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Judge denies restrictions lawsuit PORTLAND (AP) — A federal judge has rejected an effort from Oregon restaurants to stop the most recent COVID-19-related restrictions imposed by Gov. Kate Brown. The lawsuit from the Oregon Restaurants and Lodging Association said restaurants were being unfairly singled out. The judge from the Oregon federal district court on Tuesday
did not agree and said the freeze is within the state’s authority, KOIN-TV reported. Two restaurant industry groups filed the lawsuit against Brown last week in response to her executive order forcing restaurants to move to takeout for two weeks, among other measures, as the state tries to lower a spike in cases. At the time, representatives
from the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association and the Restaurant Law Center said the action was taken to “prevent economic devastation.” After the ruling, Jason Brandt with the association said their real focus is doing what they can to help people keep their jobs. “We are not blind to the fact that face coverings have to come off in our industry when
you are eating or drinking in a restaurant,” he said. “Our challenge is the inequity having people gather in private spaces up to 6 people, two households, where people are moving around with their face coverings off.” Brandt said the association has had several meetings with the governor’s office and that they want to keep working with
the governor’s office. The current restrictions are in place until December 3. “I am hopeful,” Brandt said, “come December 3, at least some of our restaurants in some counties across the state will have the opportunity to have the freeze lifted and have the opportunity to make the revenue they desperately need for their business.”
Trump pardons turkeys Gives thanks for COVID-19 vaccines
David Rupkalvis, The World
North Bend Mayor Jessica Engelke signs her oath of office after being sworn in Monday. Engelke presided over her first meeting as mayor Tuesday.
North Bend Council reappoints Slater, extends pipeline permits JOHN GUNTHER The World
NORTH BEND — Timm Slater will get at least two more years on the North Bend City Council. After finishing fourth in the general election earlier this month, Slater was appointed Tuesday night to fill the council seat that became open when Jessica Engelke was elected North Bend’s mayor. In Engelke’s first meeting as the first female mayor for North Bend, the new council voted to appoint Slater to fill the final two years of her unfinished term on the council. The vote wasn’t unanimous, with new councilors Pat Goll and Susanna Noordhoff voting against Slater’s appointment.
“I think this is a huge decision,” Goll said. “I would love to have had a work session to talk about it. Tonight is basically my first time on the job. I don’t know that I want to make a decision right now. “I’m not against Timm, but I would like to have a little investigation.” Noordhoff agreed. “We should give it a rest,” she said of choosing Engelke’s replacement. “It is our first meeting. It is a very significant decision. I have spoken to several people who were on the ballot. Several are interested.” Noordhoff suggested waiting until the council’s next meeting to make the decision. But other councilors suggested Slater was the logical choice based on the election results.
“I think a lot of us … we ran on the concept that we took the will of the people into account,” said Eric Gleason, the other new council member. “Timm Slater, very closely, was No. 4. My thought on this is, if he was willing to take up the call and fill those last two years, I feel based on the election results, he would be a viable candidate.” Engelke said she had spoken with Slater and he had said if it was the will of the council, he would serve the rest of her term. Ultimately, Larry Garboden moved to nominate Slater and Bill Richardson, the other continuing council member, seconded the motion. Noordhoff said she wanted to make a motion for Jonathan Vinyard, who also had run for the council, but the other motion was already in place and
Gleason and Engelke joined Richardson and Garboden in approving Slater. Filling the council seat was one of two big decisions by the new council in its first meeting. The other, which drew much more public interest, granted the developers of the proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas export terminal a one-time, oneyear extension on a pair of city permits that would be required for the construction of the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline and the export facility. The unanimous decision by the council followed a lengthy public hearing in which nearly all the people who spoke or submitted comments voiced opposition to the project and permit extension.
