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☆ Can a Brewery Make Good Wine? These Beer Makers Say Yes.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Joshua M. Bernstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

One could easily mistake Alesong Brewing & Blending for a winery. The brewery, which opened in 2016 in Eugene, Ore., makes beer-wine hybrids with local grapes and sells barrel-aged beer through a membership club. “If you take the word beer out of our business model, we look a lot more like a winery,” said Brian Coombs, a founder and production manager at Alesong, who previously worked at the nearby King Estate Winery, in the Willamette Valley wine region. Last September, Alesong introduced its first wine, a pinot gris, in an effort to broaden the brewery’s creative ambitions and customer base. “I want to look at wine from a brewer’s perspective.”

Persons: ”, Brian Coombs, Alesong, “, Coombs Locations: Eugene ,, King, Willamette

☆ Bidens roll out the diplomatic – and literal – red carpet for Japan state visit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The White House will lean into the full pomp and circumstance of a state visit as the president seeks to emphasize the strong alliance between the two countries. The Bidens welcomed the prime minister and his wife to the White House on Tuesday evening, hosting the couple for a casual dinner at BlackSalt, a local seafood restaurant. The White House will serve wines from the Willamette Valley and Columbia Valley in the Pacific Northwest. The Bidens presented their counterparts with a three-legged black walnut table handmade by a Japanese American owned company in Pennsylvania, the White House said. The Biden White House has previously hosted the leaders of Australia, India, France and South Korea for state visits.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kishida Fumio, Kishida Yuko, Paul Simon, Biden, ” Jill Biden, ”, Bryan Rafanelli, “, Cris Comerford, Susie Morrison, George W, Bush, Lyndon B, Johnson, Carlos Elizondo –, ’ toasts, Elizondo, Billy Joel, CNN’s Arlette Saenz, Kayla Tausche, Sam Fossum Organizations: CNN, Japanese, White, White House social, Wing, State Department, White House, US, National Soccer Team, National Football Team, Biden White Locations: China, Ukraine, Gaza, United States, Japan, BlackSalt, California, Willamette, Columbia, Pacific Northwest, American, Pennsylvania, Australia, India, France, South Korea

Storms have walloped the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Plains, South and Northeast with low temperatures, heavy snow, ice storms, freezing rain and high winds for the past two weeks. Tina Kotek on Thursday declared a statewide emergency following deadly ice storms. Trees and power lines already coated with ice could topple if they get more, the National Weather Service warned. “Stay safe out there over the next several days as our region tries to thaw out,” the weather service said. The National Weather Service said there could be a thaw next week, when the forecast calls for above-average temperatures across almost the whole country.

Persons: Bob Johnson, ” Johnson, Doug McGowen, Joe Biden, Tina Kotek, Jonathan Mattise, Kristin M, Claire Rush, Carolyn Thompson, Jeffrey Collins, Colleen Long Organizations: Midwest, D.C, National Weather Service, Tennessee, Sheriff’s, Memphis, Water, Blood Assurance, The West Virginia Legislature, Capitol, Washington D.C, U.S . Capitol, White House, U.S . Conference of Mayors, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Michigan, West Coast , Oregon Gov, Associated Press, Hall Locations: MEMPHIS, Tenn, Memphis, U.S, Canada, New York City, Baltimore, Washington, Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Plains, South, Arkansas , Mississippi , Missouri , Tennessee , Kentucky, Kansas, Lewisburg, Marshall, Memphis , Tennessee, Chattanooga , Tennessee, West Virginia, The, In Buffalo , New York, Michigan City , Indiana, West Coast , Oregon, Columbia, Willamette Valley, Nashville , Tennessee, Portland , Oregon, Buffalo , New York, Columbia , South Carolina

On Thursday, an American Airlines plane slid off a snowy taxiway in Rochester, New York, after a flight from Philadelphia. Thousands of residents have been without power since Saturday in parts of Oregon’s Willamette Valley after an ice storm caused extensive damage. “We do have a generator that we got last year, and right now it’s running an oil plug-in heater," she said. In Mississippi’s capital city, an estimated 12,000 customers were dealing with low water pressure Thursday, another setback for Jackson’s long-troubled water system. ___Associated Press journalists Jonathan Mattise and Kristin M. Hall in Nashville and Adrian Sainz in Memphis contributed.

