<description>ESOL News Oregon. Written by Eric Dodson. 

Text of article:People in Portland are protesting police violence against black people. Since Friday, May 29th, thousands of people in Portland and more than 200 other cities in the US and around the world, have come together on the streets. They want police and society to change. 
Police use violence on Black people and other people of color in the US more often than white people, according to national statistics from Washington Post. For example, since 2015, police shot and killed 1,262 black men and women, and 887 latino men and women in the US. This rate of violence is higher than for white people. 
On May 25, George Floyd, an African-American man, was killed when a police officer choked him during an arrest. Floyd said “I can’t breathe.” The officer choked Floyd for eight minutes, and three other police officers watched. This happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the Midwest of the US. The video of the violence went on the internet, and many people saw it.  
In Portland, thousands of people have come together because they want police and the government to stop this kind of racist discrimination and violence. Many groups have joined the protests, including religious groups, black community groups, other community groups, political groups, and anti-fascists. 
In response, police in Portland have used force and violence to control the protests. Police have used military vehicles and armor to show their power. They have hit people with sticks and shields. They have used flash bang grenades on people. They have shot people. They have used tear gas and pepper spray on people. 
Some people in the streets have thrown objects at the police, and some have smashed windows and started fires. However, most of the protesters are not violent, and most people do not want the protests to fight the police or destroy property. Many people have stopped violence because it is not the right way. 
What do they want? Change. 
One business owner in Minneapolis said that he was sad that his business was burned, but human life and justice were more important. 
Often, police who kill or hurt people can continue working as police, and do not have criminal charges. In Minneapolis, the officer who choked George Floyd was charged with murder on May 29th . 
George Floyd’s brother, Philonise, gave these comments in an interview with CNN: 
“They're tired of seeing black men die constantly. I see why people are doing it. I don't want them to lash out, but they have pain, "Philonise Floyd said during the interview." I want everything to be peaceful, but I can't make everybody be peaceful.
    "To the police, I want them to get everything right. Start doing your job the right way ... I haven't been seeing it. Black lives matter, too."


Read by Eric Dodson. CC BY-NC-SA.


This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - http://www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License</description>

ESOL News Oregon. Written by Eric Dodson. 

Text …

ESOL News Oregon. Written by Eric Dodson. 

Text of article:People in Portland are protesting police violence against black people. Since Friday, May 29th, thousands of people in Portland and more than 200 other cities in the US and around the world, have come together on the streets. They want police and society to change. 
Police use violence on Black people and other people of color in the US more often than white people, according to national statistics from Washington Post. For example, since 2015, police shot and killed 1,262 black men and women, and 887 latino men and women in the US. This rate of violence is higher than for white people. 
On May 25, George Floyd, an African-American man, was killed when a police officer choked him during an arrest. Floyd said “I can’t breathe.” The officer choked Floyd for eight minutes, and three other police officers watched. This happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the Midwest of the US. The video of the violence went on the internet, and many people saw it.  
In Portland, thousands of people have come together because they want police and the government to stop this kind of racist discrimination and violence. Many groups have joined the protests, including religious groups, black community groups, other community groups, political groups, and anti-fascists. 
In response, police in Portland have used force and violence to control the protests. Police have used military vehicles and armor to show their power. They have hit people with sticks and shields. They have used flash bang grenades on people. They have shot people. They have used tear gas and pepper spray on people. 
Some people in the streets have thrown objects at the police, and some have smashed windows and started fires. However, most of the protesters are not violent, and most people do not want the protests to fight the police or destroy property. Many people have stopped violence because it is not the right way. 
What do they want? Change. 
One business owner in Minneapolis said that he was sad that his business was burned, but human life and justice were more important. 
Often, police who kill or hurt people can continue working as police, and do not have criminal charges. In Minneapolis, the officer who choked George Floyd was charged with murder on May 29th . 
George Floyd’s brother, Philonise, gave these comments in an interview with CNN: 
“They're tired of seeing black men die constantly. I see why people are doing it. I don't want them to lash out, but they have pain, "Philonise Floyd said during the interview." I want everything to be peaceful, but I can't make everybody be peaceful.
    "To the police, I want them to get everything right. Start doing your job the right way ... I haven't been seeing it. Black lives matter, too."


Read by Eric Dodson. CC BY-NC-SA.


This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - http://www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License

People Around The US And World Protest Violence Against Black People

<description>ESOL News Oregon, by Timothy Krause

Text of article:JANUARY 26, 2020) Residents of Portland use the Multnomah County Library a lot. Books are popular, but so are digital materials such as e-books.

According to the Willamette Week newspaper, Portland residents checked out about 3 million audio books and e-books from Multnomah County Library in 2019. The library uses an app called Libby. According to the makers of the app, Portland's public library has the sixth largest digital circulation in the country. And it has the seventh largest digital circulation in the world.

