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Good Morning, Portland! If you're comfortable getting down to lyrics in another language, may I suggest this hot new banger from South Korean girl group Aespa? Now, that we've got a crisp cringe beat, let's hit the news!
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• In September, Oregon lawmakers gave the state's public schools the ability to ban concealed handguns from their campuses, but so far only 13 percent have opted to do so. OPB's Dirk Vanderhart reports.
• Related to the weekend's surprising TEDx appearance by Oregon gubernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson, extremism reporter Leah Sottile breaks down a 2020 photograph of Johnson holding a Timber Unity sign:
This is Johnson holding a Timber Unity sign in February 2020. And I know you’re probably thinking, well yeah, she’s a timber heir. But TU is about so much more than logging.
— Leah Sottile (@Leah_Sottile) May 29, 2022
• If you ever kick over to the Mercury's sister paper Seattle's The Stranger, you may be interested in The Stranger's BRAND NEW SITE! (☆ω☆)
IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• Russia is still making massive blunders in its invasion of Ukraine, but due to their overwhelming military might they may be about to take another major Ukrainian city. President Biden announced yesterday that he plans to send $700 million in aid and more advanced weaponry to aid Ukraine's defense.
• On Saturday, the FDA warned of Hepatitis A infections in California, Minnesota, and North Dakota that were potentially linked to strawberries branded as FreshKampo and HEB, sold between March 5 and April 25. It's been a month since the last case, and the warning is just for people who may have purchased strawberries and then frozen them during that window. Strawberries and beer go great together, just sayin'.
• Former Obama Adviser Dan Pfeiffer is one of the driest Pod Save America guys, so his spicy takes are more like spicy longviews. Go off, king.
Dating back to Richard Nixon, the Right Wing has tried to rig the bestseller lists to promote its message, drive the political conversation, and create the illusion of widespread support for discredited ideas. Here's how and why they do it: https://t.co/WJITZpQ0AL
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) May 31, 2022
• The White House hosted global sensation boyband BTS yesterday, as the group sought to bring attention to the issue of hate crimes directed at Asian people.
.@BTS_twt has arrived at the White House – there to take a stand against anti-Asian hate crimes and raise the need for inclusion and diversity in the United States. pic.twitter.com/LRuOa92Nn7
— MTV (@MTV) May 31, 2022
• Actually the rest of Good Morning, News is just going to be BTS at the White House now.
It was great to meet with you, @bts_bighit. Thanks for all you’re doing to raise awareness around the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination.
I look forward to sharing more of our conversation soon. pic.twitter.com/LnczTpT2aL
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 1, 2022
• NO FUCKING QUESTIONS FOR BTS!
pic.twitter.com/rNvzlvDDJl
— lyssy⁷ (@btsbaragi_jk) May 31, 2022
• THEY SPOKE IN KOREAN BECAUSE THEY ARE KOREAN. Get it together and have translators, White House!
K-media:
HYBE shared why BTS spoke in Korean at the press briefing today: “They spoke/did it in Korean because they’re Korean” adding “There wasn’t a separate request from the White House”
🔗 https://t.co/UPNazr2XTf pic.twitter.com/OLP8hMvjQk
— lyssy⁷ (@btsbaragi_jk) May 31, 2022
• Uhhh... the White House looks NICE here—in a way that should make us question what the White House photo corps are even DOING.
Here are official pictures from @BIGHIT_MUSIC of @BTS_twt at the White House. Addressing the press during a short briefing, Suga: “It’s not wrong to be different. Equality begins when we open up and embrace all of our differences." Always the right words, Yoongi! #BTSAtWhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/DDg1Tudlsl
— KpopHerald (@Kpop_Herald) June 1, 2022
백악관에 초대해 주셔서 감사합니다! 중요한 사안에 대해 @POTUS 와 논의할 수 있어 큰 영광이었습니다. 그리고 이 모든 것을 가능하게 해준 우리 #BTSARMY 여러분들께 진심으로 감사드립니다.🫰💜
#BTS #방탄소년단 #BTSatTheWhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/0l599NoaJD
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) June 1, 2022
• The North American version of the meme below is "the person investigating your murder is a murderer."
Fascinating cultural differences pic.twitter.com/gVsU7m63FD
— Alasdair Beckett-King (@MisterABK) May 31, 2022