Oregon

‘Here again’: Abortion activists rally 50 years after Roe – KTVZ

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2023

‘Here again’: Abortion activists rally 50 years after Roe – KTVZ

By CLAIRE RUSH and HARM VENHUIZEN
Related Press/Report for America

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — From seaside cities to snow-covered streets, abortion supporters rallied by the hundreds on Sunday to demand protections for reproductive rights and mark the fiftieth anniversary of the now-overturned Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Courtroom resolution that established federal protections for the process.

The reversal of Roe in June unleashed a flurry of laws within the states, dividing them between people who have restricted or banned abortion and people who have sought to defend entry. The Ladies’s March, galvanized throughout Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in 2017 amid a nationwide reckoning over sexual assaults, mentioned it has refocused on state activism after Roe was tossed.

“This combat is larger than Roe,” Ladies’s March mentioned in a tweet. “They thought that we’d keep dwelling and that this may finish with Roe — they had been fallacious.”

A dozen Republican-governed states have applied sweeping bans on abortion, and several other others search to do the identical. However these strikes have been offset by positive factors on the opposite facet.

Abortion opponents had been defeated in votes on poll measures in Kansas, Michigan and Kentucky. State courts have blocked a number of bans from taking impact. Myriad efforts are underway to assist sufferers journey to states that permit abortions or use medicine for self-managed abortions. And a few Democratic-led states have taken steps to defend sufferers and suppliers from lawsuits originating in states the place the process is banned.

Organizers with the Ladies’s March mentioned their technique shifting ahead will focus largely on measures on the state degree. However freshly energized anti-abortion activists are more and more turning their consideration to Congress, with the purpose of pushing for a possible nationwide abortion restriction down the road.

Sunday’s important march was held in Wisconsin, the place upcoming elections may decide the state Supreme Courtroom’s energy steadiness and future abortion rights. However rallies passed off in dozens of cities, together with Florida’s state capital of Tallahassee, the place Vice President Kamala Harris gave a fiery speech earlier than a boisterous crowd.

“Can we actually be free if households can’t make intimate selections concerning the course of their very own lives?” Harris mentioned. “And may we actually be free if so-called leaders declare to be … ‘on the vanguard of freedom’ whereas they dare to limit the rights of the American individuals and assault the very foundations of freedom?”

In Madison, hundreds of abortion rights supporters donned coats and gloves to march in below-freezing temperatures by way of downtown to the state Capitol.

“It’s simply fundamental human rights at this level,” mentioned Alaina Gato, a Wisconsin resident who joined her mom, Meg Wheeler, on the Capitol steps to protest.

They mentioned they plan to vote within the April Supreme Courtroom election. Wheeler additionally mentioned she hoped to volunteer as a ballot employee and canvass for Democrats, regardless of figuring out as an unbiased voter.

“That is my daughter. I wish to ensure that she has the suitable to decide on whether or not she needs to have a toddler,” Wheeler mentioned.

Buses of protestors streamed into the Wisconsin capital from Chicago and Milwaukee, armed with banners and indicators calling for the Legislature to repeal the state’s ban.

Eliza Bennett, a Wisconsin OBGYN who mentioned she needed to cease providing abortion providers to her sufferers after Roe was overturned, referred to as on lawmakers to place the selection again within the palms of ladies. “They need to be making selections about what’s greatest for his or her well being, not state legislatures,” she mentioned.

Abortions are unavailable in Wisconsin resulting from authorized uncertainties confronted by abortion clinics over whether or not an 1849 legislation banning the process is in impact. The legislation, which prohibits abortion besides to save lots of the affected person’s life, is being challenged in court docket.

Some additionally carried weapons. Lilith Ok., who declined to supply their final identify, stood on the sidewalk alongside protestors, holding an assault rifle and sporting a tactical vest with a holstered handgun.

“With all the pieces happening with ladies and different individuals shedding their rights, and with the latest shootings at Membership Q and different LGBTQ evening golf equipment, it’s only a message that we’re not going to take this sitting down,” Lilith mentioned.

The march additionally drew counter-protestors. Most held indicators elevating spiritual objections to abortion rights. “I don’t actually wish to become involved with politics. I’m extra concerned with what the legislation of God says,” John Goeke, a Wisconsin resident, mentioned.

Within the absence of Roe v. Wade’s federal protections, abortion rights have develop into a state-by-state patchwork.

Since June, near-total bans on abortion have been applied in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. Authorized challenges are pending towards a number of of these bans. The lone clinic in North Dakota relocated throughout state traces to Minnesota.

Bans handed by lawmakers in Ohio, Indiana and Wyoming have been blocked by state courts whereas authorized challenges are pending. And in South Carolina, the state Supreme Courtroom on Jan. 5 struck down a ban on abortion after six weeks, ruling the restriction violates a state constitutional proper to privateness.

Wisconsin’s conservative-controlled Supreme Courtroom, which for many years has issued consequential rulings in favor of Republicans, will probably hear the problem to the 1849 ban filed in June by the state’s lawyer basic, Josh Kaul. Races for the court docket are formally nonpartisan, however candidates for years have aligned with both conservatives or liberals because the contests have develop into costly partisan battles.

