1st Oregon News Minute from the AP

Date: 12/13/2013 03:59 AM

AP-OR–1st NewsMinute/262
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press

 

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon’s health insurance exchange and insurance carriers are looking at extending deadlines to allow more people to get coverage that would start Jan. 1. Cover Oregon Acting Director Bruce Goldberg said yesterday he’s working with carriers and state regulators to push back the Dec. 15 deadline for people to select a plan. Goldberg says he’s not sure what the new deadline might be.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Oregon U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio says he is against airplane passengers being allowed to talk on cellphones after takeoff. DeFazio’s comments came in response to the Federal Communications Commission chairman saying yesterday that there was no technical reason to keep the ban. The Oregonian reports DeFazio is OK with texting and Internet browsing on phones.

GRANTS PASS, Ore (AP) – The U.S. Department of Energy has given an Oregon company a grant to help it design and obtain federal approval for a small modular nuclear power plant that can be built in a factory and shipped to installation sites. The department said yesterday the NuScale Power’s grant is part of President Obama’s plan to develop power sources that don’t contribute to global warming.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The dispute over which union workers at the Port of Portland should perform the task of plugging and unplugging refrigerated cargo containers has been resolved. Gov. John Kitzhaber said yesterday the work will be assigned to workers represented by International Longshore & Warehouse Union. The fight for the work between longshoremen and union electricians ignited a slowdown last year.

 

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.