er impact on 401(k) accounts than the Dow, rose 1.6%, climbing to its own all-time high. The gains extend a monthlong market rally driven by growing optimism that development of coronavirus vaccines and treatments will loosen the pandemic’s stranglehold on the economy. They also mark a rapid climb for the Dow from its March 23 low of just under 18,600 during the worst of its early pandemic nosedive. “We are one step closer to moving past the election uncertainty,” said Lindsey Bell, chief investment strategist at Ally
Invest. “People are still optimistic about what 2021 has to bring, from an economic perspective and an earnings perspective.” The S&P 500 rose 57.82 points to 3,635.41. The Dow gained 454.97 points to 30,046.24. Both indexes eclipsed record highs set early last week. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite picked up 156.15 points, or 1.3%, to 12,036.79. Traders continued to favor stocks that stand to gain the most from a gradual reopening of the economy, such as banks and industrial companies. Technology and communication stocks,
which have been investor favorites through the pandemic, also helped lift the market. In another signal that investors were feeling confident, the Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks outpaced the broader market, picking up 35.23 points, or 1.9%, to 1,853.53, also a record high. “There’s some relief that Biden is choosing moderates to fill out the cabinet,” said Barry Bannister, head of institutional equity strategy at Stifel. Bannister also said the encouraging vaccine news continues to give hope that there is an end in sight
Please see Council, Page 3
Dow tops 30,000 for first time (AP) - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 30,000 points for the first time Tuesday as progress in the development of coronavirus vaccines and news that the transition of power in the U.S. to President-elect Joe Biden will finally begin kept investors in a buying mood. Traders were also encouraged to see that Biden had selected Janet Yellen, a widely respected former Federal Reserve chair, as treasury secretary. The Dow rose more than 450 points, or 1.5%, to cross the milestone. The S&P 500 index, which has a far great-
Please see Stocks, Page 3
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nostalgia was in and jokes were out Tuesday as President Donald Trump offered a reprieve to a pair of meaty turkeys at the traditional Thanksgiving turkey pardon ceremony at the White House. The National Turkey Federation presented the White House with two birds, Corn and Cob. Corn was declared the national Thanksgiving turkey, though both will retire to a new home on the campus of Iowa State University. It’s not the first time the typically light-hearted turkey pardon ceremony has taken place in a tense time for the nation. This time, the ceremony came amid a global pandemic and as Trump refuses to concede he lost his reelection bid. In his remarks, Trump cited the vaccines that could soon receive emergency approval from U.S. regulators. “We give thanks for the vaccines and therapies that will soon end the pandemic,” Trump said at one point. He did not reference the recent surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases in many parts of the country. The turkey pardon ceremony came just a few hours after President-elect Joe Biden announced his national security team and emphasized the need to work with allies. Trump worked into his remarks a familiar refrain of his presidency: “America first -- shouldn’t go away from that,” he said. Trump did not take questions from reporters as he spoke in the Rose Garden to more than 100 staff and guests, the vast majority wearing masks. His tone was more serious than in prior turkey pardon ceremonies. Trump used last year’s pardon to make jokes about the impeachment process. The House would go on to approve two articles of impeachment the next month and the Senate would subsequently vote to acquit him. In 2018, Trump joked about one of the turkeys contesting the election. The scenario he described bears a striking resemblance to the one he faces today. “This was a fair election,” the president joked two years ago. “Unfortunately, Carrots refused to concede and demanded a recount, and we’re still fighting with Carrots. But I will tell you, we’ve come to a conclusion. Carrots. I’m sorry to tell you, the result did not change. That’s too bad for Carrots.” The practice of sending a turkey to a farm became the norm under President Ronald Reagan. George H.W. Bush established the annual turkey pardon tradition in 1989 by sparing a 50-pound (23-kilogram) bird as animal rights activists picketed nearby.
eEdition Oregon has new daily high with 21 COVID-19 deaths
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PORTLAND — The Oregon Health Authority reported a new daily high in COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic when it added 21 names to the state’s death toll Tuesday. In addition, 1,011 new confirmed and presumptive cases were reported as of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 67,333. The death toll is now 847. “We feel pain and sorrow for our neighbors who’ve lost their lives to COVID-19 and the families they leave behind,” OHA Director Patrick Allen said. “And each death we record is a reminder that COVID-19 is a life-threatening virus that’s easy to catch, a warning that more Oregonians will die if we don’t contain it and a call to action to stop its spread.” Two of the new deaths were in Douglas County while seven of the new cases were in Curry County, which has seen an increase recently. Coos County had four new cases and Douglas County 19. In all, 32 of Oregon’s 36 counties had new cases, including: Baker (7), Benton (20), Clackamas (106), Clatsop (7), Columbia (7), Coos (4), Crook (3),
Curry (7), Deschutes (44), Douglas (19), Grant (4), Harney (2), Hood River (6), Jackson (56), Jefferson (12), Josephine (11), Klamath (16), Lake (9), Lane (57), Lincoln (23), Linn (21), Malheur (17), Marion (113), Morrow (5), Multnomah (150), Polk (30), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (34), Union (4), Wasco (9), Washington (183), and Yamhill (24). With Thanksgiving this week, Allen reminded residents to be wary of the spreading disease. “Wear a mask, keep six feet between you and other people when you’re in public and wash hands often,” he said. “In addition, all Oregon counties are currently subject to a two-week freeze, which recommends that you limit the size of your social gatherings to six people or fewer, and gather with no more than one other household at a time.” Hospitalizations also are on the rise, with 474 patients statewide hospitalized with COVID-19, including 113 in ICU beds. Oregon’s 827th COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Nov. 15 and died on Nov. 19, at Tuality Community Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.
