Let's hope we do NOT get a repeat of 2020's fire season. Credit: Nathan Howard/Getty Images

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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! After a nearly 100 degree day yesterday, temperatures are set to sit in the high 80s today. I have to say, I’m starting to get used to the heat a little more, but that doesn’t mean I like it. 

One good thing about the hot weather? Cold, icy drinks are all the more enjoyable. What I’m saying is: If you’re in line to get an $8 slushy during Portland’s SUMMER OF SLUSHIES, stay in line!!! This deal will be happening through the rest of the month. 

IN LOCAL NEWS: 

• People in Portland (and, really, all over the country) have been mourning the tragic loss of Naomi Pomeroy, the incredible Portland chef who passed away last weekend. Food critic Andrea Damewood wrote a wonderful essay for the Mercury about Pomeroy and the legacy—and massive hole—she will leave not just in Portland’s food scene, but across all elements of the city’s culture. 

Damewood writes: 

“She could be exacting and severe; the whole time I’ve known her, she’s intimidated the heck out of me. But I love that for her: She elbowed her way through oh-so-many tattooed dudes to become the foundation, then the matriarch, of Portland’s incredibly influential food scene.” 

Check out Damewood’s piece here. Rest in peace, Naomi, and all my best wishes to her family and loved ones. This is just awful. 

• Western Oregon is officially in a red flag warning for increased fire danger, extending at least through the end of today. Thunderstorms and lightning could set off new wildfires, and we already have quite a few burning in the state as it is, including in the Blue River area east of Eugene. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Don’t throw your lit joints away in the woods or set off fireworks (etc), and prepare for worse air quality. We’re only in mid-July, and it’s dry as a bone out there. 

• Peter Courtney, who was the longest-serving state lawmaker in Oregon’s history, died yesterday at the age of 81. Courtney, a Democrat who represented Salem in the state senate, was first elected to state office as a congressman in 1981. He moved onto the state senate and later served as the 55th president of the senate from 2003 to 2023, when he retired. According to this in-depth OPB article you should definitely read, Courtney was a self-described “loner and loser.” But he was also well-known for his affinity for bipartisanship and love for animals, which showed through his legislative work as he championed bills to ban cockfighting and protect dogs from dying in hot cars. Courtney seems like a very interesting person and political figure, and he’ll certainly be remembered in Salem and beyond.

• Multnomah County has its first measles case in five years. Yesterday, the county’s health department reported an unvaccinated child, who recently returned from a trip abroad, was diagnosed with the virus last weekend. While public health officials will look into the case, the county says risk to the public is low, as most Oregonians have been vaccinated against the disease. But for some people—kids who are too young to get vaccinated, immunocompromised people, etc—it can be very dangerous! At the very least, it’s not fun, and considering the wonders of modern medicine, it’s very much unnecessary. Vaccinate your kids, folks.

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS: 

• Due to last weekend’s attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the ongoing Republic National Convention, and newly-announced Republican VP nominee, the national political focus has shifted to the right over the past few days. But that doesn’t mean President Biden is off the hook yet, with many Democrats remaining very concerned about his nomination as the 2024 Democratic candidate. The polls are still showing poor numbers for Biden against Trump, and the potential impact this could have on down-ballot races is too much of a risk for many Democratic lawmakers (and, really, the country at large). Some reporting shows Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is leading the charge to boot Biden from the ticket, though she isn’t being very public about it. For those who are concerned about whether or not Biden is the best nominee, this may provide a glimmer of hope. 

• Perhaps in response to all the skepticism from his fellow Democrats, President Biden has said he is “seriously considering” proposing legislature to impose term limits and a legitimate code of ethics on Supreme Court justices…which would be huge, if true. In the past, he has avoided speaking too strongly in favor of Supreme Court reform, despite the enormous harm the conservative court has done to our country during his time as president. Considering the politically divided makeup of the U.S. House and Senate, it’s unlikely strong reform could go through, but it’s worth noting he’s considering it, anyway. 

• New dinosaur bones may have been found in Brazil, revealed by rapid erosion from heavy rains. Brazilian scientists say the fossil they found is about 233 million years old, dating back to the Triassic period, when dinosaurs first evolved and lived on the land mass of Pangea. It’s hard for me to even start to process how old that is. In addition to the exciting new potential dinosaur fossil, this story was enlightening to me because it demonstrates how heavy rains, which are worsening in many parts of the world due to the climate crisis, can reveal ancient fossils. As the world warms and the weather becomes even more erratic, will we start to find more remnants of the earth’s past? That’s kind of poetic, TBH. 

• Finally…here’s some inspo for your day. TTYL!

Taylor Griggs is a news reporter for the Portland Mercury. She is interested in all of your ideas, comments and concerns, particularly those related to transportation, climate, labor, and Portland city...