Here’s your daily roundup of all the latest local and national news. (Like our coverage? Please consider making a recurring contribution to the Mercury to keep it comin’!)
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Just when transportation safety advocates were about to apply a lot of public pressure on Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to do something about pedestrian deaths on 82nd Ave, ODOT dropped the speed limit on the busy thoroughfare from 35 mph to 30 and plan on installing 10 digital speed reader signs. Our Isabella Garcia has more!
After a year of analysis and two pedestrian deaths, ODOT plans to lower the speed limit on 82nd and implement improved crosswalk signage. Transportation safety leaders are pleased, but demand greater investments.https://t.co/hwgAfZVR7p
— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) May 10, 2021
• Houseless advocates have raised concerns that a sheltering proposal put forth by Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran was too quickly thrown together and lacks input from the houseless people it wants to help. Our Alex Zielinski has the details.
This Thursday beginning at 2pm, Portland City Council will have another opportunity to hear from Portlanders about their priorities for our $5.7 billion dollar budget before Council proposes & votes on amendments, then votes on approval of the full budget during the same session.
— Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty (@JoAnnPDX) May 10, 2021
• The University of Oregon has now joined Oregon State and Portland State in requiring students and faculty to be fully vaccinated if they’re returning to campus in the fall.
• Due to decreasing demand for COVID-19 vaccinations at the Oregon Convention Center, the pop-up clinic plans to close on June 19. (No word if or when other mass vaccination sites in the area will close up shop.)
IN NATIONAL NEWS:
• Roll up yer sleeves, kids! The FDA has approved the Pfizer COVID vaccine to now include children from the ages of 12 to 15. Last week the Biden administration said that, pending FDA approval, they would move “immediately to make about 20,000 pharmacy sites across the country” available to inoculate the kids.
FDA authorizes Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for adolescents 12 to 15 years old https://t.co/dwV8acu4pI
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 10, 2021
• A cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline—which provides 45 percent of the gas and oil consumed on the East Coast—has inspired the Department of Transportation to issue an emergency declaration to ramp up alternative methods of fuel delivery.
• Busy Bee Biden has reversed yet another piece of Trump’s bullshit homophobic and transphobic agenda, restoring rules that will protect gay and transgender people against sex discrimination in health care.
“We’re going to make it clear that anyone collecting unemployment, who was offered a suitable job, must take the job or lose their unemployment benefits,” Presidet Biden said before adding: “We don’t see much evidence of that.” https://t.co/WUDL22KOGV
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) May 10, 2021
• Senate Minority Turtle Mitch McConnell is preparing to do whatever he can to stop congressional Democrats’ plan to protect the rights of voters which are being quickly taken away by corrupt Republicans in various states.
• Speaking of willfully corrupt Republicans, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has set a vote for Wednesday in order to oust Rep. Liz Cheney from her Republican leadership post for the crime of refusing to join her fellow GOP members in taking up residence inside of Donald Trump’s fanny.
• NBC has announced it will not air the Golden Globes award show in 2022, due to the fact that presently the voting body has exactly ZERO Black people among its 87 members.
• Welcome back to 2004 and the return of “Bennifer”: “Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck Enjoy Weeklong Vacation 17 Years After Their Split.”
I reject the return of low-rise jeans, but welcome the return of Bennifer discourse
— Emma Gray (@emmaladyrose) May 10, 2021
• You want to look GOOD, true or false? If “true,” you’ll want to purchase a new, wicked awesome Mercury T-shirt… just in time for tee season!
• HUMP! HUMP! HUMP! If you enjoy sexy stuff (and I know you do), get your tickets NOW for HUMP’s Greatest Hits, Volume 3—THIS WEEKEND—featuring some of the best short sex flicks from 15 years of HUMP! HUMP! HUMP!
• And now… THE WEATHER REPORT: More sunny skies tomorrow with a high of 76!
• And finally, today in “alternate reality haircuts”…
Genuine question: Was there *literally anything* on Quibi as well constructed as this kid’s zero-budget TikTok pic.twitter.com/O3bPY6fp4M
— Felix Salmon (@felixsalmon) February 25, 2021