Oregon’s 828th COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 22 and died on Nov. 1, in his residence. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 829th COVID-19 death is a 68-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 29 and died on Nov. 18, in her residence. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 830th COVID-19 death is an 81-year-old man in Multnomah County who died on Nov. 15, in his residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 831st COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 9 and died on Nov. 15, in her residence. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 832nd COVID-19 death is a 93-year-old woman in Washington County who tested positive on Nov. 9 and died on Nov. 10, at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 833rd COVID-19 death is an
89-year-old woman in Wallowa County who tested positive on Oct. 26 and died on Nov. 9, at Wallowa Memorial Hospital. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 834th COVID-19 death is an 81-year-old man in Douglas County who tested positive on Nov. 6 and died on Nov. 22, at Mercy Medical Center. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 835th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 10 and died on Nov. 17. Location of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed. Oregon’s 836th COVID-19 death is a 92-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 3 and died on Nov. 11, in her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed. Oregon’s 837th COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old woman in Douglas County who tested positive on Nov. 16 and died on Nov. 20, at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed. Oregon’s 838th COVID-19 death is an 81-year-old man in Linn
County who tested positive on Oct. 26 and died on Nov. 18, at Portland Veteran’s Administration Medical Center. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 839th COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old man in Jackson County who tested positive on Nov. 6 and died on Nov. 21, at Rogue Valley Medical Center. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 840th COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old woman in Jackson County who tested positive on Oct. 26 and died on Nov. 21, at Rogue Valley Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed. Oregon’s 841st COVID-19 death is an 89-year-old man in Union County who tested positive on Nov. 11 and died on Nov. 23. Location of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed. Oregon’s 842nd COVID-19 death is a 94-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Oct. 29 and died on Nov. 7, in his residence. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 843rd COVID-19 death is a 74-year-old man in Mult-
nomah County who tested positive on June 24 and died on Nov. 4, in his residence. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 844th COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 15 and died on Nov. 20, in his residence. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 845th COVID-19 death is a 58-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 4 and died on Nov. 14, in his residence. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 846th COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Oct. 24 and died on Oct. 25, at Portland Adventist Medical Center. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 847th COVID-19 death is a 33-year-old man in Marion County who died on Nov. 12, at Kaiser Westside Medical Center. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Declaring “America is back,” President-elect Joe Biden introduced his national security team, his first substantive offering of how he’ll shift from Trump-era “America First” policies by relying on experts from the Democratic establishment to be some of his most important advisers. “Together, these public servants will restore America globally, its global leadership and its moral leadership,” Biden said Tuesday from a theater in his longtime home of Wilmington, Delaware. “It’s a team that reflects the fact that America is back, ready to lead the world, not retreat from it.” The nominees are all Washington veterans with ties to the Obama administration, a sign of Biden’s effort to resume some form of normalcy after the tumult of President Donald Trump’s four years in office. Another
sign that Biden will soon be in charge: He scheduled a Thanksgiving address to the nation for Wednesday afternoon, planning to focus his remarks on shared sacrifices during the holiday season and expressing confidence that Americans will get through the coronavirus pandemic together. There are risks to choosing experienced hands from the previous Democratic administration. Besides Republican attacks, progressives fret that Biden is tapping some officials who were too cautious and incremental the last time they held power. Still, Biden’s nominees were a clear departure from Trump, whose Cabinet has largely consisted of men, almost all of them white. Biden’s picks included several women and people of color, some of whom would break barriers if confirmed to their new positions. On Tuesday they stood behind Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala
Harris spaced apart and wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a contrast with Trump and many of his top aides who have largely eschewed facial coverings. The president-elect’s team includes Antony Blinken, a veteran foreign policy hand well-regarded on Capitol Hill whose ties to Biden go back some 20 years, for secretary of state; lawyer Alejandro Mayorkas to be homeland security secretary; veteran diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and Obama White House alumnus Jake Sullivan as national security adviser. Avril Haines, a former deputy director of the CIA, was picked to serve as director of national intelligence, the first woman to hold that post, and former Secretary of State John Kerry will make a curtain call as a special envoy on climate change. Kerry and Sullivan’s position will not
require Senate confirmation. With the Senate’s balance of power hinging on two runoff races in Georgia that will be decided in January, some Senate Republicans have already expressed antipathy to Biden’s picks as little more than Obama world retreads. Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican and potential 2024 presidential candidate, argued that Biden is surrounding himself with people who will go soft on China. Sen. Marco Rubio, another potential White House hopeful, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that will consider Blinken’s nomination, broadly wrote off the early selections. “Biden’s cabinet picks went to Ivy League schools, have strong resumes, attend all the right conferences & will be polite & orderly caretakers of America’s decline,” Rubio tweeted. Biden said his choices
“reflect the idea that we cannot meet these challenges with old thinking and unchanged habits.” He said he tasked them with reasserting global and moral leadership, a clear swipe at Trump, who has resisted many traditional foreign alliances. The president-elect said he was “struck” by how world leaders have repeatedly told him during congratulatory calls that they look forward to the U.S. “reasserting its historic role as a global leader” under his administration. Trump, who has debated recently whether to mount another presidential campaign in 2024, appeared to defend his worldview on Tuesday. “We shouldn’t go away from that — America First,” he said at the annual turkey pardon, a lighthearted pre-Thanksgiving White House tradition. While Trump expected total loyalty from his Cabinet and chafed at pushback
from advisers, Biden said he expected advisers to tell me “what I need to know, not what I want to know.” Further drawing a contrast with Trump, Haines said she accepted Biden’s nomination knowing that “you value the perspective of the intelligence community, and that you will do so even when what I have to say may be inconvenient or difficult.” Haines said she has “never shied away from speaking truth to power” and added “that will be my charge as director of national intelligence.” Biden celebrated the diversity of his picks, offering a particularly poignant tribute to Thomas-Greenfield. The eldest of eight children who grew up in segregated Louisiana, she was the first to graduate from high school and college in her family. The diplomat, in turn, said that with his selections, Biden is achieving much more than a changing of the guard.
