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Government-Politics

Wyden, Warner introduce bill to set strong cybersecurity standards for health care industry

11:09 am

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., announced legislation Thursday to improve cybersecurity in the American health care system amid a wave of increased cyberattacks that are breaching Americans’ privacy and causing major disruptions to care across the country. “Megacorporations like UnitedHealth are flunking Cybersecurity 101, and

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Forest products permits unavailable at some Deschutes National Forest offices Oct. 1-3 due to database maintenance

10:47 am

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Some Deschutes National Forest offices, including the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District and the Redmond Air Center, will be unable to process and sell all forest products permits, including firewood collection, Matsutake mushroom permits and other free and chargeable collection permits from Tuesday, October 1, to Thursday, October 3. This temporary pause is

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Wyden, Merkley introduce legislation seeking to clean up hemp market, keep products out of kids’ hands

9:06 am

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said Thursday they have introduced the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act (CSRA) to establish national standards to protect public health and safety and keep cannabis products out of the hands of children. The CSRA would establish a national age restriction to prevent those under 21 from purchasing hemp-derived cannabis products. The

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Wyden legislation would establish program to support college students’ basic needs

8:56 am

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senator Ron Wyden said Thursday he is cosponsoring legislation that would help ensure college students in Oregon and nationwide can meet their basic needs while pursuing their education.  The Basic Assistance for Students in College (BASIC) Act aims to combat the basic needs crisis by allocating funding to help students access nutritious food, safe

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Oregon lawmakers hold first hearing on DMV’s 1,259 mistaken voter registrations without proof of citizenship

9:57 pm

SALEM, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — Oregon lawmakers waded into a voter registration controversy on Wednesday with the first legislative hearing held since the Secretary of State’s office and Department of Transportation announced that 1,259 people had been mistakenly added to the voter rolls without providing proof of U.S. citizenship, and ten of them had cast ballots, KGW reported.

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Invasive quagga mussels found again in Snake River; ODFW warns of growing threat to Oregon waterways

8:51 pm

Agency urges boaters to clean, drain, dry all watercraft after use SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – Quagga mussels, an aquatic invasive species, were detected a second time in the Snake River at Twin Falls, Idaho approximately 60 miles upstream from the Oregon border. According to the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) the recent positive detection locations include

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Prineville woman sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for multi-million dollar drug treatment fraud scheme

5:20 pm

A Prineville woman has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for using stolen identities – some from jail rosters – to submit fraudulent health care claims, resulting in over $1.5 million in misappropriated funds from the Oregon Health Authority’s Medicaid program, and with filing false tax returns that failed to report earnings she received.

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Warm Springs Tribes receive $1.25 million Justice Dept. grant to investigate domestic violence, sex trafficking, other crimes

3:36 pm

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — The Justice Department has announced more than $86 million in grants administered by the Tribal Affairs Division within the Office on Violence Against Women to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking. The grants provided through the Violence Against

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Oregon Legislature’s Emergency Board provides $47.5 million to ODF for firefighting efforts in record wildfire season

1:08 pm

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Legislators on the Joint Emergency Board provided more than $103 million to state agencies on Wednesday to address fighting wildfires and other urgent issues of health and safety across the state. Amid a historic wildfire season, legislators allocated $20 million in new funds and released $27.5 million in previously allotted special-purpose

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Oregon secretary of state releases statewide Financial Condition Report for Fiscal Year 2023

12:47 pm

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Secretary of State’s Audits Division released the State of Oregon Financial Condition Report Wednesday. The report is not an audit, but provides important information regarding key economic and demographic indicators for Oregon’s financial status, such as revenues, expenditures, debt, and fiscal health. “These financial condition reports are one of the

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Oregon State Hospital marks 10th anniversary of memorial for historical cremated remains as more are returned to families

9:17 pm

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – World War I veterans, a mother of five, a singer and a seamstress – each is among the 92 people whose cremated remains were claimed and returned to their families this year. Their lives were remembered Tuesday during Oregon State Hospital’s annual ceremony that celebrates the reunification of families. The event

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Deschutes County Community Justice officer named Juvenile Justice Professional of the Year

8:05 pm

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County Community Justice Officer Andrea Abramson has been selected as the 2024 Juvenile Justice Professional of the Year for the Central and Eastern Oregon region by the Oregon Juvenile Department Directors’ Association. Abramson has worked in the county’s Juvenile Department for more than 30 years. She carries a full case

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They’re back: Redmond Police warn of imposter call scam; Deschutes County SO warns of ‘jury duty’ scam

4:38 pm

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Redmond Police Department alerted the public on Tuesday about a familiar scam in which a person is representing themselves as a Redmond police officer. The caller specifically claims to be Sergeant Gautney, and is contacting individuals regarding “an urgent legal matter,” Lieutenant Eric Beckwith said. He said the contact has

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Merkley, Wyden: $1.62 million headed to Smith Rock State Park for new welcome center, other improvements

4:19 pm

(Update: Adding expected project timeline) WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced Tuesday that the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is receiving a Land and Water Conservation grant of $1,628,498 to help develop a new welcome center and make other improvements to boost the visitor experience at Smith Rock State Park. The

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Senate chairman demands answers from emergency rooms that denied care to pregnant patients

1:38 pm

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Hospitals are facing questions about why they denied care to pregnant patients and whether state abortion bans have influenced how they treat those patients. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, sent inquiries to nine hospitals ahead of a hearing Tuesday looking at whether abortion bans have prevented

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