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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! If you haven't already, this would be a great weekend to fill out your stinkin' ballot and VOTE. Republicans and creepy business interests are sliding into all areas of national and PORTLAND politics (if you haven't noticed), so stopping them now will save a lot of extra work, stress, and heartache later. Use the Mercury endorsements and cheat sheet if you need help! Now let's slide in to some NEWS.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Rich people continue to "Keep Portland MEAN": Yesterday City Council —led by the city's wealthy realtors and business owners Mayor Wheeler and Commission Ryan—voted to approve an unfunded plan to criminalize unsheltered homeless people and create mass internment camps located across the city. If the houseless refuse to go—for example if they feel unsafe, have medical or psychological needs the camps can't handle, or have children—they will be subject to arrest. As usual, homeless people of color will be the most affected. (So much for those "Black Lives Matter" signs in your front yard!) Commissioner Hardesty was the sole councilperson to vote against the criminalization resolution, but since the majority of city council is in the pocket of wealthy developers and the Portland Business Alliance, her thoughtful opinions meant nothing. (So yeah... maybe don't vote to add yet another Jordan Schnitzer puppet—Rene Gonzalez— to council on Tuesday?) Our Alex Zielinski has a lot more details.
The proposal passes with near-unanimous support: https://t.co/DnvFTgjj6A
— Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee) November 4, 2022
• However, there is a beacon of hope: The ACLU was first in line yesterday threatening to file legal action against the city for their attempts to ban homelessness without having a proper place for them to go—and they have some pretty persuasive arguments on their side! Our Alex Zielinski once again has the details.
• Around 800 affordable housing units are about to go away, thanks to the expiration of tax breaks for developers who create affordable housing—that is, unless the mayor does something to stop that from happening. (But yes, by all means, he should continue making plans to criminalize these future homeless folks.)
Which Portlander went on to join KISS? Will the zoo's giant lizard eat you? And who should replace Rene Gonzalez on the ballot? (Perhaps a 5 lb. bag of rancid potatoes?) Test your brain with this week's super-fun POP QUIZ PDX! 🥰https://t.co/1tsn5TU8Eo
— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) November 3, 2022
• Thanks to an atmospheric river swooping into the Northwest, you can expect buckets upon buckets of rain today and high winds. (Which will probably knock out power to many residences... such as mine! Right now! Thank heavens for my hotspot.) Things should settle down tomorrow with scattered showers and a high of 52.
Haley Heynderickx opens for Lucy Dacus, a Snugsworth side project sounds like "The Craft," and Digable Planets NYE tickets go on sale tomorrow! Check out @JenniferKayMo's weekly music news column HEAR IN PORTLAND. https://t.co/aLQ4B7Ufs5
— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) November 3, 2022
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• Good economic news: The US added another 261,000 jobs last month, and wages are also on the way up.
• The FBI has reportedly identified the person suspected of threatening several synagogues in the New Jersey area—and while it's unclear whether the antisemitic extremist is in custody, officials say he "no longer poses a threat to the community." 🤔
• Today, also in 🤔: "Poll finds wide majority of Americans concerned about politically motivated violence." So why exactly are so many of them eager to elect Republicans (AKA the party of domestic terrorism)? 🤔
In Opinion
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 4, 2022
It has been shocking to watch Republicans and conservative media personalities respond to the attack on Paul Pelosi — Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband — “with lies, conspiracy mongering and gleeful disregard for the victim,” Jamelle Bouie writes.https://t.co/cL28hJJNi0
• Meanwhile the party of domestic terrorism is so convinced they are going to retake the House, they already have lots of plans to launch massive investigations of Biden, his family, the DOJ, and the FBI. (Forget about getting anything done for the people next session!)
• A judge has granted the New York State Attorney General's request, and ordered an independent monitor to watch over Trump's sketchy financial statements after the former prez was credibly accused of inflating his financial worth to banks and insurers by billions of dollars.
• Billionaire crybaby Elon Musk has begun his mass layoffs at Twitter, and anywhere from 25-to 50 percent of employees could be shit-canned.
OPINION | “Let’s start with the fact that there is arguably no person on the planet more responsible for Oz’s celebrity than Oprah, who made him a regular guest, promoted his books, and at least tacitly endorsed some of his questionable medical advice.”https://t.co/B0QESTwRad
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) November 4, 2022
• A former housekeeper of Amazon's Jeff Bezos is suing the billionaire for "unsafe and unsanitary" working conditions, as well as racial discrimination.
• And finally, while she's still not coming to Portland 😒, Taylor Swift is at least adding another Seattle show! 😃 (Start bugging your Seattle friends for a couch to sleep on NOW.)
UM. Looks like I’ll get to see more of your beautiful faces than previously expected… we’re adding 8 shows to the tour 😆https://t.co/KFuqvr0hhO pic.twitter.com/4LTYSnwKJO
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 4, 2022