The World
Biden introduces his national security team
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eEdition
Purdue Pharma pleads guilty in opioid case (AP) - Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty Tuesday to three criminal charges, formally taking responsibility for its part in an opioid epidemic that has contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths but also angering critics who want to see individuals held accountable, in addition to the company. In a virtual hearing with a federal judge in Newark, New Jersey, the OxyContin maker admitted impeding the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s efforts to combat the addiction crisis. Purdue acknowledged that it had not maintained an effective program to prevent prescription drugs from being diverted to the black market, even though it had told the DEA it did have such a program, and that it provided misleading
information to the agency as a way to boost company manufacturing quotas. It also admitted paying doctors through a speakers program to induce them to write more prescriptions for its painkillers. And it admitted paying an electronic medical records company to send doctors information on patients that encouraged them to prescribe opioids. The guilty pleas were entered by Purdue board chairperson Steve Miller on behalf of the company. They were part of a criminal and civil settlement announced last month between the Stamford, Connecticut-based company and the Justice Department. The deal includes $8.3 billion in penalties and forfeitures, but the company is on the hook
for a direct payment to the federal government of only a fraction of that, $225 million. It would pay the smaller amount as long as it executes a settlement moving through federal bankruptcy court with state and local governments and other entities suing it over the toll of the opioid epidemic. Members of the wealthy Sackler family who own the company have also agreed to pay $225 million to the federal government to settle civil claims. No criminal charges have been filed against family members, although their deal leaves open the possibility of that in the future. “Having our plea accepted in federal court, and taking responsibility for past misconduct, is an essential step to preserve billions of dollars of val-
Trump insists he’s not giving up fight to overturn election WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump insisted Tuesday that he is not giving up his fight to overturn the election results, but across the federal government, preparations were beginning in earnest to support President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration. Within hours of the General Services Administration’s acknowledgement Monday evening of Biden’s victory in the Nov. 3 election, career federal officials opened the doors of agencies to hundreds of transition aides ready to prepare for his Jan. 20 inauguration. And on Tuesday, Trump signed off on allowing Biden to receive the presidential daily brief, the highly classified briefing prepared by the nation’s intelligence community for the government’s most senior leaders. An administration official said logistics on when and where Biden will first receive the briefing were still being worked out. Biden, in an interview with “NBC Nightly News,” said he was also working out a meeting with the White House’s coronavirus task force and vaccine distribution effort. “So I think we’re going to not be so far behind the curve as we thought we might be in the past,” he said. “And there’s a lot of immediate discussion, and I must say, the outreach has been sincere. There has not been begrudging so far. And I don’t expect it to be. So yes it’s already begun.” By Tuesday afternoon, the Biden transition had been in contact with all federal agencies about transition planning, accord-
ing to a transition official. But Trump, who has not formally conceded to Biden — and may never — continued to sow doubt about the vote, despite his own administration’s assessment that it was conducted without widespread fraud, misconduct or interference. The president has maintained a low profile since his defeat. He made a quick appearance in the briefing room on Tuesday to deliver just over one minute of remarks on the Dow Jones Industrial Average trading at record levels and later delivered the traditional pre-Thanksgiving turkey pardon in the White House Rose Garden. He has not taken questions from journalists in weeks. He did not hold back on Twitter regarding the election results. “Remember, the GSA has been terrific, and (Administrator) Emily Murphy has done a great job, but the GSA does not determine who the next President of the United States will be,” Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. His legal team continued to mount seemingly futile challenges to the votes in battleground states. Murphy acted after Michigan certified Biden’s victory in the battleground state on Monday, and a federal judge in Pennsylvania tossed a Trump campaign lawsuit on Saturday seeking to prevent certification in that state. Pennsylvania certified its results, and its 20 electors for Biden, on Tuesday morning, followed hours later by Nevada. It also came as an increasing number of Republicans were publicly
acknowledging Biden’s victory, after weeks of tolerating Trump’s baseless claims of fraud. The Republican president had grown increasingly frustrated with the flailing tactics of his legal team. In recent days, senior Trump aides including chief of staff Mark Meadows and White House counsel Pat Cipollone had also encouraged Trump to allow the transition to begin, telling the president he didn’t need to concede but could no longer justify withholding support to the Biden transition. Late Monday, Meadows sent a memo to White House staffers saying that their work was not yet finished and that the administration would “comply with all actions needed to ensure the smooth transfer of power,” according to a person who received it. At the same time, he warned staffers who are not specifically authorized to interact with the Biden team against contact with the incoming administration. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters Tuesday that within hours of GSA’s ascertainment of Biden’s victory, his agency’s top career official was in contact with the Biden team on coordinating briefings, including on the Trump administration’s planning to distribute vaccines for COVID-19. “We are immediately getting them all of the pre-prepared transition briefing materials,” Azar said. “We will ensure coordinated briefings with them to ensure they’re getting whatever information that they feel they need.”