Ladies’s rallies had been anticipated to be held in practically each state on Sunday.

The eldest daughter of Norma McCorvey, whose authorized problem underneath the pseudonym “Jane Roe” led to the landmark Roe v. Wade resolution, was set to attend the rally in Lengthy Seaside, California. Melissa Mills mentioned it was her first Ladies’s March.

“It’s simply unbelievable that we’re right here once more, doing the identical factor my mother did,” Mills informed The Related Press. “We’ve misplaced 50 years of laborious work.”

The Ladies’s March has develop into an everyday occasion — though interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic — since hundreds of thousands rallied in america and all over the world the day after Trump’s January 2017 inauguration.

Trump made the appointment of conservative judges a mission of his presidency. The three conservative justices he appointed to the U.S. Supreme Courtroom — Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — all voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Related Press journalists Chris Megerian and Seung Min Kim in Washington, D.C., contributed.

Claire Rush and Hurt Venhuizen are corps members for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.

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Oregon

What Gonzaga’s Mark Few said after loss vs. Oregon State

Published

4 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

What Gonzaga’s Mark Few said after loss vs. Oregon State

Putting the ball in the basket didn’t seem to be a problem for Gonzaga during Thursday night’s battle with Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon.

The issue for the Bulldogs (14-5, 5-1 WCC), however, was on the other end of the floor. Led by 29 points from Michael Rataj and 20 from Nate Kingz, the Beavers (14-4, 4-2 WCC) made 58.5% of their field goal attempts to outlast the Zags in a 97-89 overtime final from Gill Coliseum.

“[Oregon State] made shots and [isolated] guys and posted us,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of the Beavers’ attack strategy after the game. “And when we did guard them well, they hit some tough shots [and] some tough pull-ups.”

Here’s more from Few after the loss.

On Gonzaga’s struggles defensively against Oregon State:

Oregon State Beavers guard Nate Kingz (7) shoots the ball against defensive pressure by Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Khalif Battle (99). / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

“We played really, really good offense. We just could not get consistent stops for longer stretches. Came out in the second half with more intensity on the defensive end. [The Beavers] were still able to get some tough shots. I mean they had some real backbreakers, the bank 3 and contested 3. Even when we did play good defense, they were able to knock in some really tough shots. You almost have to play perfect on offense when you’re playing defense like that.”

On Graham Ike’s big night:

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (13) shoots the ball over Oregon State Beavers forward Michael Rataj (12). / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

“He was great. Graham was terrific. He delivered time and time again in a high-level game against a very good, physical, big postman. You know, you also got a guard at the other end too. So again, our offense wasn’t the problem — our defense was at pretty much all five spots.”

On the positives the Bulldogs can take from the loss:

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman (11) shoots a three point shot against Oregon State Beavers guard Nate Kingz (7). / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

“We competed, great environment, fought, dug our way back in after our slow start; played some good ball there in the middle of the second half. We just had a couple of possessions, I think we missed a lay-up on one of those; and then again, just not even some of the stops, we foul a lot off the ball. We fouled on the ball. They were able to get critical free throws when they were in the bonus, and you just can’t do that.”

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Oregon

Oregon State Men’s Hoops Stuns Gonzaga, 97-89 in OT

Published

12 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Oregon State Men’s Hoops Stuns Gonzaga, 97-89 in OT

For the first time in 34 years, Gonzaga brought its men’s basketball team to Gill Coliseum.

Over nine thousand Beavers & Bulldogs fans joined them. The first sellout crowd for a Gill Coliseum men’s basketball game in five years got their money’s worth tonight: an overtime thriller that ended in a court-storming.

In the first four minutes, Oregon State raced ahead. A long-range elbow jumper from Demarco Minor gave Oregon State a 4 point edge, and then Nate Kingz stole a Gonzaga pass, drew a foul, and sank two free throws. At the first timeout, Oregon State led 13-7.

Gonzaga slashed the margin to 1 on a Ryan Nembhard wide open three-pointer, after two Oregon State defenders collided. Then, a Bulldogs’ fastbreak bucket after a Michael Rataj miss gifted Gonzaga their first lead of the night.

Teams traded buckets for the next few minutes. With 7:59 remaining, Josiah Lake stole a cross-court pass from Ryan Nembhard and flew down the floor for a Beavers layup, 25-21 Oregon State.

Late in the first half, Nate Kingz erupted. First, the former McNary HS standout spun free of a Gonzaga defender and drilled a jumper near the top of the key. Then, Kingz launched a three point bomb. The crowd surged, Gonzaga coach Mark Few hastily called for timeout, and the scoreboard lit up 35-29 Oregon State.

In the final moments of the opening period, Michael Rataj kept the pace. The German senior notched a second-chance putback layup, but Khalif Battle upset the Beaver wing’s efforts with a buzzer-beating three. At halftime, Oregon State led by the narrowest of margins, 46-45.

