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'!)
• Just when you think Portland law enforcement can't be any more brutal or bizarre, there's this must-read story published by the Mercury today: "Woman Arrested at Portland Protest Forced to Take Pregnancy Test."
A Portland woman arrested during an August protest still doesn't know why she was forced to take a pregnancy test—which civil rights lawyers say is unlawful. https://t.co/BXBP6hkAv3
— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) October 16, 2020
• The OHA reported 418 new, positive coronavirus cases today and six additional deaths, in what experts say shows a worrying upward trend that could get very bad indeed this winter if extra measures aren't taken.
• Due to COVID-19, the very popular Peacock Lane holiday light show has been preemptively canceled. (You may now either cry or cheer, depending on how you feel about Peacock Lane.)
• According to a new poll from OPB, Mayor Ted Wheeler and his challenger Sarah Iannarone are in a dead heat, while Mingus Mapps is currently leading Chloe Eudaly for her commissioner seat—however a LOT of voters remain undecided.
• Do YOU need help deciding who to vote for? Well, you're in luck, because the Portland Mercury's 2020 Election Endorsements are here! So fill out your ballots with confidence!
Oregon is the easiest state in the nation to vote in, new analysis finds https://t.co/T8z8PLLfmX pic.twitter.com/U36K2kmHeT
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) October 16, 2020
• Looking for a worthy weekend long read? Do not miss Alex Zielinski's harrowing feature story about the multiple accusations of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse leveled at the Portland's current NAACP president and senior pastor of Celebration Tabernacle, E.D. Mondainé.
IN NATIONAL NEWS
• In apparent revenge against the blue state, Trump initially took away California's wildfire aid from the federal government—and then hours later, reversed the decision, probably because he's an idiot candidate who can't help but consistently shoot himself in the foot.
The Supreme Court said it would decide whether President Trump can exclude illegal immigrants from the 2020 census count used to allocate congressional seats, expediting the case with an argument set for Nov. 30 https://t.co/CWdimbRBDp
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 16, 2020
• According to a new study, 8 million Americans have entered into poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic—and as you can probably surmise, people of color and children are affected the most.
• Even though last night's Trump town hall was broadcast on three outlets (NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC), Biden's performance on one network (ABC) easily trounced the president in the ratings, pulling in an impressive 14.1 million viewers. You may now join me in saying HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAA!
• Despite NBC giving Trump his "free hour of television," host Savannah Guthrie grilled Trump in the unrelenting way the press should've been asking him questions for years.
The woman who told Trump that he was handsome and had a great smile is apparently voting for…Joe Biden.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) October 16, 2020
“I wish he would smile more and talk less,” she said of Trump. “I think the man has a nice smile. However, I’m not a fan."https://t.co/RYxRG6O7RW
• More bad news for the president: Trump and Republicans' corrupt efforts to suppress our right to vote is backfiring in a big way, as record numbers of Americans (nearly 21 million!) are voting early.
• US Intelligence tried to warn the White House that crony Rudy Giuliani was being fed disinformation by the Russians to pass on to the president... but did they listen and take action? NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. NOPE.
• Realizing that Trump could get voted out of office, his cabinet is desperately trying to force through as many pro-conservative regulatory changes as possible to preserve the president's "legacy."
• Find out what it's like to be on the front lines of Portland's nightly protests against systemic racism and police brutality with our livestream event/forum, "Eyes on the Ground: A Conversation With Portland's Protest Journalists and Documentarians"—coming at you Tuesday, October 27 at 7 pm. GET THOSE TIX NOW!
• In these terrifying times, don't you need a good, wholesome scare? Get your tickets now for SLAY—the short, eight-minute-or-less HORROR film festival from the makers of HUMP! Streaming right now through the 31st! (Interested in getting out more? Then come to the SLAY Drive-In at Oaks Park! Details here!)
• The WEATHER REPORT: Partly sunny Saturday with a chance of a shower on Sunday with highs around 64!
• And finally, here is the perfect portal for entering into your weekend.
this feels important pic.twitter.com/5UP92xsSnK
— Claire McNear (@clairemcnear) October 16, 2020