Stocks
the aisle,” Bell said. “She showed that in her time at the Fed.” Stocks have been pushing higher this month, driving the S&P 500 up by more than 11%, as investors have grown more hopeful that the development of coronavirus vaccines and treatments will help pave the way for the economy to recover next year. On Monday, drugmaker AstraZeneca reported surprisingly good results from ongoing vaccine studies. It said its potential vaccine, which is being developed with Oxford University, was up to 90% effective. Unlike rival candidates, AstraZeneca’s doesn’t have to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures, making it easier to distribute. Last week, Pfizer and Moderna both reported study results showing their vaccines were almost 95% effective. And, over the weekend, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals received U.S. government approval for emergency use of
its COVID-19 treatment. The drug, which Trump received when he was sickened last month, is meant to try to prevent hospitalization and worsening disease from developing in patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms. The vaccine developments are tempering lingering concerns over rising virus cases in the U.S., as well as in Asia and other parts of the world, and new government restrictions on businesses aimed at limiting the spread. Treasury yields rose as investors became more optimistic about the prospects for economic growth. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 0.88% from 0.84% late Monday. U.S. markets will be closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday. They will be open for half the day on Friday, closing at 1 p.m. Eastern. European markets ended broadly higher, while Asian markets closed mixed.
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to the pandemic. On Monday, the head of the federal General Services Administration acknowledged that Biden is the apparent winner of this month’s presidential election. That allows the incoming president to coordinate with federal agencies on plans for taking over on Jan. 20, despite ongoing efforts by President Donald Trump to overturn the election. Word that Biden has chosen Yellen as treasury secretary also added to investors’ confidence. Widely admired in the financial world, Yellen would be the first woman to lead the department in a line stretching back to Alexander Hamilton in 1789, taking on a pivotal role to help shape policies at a perilous time. “She’s also pretty pro-fiscal stimulus and she’s able to effectively work with people across
ue” for the settlement it is pursuing through bankruptcy court, the company said in a statement. “We continue to work tirelessly to build additional support for a proposed bankruptcy settlement, which would direct the overwhelming majority of the settlement funds to state, local and tribal governments for the purpose of abating the opioid crisis,” the statement read. Purdue’s plea to federal crimes provides only minor comfort for advocates who want to see harsher penalties for the OxyContin maker and its owners. The ongoing drug overdose crisis, which appears to be worsening during the coronavirus pandemic, has contributed to the deaths of more than 470,000 Americans over the past two decades, most
of those from opioids both legal and illicit. Cynthia Munger, whose son is in recovery from opioid addiction after being prescribed OxyContin more than a decade ago as a high school baseball player with a shoulder injury, is among the activists pushing for Purdue owners and company officials to be charged with crimes. “Until we do that and we stop accusing brick and mortar and not individuals, nothing will change,” said Munger, who lives in Wayne, Pennsylvania. The attorneys general for about half the states opposed the federal settlement, as well as the company’s proposed settlement in bankruptcy court. In the bankruptcy case, Purdue has proposed transforming into a public
benefit corporation with its proceeds going to help address the opioid crisis. The attorneys general and some activists are upset that despite the Sacklers giving up control of the company, the family remains wealthy and its members will not face prison or other individual penalties. The activists say there’s no difference between the actions of the company and its owners, who also controlled Purdue’s board until the past few years. Last week, as part of a motion to get access to more family documents, the attorneys general who oppose the deals filed documents that put members of the Sackler family at the center of Purdue’s continued push for OxyContin sales even as opioid-related deaths rose.
Council
Connector hasn’t met requirements of the permit because it hasn’t received necessary state and federal permits for the project and has little chance of approval for them; that the project threatens the environment and tourism industry and would not provide the jobs for local residents promised by developers while adding to an existing available housing crisis by bringing in specialty workers from outside the area; that a pipeline explosion would destroy or damage the main transportation links to the rest of the state for the Bay Area — the Southwestern Oregon Regional Airport and the McCullough Bridge — as well as damage the commercial fishing industry; and that an extension of the permit could allow the developers to completely ignore possible new, safer pipeline technologies. Steve Pfeiffer, who spoke for Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, urged the council to keep in mind that the issue before the council had “a very narrow scope.” “I have heard much of the testimony that we have heard tonight from project opponents,” he said. “I have no doubt it is sincere. There is very little that you’ve heard that is relevant to the decision that has been laid out tonight in
relation to the staff report.” After the public testimony on the issue, the council had a chance to ask additional questions of the staff. Garboden posing the possibility that the council denied the extension and the developers reapplied for the permit, asked Schnabel how much additional time would staff have to spend on the matter. After hearing “it would require a lot of staff time,” he provided the following observation: “We aren’t hurting anybody by approving this. If they don’t do it within 12 months, it’s done and they would have to come back again (with a new permit application).” The council then approved the extension. “Chelsea laid it out pretty well,” Gleason said before the vote. “It will make it a little easier for us to make our decision.” Later in the meeting, during the council comments period, Richardson congratulated Engelke on her first meeting as mayor. “It wasn’t a real easy meeting either,” Goll quickly added in. And to the three new council members, Richardson said he was happy they were now part of the group and offered simple advice. “The citizens have elected us to be here to represent them,” he said. “Never, ever forget that.”
