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In local news:
â˘Â Conservative agitators and antifascist counterprotestors are expected to clash this Sunday in downtown Portland. While events like this have historically ended in violenceâand there is no indication that this event will be any differentâPortland officials are calling for both sides to "choose love."
Portland Mayor Wheeler held a very chaotic press conference ahead of the expected clash this weekend
Mayoral aide Sam Adams yelled "C'mon!" after a reporter attempted to ask a follow-up question.
Adams later said he was talking to someone else pic.twitter.com/ZFdCPVv88R
â Zane Sparling (@PDXzane) August 20, 2021
â˘Â Oregon organizations that coordinate with the federal government to resettle refugees are prepping for a sudden influx of Afghan refugees as the Taliban gain control of the country. "We are all ramping up as fast as we can to prepare,â said one director of refugee services. âWeâre about to see an influx of refugee families in a way we haven't seen in this country for years.â
â˘Â Multnomah County employees are the latest Oregon workers who will have to get vaccinated or get fired, the county announced today. For those keeping tabs at home, county employees, executive branch state employees, healthcare workers, and K-12 staff all have vaccination requirements now.
â˘Â District 9 director Neill Blomkamp has returned to the movie scene with a both creatively intriguing and âvastly unfulfillingâ sci-fi horror flick titled Demonic, according to Chase Hutchinsonâs latest review.
â˘Â Permission to rename Friday âPop-Quiz-PDX-dayâ?
Whoop-whoop, it's time again for the newest edition of (arguably) Portland's funnest quiz, POP QUIZ PDX! Expect sassy Qs about Portland scandals, weirdo local history, and my possibly infuriating "subjective" question of the week! LET'S GET QUIZZY.https://t.co/j1RDTc82L5
â Wm. Steven Humphrey (@WmSteveHumphrey) August 19, 2021
In national and international news:
â˘Â The Culver City Unified School District in Los Angeles County is requiring students 12 and older to get the COVID-19 vaccine. While I admittedly havenât called every school district in the country to confirm, this appears to be the first school district in the US to require COVID vaccinations for eligible students.
â˘Â Israel was the first country to vaccinate the majority of its citizens against COVID-19, but the country is currently facing one the worldâs highest infection rates. Why? Immunity from the vaccine lowers over time, the Delta variant is highly contagious, and achieving herd immunity requires more people than experts originally thought.
U.S. helicopters have ferried 96 Afghans to the Kabul airport for evacuation, signaling that U.S. military flights are taking place beyond the airport perimeters in the Afghan capital. https://t.co/33sHh9FeP5
â The Associated Press (@AP) August 20, 2021
â˘Â And itâs time for another installment of my favorite AP series: Not Real News. That photo circulating on Twitter claiming only Afghan men were being evacuated from the country? Itâs from 2018. The photo of a Taliban flag flying over the Afghanistan presidential palace in Kabul Sunday night? Digitally altered. Isnât the internet a wonderful place?
â˘Â Look your best (and support local journalism) by purchasing a new Mercury T-shirt! Check out this monthâs hot designs hereâbut hurry, they go away on August 22!
â˘Â Portlandâs favorite food event is backâand almost over! Sample 37 delicious, one-of-a-kind burgers from the greatest local restaurants (and only $6 each). Itâs the Mercuryâs PORTLAND BURGER WEEK, coming at you August 16-22!
â˘Â And finally, who knew Dictionary.com would come through with the best burn on the Mike Richards âJeopardy!â scandal?
"Jeopardy" is a noun meaning "peril or danger." Here it is in a sentence:
"My job is in jeopardy because of my past comments."https://t.co/E7xeeNTN4g
â Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) August 20, 2021