Eric Holder was sworn in today as U.S. Attorney General, the nation's top law enforcement officer. He was confirmed Monday in a 75-21 Senate vote, with all the opposition coming from Republicans. Holder takes charge of an office buffeted ....

The longest-serving woman in Congressional history, Ohio, Rep. Marcy Kaptur is encouraging homeowners facing foreclosures to stay in their homes. On today's edition of Democracy Now with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, she lays out the legal rights of homeowners facing eviction ...

Valerie Allen took advantage of Portland Community College's financial aid day and got her Free Application for Student Aid paperwork in order with the help of Kristen Lena, a financial aid technician II. Allen is interested in returning to college to get a degree in drug and alcohol counseling.

In spite of the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, St Andrew Catholic Church in inner North/Northeast Portland, has secured more than 50 percent of their $3.4 million dollar modernization project.
According to church officials, the project's fund-raising campaign has received pledges totaling more than half a million from church members and a substantial grant from the Terrell Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation. ...

Did you know that one in five Oregonians cannot read? Many of these individuals are high school dropouts lacking the basic reading and writing skills needed for today's jobs. Mt. Hood Community College offers training to volunteer literacy tutors. MHCC's Adult Basic Education's Volunteer Literacy Tutor program offers free workshops that teach attendees the techniques used in tutoring an adult. Upcoming training sessions are as follows ...

Come celebrate and discuss the selected works of Martin Luther King Jr. on Wednesday, Feb. 4 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Central Public Library, 801 SW 10th Ave.
The focus of the discussion will be on non-violent civil disobedience, and we will read: Dr. King's "The Birth of a New Nation", "A Letter From a Birmingham Jail" and Henry Thoreau's "On Civil Disobedience." The works are available online and can be accessed through ...

On Friday, Feb. 13, Po'Shines Cafe De La Soul, North Portland's non-profit soul food cafe, will begin hosting Cornbred, a weekly spoken word and open mic night from 8 – 10 p.m. for youth readers and performers.  Focusing on youth in middle and high school, Cornbred will provide a much needed positive forum for youth to express themselves and create a community of young artists ...

Cornetta Smith, project director of "First Families of Vancouver's African-American Community," lectures on First Families/ Colors of Influence Thursday, Feb. 5, at the Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main Street, Vancouver. Smith is working to identify, locate, and interview African-American families who settled in Vancouver during the wartime shipyard era and stayed to build a strong community here....

Washington State Sen. Pam Roach (R-rural Auburn) has submitted Senate Bill 5653 requiring more detailed information on foster parents.
"We have many wonderful people who give of their time and resources to be foster parents for many troubled and fragile children," said Roach. "But sometimes the foster parent might not possess the skills, attitude, or background needed to appropriately care for our state's at-risk children." ...

What began in 1989 as a modest pilot program at Rainier Beach High School is now a model for an effective school-based health care system, serving 5,000 middle and high school students each year across the Seattle School District.
To honor this 20-year milestone in providing high-quality, comprehensive adolescent health care in schools, City of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Public Health – Seattle & King County Director and Health Officer Dr. David Fleming and community partners celebrated yesterday at West Seattle High School....