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Good morning, Portland! Break out your happy lamp and pop the kettle into overdrive—it’s November baby! The weather is glum and foggy, so here’s some bright, sparkly news to pick you up!

In local news:

• The city removed homeless campers from a street adjacent to Laurelhurst Park Monday, making way for *checks notes* pickle ball courts and a small skatepark. The park plan is being overseen by the Public Environment Management Office (PEMO), a new department created by Mayor Wheeler, and was created as a way to keep unhoused Portlanders away from Laurelhurst Park.

• Despite committing to a climate policy that prohibits the use of fossil fuels in new buildings in March of this year, Portland Public Schools’s latest building remodel includes a fossil fuel-powered heating system. School district officials attribute the fossil fuel infrastructure to construction timelines and budget restrictions, while advocates who helped shape the climate policy believe PPS is disregarding its commitment to climate conscious infrastructure.

• *echoed chanting from the distance* trash, Trash, tRasH, TRaSH, TRASH, TRASH!, TRASH!!!

• Oregon’s voting system has failed to pre-register some 16 and 17-year-olds to vote for the past six years, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan discovered Friday. The error resulted in nearly 8,000 voters not having the opportunity to become automatically registered to vote in Oregon. Fagan said the issue was being resolved and eligible voters for the current election are being sent ballot for the November 8 election.

• Speaking of the election, if you’re looking for some voting guidance, check out the Mercury’s endorsements! 

• The downtown Central Library reopens today after three months of renovations. The library now has a new outdoor terrace, updated service desks, and other less-visible upgrades that aim to improve the library’s behind-the-scene operations.The library will close again in 2023 for a second phase of renovations. 

In national news:

• Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts put a temporary hold on the delivery of Donald Trump’s tax returns to a congressional committee investigating trump’s tax law compliance Tuesday after an emergency appeal by the former president. Lower courts have all ruled for Trump to hand over his taxes, but the intervention by the Supreme Court could delay the case into the new year, opening a window for the request for Trump’s taxes to be dropped completely if Republicans take control of the House during the upcoming election. (This is one of those situations where you should read the whole story)

• US banks reported spending more than $1 billion (with a B!) in ransomware payments in 2021—more than double the amount of ransomware payments from 2020—according to Treasury Department data. The top five hacking tools that accounts for the most payments are all connected to Russian hackers, officials say.

• Legalizing recreation marijuana is on the ballot for Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota this election. If voters pass the ballot measures, they would join 19 other states that are hip and cool have already legalized marijuana for personal use.

• Takeoff, a member of rap trio Migos, was fatally shot at a bowling alley in Houston, Texas, early Tuesday morning. Police have not released details of what led to the shooting. Takeoff was 28. 

• Now seems like a good time to revisit this joyful clip of Migos singing Sweet Caroline on Carpool Karaoke.