What was the most popular e-book of 2019? It was Michelle Obama's book titled Becoming.

According to the library's website, the Multnomah County Library is the oldest public library west of the Mississippi River. It started in 1864. Today, it has a Central Library in downtown Portland and 18 other neighborhood libraries. It offers more than 2 million books and other library materials. It is Oregon's largest public library.

In 2018-2019, Multnomah County Library patrons checked out or renewed 18.3 million items. That's an average of 22.6 items per person.  Checkouts of books, e-books, media and other library materials have increased 5% over the past 10 years. The library was visited online and in person 7.3 million times — that's more than 21,000 visits each day.  Volunteers donated 67,000 hours of their time to the library, the equivalent of more than 8,400 eight-hour days.

Read by Davida Jordan. CC BY-NC-SA.

From ESOL News Oregon by Timothy Krause. 

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - http://www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License</description>

ESOL News Oregon, by Timothy Krause

Text of arti…

ESOL News Oregon, by Timothy Krause

Text of article:JANUARY 26, 2020) Residents of Portland use the Multnomah County Library a lot. Books are popular, but so are digital materials such as e-books.

According to the Willamette Week newspaper, Portland residents checked out about 3 million audio books and e-books from Multnomah County Library in 2019. The library uses an app called Libby. According to the makers of the app, Portland's public library has the sixth largest digital circulation in the country. And it has the seventh largest digital circulation in the world.

What was the most popular e-book of 2019? It was Michelle Obama's book titled Becoming.

According to the library's website, the Multnomah County Library is the oldest public library west of the Mississippi River. It started in 1864. Today, it has a Central Library in downtown Portland and 18 other neighborhood libraries. It offers more than 2 million books and other library materials. It is Oregon's largest public library.

In 2018-2019, Multnomah County Library patrons checked out or renewed 18.3 million items. That's an average of 22.6 items per person.  Checkouts of books, e-books, media and other library materials have increased 5% over the past 10 years. The library was visited online and in person 7.3 million times — that's more than 21,000 visits each day.  Volunteers donated 67,000 hours of their time to the library, the equivalent of more than 8,400 eight-hour days.

Read by Davida Jordan. CC BY-NC-SA.

From ESOL News Oregon by Timothy Krause. 

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - http://www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License

Multnomah County Library is one of the busiest libraries in the world

<description>ESOL News Oregon, by Timothy Krause

Text of article: (JANUARY 26, 2020) Renting an apartment in Oregon (especially Portland) is not cheap. Although apartment rents in Oregon are lower than other places in the country, the cost is still rising. It is just rising more slowly than before.

According to an apartment rental website, rents in Portland have increased 3.3% compared to last year. The largest increase was in Tualatin (6.8%), while the smallest increase was in Happy Valley (0.9%). The data show that Lake Oswego is the most expensive place to live in Oregon and Keizer is the cheapest.

Some reports say that rents in Portland are now increasing more slowly. They say that is because there are many new apartments. The average price of a one-bedroom apartment in Portland was $1,436 in 2019.

"It's simple economics. Increased supply is doing a better job of meeting demand," says ABODO, a rental market analysis company. "Last year, apartment construction reached a 30-year high, with much of the growth concentrated in major cities such as Dallas, Houston and New York, but also expanding into smaller, extremely popular cities like Denver, Portland and Austin. We anticipate that the rent growth might begin to slow in cities like Portland because of the huge boom in multifamily construction and luxury developments coming to market."

Read by Davida Jordan. CC BY-NC-SA.

From ESOL News Oregon by Timothy Krause. 

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - http://www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License</description>

ESOL News Oregon, by Timothy Krause

Text of article: (JANUARY 26, 2020) Renting an apartment in Oregon (especially Portland) is not cheap. Although apartment rents in Oregon are lower than other places in the country, the cost is still rising. It is just rising more slowly than before.

According to an apartment rental website, rents in Portland have increased 3.3% compared to last year. The largest increase was in Tualatin (6.8%), while the smallest increase was in Happy Valley (0.9%). The data show that Lake Oswego is the most expensive place to live in Oregon and Keizer is the cheapest.

Some reports say that rents in Portland are now increasing more slowly. They say that is because there are many new apartments. The average price of a one-bedroom apartment in Portland was $1,436 in 2019.

"It's simple economics. Increased supply is doing a better job of meeting demand," says ABODO, a rental market analysis company. "Last year, apartment construction reached a 30-year high, with much of the growth concentrated in major cities such as Dallas, Houston and New York, but also expanding into smaller, extremely popular cities like Denver, Portland and Austin. We anticipate that the rent growth might begin to slow in cities like Portland because of the huge boom in multifamily construction and luxury developments coming to market."

