Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today.

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Queen of Soul Dies: Aretha Franklin died this morning at the age of 76. It's a lot to process. Here's a playlist of her hits to help you get through itβ€”and here's a magical clip of her killin' it on vocals and the piano.

Queen of Pop Gets Older: Madonna turns 60 today. She's still as fierce as ever. Happy birthday, ya babe.

First Amendment, What Up: Numerous editorial boards across the county have responded to a call from the Boston Globe to denounce Donald Trump's attack on the free press. AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL. We stand wth them.

ICYMI: Jo Ann Hardesty and Loretta Smith, the candidates running in the November election to replace outgoing City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, met for a heated discussion at the Crystal Ballroom Tuesday night. It's going to be a long election season.

Not a Good Look: Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw was interviewed by conservative talk show host Lars Larson about how the police handled the latests Patriot Prayer rally. It did not go well. Outlaw underscored her disgust toward those opposing alt-right violence, comparing counter-protesters to children.

A Good Look: Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Outlaw confirmed that she's considering requesting an outside investigation into how the Portland police used violence against protesters during that rally.

New MAX Line: A Metro committee decided the region's next light rail line will run down the center of Southwest Barbur Boulevard between downtown Portland and Tigard.

Wolf Puppies! From that Oregon wolf with the awful name OR-7!

This Fucking Guy: Jeremy Christian, the man charged with killing two men on the MAX last year after he yelled racist slurs at two Black teens, has been accused of assaulting a Black inmate.

#1 Killer: Drug overdoses killed an estimated 72,000 Americans in 2017β€”a 10 percent increase from the past year. Blame opioids, but also blame drugs for becoming more and more deadly.

HOGWASH: Trump revoked former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance yesterday, because Brennan DARE criticize him. Thankfully, Brennan wrote an op-ed in response that relies heavily on the word "hogwash."

End of Days or Nah? Wildfire smoke from the West Coast has reached the East Coast.