Gonzaga’s Graham Ike opened the second half with a game-tying layup, then seized the lead on a free-throw, and the Bulldogs went on a 9-3 run.

Oregon State pulled within 1 on a Demarco Minor stepback jumper with 12:49 left. Then, Parsa Fallah drew a pair of free throws, but the Beaver big couldn’t convert either attempt, and Gonzaga kept its advantage.

But not for long. Soon, Demarco Minor sprang open. As the shot clock wound down, the Beavers guard nailed a game-tying three pointer with 11:08 remaining.

The two West Coast Conference foes resumed their battle. Following a Nolan Hickman layup that lifted Gonzaga back ahead, Nate Kingz tied it with two free throws. Gonzaga’s Graham Ike swung the lead back to the Bulldogs with consecutive makes, 69-65 with 9 minutes left.

Gonzaga seemed poised to land another blow, ahead 76-71 with 5 minutes remaining, but Ryan Nembhard walked. Possession went to the Beavers, who climbed within three on a Michael Rataj jumper. With two minutes left, Demarco Minor brought the crowd to a fever pitch with a game tying fadeaway. Then Michael Rataj hooked one from the right elbow, soaring the Beavers ahead 79-77.

Under a minute remaining, the game got even better. Michael Rataj extended Oregon State’s lead on a beautiful layup that kissed the top of the glass before dropping through the twine, but Clackamas’ own Ben Gregg answered with a Gonzaga three-pointer.

From there, Gonzaga quickly fouled Oregon State. A pair of Beavers free throws made it 83-80 Oregon State with :20 remaining. Needing a triple, the heavily-favored Bulldogs roared back on a game-tying Graham Ike three-pointer with 4 seconds left.

Overtime swung back-and-forth as the teams traded baskets. Leading 89-87 with 2:01 left, Michael Rataj drove inside, drew a decisive fifth personal foul on Graham Ike, and strolled to the charity stripe. The extinguished Gonzaga big finished with 26 points on 9-14 shooting. Rataj calmly hit a pair of free throws, as Oregon State moved ahead 91-87 with 2:01 in OT.

The next Gonzaga possession was denied by a Josiah Lake steal. As time dwindled under a minute, Gonzaga clawed within 2 on a Braden Huff jumpshot.

They never got any closer. Liutauras Lelevicius spun free for a layup, 93-89 Beavers. Then free throws from Josiah Lake and Michael Rataj shut the door. Fans stormed the floor at the overtime buzzer, and the Beavers earned a signature win.

Oregon State moves to 14-5 overall, 4-2 in West Coast Conference play. Gonzaga drops to 14-5 overall and 5-1 in the conference, a half game behind St Mary’s. The Beavers have now won thirteen consecutive matchups against Mark Few’s blue-chip program from Spokane.

Oregon

How to watch Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Oregon State Beavers: TV channel, live stream WCC men’s basketball game

Published

20 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

How to watch Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Oregon State Beavers: TV channel, live stream WCC men’s basketball game

Gonzaga and Oregon State kindle a new rivalry Thursday night when they square off for the first time as West Coast Conference foes in Corvallis, Oregon.

The Bulldogs (14-4, 5-0 WCC) and the Beavers (13-5, 3-2 WCC) haven’t met on the hardwood in over 34 years, though that’s set to change for the foreseeable future as both share WCC membership for this season and next. With both set to join the new-look Pac-12 Conference in 2025-26, they’ll be seeing each other multiple times per season after not having played each other in three decades.

The Zags enter the matchup coming off a victory over another future Pac-12 foe, Washington State, on Saturday. Graham Ike led the way with 21 points on 8-for-11 from the field, while Nolan Hickman stepped up with 19 points and seven rebounds in the 88-75 win over the Cougars. Gonzaga led by three points at halftime before putting its in-state rival away with a 15-5 scoring run to open the second half.

Ike leads the country’s fourth-highest-scoring offense at 16.6 points per game. The Bulldogs’ 87.8 points per contest is also on pace to be the third-highest in program history. Senior guard Ryan Nembhard has masterfully pulled the strings as the team’s floor general, as he leads the country in total assists with 169.

Oregon State entertains Gonzaga following a 91-55 victory over Pacific on Saturday. Parsa Fallah led the way with 25 points on 6-for-7 from the floor and 13-for-14 from the charity stripe. Michael Rataj put up 15 points and nine rebounds, while Nate Kingz added 20 points. The Beavers set a new program record by going 31-for-32 (96.9%) at the free-throw line, which marked the highest free throw percentage in a game with 30 or more attempts.

Rataj, a 6-foot-9 junior from Germany, paces the Beavers at 16.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Oregon State has allowed the fewest rebounds per game to its opponents (29.2 per game) in the WCC. Gonzaga, conversely, is No. 2 in the league at 40.2 boards per game.

Oregon State has been dominant at Gill Coliseum, where it’s 10-1 so far this season. In those victories, the Beavers outscored the opposition by 20.2 points. On the other hand, however, Gonzaga’s 11 straight true road wins are the second-longest active streak in the nation.