A7
B USINESS
THE BULLETIN • FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021
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BRIEFING
Jobless claims tick
down to 411,000
The number of Amer-
icans applying for un-
employment benefits
dropped last week, a
sign that layoffs declined
and the job market is im-
proving.
The Labor Depart-
ment said Thursday that
jobless claims fell 7,000
from the previous week
to 411,000. Weekly claims
have fallen steadily this
year from about 900,000
in January.
All told, 14.8 million
Americans received job-
less benefits during the
week ending June 5, the
latest data available. That
was little changed from
the previous week. Start-
ing this month, 26 states
will end an extra $300
weekly federal unem-
ployment payment and
22 of those states will also
cut off all jobless assis-
tance to self-employed,
gig workers, and those
out of work more than
six months. The extra
$300 ends nationwide on
Sept. 6.
Microsoft debuts
Windows 11
Microsoft has unveiled
the next generation of
its Windows software,
called Windows 11, that
has sleeker visual features
and is more open to third-
party apps.
The newest version of
Microsoft’s flagship oper-
ating system announced
Thursday will be a succes-
sor to today’s Windows
10, which the company
introduced in 2015.
In a challenge to rival
Apple, the company also
announced that it won’t
force app developers to
pay fees to Microsoft for
using its app store; and
that Google’s popular An-
droid apps will run on its
new system.
Windows 11 is ex-
pected to become avail-
able later this year on
new computers and
other devices and as a
free update for those
with Windows 10. It in-
cludes a host of cosmetic
upgrades, such as a new
Start button, a revamped
task bar and sounds, and
under-the-hood features
designed to boost speed
and efficiency.
CDC extends
eviction
moratorium
The Biden adminis-
tration on Thursday ex-
tended the nationwide
ban on evictions for a
month to help millions of
tenants unable to make
rent payments during the
coronavirus pandemic,
but said this is the last
time it plans to do so.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky,
director of the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention, extended the
evictions moratorium
from June 30 until July
31. The CDC said “this is
intended to be the final
extension of the mora-
torium.”
By the end of March,
6.4 million American
households were behind
on their rent, according
to the Department of
Housing and Urban De-
velopment. As of June 7,
roughly 3.2 million peo-
ple in the U.S. said they
faced eviction in the next
two months, according to
the U.S. Census Bureau’s
Household Pulse Survey.
The news brought a
sense of relief to tenants
on the verge of being
evicted and whose only
lifeline was the CDC mor-
atorium.
— Bulletin wire reports
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INFRASTRUCTURE
Biden announces bipartisan deal
BY JONATHAN LEMIRE, JOSH
BOAK AND LISA MASCARO
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Presi-
dent Joe Biden announced on
Thursday a hard-earned bipar-
tisan agreement on a pared-
down infrastructure plan that
would make a start on his top
legislative priority and validate
his efforts to reach across the
political aisle. He openly ac-
knowledged that Democrats
will likely have to tackle much
of the rest on their own.
The bill’s price tag at $973 bil-
lion over five years, or $1.2 tril-
lion over eight years, is a scaled-
back but still significant piece of
Biden’s broader proposals.
It includes more than a
half-trillion dollars in new
spending and could open the
door to the president’s more
sweeping $4 trillion proposals
later on.
“When we can find common
ground, working across party
lines, that is what I will seek to
do,” said Biden, who deemed
the deal “a true bipartisan effort,
breaking the ice that too often
has kept us frozen in place.”
The president stressed that
“neither side got everything
they wanted in this deal; that’s
what it means to compromise,”
and said that other White
House priorities would be
tackled separately in a congres-
sional budget process known
as reconciliation
He made clear that the two
items would be done “in tan-
dem” and that he would not
sign the bipartisan deal with-
out the other, bigger piece. Pro-
gressive members of Congress
declared they would hold to
the same approach.
“This reminds me of the
days when we used to get an
awful lot done up in the United
States Congress,” said Biden, a
former Delaware senator, put-
ting his hand on the shoulder
of a stoic-looking Republican
Sen. Rob Portman as the pres-
ident made a surprise appear-
ance with a bipartisan group of
senators to announce the deal
outside the White House.
See Infrastructure / A8
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
President Joe Biden, with a bipartisan group of senators, speaks
Thursda y outside the White House in Washington. From left are, Sen.
Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Sen. Lisa Murkowski,
R-Alaska, Biden, Sen, Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., rear, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema,
D-Ariz, and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va..
AGE DISCRIMINATION
WITHERING
WHEAT
U.S. House
moves to
expand
protections
for workers
BY MIKE ROGOWAY
The Oregonian
Wheat lines the edge of a field June 23 as a combine harvester
harvests at Starvation Farms outside of Lexington.
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian photos
Farmers, experts look toward grim harvest as drought consumes Oregon
BY BRYCE DOLE • East Oregonian
P
ENDLETON — The wheat harvest started early this year on Starvation
Farms, named for the frequently harsh growing conditions on the
7,000-acre plot of land roughly 10 miles north of Lexington.
Chris Rauch, the farm owner, said con-
ditions are looking grim for this year’s crop,
with sparse patches of harvestable wheat
among big swaths of nothing.
“It’s been dry from day one,” said Rauch,
whose family built his farm back in 1918. It
used to be called Poverty Flat, he said. “We’re
coming off a dry year last year. And this year’s
been even worse. We’ve only had two events
— some snow in February and some rain
back in November. And that’s been it. It hasn’t
been fun.”
See Wheat / A8
Andre Rauch navigates a combine
harvester while harvesting wheat
at Starvation Farms.
The U.S. House of Repre-
sentatives voted Wednesday to
restore protections against age
discrimination that had been
stripped by a 2009 Supreme
Court decision.
The House passed nearly
identical legislation last year,
but it died in the Republi-
can-controlled Senate. With
Democrats now in charge in
that chamber, and two Senate
Republicans on board to help
shepherd it, this bill may stand
a better chance.
The vote was 247-178, with
29 Republicans joining all 218
Democrats in support of the
bill. Cliff Bentz, the only Re-
publican representing Oregon
in the House, voted against
the bill. Jaime Herrera Beut-
ler, a Republican representing
southwest Washington, voted
in favor.
“My home state of Oregon
has one of the most rapidly ag-
ing populations in the country,
and I have heard from many
workers, particularly those in
the technology industry, who
believe they have been dis-
missed or denied employment
because of their age,” Rep.
Suzanne Bonamici, D-Bea-
verton, said in comments on
the House floor Wednesday.
Bonamici was among those
who introduced the legislation.
When workers file com-
plaints, Bonamici said, “the
burden of proof is very high
and often results in uncertain
outcomes.”
The Oregonian has reported
a series of articles over the past
six years about the experiences
of older Intel workers who lost
their jobs in mass layoffs in
2015 and 2016.
See Workers / A8
Port of Astoria to host cruise ship this summer
BY EMILY LINDBLOM
The Astorian
The Pride of America is
planning to spend the summer
in Astoria.
The Port of Astoria an-
nounced it has signed an
agreement with Norwegian
Cruise Line to host the vessel
for 69 days, from July to Sep-
tember.
Will Isom, the Port’s exec-
utive director, said it’s a fairly
significant deal for the Port.
“In rough financial terms
it’s $4,000 per day in dockage
plus another approximately
$900 in security fees, so all told
gross it’s right around $350,000
in revenue to the Port to host
them,” he said.
Isom added the timing is
fortunate. Depending on what
happens with the late summer
and fall cruise ship season, the
Port is not scheduled to host
any other vessels until later in
September, at which point the
Pride of America would be
gone.
Norwegian Cruise Line orig-
inally sent the vessel berth re-
quest to the Port in May.
The Pride of America is
much larger than the Regatta,
the cruise ship that docked in
Astoria from October to April
as cruises were on hold because
of the coronavirus pandemic.
While the Regatta is about 600
feet long, the Pride of America
is 920 feet.
“I think this is exciting
news for the Port,” Isom said.
“In particular at a time when
there’s so much question —
even going through the budget
committee meetings — of what
the cruise ship revenue is going
to look like, this is a huge de-
velopment for us.”
Isom thanked terminal ser-
vices manager Sue Transue and
deputy director Matt McGrath
for their work in setting up the
agreement.
The cruise ship will not
have any passengers aboard.
It will be crew-only and the
cruise line has its own list of
approved safety measures for
how it operates. As of Monday,
there have been no cases of
COVID-19 on board the cruise
ship.