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! Have you done your good deed for the day yet?
Here are the headlines.
Power for the People: HB2020, the historic state cap-and-trade bill, passed an Oregon House vote yesterday, after six hours of debate on the floor. Milwaukie Rep. Karin Power, the bill’s architect, waded through a small but mighty Republican opposition to get the damn thing passed last night; now it goes to the Senate floor.
Biked to pick up Juni and then right back to watching @karin_power carry #hb2020: pic.twitter.com/pIKxusVOs5
— Alex Johnson (@AlexJohnsonPDX) June 18, 2019
A Piece of Cake: Remember when you had to expend a lot of mental energy thinking about a bakery in Gresham? Well, buckle up, because the Sweet Cakes by Melissa saga is getting another day in court (and possibly another, and another). The US Supreme Court declined yesterday to hear the case of a baker who refused to do her damn job because she doesn’t like gay people, but it’s sending it back to the Oregon Court of Appeals for a second look.
Just the Same, But Brand New: It’s been about four years since Trump announced his then-joke of a presidential candidacy by calling Mexicans rapists and murderers. In announcing his re-election campaign, Trump stuck to playing the hits, promising to deport “millions” in his second term.
Immigration raids are state violence; their point is to terrorize immigrant communities.
— Tina Vasquez (@TheTinaVasquez) June 18, 2019
International Relations: There have been rumblings of a possible US-Iran war in the last month or so, but how close is the US to actually pulling the trigger (or, um, launching the drones from a remote location)? Short answer: According to Vox’s analysis, it isn’t super likely to happen anytime soon. Long answer: Here, read the full analysis.
The City: Portland is one of many cities across America reconsidering how residential zoning ought to work right now. We’re joined by Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Seattle, and more—here are some helpful visuals showing how dominant single-family zoning currently is in these cities.
Gun News: Four people were injured yesterday in a shooting at what was supposed to be a celebratory parade for the Toronto Raptors, who just won the NBA Finals.
Tough Pill to Swallow: We’re in a bit of a reproductive rights crisis right now, so why are some American women swearing off the Pill? And why don’t we have more reliable research on the potential mental health side effects of taking hormonal birth control?
Sentence of the Day (Headline Edition): “Paula Abdul Keeps Talking About Surviving a Plane Crash for Which No Record Exists“
