Salem-News.com Eugene articles Page 18

Op Ed: IMPEACHMENT:
NOW, or Later,
OR NOT EVER?

National honor, debt to past & future, demand action.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Two words capsulize our Constitutional crisis, now recognized as the root-and-many/limbs of our current economic collapse. One is APATHY, an American characteristic far too often encountered in recent decades.

Blame that on our “pursuit of happiness” --but such distortion of real meaning reflects its own values. The other word is IMPEACHMENT. That one is too often avoided now --in deadly-sharp contrast to another word too frequently heard in recent irresponsible campaign-crowd rantings.

Without realistic action for impeachment, triggered by citizen demand, we dishonor this nation and our long, continuing “experiment in democracy”.

Black and White is Not Always a Clear Distinction

Socioeconomics and incarceration are factors in defining race, says a University of Oregon sociologist.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Is race defined by appearance, or can a person also be colored by socioeconomic status? A new study finds that Americans who are unemployed, incarcerated or impoverished today are more likely to be classified and identified as black, by themselves or by others, regardless of how they were seen -- or self identified -- in the past.

The findings suggest race may not be as simple as something a person is born with -- that it is possibly tightly intertwined with social status, says University of Oregon sociologist Aliya Saperstein, who worked with Andrew M. Penner of the University of California, Irvine.

The study -- begun long before Barack Obama became the nation's first black president-elect -- appears online this week ahead of regular publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Ducks Pound Beavers in Civil War Victory

Hopes for the Rose Bowl were diminished today for Oregon State.

(CORVALLIS, Ore.) - It was a quack attack. The OSU Beavers were pounded by the Oregon Ducks during the Civil War game today, with a final score of 65-38. The game now represents the most points scored on the Beavers in their history.

This doesn't fit with the Beavers hopes of earning a win that would have advanced them to the Rose Bowl.

Oregon State's defense just couldn't find the right moves to counter the attack from the Ducks, and it meant Oregon State would not see their third consecutive Civil War win.

National Average Dips below $2 a Gallon in Time for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving travelers this week will encounter the lowest gas prices since February of 2005.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Thanksgiving travelers will see gas prices that haven't been this low since February of 2005, according to Marie Dodds with Oregon AAA. The national average drops 18 cents this week to $1.88, while Oregon's average plummets 19 cents to $2.03.

Dodds says the return of substantially lower gasoline prices provides some economic relief to drivers at a time when it's sorely needed. Oregon's average is $1.12 lower than it was a year ago, while the national average is $1.20 lower." The national average dipped below $2 a gallon last Friday for the first time since March of 2005, and then fell another dime between then and today.

Gas Prices Continue to Fall

National Average closes in on $2 a Gallon; Oregon Average at Lowest Point since March 2006.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Oregon's gas prices are at their lowest level since March 2006, according to Oregon AAA. The statewide average for regular unleaded drops another 16 cents this week to $2.22. The national average falls another 15 cents to $2.07 and is at its lowest level since March 18, 2005.

AAA Oregon Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds says both averages are about a dollar lower than they were a year ago, and are about 50% lower than the record highs of more than $4 a gallon we set in July."

The national average for diesel also drops below $3 per gallon this week for the first time since September of last year. And Oregon's average for diesel is just above $3 per gallon, also at the lowest point since September 2007.

Oregonians Prepare to Protest California`s New Gay Marriage Ban

Oregon protests against Prop 8 at several locations Saturday.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Advocates for gay marriage are outraged over the passage of California's Proposition 8, which amends the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman. Prop 8 overturns a recent California Supreme Court decision that had recognized same-sex marriage in California as a fundamental right.

On Saturday, people across the country will join together to raise their voices against the what Basic Rights Oregon calls the injustice of California’s Prop 8.

"Passage of Proposition 8 means that, for a little longer, families in California will be denied important security and respect, and will have to continue to fight against inequality and second-class status."

Gas Prices in Oregon Hit Lowest Point Since March 2006

Four U.S. states have averages below $2.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - It has been more than two and a half years since gas prices have been this low in Oregon. The statewide average for regular unleaded drops another 19 cents this week to $2.38, the lowest it's been since March 2006. The national average falls another 17 cents to $2.22 and is at its lowest level since mid-February 2007.

AAA Oregon Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds says the price of gas has been falling steadily since September, after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike battered the Gulf Coast. "Oregon's average is down 44% from the record high of $4.29 set on July 3, 2008, while the national average is down 46% from its record high of $4.11 set on July 17th of this year," Dodds said.

Northwest Climate Change is Target of $3.2 Million in Grants to UO

Northwest climate change is target of $3.2 million in grants to UO: NSF, DOE projects by Bart Johnson and Scott Bridgham aim to drive policies to protect people & ecosystems.

(EUGENE. Ore.) - Climate change in the Northwest is the focus of two federal grants totaling $3.2 million awarded to two University of Oregon researchers. They will work together on a pair of multi-site projects designed to help enhance biodiversity while protecting people and property from wildfires in the face of a changing climate.

Scott D. Bridgham, an ecologist in the UO's Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, will lead an effort to understand potential threats to prairie ecosystems in Oregon and Washington with a $1.8 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Pump Prices Plunge to Lowest Level in Seven Months

Gas prices continue their free fall, with the national average dropping a hefty 32 cents in the past week to $3.16 and Oregon's average plunging 15 cents to $3.34.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Gas prices are dropping like a rock. The national average for regular unleaded plunges 32 cents this week to $3.16, while Oregon's average drops another 15 cents to $3.34. AAA Oregon Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds says the national average is at its lowest point since February 28th, while Oregon's is the lowest since the first week in March.

Dodds says crude oil is down significantly from the record high of $147 per barrel set July 11th, trading near $80 per barrel today.

"It's reasonable to expect further declines in pump prices. The last time oil was trading at $80 per barrel was in October of last year, and the national average for regular unleaded then was around $2.76 and Oregon's was about $2.86."

Why Do Women Get More Cavities than Men?

UO anthropologist reviews historical records, finds links to fertility, hormones and reproductive pressures.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Reproduction pressures and rising fertility explain why women suffered a more rapid decline in dental health than did men as humans transitioned from hunter-and-gatherers to farmers and more sedentary pursuits, says a University of Oregon anthropologist.

The conclusion follows a comprehensive review of records of the frequencies of dental cavities in both prehistoric and living human populations from research done around the world. A driving factor was dramatic changes in female-specific hormones, reports John R. Lukacs, a professor of anthropology who specializes in dental, skeletal and nutritional issues.