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Quanice Hayes
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Good morning, Portland! PSSTTT: You can pick up a new issue of the Mercury today!

Here are the headlines.

Closer to Home: Health officials are growing concerned that the coronavirus could soon spread to the United States in a big way. Rather than panicking, you can read up on symptoms and preventative tactics on the CDC's website, and check out NPR's advice on how to prepare for a possible pandemic.

Oh, and also, shave your beard.

This Seems Worth It?

Christian Update: A jury has already found Jeremy Christian guilty of 12 charges associated with his racist rant and stabbing rampage on the MAX in 2017. Now, the jury is being asked to weigh in on questions that will affect the severity of his sentence. Those questions include whether Christian has shown any remorse, and if he's likely to be violent in the future. Read more on the sentencing phase from the Oregonian.

"A Spit In The Face": Lawmakers in Salem are continuing a years-long battle over legislation that would aim to regulate and lessen carbon emissions. As Republican senators walk off their jobs for the third time in two years, a coalition that has championed that legislation is expressing their frustration with conservative lawmakers—and urging Democrats not to make a deal with them.

Super! The New York Times interviewed dozens of Democratic Party leaders—including 93 "superdelegates," that anti-democratic part of the Democratic Party—and many of them are worried about a potential Bernie Sanders presidency. If he doesn't meet the threshold of delegates for an automatic nomination, many say they'll work to prevent him from becoming the nominee.

Nikki's Legacy: The Washington State Legislature has passed a bill that will outlaw the LGBTQ+ panic defense, a legal strategy that uses society's homophobia and transphobia to make people who assault or murder LGBTQ+ seem more sympathetic. It's named the Nikki Kuhnhausen Act, after a trans teenage who was killed in Vancouver, Washington last year.

Blue Coast: It probably won't come as a surprise that the West coast—meaning California, Oregon, and Washington—has grown more and more progressive in recent years. Now you can read about the different demographic shifts that are making that happen, from Seattle to Bend to San Diego.

Extra Sharp:

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