Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today.
Good morning, Portland! Today is the first day of the 2019 Oregon Legislative Session, and we’ve got a lot of bills on our radar already. Remember, you can find your representatives and contact them if there’s an important bill you’re seeing—or want to see.
Here are the headlines.
Outbreak: The number of confirmed measles patients over the state line in Washington has climbed to 22. Clark County, where the outbreak is located, has the lowest child vaccination rate in the state.
Strong Intel: Intel is planning to build another factory in Oregon, which could mean more jobs and economic development—and put a strain on the state’s already over-impacted construction industry.
An Amazonian Challenge Activists in a Queens neighborhood are pushing to be among those who reap the benefits of the planned new NYC Amazon headquarters. “How many local residents are we going to hire? Into what kind of jobs?” on activist told NPR. “How will we get those residents ready for those jobs? And there have to be benchmarks, and Amazon has to be held accountable for that.”
Militant Exclusion: The Supreme Court, a collection of our nation’s best and worst people, has voted 5-4 to temporarily bring back Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military. This thread offers a useful breakdown of the ban’s larger political implications.
Reminder that Trump listed 2 reasons for banning trans people from the military:
1. “Tremendous cost” (est. $2 to 8mil/yr — 10x less than what the military spends on Viagra)
2. “Disruption” (allowing trans people to serve is the *current* policy; banning them is disruption)
— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) January 22, 2019
Queerstory: In better LGBTQ-centric news, the New York City Council recently approved a spending package for queer history to be taught in the city’s public schools. This could serve as a useful example for districts across the country who want to incorporate leaders like Marsha P. Johnson, Harvey Milk and Audre Lorde into their curriculum.
Tough Teens: Some Lake Oswego High School students are helping lead the charge for gun control in the new legislative session, and they won’t be silenced by hate mail and threats.
ICYMI: Our current print issue, available wherever free publications are not sold, includes a deeply reported news feature that delves into the Portland Police Bureau’s unsavory history with mentally ill people, and explores possible improvements.
An Honor Just to Be in a Room with 100 People: The 2019 Oscar nominations were released today, and Roma and The Favourite lead a pack of films that also includes Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, Vice, and A Star Is Born.
To celebrate, here’s Lady Gaga telling that “100 people in a room” story for 90 seconds straight.