Persons: —, it’s, ”, Jamie Kenworthy, I’ve, Ronald Briggs, Crews, Will Compton, “, ” Compton, Aaron Robison, Jackson, Ted Henifin, Jonathan Mattise, Kristin M, Adrian Sainz Organizations: . New, National Weather Service, American Airlines, Portland Public Schools, Authorities, Tennessee Valley Authority, Country Music Hall of Fame, Associated Press, Hall Locations: PORTLAND, Oregon, Tennessee, . New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rochester , New York, Philadelphia, West Coast, Willamette, Jasper, Lane County, ”, Portland , Oregon, Portland, Nashville, North Dakota’s, Washington, Seattle, In Kansas, Memphis

☆ I made a multigenerational group of friends — from Gen Zers to Boomers — doing ski patrol
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Melissa Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I ended up joining Backcountry Ski Patrol and making an intergenerational group of friends. Two years ago, when the dank Willamette Valley winters threatened to bury me in seasonal affective disorder, I begged Julie to teach me to cross-country ski. In the mountains near my house, I discovered not only bluebird skies above snowy slopes, but a group of multigenerational friends who inspired me to join Backcountry Ski Patrol. The members of our patrol in the Willamette National Forest span four generations, from Gen Zers to Boomers. Some of us cross-country ski.

Persons: Zers, —, Julie, she's, Gen Zers, who'd, who've, Julie Polhemus, I've Organizations: Ski, Boomers, Service, Volunteers, First Locations: Los Angeles, Oregon, Willamette

6 Oregon a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with a 31-7 victory Friday night over No. 15 Oregon State in the final scheduled matchup between the in-state rivals. 16 CFP), which is one of two teams not to leave the Pac-12, along with Washington State. Washington hosts Washington State on Saturday. Oregon: It was Oregon’s ninth straight win over Oregon State at Autzen.

Persons: — Bo Nix, Nix, Troy Franklin, DJ Uiagalelei, Bucky Irving, Silas Bolden, Camden Lewis, Jordan James, Jonathan Smith's, Smith, Scott Barnes, ”, Donna Moore, ___ Organizations: Oregon State, The Ducks, Washington, Football, Washington State, Big, Apple, Ducks, Beavers, The Huskies, Beavers . Washington, Oregon, Michigan State, Wednesday, . . Oregon, Wildcats, Arizona State, 127th, AP Locations: EUGENE, Oregon, Las Vegas, Washington State . Oregon, Washington, Corvallis . Oregon, Autzen, . ., . Arizona, Willamette Valley

Researchers have known for a while that beer production will be affected by climate change, said Mirek Trnka, a professor at the Global Change Research Institute. Political Cartoons View All 1240 Images"If we don’t act, we’re just going to also lose things that we consider not to be, for example, sensitive or related to climate change. Climate change moves faster than we might realize – but still too slowly for many to notice, he said. Hayes kept the card in his office, and has made it his life’s mission to work on improving winter barley. No matter what farmers and companies do with hops and winter barley, climate change may affect what beer-lovers are able to buy in the future.

Persons: crisscrossed Gayle Goschie's, Goschie, Mirek Trnka, we’re, ”, Trnka, Shaun Townsend, Townsend, Kevin Smith, Smith, – Patrick Hayes, Oregon State University –, Hayes, Ashley McFarland, Douglass Miller, ” Hayes, Dee, Ann Durbin, Walling, ___, Melina Walling, Read Organizations: Change Research, Nature Communications, Oregon State University, University of Minnesota, Barley, Molson Coors, Anheuser Busch, Associated, Cornell, Associated Press, AP Locations: ANGEL, Portland , Oregon, Goschie, Willamette, U.S, Europe, Midwest, Detroit, Chicago

☆ My mother taught me to keep my eyes open when I jump. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Emily Halnon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Emily's mother, Andrea Halnon, was also afraid to jump out of a plane, but she "met her fear with joy and determination," her daughter says. The door slid open, the plane was moving 100 miles per hour, and a torrent of wind rushed in. On this big grief day, when I didn’t know how to cope with feeling too far away from my mom, I’d found the answer. I carried every emotion with me as I let go of the plane — fear, joy, grief, longing, love. My eyes were wide open, and I could see I was exactly where I wanted to be.

Persons: CNN —, Toshi, We’d, “, Eugene Skydivers, Andrea, Andrea Halnon, Ole Thomsen, I’d, I’ve, Emily Halnon, hadn’t, Toshi gestured, ” Toshi, They’re Organizations: CNN, Guardian, Washington Post Locations: Willamette, Maine, Oregon, Eugene, Toshi, Eugene , Oregon, ”

☆ Lead from abandoned phone cables are polluting dozens of neighborhoods, investigation finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

As old cables degrade, lead can leach into the soil at high levels, the report found. A 2021 pediatric study found that half the kids in the US have high levels of lead in their blood. According to the EPA, the safety standard for lead levels in the soil where children play is 400 parts per million. The Journal's investigation found that more than 100 schools have lead cables running overhead, and more than 1,000 schools and childcare centers are within half a mile of underwater lead cables. "We have not seen, nor have regulators identified, evidence that legacy lead-sheathed telecom cables are a leading cause of lead exposure or the cause of a public health issue."

