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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Ashland police officer named top DUII patrol officer in the state 'Pure greed' led to deadly Carson helicopter crash, feds say Doctor under investigation for unsafe practices Ashland Runs on Volunteers: CASA indispensable in helping kids navigate legal system Ashland Fire & Rescue Alarm Box: There are good fires and there are bad fires Education Bracing for Common Core Ashland Kiwanis recognize Lillian Huang Chautauqua series brings author Jane Hamilton to Ashland Ashland Runs on Volunteers: OLLI classes pay dividends in joy of teaching, learning New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Environment Ashland Fire & Rescue Alarm Box: There are good fires and there are bad fires Lots to celebrate at SOU Arbor Day rites Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Business Chamber celebrates innovation in the food, wine and beer industries Cars We Remember: 1964 Olds F-85 owner seeks information Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda Odyssey Silvio Calabi: Passat 1.8T Sport is satisfyingly rational Ride & Drive: 2015 Ram ProMaster City Politics and elections Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s earthquake election Council wants changes to agreement with ODOT for I-5 welcome center Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year State News Oregon lawmakers begin minimum wage debate Runners to follow historic salmon migration path Nation - World Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Death Notices Death Notices Jack E. James Lawrence R. Hugo III Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Westbrook burns Blazers Raiders remain No. 1 in spring poll Fantasy Sports: Injuries piling up to start season Ashland High School cycling squad ready to roll, with help from South State Cycling nonprofit group Grizzlies blow away Eagles High school Raiders remain No. 1 in spring poll Grizzlies blow away Eagles Hits just keep on coming Baldrica sets pace for AHS girls Ashland High events postponed to today Southern Oregon University Raiders remain No. 1 in spring poll Grizzlies blow away Eagles Baldrica sets pace for AHS girls SOU women's hoops coach Kennedy leaves to take Portland State job SOU-OIT softball games moved to Wednesday Voices Latest Stories Our View: Ashland High benefits as cycle racing club gets rolling Council Corner: Ashland deserves respect, not a just a rest stop Letters to the Editor, April 14 Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Granlund cartoon: Hillary 2016 bid Editorial Our View: Ashland High benefits as cycle racing club gets rolling Our View: Ashland is prepared, Firewise Our View: Council should stop stalling on welcome center Our View: AIFF does Ashland proud Our View: One tree vs. the Ashland community Letters Letters to the Editor, April 14 Letters to the Editor, April 13 Letters to the Editor, April 11 Letters to the Editor, April 8 Letters to the Editor, April 7 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Fremont cottonwood is not a hazard Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Columns Council Corner: Ashland deserves respect, not a just a rest stop Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Chris Honoré: The penalty phase of the bombing trial Herb Rothschild Jr.: How we get along Matthew T. Mangino: Shooting a fleeing suspect in the back Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Rabbi David Zaslow teaches poetry Community blog: Submit a poem Best Bets, April 9-16 Rhythm is on tap at the Northwest Percussion Festival Community blog: Get a poem a day Theater Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Ticket availability in Ashland theaters, April 7 Ticket Availability Music The Farr Side: Is Kelly Clarkson’s weight truly news?  Rhythm is on tap at the Northwest Percussion Festival The Farr Side: No Zayn Malik? One Direction stays the course A Country Cajun Revival comes to the Unitarian Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Visual Art More films, excitement than ever for AIFF Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Movies 'Western,' 'Imperial Dreams' win top film jury awards A scoop from the ocean: Reviews of four festival films What was your favorite film? Ashland Independent Film Festival movie review: 'A River Between Us' tells compelling story of 'the largest environmental restoration project in American history' Movie review: ‘The Longest Ride’ is a sweet ride Food and Drink Business profile: Couple opens second Pita Pit in Ashland Tot owners buy Playwright, hire Amuse chef Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ashland Runs on Volunteers: CASA indispensable in helping kids navigate legal system Ticket Availability Prudence Hilburn: Test-kitchen products become ‘secret’ specialties David Murdock: Everyone makes a mistake every now and again Food for Thought: Fruit-filled summer celebrations Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Congressional leaders agree to $1.01 trillion spending bill Congressional leaders unveiled a massive $1.01 trillion spending bill Tuesday night that will keep most of the federal government funded