Latest news with #JeffMerkley
NBC News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Meet the Press NOW — June 4
Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) respond to Elon Musk's criticism of President Donald Trump's agenda bill as the former head of DOGE encourages Republicans to 'kill the bill.' NBC News White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor reports on Trump's call with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid ongoing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Homeland Security Correspondent Julia Ainsley reports on a new ICE 'Operation At Large' that it is reshaping federal law enforcement.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘Hotter and drier' June may worsen wildfire outlook, Oregon Department of Forestry says
MOSIER, Ore. () — As the wildfire season continues to grow, Oregon state and federal officials provided an update Friday morning on what residents can expect heading into summer. Those talks come after the state saw a handful of brush fires this week, with some even sparking evacuations. In Mosier, following the Cherry Hill fire on Wednesday. Oregon Department of Forestry said crews will continue to monitor until there is no more heat or smoke. This comes as state and federal officials told lawmakers to brace for another hot and dry season. PNW falls back into drought, wildfire threat increases One crew member on the ground said the wildfire season is off to an early start. 'I want people just to be aware of the situation we're facing in the pre-season, and it's only going to get worse,' said ODF Wildland Fire Supervisor for The Dalles Phillip Raffely. U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon received an update on the upcoming fire season. Fire officials said staff levels look strong but warn weather outlooks are potentially dangerous. 'We have hotter, drier summers, so this is not an issue that is going to go away,' Merkley said. At least three brushfires sparked this week in Oregon, sparking more than 2,000 acres combined. On Sunday, broke out in Wheeler County, north of Clarno. Central Oregon Fire said the 1,700-acre fire was about 20% contained on Wednesday. When the Cherry Hill fire broke out in Mosier on Wednesday, crews on the ground say it was caused by a burn that got out of control. 'I got on scene and it was already well underway, spreading into the wildland,' said ODF Forest Officer for the Dalles Kyle Albright. 'Plan ahead' for OR 217 SB lane closures this weekend Albright, one of the first people on the scene, said it was his fifth fire this year. 'The winds played a role in the evacuations due to fire history in the area,' Albright said. William Belser was previously under the evacuation order in Mosier. 'That's like the third or fourth one (fire). It's just now drying out so it doesn't take much for this stuff to take off,' Belser said. Due to the fast action of firefighters, the fire was contained and evacuations lifted just hours after it started. Days later, crews were still out Friday, mopping up hotspots. On Thursday, ODF was back out to help extinguish the Rowena Fire off of I-84, knocking down the blaze into a mop-up phase in less than 30 minutes. 'It's not unprecedented to have some pre-season fires, things like this. I'm just hoping that, moving forward, we don't have as many starts. You know, being May, kind of trying to forecast what June is going to look like, we just know it's going to be hotter and drier,' Raffely said. This weekend is expected to be particularly dry and windy. ODF said it may be best to avoid burning anything, especially as bans go into effect next week. If people do burn anything, ODF said they should make sure the fire is fully out before walking away. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Democrats buzz about potential retirements
Four Senate Democrats opted against reelection bids next year. Could there be more? There's some buzz in the Democratic Caucus about two progressive senators' futures — and they offered two different answers when asked about their future plans. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., 68, who won his seat in 2008, told Semafor that he's still weighing whether to run and expects to make an announcement in the second quarter, which means within the next month. Then there's Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., 78, who said last year that he's running and defended his decision. He dismissed chatter that he might be reconsidering. 'I've already announced,' he told Semafor. Both senators are steadily climbing the seniority ranks: Markey is the ranking member on the Small Business Committee and Merkley is the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, and both have upward opportunities if they serve an additional term.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oregon Congress members urge White House to approve FEMA request for floods
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Members of the U.S. Congress representing Oregon are urging for approval of after devasting floods hit Harney County and other counties in March. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Representative Val Hoyle are asking the federal government to approve the Major Disaster Declaration. Feds to recover $6.7M in stolen Portland city funds In a joint statement to President Donald Trump, the lawmakers said the FEMA funding is necessary after communities were severely damaged in Coos, Curry, Douglas and Harney counties from March 13-20. The flooding happened when warm rains, rapid snowmelt, runoff, erosion and other weather events flooded three rivers, with wind gusts causing power outages and block roads. 'We encourage your administration to deliver the tools needed to protect lives, restore order, and families back on their feet,' the joint statement said. 'Oregon has demonstrated its ability to successfully use federal disaster dollars in the past, and we are confident they will be effective and efficient with funds from FEMA should they be provided for this disaster as well. They're also urging the White House to make the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program available to in a way that prevents future disaster losses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Former NBA star Lamar Odom attends Trump cryptocurrency gala amid protests
President Donald Trump hosted top investors for one of his cryptocurrency projects at his luxury golf course in Northern Virginia on Thursday, and one of them was former NBA star Lamar Odom. Protesters gathered outside the club holding signs that said "stop crypto corruption" and "no corrupt fools." The ex-Laker was not absolved from those same protesters - but he was not fazed. "I'm just about to pass through security and officially walk into the Trump Gala. Honestly… I'm fired up," Odom said in an X post. "Think about it—what meme coin has ever done this? $ODOM isn't just a token, it's taking the stage at a presidential gala tonight!" Odom also said in the post, "This is the most authentic soulful experience in crypto history." Among those protesting outside the golf club were Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon. "This is the crypto corruption club," the Times quoted Merkley as saying. "This is like the Mount Everest of corruption." Three days before Trump took office on Jan. 20, he announced the creation of the $TRUMP meme coin, describing as a way for his supporters to "have fun." Trump's meme coin saw an initial spike in value, followed by a steep drop. Its creators, which include an entity controlled by the Trump Organization, have made hundreds of millions of dollars by collecting fees on trades, according to the Associated Press. Critics have raised concerns that the president's connection with cryptocurrency ventures could open the door to conflicts of interest and influence peddling. Odom played 14 seasons in the NBA, 12 of them with the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers. He won back-to-back titles with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010 and was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in the 2010-11 campaign. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