Persons: Linda Birnbaum, USTelecom Organizations: Service, Street Journal, Verizon, EPA, JAMA Pediatrics, American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control, Wall Locations: Wall, Silicon, Passaic, New Jersey, Detroit, Michigan, Willamette, Oregon, Mississippi, Louisiana

☆ Josh Hawley tweeted out a misattributed quote from a segregationist newspaper on the Fourth of July
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

On the Fourth of July, Sen. Josh Hawley tweeted a quote he attributed to Patrick Henry. The quote argues that America "was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians." But it didn't come from Henry — it comes from a segregationist newspaper in Virginia in 1956. It came from a 1956 article in "The Virginian," a since-shuttered segregationist newspaper. "The above quotation from the will of Patrick Henry is a notable example."

Persons: Sen, Josh Hawley, Patrick Henry, Henry —, —, Republican Sen, Patrick Henry —, United States —, Jesus Christ, Henry, Hawley isn't, David Barton, Seth Cotlar, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Hawley Organizations: Service, Republican, United, Willamette University, Twitter Locations: America, Virginia, Missouri, United States, Henry's

☆ Maggie Harrison’s War on Wine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Alex Halberstadt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

But the friend kept calling, and eventually she relented, flew to Portland and drove to a hillside in Amity. In 2019, she began offering an annual seminar for wine professionals that she named Beauty School. In her pursuit of maximally beautiful wines, Harrison has devised possibly the world’s most laborious way of making them. This blending period is when Harrison’s wines find their identities. “Though they can be punishingly difficult,” Ready told me, “those blending sessions are about trusting yourself, believing in the process and letting go of the desire to second guess.”Punishingly difficult seems to be Harrison’s thing.

Persons: Harrison, Lillian, ” Harrison, ”, Vladimir Nabokov’s, Mimi Adams, Nate Ready, Adams, “, ” Adams, Maggie Organizations: Beauty Locations: Willamette, Oregon, Ventura, Portland, Amity, Hood River, California

☆ Frozen Strawberries Are Recalled After Hepatitis A Infections
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Matt Twomey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A voluntary recall of frozen strawberries has been expanded as the Food and Drug Administration has linked more retailers to a string of nine hepatitis A cases that date back to last year. On Monday, the Willamette Valley Fruit Company of Salem, Ore., announced the recall of frozen strawberries that are sold at Walmart, Costco, and HEB stores under the brand names Great Value at Walmart and Rader Farms Organic at Costco and HEB. “Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not sell, serve, or eat recalled frozen strawberries,” the F.D.A. investigation has traced hepatitis A infections to frozen organic strawberries imported from Baja California, Mexico, and reported the first five cases of hepatitis A linked to them in March. The strain of hepatitis A in those cases was genetically identical to one that caused an outbreak of hepatitis A infections in 2022, which was also linked to fresh organic strawberries imported from Baja California, Mexico.

Persons: “, they’re Organizations: and Drug Administration, Fruit, Walmart, Costco, Rader, HEB, “ Locations: Willamette, Salem, Ore, Washington State , California, Oregon, Baja California, Mexico

☆ A $1 trillion platinum coin could save the US from economic catastrophe in less than a month. It would be fast, legal, and no bigger than a regular coin.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

One potential solution: Minting a trillion-dollar platinum coin to pay off debts and avert disaster. Some economists say that means it's time for a break-the-glass option: A trillion-dollar coin. The coin — which doesn't need to be bigger than your average purse change, and can be made quickly — is part of a potential debt ceiling loophole. Yes, a trillion-dollar coin is silly, but would Biden "rather not look silly and hurt seniors and hurt Medicare than the other way around?" Yellen has been critical of that route as well, saying in 2021 that she believes it is Congress' job to raise the debt ceiling.

☆ This 1977 Nike memo that calls personal ambition a 'danger' and urges workers to 'fight the law' is getting renewed attention thanks to 'Air'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 1977, Nike executive Rob Strasser typed a list of 10 company "principles." The raw and unfiltered list captures the irreverence and combativeness of early Nike employees. It was republished after the April 2023 release of "Air," a movie about how Nike signed Michael Jordan. The list, which captures the irreverence and competitiveness of early Nike employees, once again is making the rounds on social media. One of them: "Be on the offense, always," a direct nod at Strasser's list, and a phrase that remains a favorite of Nike executives.

