White House, tribal leaders hail 'historic' deal to restore salmon runs in Pacific Northwest
The Biden administration, leaders of four Columbia River Basin tribes and the governors of Oregon and Washington have signed papers formally launching a $1 billion plan to help recover depleted salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest.
Leaked document says US is willing to build energy projects in case Snake River dams are breached
In a strong sign that the U.S. will consider breaching four controversial dams on the Snake River, a leaked Biden administration document says the government is prepared to help build clean energy projects to replace the power generated by the dams.
Biden memo directs US agencies to restore โhealthy and abundantโ salmon runs in the Northwest
President Joe Biden has directed federal agencies to use all available authorities and resources to restore โhealthy and abundantโ salmon runs in the Columbia River Basin, a move that conservationists and tribes call a potential breakthrough.
Forecast for spring: Nasty drought worsens for much of US
And nearly all of the continental United States is looking at warmer than normal spring, except for tiny parts of the Pacific Northwest and southeast Alaska, which makes drought worse. โItโs definitely something weโre watching and very concerned about.โNOAA expects the spring drought to hit 74 million people. AdMore than 44% of the nation is in moderate or worse drought, and nearly 18% is in extreme or exceptional drought โ all of it west of the Mississippi River. AdWinter and spring wheat crops also have been hit hard by the western drought with 78% of the spring wheat production area in drought conditions, Rippey said. That leaves more of the energy to heat up the air, and the heat makes the drought worse by boosting evaporation.
Northwest storm kills 1, causes landslide and power outages
The powerful wind storm that rolled through the Pacific Northwest killed one person and left a trail of damage. The storm nearly blew a tractor-trailer off a bridge in Washington state, caused a landslide in Oregon and left more than 500,000 people in the two states without power. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)SPOKANE, Wash. โ A powerful wind storm rolled through the Pacific Northwest, killing one person and leaving a trail of damage -- including a highway shut down after a landslide and a tractor-trailer that was nearly blown off a bridge. The landslide was estimated to be 10 feet (3 meters) deep in some areas and too dangerous for search and rescue crews. โI could look down at the water (out my window), so I wasnโt going to open THAT door,โ he said.
The Latest: India registers over 30,000 new virus cases
It said the country was showing a trend of declining average daily cases over the last two months. Worldwide, more than 54 million coronavirus cases have been reported with more than 1.3 million deaths. ___CHARLESTON, W.Va. โ West Virginia has set another weekly record for the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, even with one day left to count. The state set three daily marks for confirmed cases in the past week, including a record 821 cases on Friday. The seven-day rolling average for new daily cases stood at 145,400 on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The Latest: Washington gov. may announces new restrictions
Washington state and county health officials have warned of a spike in coronavirus cases across the state, and pleaded with the public to take the pandemic more seriously heading into the winter holidays. The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care beds reached 362 on Friday, the most since late August. ___KYIV, Ukraine โ Ukraine has introduced tight weekend restrictions as the number of new confirmed coronavirus cases hit a national record. Health Minister Maxim Stepanov said Saturday that Ukraine registered 12,524 new confirmed cases, about 800 more than the previous day. Overall, Russia has reported 1,903.000 confirmed virus cases and 32,834 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Pacific Power utility sued over devastating Oregon wildfires
PORTLAND, Ore. โ Three Pacific Northwest law firms have filed a class action lawsuit against the Pacific Power utility and its parent company, claiming they failed to shut down its power lines despite historically high winds and extremely dangerous wildfire conditions. The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, names Jeanyne James and Robin Colbert as lead plaintiffs. The lawsuit alleged the high winds also toppled energized power lines that sparked some of the blazes. โDefendantsโ energized power lines ignited massive, deadly and destructive fires that raced down the canyons, igniting and destroying homes, businesses and schools,โ the lawsuit said. Californiaโs largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, filed for bankruptcy after one of its transmission lines sparked the Camp fire in 2018.
Fires without precedent rage in usually cool, wet Northwest
Farther north, flames devoured buildings and huge tracts of land in Washington state. Because of its cool, wet climate, the Pacific Northwest rarely experiences such intense fire activity. In Washington state, a fire burned more than 480,000 acres of forest, brush and shrubland, Washington Gov. Holland said Oregon State Police had warned him to leave earlier in the day, but the fire seemed far away and he decided to stay. ___Selsky reported from Salem, Oregon.
'Unprecedented' Pacific Northwest fires approach Portland
The fires trapped firefighters and civilians behind fire lines in Oregon and leveled an entire small town in eastern Washington. About 80% of the small eastern Washington farming town of Malden was leveled by flames from a fast-moving fire on Monday. He blamed hot weather, high winds and low humidity for the explosive growth of the fires in Washington state. In Oregon, at least four major fires were burning in Clackamas County, a suburban county in Oregon that's a bedroom community of Portland. Near Eugene, Oregon, dozens of people ordered to evacuate on Tuesday couldn't get out because fire debris was blocking roads, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal.
Unprecedented Pacific Northwest fires burn hundreds of homes
Huge wildfires also continued to grow in neighboring Washington state. The fires trapped firefighters and civilians behind fire lines in Oregon and leveled an entire small town in eastern Washington. At least two people were reportedly killed in Oregon fires and a small child in blazes in Washington state. Holland said Oregon State Police had warned him to leave earlier in the day, but the fire seemed far away and he decided to stay. In Oregon, at least four major fires were burning in Clackamas County, a suburban county in Oregon that's a bedroom community of Portland.
Heat will stay stuck on extra high for July in most of US
And for most of America itll stay on through the rest of the month and maybe longer, meteorologists say. Its not a record-breaking heat wave, but it is notable for its persistence.This is a dangerous type of heat where people need to be careful about heat stroke, stay indoors and drink plenty of water, meteorologists said. The National Weather Service warned of excessive heat on Tuesday for 18 million people, but thats nothing compared to whats coming up. And it will likely feel even hotter in the South. Without extensive statistical and scientific analysis, meteorologists cant say for sure that the heat is due to global warming, Rosencrans said.