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Rep. Mike Nearman: Okay, Trumpers, COME ON IN! And dont worry, I wont get in trouble. I mean, seriously, WHAT COULD HAPPEN?
Rep. Mike Nearman: “Okay, Trumpers, COME ON IN! And don’t worry, I won’t get in trouble. I mean, seriously, WHAT COULD HAPPEN?” Oregon Legislature

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! The music played while our bodies displayed through the dance. Then love picked us out for romance. LET’S GO TO PRESS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• For the first time in Oregon history, a legislator, Republican Rep. Mike Nearman, has been expelled from the state legislature. Nearman was caught on video planning and aiding violent, armed Trumpers by letting them in a side entrance during a closed special session at the state capitol in December, putting his co-workers lives in danger—and for his trouble, was overwhelmingly voted out by members of BOTH parties. Huh. I guess bipartisanship can work!

• As restrictions state-wide begin to fade away, community-based orgs are still working hard to get people of color vaccinated at the same rate as white Oregonians—but why do these inequities still exist and what still needs to be done? Do not miss this great explanatory investigation from our Isabella Garcia!

• Three top advisors to Mayor Ted Wheeler announced they are leaving their jobs following the lead of two key staffers who departed less than a month ago, and another five office members who abandoned ship last year. Sounds like a fun place to work!

• Oregon lawmakers passed two new pieces of houseless legislation this week—one that would require local governments in the state to give at least three days’ notice before clearing homeless camps, and the other allowing houseless Oregonians to sit, lie, and sleep on public property in most cases. So what does this mean for Portland? Our Alex Zielinski breaks it all down for you.

IN NATIONAL NEWS:

• Try to contain your shock, but under Trump, the DOJ secretly dug into the private records of key Democrat lawmakers, as well as their aides and families. Senate majority leader Adam Schiff—one of the victims of the snooping—is calling it a “terrible abuse of power” and wants an investigation.

• Meanwhile the Biden administration is still working to undo the extensive damage Trump did to the country, today announcing they will roll back his order to allow roads and other development to be built in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest.

• Today in reverse hacks: The FBI says they have recovered a lot of the $4.4 million in ransom that Colonial Pipeline paid to Russian hacker group DarkSide, by sneaking into their bitcoin account and snaking it back.

• During his trip abroad, President Biden announced that the US is purchasing and donating 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to countries who are struggling with the pandemic. This is in addition to the 1 billion shots that the Group of Seven nations are committing to sharing with the world.

• The CDC is growing increasingly concerned about an “imbalance” of young men who develop rare heart inflammations after taking their second doses of Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines. While it’s a relatively small number compared to the millions of doses that have been given with no ill effect, the CDC plans to hold an “emergency meeting” on the topic next week.

• Headline of the day (thus far): “Kim Jong Un Declares War on ‘Vicious Cancer’… AKA K-Pop.” (Hey! Dictator! Leave them kids alone!)

• If you like laffin’ your guts out, don’t miss the Outdoor Live Comedy Spectacular at Oaks Park TONIGHT through Saturday. Local and nationally-recognized comedians, food, beer, picnic tables, and LAUGHS!

• And now… THE WEATHER REPORT: And so starts a rainy weekend with showers today and a high of 65.

• And finally, have a great weekend, and find a friend that doesn’t trip you as you run away from murderers.

Bang bang, choo-choo train, let me see you shake that thang. Wm. Steven Humphrey is the editor-in-chief of the Portland Mercury and has held the job since 2000. (So don’t get any funny ideas.)

2 replies on “Good Morning, News: Rep. Nearman Voted Out, Wheeler Staffers Abandon Ship, and Kim Jong Un Vs. K-Pop”

  1. Happy they ousted Nearman. They’re no heroes, though. They didn’t do it until the video surfaced that made it impossible to refuse to do anything about it. Asking him to resign was a bullshit move because he was NEVER going to resign.

    Now if only the members of Congress would oust the members who voted against Biden’s win, in support of sedition, traitors every last one of them.

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