
57
40
38
48
43
45
40
48
39
37
51
52
55
37
44
44
50
44
50
35
41
49
43
45
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Wed.
WORLD CITIES
(in mph)
Klamath Falls
48/19
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Production Director Jake Duquette
Real Estate Advertising: Jodi Snook
Copyright © 2014, EO Media Group
45° 29°
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Legal Advertising:
(USPS 164-980)
0
1
1
1
0
0
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2015
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: While brisk winds continue to chill New England, one band of nuisance
snow will swing through the lower Great Lakes today as a second tracks over the northern
Plains. The South and West will remain dry.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 81° in Del Rio, Texas
Low -8° in Gunnison, Colo.
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
56
63
46
47
37
61
35
35
65
51
37
33
66
39
31
68
3
34
82
71
46
68
52
65
61
71
Lo
33
42
32
27
16
40
24
19
43
34
31
22
44
20
20
38
-6
25
67
51
29
44
31
47
38
51
W
pc
pc
pc
pc
sf
pc
c
s
s
c
sn
sn
s
pc
sn
pc
pc
sn
s
s
c
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
Hi
48
62
39
37
32
59
33
32
67
47
36
32
60
32
28
61
1
27
82
63
42
70
47
65
58
71
Wed.
Lo
28
39
31
26
21
37
22
26
43
35
24
20
40
15
21
37
-10
10
67
51
27
46
27
38
40
51
W
c
s
sn
c
pc
pc
c
c
pc
sh
sf
sn
c
c
sn
c
pc
sf
s
pc
c
pc
pc
s
pc
s
Today
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Tucson
Washington, DC
Wichita
Hi
55
59
76
34
33
59
68
38
60
49
44
76
30
36
62
41
53
57
53
39
67
59
49
77
51
55
Lo
32
39
65
28
27
35
49
25
38
32
26
52
12
17
40
23
27
40
34
22
54
46
33
46
34
31
W
c
pc
pc
sn
sn
pc
pc
s
pc
pc
pc
pc
s
s
s
sn
pc
pc
c
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
c
Hi
49
56
80
33
33
54
66
35
51
44
34
73
29
34
60
33
51
58
48
35
66
60
48
73
41
51
Wed.
Lo
30
39
66
21
19
32
49
29
38
27
28
51
17
23
35
14
23
39
30
18
51
45
39
42
32
28
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
pc
pc
c
sf
sf
pc
pc
sn
c
pc
sn
pc
pc
c
sh
sf
s
pc
pc
s
s
s
pc
pc
c
c