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North Bend City Planner Chelsea Schnabel outlined the request from Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, LP, and possible actions by the council in detail at the beginning of the public hearing. “This request is not asking for the council to approve or deny any part of the Jordan Cove Energy Project,” Schnabel emphasized. Rather, the council was deciding whether the oneyear extension was appropriate for the floodplain development and estuarine land use permits, as would be the case in similar types of permits under the city’s codes, and if that was indeed the case whether the developers had filed for the extension within the required timeline (one year after the council approve the permits) and had paid the fee — which Schnabel said Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, LP, had done. Before the council voted, it heard comments from 10 community members — either written comments read into the record or direct testimony by people taking part in the meeting on Zoom — arguing the council should not grant the extension. Among their arguments were that Pacific
DEAR ABBYBy Abigail Van Buren LETTERS FROM ELDERLY DAD ARE ONLY THINLY VEILED CRITICISMS DEAR ABBY: I could use some advice on the best response to my 89-year-old father’s letters. He cleverly inserts insults into them without writing anything for which he could be criticized. For example, he has always talked about how he hates fat people. I am very overweight. My father sends me letters talking about how fit and trim another relative is who had just visited. That’s all he says about them, and it’s all he writes to me about. I can certainly read between the lines. This isn’t a one-time thing, just one example. I know my father will never change. He was abusive to me, my siblings and my mother. I see these letters as another way for him to continue his abuse, so I ignore them. Not engaging is my way of taking the high road. Extended family and friends bug me to talk with him about it, but I have never had a good experience with talking to my father. I would have hoped that being closer to death would cause him to reconsider his interactions with his children, but he just isn’t able to do so. Could you recommend a response other than silence? -- READING INTO IT IN ILLINOIS DEAR READING INTO IT: As a matter of fact, I can. Write him back and say something like this: “Dear Dad, you may have been wondering why I don’t respond to your letters. They contain nothing more than comparisons to other relatives who are skinnier and more fit than I am, and frankly, I find them painful to read. I am not writing this as a criticism of you, but only so you will understand my silence.
“Sincerely, “Your Daughter ‘Judy’” You do not have to talk to him. This should get your message across. DEAR ABBY: I have a friend who is divorced and struggling financially, but doesn’t work other than sporadic pet-sitting jobs. I enjoy her company and we have a lot in common, but when we go on outings together, she expects me to drive and pay for her drinks and food if she doesn’t have enough money. She doesn’t own a credit card. I’m starting to feel resentful and like I’m being taken advantage of. She thanks me sometimes, but I think she feels that because I am financially comfortable and she isn’t, I should be a good friend and help her out. I really want to discuss the situation with her, but I am afraid of coming across as stingy and uncaring. What are your thoughts? -- USED IN ALABAMA DEAR USED: I have to take issue with your signature. You are not being used; you have been ALLOWING yourself to be used. It would be neither stingy nor uncaring to ask before making a date to go out together whether she has the money to pay her way. If the answer is no, suggest doing something that doesn’t involve money or that’s within her budget -- unless you want to treat her. But treating her should not be expected, any more than any other gift would be. ------------------------------Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www. DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
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Alabama tops first college playoff rankings RALPH D. RUSSO Associated Press
Alabama was No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season Tuesday night, followed by Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State. Texas A&M was fifth and Florida sixth, giving the Southeastern Conference three of the top six teams. Alabama is No. 1 in the CFP rankings for a record 19th time. Unbeaten Cincinnati from the American Athletic Conference at seventh has the best ranking for a non-Power Five team in the seven-year history of the selection committee’s top 25. No. 8 Northwestern, Georgia and Miami rounded out the top 10. Another unbeaten team from outside the Power Five was not so highly regarded by the committee. BYU was slotted 14th, behind No. 11 Oklahoma (6-2) and No. 13 Iowa State (6-2), among others. The Cougars were No. 8 in the latest AP Top 25. The highest-ranked Pac-12 team was Oregon at 15th. Southern California was 18th. Much like this entire college football season played in a pandemic, the rankings schedule
has been delayed and truncated this year. The 13-person selection committee usually starts ranking teams around Halloween and produces six rankings before the final ones that determine which 12 teams will play in the semifinals and major bowl games. This is the first of four reveals leading up to the only ones that really count, scheduled to be released on Dec. 20. The coronavirus pandemic didn’t stop the selection committee from meeting in person as usual at the Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine, Texas, just outside Dallas. And the playoff itself is scheduled to go off as scheduled with the semifinals on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, and the championship game Jan. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Because of the strange season, these initial committee rankings had more intrigue than normal and several questions to answer. “We embraced the chaos,” committee chairman Gary Barta, who is Iowa’s athletic director, told ESPN. Q: How did the committee treat the non-Power Five unbeatens? Cincinnati (8-0) should be thrilled. BYU (9-0), not so much.
