A grocery store aisle
Kroger employees across the Portland Metro area could strike as early as Friday. Credit: Tim Boyle / Getty Images

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A grocery store aisle
Kroger employees across the Portland Metro area could strike as early as Friday. Tim Boyle / Getty Images

Do you like live events? Do you like seeing live events for FREE? Then you should enter to win this week’s Free Ticket Tuesday offerings!

In local news:

• Three city-sanctioned homeless camps were born out of pandemic necessity. Now, over a year later, the once “temporary” campsites are transitioning to more permanent fixtures in central Portland—a transition that has not been without growing pains. Check out this long read from Alex Zielinski on how the camps and residents are fairing the transition from self-governed villages to nonprofit-run outdoor shelters.

• TriMet debuted a new Safety Response Team last month that aims to support riders by connecting them with social services and de-escalating situations on public transit. However, the new team members are employed and trained by the same security company that staffs TriMet’s other unarmed safety team, leaving rider advocates concerned that the same problems will be replicated.

• Environmental advocates, tribal members, and community organizers allege Oregon’s TITAN Fusion Center—a state and federal counter terrorism operation—has been illegally spying on them, according to a lawsuit filed against the Oregon Department of Justice Tuesday. The lawsuit claims the Fusion Center surveilled peaceful protests, like protests over the Jordan Cove natural gas project in Coos County, without reason.

• Workers at Fred Meyer and QFC locations across the Portland metro area are primed to go on strike if a contract is not reached with retail giant Kroger by Friday. According to union officials, Fred Meyer has refused to give the union information it needs to investigate whether employees are being properly compensated under the terms of their contract. Abe Asher breaks down the situation into understandable terms here.

In national news:

• The District of Colombia is suing the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers for allegedly conspiring to terrorize DC by plotting an attack on the Capitol on January 6. The lawsuit accuses the far-right groups of coordinating the attack to disrupt a peaceful transfer of power from the Trump administration to the Biden administration.

• Rescue teams in western Kentucky are still digging through debris, searching for survivors and bodies after tornadoes tore through about 200 miles of the state last weekend. As of Tuesday, 74 people have been confirmed dead and over 100 remain unaccounted for.

• Pfizer’s COVID pill treatment was found to limit severe disease in clinical trials, the company announced Tuesday. The antiviral pill, which is likely to work well against various COVID strains, now heads to the US Food and Drug Administration for review and possible authorization. If authorization is prompt, the pill could be available in US hospitals by the end of the year.

• Senate Democrats voted to raise the US debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion Tuesday, bypassing a GOP filibuster. The US House is expected to vote on raising the debt ceiling later this week.

• And finally, in light of reaching 800,000 COVID-19 deaths in the US, here’s Multnomah County’s list of low barrier vaccine clinics offering first doses, boosters, and everything in between!

Isabella Garcia is the former News Editor for the Portland Mercury. She covered City Hall, transportation, the environment, breaking news, and more.