News
Baby boomers are ready to retire – if only they could afford to
Despite its reputation as the wealthiest generation, baby boomers (generally considered to be those born between 1946 and 1964) are facing a retirement nightmare. A recent St. Louis Federal Reserve study of the retirement readiness of U.S. families came to the same conclusion but put it more gently: “It could be worrisome that, for many…
Kent Ford has advice for young activists: Read, and keep going
In 1969, Kent Ford was beaten and jailed for his involvement with a group of African-American men who had been studying the works of Malcolm X and Chairman Mao. He said his arrest was the result of information police had gleaned from an informant hired to spy on them. Ford had already been monitoring high-tension…
Some Portland cops have mental health training. Where do they fit into street-response reform?
Zachary Nell signed up to respond to calls involving people in mental crisis, the kind of call that occurs dozens of times a day in Portland. The personable, 33-year-old Air Force veteran feels trained and ready. But in the eyes of some, including some civic leaders, he and scores like him suffer from a serious…
PHOTOS: 2019 Street Roots Family Breakfast
Street Roots celebrated its 20-year mark Oct. 4 with more than 400 supporters gathered for our annual fundraising breakfast at the Oregon Convention Center. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley delivered a surprise welcome, thanking Street Roots for “20 years of incredible work and decades more to come.” He described Street Roots as “an engine driving social…
How your mental health can affect your dog
If you think your dog looks stressed out, it might be your own stress levels that are affecting your pet pooch. A study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports shows pet dogs may synchronize their stress levels with those of their owners. More than just being “man’s best friend,” it appears our pet dogs may be…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: Nice to have family again
By the time he found his brother Brian, Vern Hannigan had pretty much decided he’d never have a family again. His mom and stepdad were gone. He was estranged from his other brother, Timothy. Brian, now 49, was adopted at 2 weeks old. Vern had never met him. “I didn’t have any family, in my…
Environment
Portland part of global tree planting movement
Ethiopians planted 350 million trees in a single day this past July. Ireland has committed to planting 440 million trees over the next two decades. New Zealand aims to plant 1 billion trees by 2028. Pakistan, after decades of deforestation, plans to plant 10 billion trees over five years. And in the world’s first-ever telethon…