Read by Davida Jordan. CC BY-NC-SA.

From ESOL News Oregon by Timothy Krause. 

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - http://www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License

Apartment rent in Oregon is still growing, but now more slowly

<description>ESOL News Oregon, by Timothy Krause

Text of article:(FEBRUARY 8, 2020) Most cafes have coffee. One cafe in Portland also has cats. It is called Purrington's Cat Lounge.

Purrington's Cat Lounge is in Northeast Portland. The cafe serves coffee, tea, beer, wine, and food.

Purrington's also has a lounge area with several cats. Customers can visit the cats. They can also adopt a cat.

30 minutes with the cats costs $6. One hour with the cats cost $12. The lounge also offers 90 minutes of yoga with cats ($20).

Read by Davida Jordan. CC BY-NC-SA.

From ESOL News Oregon by Timothy Krause. 

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - http://www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License</description>

ESOL News Oregon, by Timothy Krause

Text of article:(FEBRUARY 8, 2020) Most cafes have coffee. One cafe in Portland also has cats. It is called Purrington's Cat Lounge.

Purrington's Cat Lounge is in Northeast Portland. The cafe serves coffee, tea, beer, wine, and food.

Purrington's also has a lounge area with several cats. Customers can visit the cats. They can also adopt a cat.

30 minutes with the cats costs $6. One hour with the cats cost $12. The lounge also offers 90 minutes of yoga with cats ($20).

Read by Davida Jordan. CC BY-NC-SA.

From ESOL News Oregon by Timothy Krause. 

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - http://www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License

Portland has a cat cafe

<description>ESOL News Oregon, by Timothy Krause

Text of article:(DECEMBER 1, 2019) Christmas is a holiday that is celebrated on December 25 every year. For many, it's a religious holiday. For others, though, it's about family, friends, and giving. For most, the holiday traditions include displaying a Christmas tree in their homes.

The traditional Christmas tree is an evergreen tree, such as a spruce, fir, or pine. People decorate the tree with ornaments and garland. Some people even add edible decorations such as candy canes. Most trees have lights.

Oregon is the state that grows the most trees in the country. Farmers in Oregon sell about 4.6 million trees every year. The average price was $78 last year, which was a few dollars more than in 2017.

However, prices are higher this year -- maybe as much as $20 more. Why? The hot and dry summers in Oregon destroyed many seedlings and young trees. When there are fewer trees to sell, the price goes up. 

Chal Landgren works for Oregon State University. Landgren says many Christmas tree farms are no longer in business. This is true outside of Oregon, too.

"Across the country we're in the same boat, North Carolina is the second biggest producer and they're having a bit of a shortage as well," says Landgren.

Read by Eric Dodson. CC BY-NC-SA.

From ESOL News Oregon by Timothy Krause. 

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon

"Christmas shopping" recording by FreeSound.org user NoiseCollector, https://freesound.org/people/NoiseCollector/sounds/65333/

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - http://www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License</description>

ESOL News Oregon, by Timothy Krause

Text of article:(DECEMBER 1, 2019) Christmas is a holiday that is celebrated on December 25 every year. For many, it's a religious holiday. For others, though, it's about family, friends, and giving. For most, the holiday traditions include displaying a Christmas tree in their homes.

The traditional Christmas tree is an evergreen tree, such as a spruce, fir, or pine. People decorate the tree with ornaments and garland. Some people even add edible decorations such as candy canes. Most trees have lights.

Oregon is the state that grows the most trees in the country. Farmers in Oregon sell about 4.6 million trees every year. The average price was $78 last year, which was a few dollars more than in 2017.

However, prices are higher this year -- maybe as much as $20 more. Why? The hot and dry summers in Oregon destroyed many seedlings and young trees. When there are fewer trees to sell, the price goes up. 

Chal Landgren works for Oregon State University. Landgren says many Christmas tree farms are no longer in business. This is true outside of Oregon, too.

"Across the country we're in the same boat, North Carolina is the second biggest producer and they're having a bit of a shortage as well," says Landgren.

Read by Eric Dodson. CC BY-NC-SA.

From ESOL News Oregon by Timothy Krause. 

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon

"Christmas shopping" recording by FreeSound.org user NoiseCollector, https://freesound.org/people/NoiseCollector/sounds/65333/

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - http://www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License

Hot, Dry Summers Mean More Expensive Christmas Trees

Short news stories carefully adapted for English learners in Oregon, and beyond.  Written by Timothy Krause, read by Eric Dodson. Find interactive exercises and more readings at https://sites.google.com/pcc.edu/esolnewsoregon/home

Music by Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Six - www.chriszabriskie.com - Creative Commons BY License

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

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