through September. Comment By Washington Post DailyTidings.com By Washington Post Posted Dec. 10, 2014 at 7:03 AM By Washington Post Posted Dec. 10, 2014 at 7:03 AM » Social News WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders unveiled a massive $1.01 trillion spending bill Tuesday night that will keep most of the federal government funded through September. The legislation is expected to pass in the coming days and will allow the incoming Republican-controlled Congress to clear the decks of lingering spending issues while setting the stage for a prolonged fight with President Barack Obama over immigration policy. At 1,603 pages, the bill includes at least $1.2 billion for agencies to deal with the influx of unaccompanied immigrant children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. There's also money to fight the rise of the Islamic State and $5.4 billion to fight the threat of Ebola. But there are also significant changes to campaign finance laws and potential cuts to retiree pension plans. Democrats were cheering bigger budgets for enforcement at agencies created after the 2008 economic collapse. House leaders are planning to introduce a stopgap bill to give the House and Senate a few more days to pass the final measure and avoid a government shutdown Thursday night. Extending current funding for a short period has happened before, but doing so this year will provide an embarrassing climax to one of the most fruitless congressional sessions in history. "There's no reason the government should shut down," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "And we're ready to pass a year-long spending bill to take care of this." John Thune of South Dakota, the third-ranking Republican senator, joked that last-minute drama with the spending plan "is a Christmas tradition." But, he added, "I don't see it getting derailed. I think it could get slowed down, but I think it will ultimately get across the finish line." The White House had not indicated by late Tuesday whether it supported the bill. The agreement hews to spending caps that lawmakers and the White House agreed to last year. It includes $521 billion in military spending and $492 billion for other federal agencies. An additional $64 billion would be set aside for overseas military operations, including the fight against the Islamic State and to assist European countries facing Russian aggression. The legislation would provide full funding for 11 of the 12 appropriations bills Congress is supposed to pass each year. But Republicans insisted on a shorter funding schedule for the Department of Homeland Security, which has jurisdiction over immigration enforcement. The sprawling department will get money only through February, giving Republicans more time to craft a legislative response to Obama's decision to use his executive authority to change immigration policy. But federal dollars also would be spread to other agencies to help address the rise in immigration, which is likely to infuriate conservative lawmakers seeking to cutfunding for immigration programs. The Department of Health and Human Services would receive $948 million to provide health and education services to the unaccompanied children — an $80 million increase. An additional $14 million would be provided to help school districts dealing with an influx of immigrant students. And the State Department would receive $260 million to aid the Central American countries where most of the young migrants are coming from. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., who led the talks as leaders of the Senate and House appropriations committees, called the bill a fair deal. "While not everyone got everything they wanted, such compromises must be made in a divided government," they said in a statement. The bill is packed with policy instructions, called "riders," that were the subject of months of discussions between Democrats and Republicans. One of the most notable changes includes dramatically expanding the amount of money that wealthy political donors could give the national parties, drastically undercutting the 2002 landmark McCain-Feingold campaign finance overhaul. Top donors would be allowed to give three times the annual cap on national party donations to three additional party committees set up for the purposes of the presidential conventions, building expenses and election recounts. For the first time, Congress also would allow the benefits of current retirees to be severely cut, part of an effort to save some of the nation's most distressed pension plans. The bill authorizes a 1 percent pay raise for military service members and allows a 1 percent pay raise for federal employees, ordered by Obama, to begin in January. Lawmakers again banned or limited certain federal agency conferences and employee awards. The bill also ends a 5 percent discount on tobacco products sold at military exchanges. At domestic agencies, the EPA's budget would be cut by $60 million, and the IRS would lose $345.6 million. The nation's tax agency also would be banned from targeting organizations seeking tax-exempt status based on their ideological beliefs. 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