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The National Womens Soccer League championship game will no longer be played at Providence Park this year.
The National Women's Soccer League championship game will no longer be played at Providence Park this year. courtesy of portland thorns fc

Good afternoon, Portland! Here's the latest on local news, national news, and a little bit of fun.

In local news:

• Portland housing advocate Jamila Dozier is running against City Commissioner Dan Ryan in the May 2022 primary. So, what's Dozier's background, why are they running, and what's their plan if elected? We cover all that and more in this Q&A with the candidate.

• On October 18, all Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) employees will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, per a mandate from Governor Kate Brown. But with just a few more days to go, only half of those DOC employees are vaccinated—and 713 employees have received deadline extensions for religious reasons. In related news, 44 incarcerated Oregonians have died from COVID so far.

• Oh, shit, it's the consequences of Thorns management's actions:

• As you may have heard, New York Times columnist Nick Kristof is inching closer to launching a campaign for governor of Oregon. I go off on why an opinion columnist has no business running for governor... in my own opinion column.

In national news:

• Since Texas' six-week abortion ban went into effect last month, the number of people traveling from Texas to other states for abortions jumped dramatically. This great story from the AP documents what that journey is like for some patients.

• If you've been following the supply chain drama, you may be aware that a segment of the United States population is freaking out that deliveries might not be sped up in time for the holidays. Fortunately, President Joe Biden and three big corporations—Walmart, FedEx, and UPS—have come to the rescue, vowing to make a "90-day push" to get deliveries back on track. That means working 24/7, which hopefully results in some raises and bonuses for workers!

• This is such a fucking bummer:

• Johnson & Johnson recently asked the FDA to consider authorizing use of its COVID vaccine as a booster shot, but the FDA says that the evidence J&J offers in support of that booster is tenuous. The situation will likely come to a head in a public meeting this Friday.

And just for fun:

• Feeling like a basic fall (gender-neutral) bitch? Here's where you can find pumpkin patches, corn mazes, harvest festivals, and more in and around Portland.

• Finally, Happy Hump Day!