Portland-based disaster relief group Mercy Corps sent an emergency first responder to Japan on Tuesday, March 15. Randy Martin, who directs the agency's Global Emergency Operations, will work with a Japanese-based aid group in the city of Kesennuma, whose 70,000 residents were evacuated while the city was almost entirely destroyed by the 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami. Aid groups have begun setting up shelters for the displaced Japanese, including "balloon shelters" that can house up to 100 people each. Donate online at mercycorps.org. SARAH MIRK

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Another week, another canceled hearing on Portland's participation in the feds' Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). As he continues to hammer out a cooperation agreement that both the FBI and Portland City Council can get behind, Mayor Sam Adams on Friday, March 11, postponed a public meeting previously scheduled for Thursday, March 17. It marks the third time Adams has called off a JTTF meeting in the past month. Hearings also had been called for February 24 and March 10. Adams is working to negotiate a deal that won't put Portland fully back "in" the JTTF, but allows the city and FBI to work together more closely when needed. As of press time, he hadn't scheduled a new meeting. DENIS C. THERIAULT

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Multnomah County Chairman Jeff Cogen continues to leave the door open for a possible run for Portland mayor in 2012—which could put him in a race against current Mayor Sam Adams, if and when he makes a reelection bid official. But Cogen says he's got bigger questions to ponder right now. Like a county budget that's about to implode under the weight of state and federal program cuts. "I'm not ruling anything out," he told the Mercury last week. "But I'm not focusing on it." Rather, he says, "I'm 100 percent focused on running Multnomah County right now. After the budget, I can catch a breath." DCT