Today's Oregon News: July 19, 2011

It's (a rainy, gray) Tuesday! The June jobs numbers are out, and Oregon's unemployment rate has remained essentially flat. But, as with previous months, the numbers reveal a very important fact: Gains in private sector job growth have been more than offset by job losses in the public sector--particularly in education. In other words, public sector cuts are responsible for Oregon's slow jobs recovery.

NY Times columnist (and Oregon native) Nicholas Kristof turns in a compelling column lamenting cuts to education, using his childhood school in Yamhill as an example. Meanwhile, a controversy has erupted within Stand For Children, the Portland Tribune reports, with a parent team leader leaving over frustration with changes to the group's agenda just days after a controversial video featuring Stand founder Jonah Edelman went viral.

Bend homeowner Tim Collette's story continues to earn national attention, including a mention on filmmaker Michael Moore's Facebook page. In national news, NYC has abandoned its teacher merit pay system after a report shows that it didn't even come close to working. And if you haven't seen it yet, you really should watch Fox News' attempt to whitewash the News of the World phone hacking scandal.