Hacker NewsApr 6, 2025
Federal cuts disrupt repairs to iconic U.S. trails
https://apnews.com/article/pacific-crest-appalachian-trail-federal-layoffs-934a5526570569b625f5d854ec339a04
#ycombinator #Donald_Trump #Hiking #California #Washington #Oregon #Europe #General_news #ME_State_Wire #GA_State_Wire #CA_State_Wire #OR_State_Wire #NC_State_Wire #AP_Top_News #WA_State_Wire #Megan_Wargo #Climate_and_environment #United_States_government #Justin_Kooyman #Washington_news #Joshua_Suran #Crocs #Inc #Eric_Kipperman #Plants #Politics #U_S_news #National_Park_Service #Washington_News #Climate
Federal cuts disrupt repairs on two of America's most iconic trails

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail that runs through three western states is already challenging. Now the grueling journey may become even tougher this year due to federal cuts. Over a year’s worth of trail work to clear downed trees and rebuild stretches of the Pacific Crest Trail has been canceled, while similar repairs have been disrupted for the Appalachian Trail. Wildfires and hurricanes already were taking a toll on America's two legendary trails that are used by millions each year. Now the associations overseeing the paths say cuts in grant money and the Trump administration's downsizing of the federal workforce threaten their very existence.

AP News
 Hacker NewsSep 2, 2024
Oregon law rolling back drug decriminalization set to take effect
https://apnews.com/article/oregon-drugs-law-recriminalization-decriminalization-d188a0c678973d0d65419c52467f09a4
#ycombinator #Oregon #Drug_crimes #Crime #General_news #OR_State_Wire #U_S_news #COVID_19_pandemic #Prisons #Health #Opioids
Oregon law rolling back drug decriminalization set to take effect

Oregon’s experiment with drug decriminalization is coming to an end Sunday. A new law set to take effect then makes so-called personal use possession a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail. Voters passed a first-in-the-nation decriminalization measure in 2020. Millions intended for addiction services were slow to move at a time when the fentanyl crisis was causing a spike in deadly overdoses. State auditors also found that health officials were slow to stand up the new treatment system while grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities are also set to disburse over $20 million in grants for county-level deflection programs for drug users.

AP News
 Hacker NewsJul 4, 2024
To save spotted owls, US officials will kill hundreds of thousands of other owls
https://apnews.com/article/shooting-barred-owls-wildlife-service-9081f926f3ebd27ac3ddc2ceaf332ca2
#ycombinator #Owls #Animals #Endangered_species #Oregon #General_news #OR_State_Wire #MT_State_Wire #AP_Top_News #WA_State_Wire #ID_State_Wire #CA_State_Wire #California #Science #U_S_news #Business #Climate_and_environment #Climate
To save spotted owls, US officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of another owl species

U.S. wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan to deploy trained shooters into dense West Coast forests to kill almost a half-million barred owls in coming decades. Their goal is to help spotted owls, which are being crowded out by barred owls from the eastern U.S. Past efforts to save spotted owls focused on protecting the forests where they live. But officials say the proliferation of barred owls in recent years is undermining that earlier work and putting spotted owls on the path to potential extinction. The notion of killing one bird species to save another has divided wildlife advocates and conservationists.

AP News
 Hacker NewsApr 30, 2024
Winner of $1.3B Powerball jackpot is a immigrant from Laos who has cancer
https://apnews.com/article/oregon-powerball-winner-8200b538497c972624ace5e2fddf56e6
#ycombinator #Oregon #Chemotherapy #Laos #General_news #Domestic_News #OR_State_Wire #Cancer #Business #Lotteries #Vietnam #U_S_news
Powerball jackpot: Laos born immigrant with cancer wins $1.3 billion

One of the winners of a $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot this month is an immigrant from Laos who has had cancer for eight years and had his latest chemotherapy treatment last week. Cheng “Charlie” Saephan told a news conference held by the Oregon Lottery on Monday that he and his wife would take half the money, and the other half would go to a friend who chipped in $100 to buy a batch of tickets with them. Saephan said he'd buy a house and find a good doctor for himself. Saephan said he was born in Laos and moved to Thailand in 1987, before immigrating to the U.S. in 1994.

AP News