☆ Portland magic mushroom dispensary Shroom House is now 'permanently closed' following December police raid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Shroom House is permanently closed after Portland Police Bureau executed a search warrant at the store in December. As previously reported by Insider, customers of Shroom House were required to complete applications for the "Shroom House Society" before purchasing magic mushrooms. Neither the Portland Police Bureau nor the Multnomah County District Attorney's office shared if they plan to investigate customers of Shroom House. Just one week before the raid, Shroom House made headlines for claims it was illegally operating a magic mushroom dispensary, Insider reported. As news spread and generated buzz on social media, locals lined up around the block to shop the psychedelic offerings of Shroom House.

☆ The US could be 4 months away from a potentially disastrous debt-ceiling breach, but nobody's negotiating over how to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

GOP lawmakers have refused a clean increase, but have yet to produce details on what they want in a deal. The US could breach the debt ceiling as soon as July, the CBO estimated. That's because no one seems to be ready or willing to negotiate over how to raise the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling dictates how much money the government can borrow to pay off the expenses it's already approved. For now, Biden's administration has maintained that raising the debt ceiling should be done in a bipartisan way, and without negotiations.

☆ See the wild 1977 Nike memo that calls personal ambition a 'danger' and urges workers to 'fight the law'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 1977, Nike executive Rob Strasser typed a list of 10 company "principles." The raw and unfiltered list captures the irreverence and combativeness of early Nike employees. The list, which captures the irreverence and competitiveness of early Nike employees, once again is making the rounds on social media. Several former Nike employees replied to Reames and said they still have copies of the original document. One of them: "Be on the offense, always," a direct nod at Strasser's list, and a phrase that remains a favorite of Nike executives.

☆ Janet Yellen says 'it's not a given that the Fed would' accept a $1 trillion platinum coin to save the US from economic catastrophe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen dismissed minting a $1 trillion platinum coin to save the US from default, per the WSJ. Minting a coin would allow the government to bypass negotiations in Congress to raise the debt ceiling. The GOP is currently using the debt limit as a negotiating tool to achieve their own priorities. But Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wasn't on board with that idea in the past — and she still isn't. She expressed the same sentiment back in 2021, when Congress was dealing with a similar partisan dilemma surrounding raising the debt ceiling.

☆ We could soon be facing the biggest financial crisis in history as Republicans threaten to stop paying America's bills
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Republicans are using the debt ceiling as leverage to achieve spending cuts on Democratic priorities. But failing to raise the debt ceiling by the summer could cause the US to default on its debt. Consequences of default are dire, and Biden has urged the GOP to not bargain with the debt limit. "Failure to raise the debt limit will not reduce our debt, but it would wreck the economy if it led to a default. "When you talk about the trillion dollar platinum coin, it sounds very silly — and it is really silly!"

☆ Portland police raid Shroom House for illegally selling psychedelic mushrooms after attracting hoards of customers and online buzz
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Among those arrested was 32-year-old Steven Tachie Jr., the reported owner of the company that operated Shroom House, officials said. As previously reported by Insider, customers of Shroom House were required to complete applications for the "Shroom House Society" before purchasing magic mushrooms. Neither the Portland Police Bureau nor the Multnomah County District Attorney's office shared if they plan to investigate customers of Shroom House. Just one week before the raid, Shroom House made headlines for claims it was illegally operating a magic mushroom dispensary, Insider reported. As news spread and generated buzz on social media, locals lined up around the block to shop the psychedelic offerings of Shroom House.

☆ Portland store is reportedly selling psychedelic mushrooms – but they're not legal in Oregon yet: 'They're breaking all sorts of laws over there'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Portland herbal shop is selling magic mushrooms to locals in spite of state laws, KPTV reports. Shroom House offers 'Penis Envy,' 'Albino Golden Teacher,' 'Knobby Tops,' and more in the selection, Willamette Week says. Although the process sounds lengthy, a reporter from Willamette Week said they were able to order fungi about five minutes after submitting the documents. Shroom House reportedly has a variety of mushrooms to choose from – including "Knobby Tops," "Penis Envy," and "Albino Golden Teacher." Nothing in Measure 109 or any other law allows the sale of psilocybin mushrooms today or in the future," Chapman said.

☆ Meet Mexico's first female college football kicker, Andrea Martínez
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

MEXICO CITY — Andrea Martínez didn’t quite realize what she was getting herself into when she tried out to kick extra points for a Mexican college football team. But when she won the spot, Martínez was told she would become the first woman to play college football among men in the country’s top amateur division. She continued playing soccer at her school until a few months ago, when Pumas CU, the UNAM football team, decided to hold tryouts for a place-kicker. Pumas' kicker Andrea Martinez sings her team's anthem before a Liga Mayor football match against Aztecas in Mexico City on Oct. 8, 2022. Fernando Llano / APSince joining the team, Martínez has given around 80 interviews.

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