Even though the Cougars lead the FBS in scoring margin at 33 points per game. Barta said the Cougars’ schedule, which had to be rebuilt because Power Five conferences mostly decided to play only league games due to the pandemic, wasn’t tough enough to warrant a better ranking. “Right now BYU’s best win is over Boise State, and in that game I think (the Broncos) got down to their third-string quarterback,” Barta said. No non-Power Five team had ever ranked better than 12th in the first rankings. The best ranking in any selection committee top 25 by a team from outside the Power Five had been No. 8 for unbeaten UCF in the final 2018 rankings. At worst, Cincinnati is lined up nicely to win out and grab the spot guaranteed to the top Group of Five conference champion in the New Year’s six bowls. The contenders for that spot if Cincinnati collapses down the stretch are Coastal Carolina from the Sun Belt at 20, Marshall from Conference USA at 21 and the Bearcats’ AAC rival Tulsa at 25. BYU is not only outside the realistic playoff race, but the Cougars would still need to rise a
few spots to have a shot at getting an at-large invite to one of the lucrative New Year’s Six games. “Great motivation for our guys,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said on ESPN while mostly taking the high road about the rankings. A bid to the Fiesta, Cotton or Peach bowls would be worth $4 million to the independent Cougars, who are not eligible for the spot reserved for the Group of Five. BYU has only a game against San Diego State on Dec. 12 left on its schedule, but is looking to add opponents. There were some discussions in the last few days with Washington, which had its game this weekend against Washington State called off, but it didn’t work. “We’re not afraid of anybody,” Sitake said. Well, how about Cincinnati? The Cougars and Bearcats are both off Dec. 5. It always comes down to risk/ reward. The Cougars could certainly use a boost. The Bearcats still have Temple this week and likely two games with Tulsa. Would that be enough for the Bearcats to move into playoff position if some of the teams in front of them are cleared out?
BYU would definitely give that resume a lift. Stay tuned. Q: How much emphasis was put on number data points aka games played? Some, clearly by looking at unbeaten Ohio State (4-0) sitting behind Clemson (7-1) and the Pac-12 teams being way back. But then again, Wisconsin (2-1) at 16th suggests maybe not enough. Q: How much did head-tohead matter? In the case of Texas A&M and Florida, a lot. The Aggies beat the Gators and are ahead of them. In the case of Oklahoma and Iowa State, not so much. The Cyclones beat the Sooners last month, but Oklahoma has been on a roll recently and is ranked ahead of Iowa State. Notably, Louisiana-Lafayette from the Sun Belt won at Iowa State to open the season and has just one loss, to Coastal Carolina. And the Ragin’ Cajuns are unranked. Q: Yes, and about the Big 12? The conference is not going to do better than a two-loss champion that will need a lot of help to reach the top four, but the rankings suggest the Big 12 is not quite out of this thing. Especially if Oklahoma keeps up its recent rampage.
Manning among semifinalists for Hall of Fame BARRY WILNER
Associated Press
Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Jared Allen and Calvin Johnson are firstyear eligible players to make the list of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2021. Joining them are four players who previously have been eligible, but never made the semifinals: Eric Allen, Willie Anderson, Cornelius Bennett and Rodney Harrison. A player must be retired for five seasons before being considered for entry to the Canton, Ohio, shrine. The group of 25 announced Tuesday also includes Ronde Barber, Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Alan Faneca, Torry Holt, John Lynch, Clay Matthews, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Steve Tasker, Fred Taylor, Zach Thomas, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne, Patrick Willis, Darren Woodson and Bryant Young. Candidates will be trimmed to 15 modern-day finalists who will be considered for entry by the selection committee during Super Bowl week in February. Inductions are scheduled for next August, when the 2020 class and a special centennial class also will be enshrined after the COVID-19 pandemic forced postponement of those ceremonies last summer. Also on the voting ballot in the coaching category is Tom Flores; in the con-
Jaguars bench Luton after dismal performance against the Steelers JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are going with quarterback Mike Glennon against Cleveland, giving the NFL journeyman his first start in more than three years. Coach Doug Marrone made the announcement Wednesday, three days after he considered benching rookie Jake Luton during a 27-3 loss to unbeaten Pittsburgh. Luton completed 16 of 37 passes for 151 yards and four interceptions against the Steelers. Luton went winless in three starts for Jacksonville (1-9), which has dropped nine in a row. The skid ties the longest single-season losing streak in franchise history. Luton replaced Gardner Minshew (thumb) during the team’s bye week and has completed 54.5% of his passes for 624 yards, with two touchdowns and six interceptions. He also was sacked seven times. His inexperience showed in all three games, first failing down the stretch in close games against Houston tributors category is Bill Nunn; and in the seniors category is Drew Pearson.
and Green Bay and then looking mostly lost against the blitzing Steelers. Minshew resumed throwing last week, but Marrone hasn’t seen enough to believe he’s ready to return. The 30-year-old Glennon has started 22 of 29 games over seven NFL seasons with Oakland, Arizona, Chicago and Tampa Bay. He has 36 touchdowns passes and 20 interceptions. His last start came in Week 4 in 2017 with the Bears. And here’s the craziest part: Glennon got benched for Chicago’s Mitchell Trubisky, who got benched for Nick Foles, who got benched for Gardner Minshew, who got replaced by Luton, who is now benched in favor of Glennon. The 6-foot-7 Glennon has bounced around in recent years, playing for Oakland (2019), Arizona (2018) and Chicago (2017) after beginning his career in Tampa Bay (2013-16). The Buccaneers drafted him in the third round in 2013. He made $18.5 million during his one season with the Bears. Between four and eight new members will be selected.
