The State Board of Education voted today to increase Oregon’s graduation requirements in order to better prepare students for college and the workforce. Students will be required to take more rigorous coursework and higher levels of math and science in order to receive a diploma. The change was approved in a unanimous vote of the State Board in Salem on Thursday morning. The State Board took the action in order to better prepare Oregon students ... [full story]

Urges Adoption of Proposal to Shift Funds to Alternative Energy Development  Wednesday, in advance of yesterday’s floor debate, Governor Ted Kulongoski urged the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and Oregon’s Congressional delegation to adopt H.R. 6, which would reallocate $13 billion in federal oil and gas industry subsidies towards investments in renewable energy technologies. “Last year’s Energy Bill was a handout to the oil and gas industry at a time when our country should have ... [full story]

Joint committee hearing will consider legislation that will provide health care coverage for all uninsured Oregon children Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson (D-Gresham) and Representative Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland) will hold a joint hearing for the Senate Health Policy and Public Affairs Committee and the House Health Care Committee on Monday. The committee will hear testimony on House Bill 2201 and Senate Bill 31, The Healthy Kids Plan, which will provide health care coverage for Oregon’s uninsured ... [full story]

The Portland Group(TM) (PGI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of STMicroelectronics and the leading independent supplier of compilers and tools for high-performance computing, today announced that it has been named one of the Top 20 Companies to Watch in 2007 by Linux Magazine. The Linux Magazine "20 Companies to Watch in 2007" list features vendors that are best positioned in the coming year to spur Linux and Open Source adoption while delivering on the immediate needs of ... [full story]

The U.S. Senate last night approved a critical ethics and reform bill, S.1 that includes a provision authored by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to prohibit a single Senator from blocking legislation or a nominee without revealing his or her identity. Wyden and Grassley have worked for more than a decade to end the practice of secret holds. Their amendment requiring a Senator who places a hold to make it public ... [full story]

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) yesterday announced a grant to the state of Louisiana for approximately $2.7 million to cover the costs of reimbursing the Oregon National Guard (ONG) for services provided in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. The state of Louisiana must now reimburse the ONG for this amount. The funds are expected to be transferred to the ONG this week. Oregon's entire congressional delegation sent a letter to FEMA Acting Director R. ... [full story]

Stagnant air conditions over North Central Oregon, the Lower Columbia Basin in Oregon, the foothills of the Blue Mountains and the John Day Basin is prompting the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to advise against open burning and limiting use of uncertified woodstoves. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) at Pendleton, a ridge building over Eastern Oregon today through Saturday will intensify stagnant air conditions allowing little or no mixing, keeping pollutants trapped ... [full story]

Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) and its Discovery Films unit have acquired rights to DOX Productions' and Passion Films' IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON. Discovery Films, the theatrical documentary unit of DCI, will have an equity interest in North American theatrical distribution, branding rights and exclusive North American television rights to the film. The announcement was made prior to the film's world premiere as part of the Sundance Film Festival's World Cinema Competition on Friday, ... [full story]

After two years as #1, Tom Hanks drops to #2, according to a new Harris Poll Hollywood movie star Denzel Washington returns to the list of America's favorite movie stars in dramatic fashion, taking the number one position after dropping off the top ten list in 2005. Dropping from number one to number two is Tom Hanks, while movie legend John Wayne remains in third place. Tough guy Clint Eastwood jumps up two spots to ... [full story]

More than a year ago, The New York Times first revealed that the Bush administration had authorized intelligence agencies to bypass Congress and the courts by eavesdropping on U.S. citizens without first obtaining permission from the courts. As 2005 turned into 2006, further disclosures followed: The administration had whisked terrorism suspects into secret CIA prisons overseas. The National Security Agency, with the cooperation of telecommunications companies, was "data mining" international phone calls and e-mail. In signing ... [full story]