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Good morning, Portland! Let's get right to it today, yes?
Here are the headlines.
"It's not a good look": Those of us whose job it is to observe Portland's political class were expecting former Mayor Sam Adams to run for City Council this year—but he pulled a surprise yesterday by filing to run against Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, rather than going after a seat left vacant by the late Commissioner Nick Fish. Eudaly didn't mince words in responding to the Oregonian, saying the move "just doesn't make sense," considering she and Adams share many of the same progressive priorities.
Anyway, check out the replies to Alex's tweet.
Circling the Wagons: The Senate will take some formal steps to launch the Trump impeachment trial today, and it will begin in earnest next week. Meanwhile, an independent government watchdog agency says Trump definitely broke the law by withholding aid from Ukraine.
Car Culture: As Metro Council begins refining the project list for a major transportation funding package, it seems that two projects in particular might do more to appease drivers, rather than to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Fuck Off, Facebook: Residents of the small Oregon coastal town Tierra del Mar are fighting against Facebook, per OPB. The tech giant wants to install a transcontinental undersea cable—but locals fear the drilling required to do so would ruin their homes' foundations and septic systems. In other words, they don't want to be knee-deep in shit.
In Other Local Elections News: Progressive organizer Julia DeGraw is running to fill Fish's seat. Her main platform: changing Portland's unusual, inefficient form of government.
Holy Shit: According to NPR, Trump is planning to strengthen protections for students praying in public schools. It's almost like he needs white Evangelicals to win re-election or something.
Ugh: Exhausted by the Warren-Bernie blowup from this week? Playing the Tom Steyer part of this CNN video on a loop in your mind? Have no idea what I'm talking about? Read up on what's been happening—and why it's bad for progressive politics—here.
Sentence of the Day: "People love to learn exactly the wrong lesson from things."
