Really Tiny Thing Found! Scientists are saying they’ve found the Higgs boson particle that elusive subatomic rascal that’s expected to help explain why matter has size and shape.

In a far less divine development…

Got Pope? Yes, we do. Yesterday, following a lot of smoke the Catholic Cardinals chose a new pope.

Southern Man. Said new pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now with the spiffy new name Pope Francis), is the first pope from Latin America, which makes sense. That’s where most of the church’s followers are from.

War by Proxy. Following news that the US and Saudi Arabia are upping their support for Syrian rebels, Iran has decided to significantly increase its military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Baghdad Blues. Earlier today, an explosion went off in Baghdad near the Green Zone. At least 25 people were killed.

Afghanistan on Alert. Following some harsh conspiratorial words by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the US commander in Afghanistan has told his forces to increase their security measures.

In Economic News, US jobless claims are down, and the Dow’s still up up up.

Big G Kills Reader. Google has announced it’s ending its RSS aggregator app Google Reader. The company says it’s because use of the service has declined. Angry fans say it’s because Google hasn’t found a way to make money off it.

Nat Gas, Fill-Er-Up. In a move that’s expected to make the US ever more dependant on hydraulicly-fractured natural gas, China is getting into the truck fueling business.

And closer to home...

Good News for Riders. TriMet’s latest budget proposal is full of goodies for riders. These include new buses and exclude new fare increases.

Yes to Paid Sick Leave. Yesterday, Portland City Council voted unanimously for Commissioner Amanda Fritz’s paid sick leave plan. A whopping 40 percent of Portland workers are expected to be eligible. If you missed it, here’s Denis’ blog.

I for one applaud the bleak workers’ paradise Fritz has ushered in. It makes me want to sing.