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Weekly Unemployment Benefit Payments Increase

The change affects new unemployment insurance claims filed with an effective date on or after June 28, 2009.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - State officials say the amount paid to Oregonians filing for unemployment insurance benefits will increase on June 28th. The maximum weekly benefit amount an individual can receive will increase to $493, while the minimum amount will be $115.

Under Oregon law, each year the Employment Department recalculates the maximum and minimum amounts paid weekly to those filing for unemployment benefits. The amounts are set as percentages of the average weekly wage earned by Oregonians.

Religion--A Long Way From Its Spiritual Roots

Here in the West we must find ways to take the next step beyond the separation of church and state and encourage not freedom of religion, but freedom from religion.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - After the Danish cartoon fiasco of 2005, French President Jacques Chirac said that “anything liable to offend the beliefs of others, particularly religious beliefs, must be avoided.” Self-censorship is not a positive social direction. Religion, contrary to conventional thought, is not a benign social institution.

Medical Marijuana, Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta (VIDEO)

Lukewarm Favorable to Medical Marijuana?

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I have already saluted Mr. Cooper for having the chutzpah to talk/educate the public about medical marijuana on CNN. It seems most commentators are afraid to catch REEFER MADNESS. The recent CNN series on medical marijuana helps to propel the subject out of the closet.

Dr. Gupta gave a very favorable report. He is definitely a bright young neurosurgeon. His ancestral homeland is/was the site of the first medical/scientific studies on medical marijuana.

Small Business Owners Trek to D.C. for Healthcare Showdown (AUDIO)

The Small Business Summit begins on Wednesday.

(PORTLAND, Ore. ONS) - Small business owners in Oregon say they're tired of cutting benefits, raising costs and, in some cases, canceling health insurance for workers because they can't afford it. They're joining others from 20 states this week in Washington, D.C., to share their views with Congress.

Jim Houser will be there. He owns an automotive repair shop in Portland, and says good health insurance helps him keep good employees. He's convinced people are so fed up with the current system that there's hope for reform, and he wants to make sure lawmakers hear from "the little guy."

Western Media Inaccuracy & The Iran Twitter Grid

Interpretations of problems in Iran by shows like "Meet the Press" completely miss the point.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The problems over the election in Iran signaled the end of a momentary lull in false propaganda on American TV. On Meet The Press with David Gregory Sunday morning, proof of the utter and total disregard for facts was laid out like a court case against the show itself.

What they left out of the program was some honest and interesting data about the way the social networks are becoming the primarily and possibly only tool of communication for members of the "Green" movement in Iran aupporting Mousavi.

IED`s Blamed in at Least Half of Latest Iraq and Afghanistan War Casualties

Four of the 12 died in circumstances that were not combat-related. 6 Army soldiers were killed in explosions stemming from improvised explosive devices or 'IED's'.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The United States has reported a significant number of casualties in June, 2009.

This latest report is the third that we have issued so far in June, and includes one person who died aboard a Navy ship on the North Arabian Sea whose death was not combat-related. Seven of the casualties were in Afghanistan and four were in Iraq.

One Man Dies and Two Injured in Portland Apartment Fire

Fatal Apartment Fire in North Portland‏

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Portland Fire and Rescue crews were dispatched to an apartment fire at 5811 North Lombard Saturday at 11:31 p.m.

Lt. Rich Tyler with Portland Fire & Rescue says the first engine arrived at 11:33 p.m. to find lots of fire and smoke coming from a second story apartment.

Malibu Locals, Paparazzi, and the Matthew McConaughey Incident (VIDEO)

Did loud mouthed local surfers in Malibu crowd the Civil Rights of 'Paps' or Paparazzi?

(MALIBU) - After watching the video closely, I'm fairly convinced that the so-called local surfers in Malibu who attacked a Paparazzi crew last June, are a creepy expression of an American mindset that thinks it can randomly activate the "fascist" button and pretend like they live above the Civil Rights of others.

The Paparazzi are a component of American society driven by a mindless occupation with the private lives of celebrities. It isn't always pretty but it is generally legal.

Police & Deputies Respond to Another Coffee House Robbery (VIDEO)

"I think that maybe the harshest thing is that the young lady here is 18-years old, she's a victim of this crime, and you can never change that. You can never change what has happened to her, you can never take it back." -Scooters Owner Mark Isaac

(SALEM, Ore.) - Salem was the scene of another drive up coffee house armed robbery Saturday. It happened at Scooter's Coffee on Lancaster Drive NE, between Market and Sunnyview.

Mark Isaac is the owner of Scooters, "I found out we just got robbed about half an hour ago, our employee called and said they walked up and pulled a gun on her demanded money. They ran off and there are K-9's out here right now, several police."

Former Oregon News Director Wins Emmy & Telly Awards

Those awards will join Grandlund's three Telly's, an Aurora, and a NATPE Iris Award for previous work in television.

(SAN DIEGO, Calif.) - A former Oregon broadcaster living and working in San Diego, California, Ken Grandlund, received two prestigious awards for his work on television production at The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Pacific Southwest Chapter 2009 Emmy Nominations.

Grandlund, the 1989 class President of Taft High School in Lincoln City, Oregon, has experience as a Radio DJ, News Broadcaster, Singer, Actor, Television Producer, and Writer.