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IN LOCAL NEWS:
• More details on the case of the person who was shot and wounded by a Portland cop at a NW Naito convenience store this week: The officer has been revealed to be Craig Lehman who is... well, how about that? The very same officer who was taken off the protest response team because he was under investigation for allegedly assaulting demonstrators and the press during last summer's protests. Such a small world! (Our Alex Zielinski has more.)
It’s been almost 35 hours since PPB Ofc. Craig Lehman shot someone in a downtown Portland convenience store and the bureau has yet to release any information regarding what weapon the person allegedly had or if efforts were made to deescalate prior to the shooting.
— K. Rambo (@k_rambo_) July 22, 2021
• In more "bad cop" news (will it ever end?): The state Board on Public Safety Standards & Training has stripped West Linn Police Chief Terry Timeus of his police certification, and fired Sgt. Tony Reeves for their involvement in the wrongful, bullshit arrest of Portland's Michael Fesser as a favor to a "fishing buddy." UNNNGGGHHHH!
• Members of Portland's very secretive Arlington Club—which has been around since 1867 and whose membership is wildly wealthy and politically influential—tried to strong-arm D.A. Mike Schmidt into prosecuting protesters practicing their First Amendment rights, and while they weren't successful, this story really shows how persuasive these power brokers can be and how far their influence reaches. (*looks suspiciously toward Mayor Ted Wheeler*)
• Southern Oregon's Bootleg fire has grown to a mind-boggling 400,000 acres (!!), but firefighters are making progress and have the blaze 38 percent contained.
The Bootleg Fire was 399,359 acres and 38% contained as of Thursday morning, making it the third-largest wildfire and second-largest forest fire to burn in Oregon since 1900. https://t.co/YKgLKLg2gr
— OPB (@OPB) July 22, 2021
• And just so ya know: "Delta variant now accounts for half of Oregon’s COVID-19 cases, state says."
• Great music, great food, and great scenery are just a few great reasons to check out the Sauvie Island summer concert series starting today, and our Blair Stenvick has all the details!
Snakes in a park? 8 pythons captured in Camas https://t.co/GFIjRlhFwj
— KGW News (@KGWNews) July 22, 2021
IN NATIONAL NEWS:
• Democratic senators are (rightly) screaming their heads off about the revelation that the FBI was given more than 4,500 tips prior to their investigation of then-Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but... and here it comes... only conducted 10 additional interviews and passed the rest of the tips to Trump's White House counsel where they (surprise!) disappeared.
• House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi is not putting up with an ounce of bullshit from those lying Republicans, and vows that the Jan 6 commission will go on, with or without the GOP's help.
Another heat wave is set to park over the Lower 48 next week, bringing anomalous summertime heat to parts of the central and eastern U.S. that may have missed out on previous events. https://t.co/Ms13vpvoQu
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 22, 2021
• Certain vaccine resistant states—such as Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, and Nevada—are suddenly starting to see their vaccination rates rise, and all it took was the delta variant sweeping through their states and killing their loved ones. Is Fox News going to do something to stop this?!?
• Right on (white supremacist) brand: "Tucker Carlson attacks Black officer who says he was called the N-word during the Capitol riot."
• Mississippi's Attorney General Lynn Fitch told the Supreme Court in no uncertain terms that the case for overturning Roe v. Wade is "overwhelming," in the latest Republican effort to ban abortion nationwide and further restrict the rights of women.
NSFW... Videos embedded on the websites of national news outlets like The Washington Post and New York Magazine suddenly began showing readers porn Thursday https://t.co/smaARBv3oH
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) July 22, 2021
• Too hot for ya? Get ready for a cool July because the Mercury's SUMMER OF SLUSHIES is serving up $5 delicious, boozy frozen concoctions from your fave bars all damn month long!
• And now... THE WEATHER REPORT: Expect another sunny day tomorrow with a high of 86.
• And finally, here's a ghost that's just about ready to go on strike!
The girl who haunts me is overworked pic.twitter.com/tOAAFwW3zP
— Chelsea Pope (@chelseathepope) July 22, 2021