Of the 25 semifinalists, several have been finalists in the past, including Boselli, Faneca, Holt, Lynch, Mills, Seymour, Thomas, Wayne and Young in 2019. Manning, of course, is a record fivetime league MVP and held several career passing records when he retired after 17 seasons; he missed 2011 with a severe neck problem. He played in three Super Bowls, winning two — one with the Colts and the other with Denver. He was a quarterback on the All-Decade Team of the 2000s. Woodson, who played cornerback and safety with Oakland and Green Bay in his 18-year career, won a Super Bowl with the Packers, lost one with the Raiders, and made three All-Pro Teams. Woodson was the 1998 Defensive Rookie of the Year, and took top defensive player honors in 2009. He also made the All-Decade Team of the 2000s. Defensive end Jared Allen had 136 sacks and twice led the league in his 12-year career for the Chiefs, Vikings, Bears and Panthers. He made four All-Pro Teams. Johnson, nicknamed “Megatron,” was a dynamic receiver for nine seasons in Detroit, though he played for weak teams. He twice led the league in yards receiving and once in receptions with 122 in 2011, one of his two All-Pro years. Johnson made the All-Decade Team of the 2010s even though he retired after the 2015 season.
Pandemic challenges hoops schedules VanVleet excited about Associated Press Wichita State landed in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Monday afternoon, masked up and looking forward to tipping off the season in the Crossover Classic. A few hours later, the Shockers announced they were out of the tournament after multiple positive COVID-19 tests. Event organizers said the tests came from two players who were re-tested before the final decision was made. “The kids were excited because they were going to get to compete against someone,” said Wichita State interim coach Isaac Brown, whose team had been practicing since June. “Just to get here and find out that we’re not able to play in the tournament -they were disappointed.” Eight months after the coronavirus shut down college basketball at tournament time, the sport returns this week with dozens of teams opening their seasons as early as Wednesday and the pandemic still raging. It has already forced cancellations and postponements across the country, leading to a chaotic scramble to schedule opponents willing to
drop everything to play. No. 2 Baylor, 9 Duke and the No. 3 UConn women have all canceled games because of COVID-19. The Shockers were the sixth team to pull out of the South Dakota tournament alone — only West Virginia and Memphis are left from the original slate — though the event is going ahead with replacement teams and without fans. “It’s been a wild ride,” said Lea Miller-Tooley, the tournament director. “We’ve learned a lot, but we’ve really been able to hang in there.” Texas A&M, Creighton and Wichita State are the most recent programs to drop out or be removed from the Crossover Classic field. Utah, Ohio State and Dayton already had backed out. South Dakota State, Utah State, St. Mary’s, Northern Iowa, Western Kentucky and Virginia Commonwealth have stepped in as replacement teams. VCU was quickly added after Wichita State was removed. The Rams had been scheduled to play in the Volunteer Classic this week, but that event was canceled. A day after UConn announced
it was pausing its women’s season for 14 days following a positive coronavirus test, organizers of the Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge tournament canceled this weekend’s event, which was to feature the Huskies and No. 6 Mississippi State. UConn coach Geno Auriemma said he was not sure his program can make up those games or a scheduled Dec. 4 showdown with No. 5 Louisville that also has been canceled. He said he has been spending a lot of time reassuring players that things are going to be fine. “I’m sure there was a guy on the Titanic who was in charge of saying that,” he said. “I just hope I’m not that guy.” Jeff Walz, the coach of the No. 5 Louisville women’s team, saw the issues coming. He set up a group chat that has grown to 25 coaches to help them work through schedule changes. It came in handy when several of his team’s early games were canceled. Walz even used Twitter to ask coaches to contact him. Through his various efforts, his Cardinals set up a game at Southeast Missouri State for Wednesday.
Raptors’ time in Tampa TIM REYNOLDS
Associated Press
Fred VanVleet hasn’t been back to Toronto since March and isn’t sure when he’ll be back to the city that he’ll technically be calling home for at least the next four years. In the interim, warm weather will suit him just fine. VanVleet — the guard who finalized his four-year, $85 million contract to remain with the Raptors on Tuesday — said he’s excited for the team’s looming temporary move to Tampa, Florida. Toronto will play its home games for at least the first part of this season in Tampa because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and how the U.S-Canada border remains closed to non-essential travel. “Toronto has turned into my second home, so obviously we miss the city but I think we’ve got to be excited about what’s ahead of us,” VanVleet said. “I can’t not be excited. It won’t make the experience that great. So, we were in Florida
for a while with the bubble in Orlando and right back there in Tampa, so hopefully it’s a good experience.” For the second time this year, the Sunshine State becomes home-away-from-home for the Raptors. They were in Fort Myers, Florida in June for training camp before moving to the restart bubble in Lake Buena Vista, Florida -- near Orlando -- for the resumption of the regular season and then their Eastern Conference playoff matchups against Brooklyn and Boston. They left the bubble in mid-September after being eliminated by the Celtics in the second round, and not even three months later, they’re headed back for training camp and soon a new season. The bubble had no fans until the NBA Finals, and that was limited to basically just player family members. The ticketing situation for Raptors’ “home” games in Tampa remains unclear, and some NBA teams have already said they’ll open the season with no fans in the seats.