KWSO News for Tue., Jun. 28, 2022

In Warm Springs, a veteran and first responder-based National Organization that supports communities before, during and after disasters has teamed up to cut down trees, trimming branches, clearing brush and doing overall fuel reduction and fire mitigation over this past weekend. As reported by KTVZ, Team Rubicon, a group of nearly 20 people working in Warm Springs are mostly veterans, first responders and a few civilians are here on a volunteer basis. Bill Terrill is the incident commander for the Warm Springs Operation with Team Rubicon: “We don’t fight fires, but if we can stop some of the damage that can happen from a fire before it actually happens, that’s why we’re here and we tend to focus on areas that need help.” While Team Rubicon is focusing on areas around the museum, the casino and Highway 26, Dan Martinez, Tribal Emergency Manager for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, feels blessed any part of Warm Springs will be better-positioned to minimize risk, save homes and possibly save lives.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden was in Eugene Monday to pitch a bill that he says would bring down gas prices. He calls his proposal the Big Oil Surtax. It would change federal tax laws to penalize oil companies that buy back large amounts of stock or use accounting tricks to make their profits appear smaller. On the other hand, Wyden says: “If the big oil companies are investing in productivity, efficiency, buying new equipment for example that’s cleaner and greener, or just generally making smart investments, those won’t be taxed.” Wyden, a democrat who Chairs the Senate Finance Committee, says this approach is different than anything else that’s been tried. He says it would target specific practices rather than add an excise tax that then can get passed on to consumers.

One of the ripples from Friday’s U-S Supreme Court decision about abortion relates to health insurance. Louise Norris is an analyst for Health Insurance dot org, a company that bills itself as an insurance watchdog. She says six states, including Washington and Oregon, require companies to cover abortion services. Half, or 25 states, don’t allow abortion-related coverage, though there are loopholes. “Some of those states still allowed private plans that are purchased by employers or purchased outside the exchange to cover abortion.” Norris says she’s curious about the other 19 states and whether any of them will adjust their policies now that the court has released its decision. She says Friday’s ruling could serve as a wake up call to some health insurance customers. “This particular topic, abortion coverage, may be something people don’t pay attention to on their health plan until they need it. It maybe isn’t something they’re thinking about when they’re shopping, so I think, kind of like all aspects of health insurance, you really want to pay attention to the details of the plan you’re getting, particularly if you’re in a state where the state leaves it up to the insurance company.” Norris says some private companies that self-insure, especially large corporations, will continue to offer abortion-related insurance or other services to their employees, even in states than ban abortion.

Farmers in Oregon already battling extreme drought and low water supplies are fighting against future grasshopper and Mormon cricket infestations. Severe outbreaks in recent years, fueled by drier, warmer conditions, wreaked havoc. This season, a new suppression program funded by Oregon lawmakers may help. It’s just one part of a larger effort by state and federal authorities in the U.S. West to deal with an explosion of grasshoppers and Mormon crickets that’s impacting farmers and ranchers from Montana to Nevada. But some environmental groups are opposing the programs, which rely on the aerial spraying of pesticides across large swaths of land.