More terrifying climate news that will nonetheless land with a thud: A new study confirms that sea levels are shooting up faster than they have in nearly 3,000 years, and that it's because of greenhouse gas emissions. Coastal towns are already getting swallowed up by tidal flooding. Water supplies are being tainted by the encroaching sea. Etc.

Speaking of: There are some new alterations to a bill that aims to free Oregonians from using coal-fired power, and increase their use of renewables. After the state's Public Utility Commission members made a stink about how expensive they think the proposal will be for ratepayers, they might get more oversight.

I don't say this all that often, but the site GoLocalPDX has pointed out something interesting: Mayoral candidate and State Treasurer Ted Wheeler isn't so hot on laying out his history working for large national banks when he's on the campaign trail.

Wheeler is one of two candidates who'll be featured at a mayoral debate the O is planning next week. A group of activists is promising to disrupt the event if the paper doesn't invite more of the dozen candidates vying for the city's top elected office.

Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton has gotten his share of negative attention lately, with reports that he was overly handsy with an employee, weirdly investigated a county-appointed board, doesn't routinely show up to work, and fired an employee who wrote an unflattering analysis of his office's use of force. Staton disputes those last two in the Trib today. He gave the paper spreadsheets—apparently separate from his official calendar—he says show he works more than 40 hours a week (join the club?) and a letter he says proves he didn't retaliate against the analyst.

So remember how Oracle tried to design a health care website for the State of Oregon, but all that wound up happening was $300 million was dumped into a fireplace somewhere? Court documents the state has filed in an ongoing lawsuit suggest the software giant knew it was messing up the project, but wanted to get paid. One mangled dispatch references "rapoing the state of Oregon on something that will never work well." Oracle says the quotes state attorneys have unearthed from staff emails are misleading and out of context.

Here's some civic slipperiness: City officials want to make the names of people who pay the Portland Arts Tax secret, though the tax specifically says they should be public record. That's one thing, but officials aren't even interested in bringing the matter up for conversation. They slid a provision changing the status of those records into a part of the city council agenda that skims over meaningful discussion. More evidence of sneakiness: Every ordinance that goes before council includes an impact statement that summarizes its effects. The one attached to the arts tax change doesn't mention the public records change.

ODOT's got a reputation for putting cars and trucks ahead of the other users who have to navigate its roads. That reputation's very much alive in a lawsuit, filed by eight disabled Oregonians, alleging the agency doesn't install sidewalk ramps like it's supposed to.

Mayor Charlie Hales awoke yesterday to a fun surprise: The police bureau that he controls has decided to scrap a popular summer camp because of an ongoing staffing shortage. Police Chief Larry O'Dea didn't bother telling his boss, who finds that decision objectionable.

Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley, and Earl Blumenauer are calling on yet another federal agency to come help with concerns over cadmium, arsenic, and chromium in pockets of the city. This time it's the CDC. The legislators formerly asked the EPA to get involved.

Ted Cruz's communications director was talking smack about Marco Rubio, which is good. But that smack talk turned out not to be based in fact, which might also be good, but in this case was bad. Now that communications director has been jettisoned.

All that, just in time for today's Nevada Republican caucuses! Looking like Donald Trump might win this one. And all of them. This is happening, I guess? Cruz's gambit is going after the Cliven Bundy types.

It's 16 felony counts against the Uber driver who allegedly went on a shooting spree in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Saturday night—six of them for murder. Cops say Jason B. Dalton has "admitted his involvement." He didn't have anything to say during an arraignment, however.

What a day we have in store.

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