KWSO News 8/13/19

Warm Springs teen ages 14-18 have some opportunities for some awesome outdoor experiences at the end of this month. In 2018, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the Northwest Outward Bound School partnership was established to build culturally relevant programs in Central Oregon for youth of the Warm Springs, Wasco and Paiute tribes. All tribal youth who participate in the outdoor experiences receive fully-funded scholarships. The collaboration creates tribal specific courses with outdoor education and leadership skill development from Outward Bound. The goal is to inspire youth to connect with tribal lands, igniting their interest in the outdoors and creating a pathway to outdoor education, advocacy or industry. The two upcoming programs are a backpacking course August 26-28 on the Warm Springs Reservation and a Deschutes Rafting Course August 26-30.   Tribal youth need to apply by this Friday. For information and to get signed up Contact TJ Foltz at 541-615-0142 or taw.foltz@wstribes.org.

Warm Springs Telecom says lightning storms over the weekend caused several outages off that have affected both wireless and fiber customers. The surge of power damaged a significant amount of equipment.  Technicians have been power cycling and replacing damaged equipment but some failures were still continuing on Monday. Telecom said it was working to restore all services as fast as possible.

(CNN) – The US Interior Department announced significant changes Monday that would weaken how the Endangered Species Act is implemented, a move critics fear will allow for more oil and gas drilling and limit how much regulators consider the impacts of the climate crisis. The regulations reflect the Trump administration’s latest move to overhaul the nation’s environmental frameworks — in this case, a law credited with saving the bald eagle and grizzly bear from extinction. The overhaul changes how the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration consider whether species qualify for protections, as well as how the agencies determine what habitats deserve special protections. It could significantly lengthen how long it takes for a species to become protected, which could further endanger them, but the Trump administration says it allows the focus to be on the “rarest species.”

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Far-right groups are traveling to Portland from around the United States this weekend to rally against self-described antifascists who are planning to oppose them. Portland’s leadership is mobilizing in hopes of avoiding clashes similar to those in June and in 2018 that attracted national attention. Since President Donald Trump’s election, Portland has become a political arena for far-right and far-left groups to face off. None of the city’s nearly 1,000 police officers will have the day off Saturday. The Oregon State Police and the FBI are also helping out. Mayor Ted Wheeler says he may ask Democratic Gov. Kate Brown to call up the Oregon National Guard. The Southern Poverty Law Center says the groups coming to Portland include far-right militias, white supremacists, white nationalists and other hate groups.