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Good afternoon, Portland: It's a balmy-as-all-get-out 60 degrees out there right now, and the forecast shows no sign of dripping on our tender heads. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE NEWS, you ask?
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Medical providers and political leaders, they're just like the rest of us! Reeling from Monday night's leaked majority opinion draft, which indicated that the Supreme Court of the United States is about to overturn Roe v. Wade, leaders from the city of Portland and wider state of Oregon weighed in on how they plan to support patients in other states, if they suddenly find themselves unable to receive safe and legal abortion care. Mercury News Editor Alex Zielinski reports on statements made and protests planned.
• Mayor Ted Wheeler wants to invest $2.4 million towards mitigating climate change impacts. Is that enough? Is that anywhere near enough??? The Mercury's Isabella Garcia breaks it down.
• The downtown Apple store—which famously drew ire as a symbol of luxury and power during the 2020 George Floyd protests—announced today that it plans to remove the imposing metal fencing that has surrounded predominantly glass structure since February 2021, and replace it with a new polycarbonate structure.
A reminder that Oregon reproductive rights organizations have been preparing for a post-Roe future for years: https://t.co/LZMbqN9Sch
— Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee) May 3, 2022
• In this week's Savage Love column, Dan reminds us all that it’s "not okay to take photos or videos of someone performing a sex act without their consent," even if it's someone you're married to and even if your approach to explaining it involves 200 words of preamble because of all your REASONS why you're entitled to it.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla. This Thursday, celebrate with festive events and food specials. https://t.co/K9W1QCkzN6
— EverOut Portland (@EverOutPortland) May 3, 2022
IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• Today in Biden blastin', the president called the idea of the country's Supreme Court throwing out the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling "radical." He meant radical like bad, continuing “it will fall on voters to elect pro-choice officials this November.”
• Take a break from running around inside your yellow wallpaper this afternoon to just appreciate the power of these wild boars who have—likely defending their baby boars or a food source—caused several neighborhoods in northern Rome to impose nighttime curfews. BECAUSE THE NIGHT BELONGS TO WILD BOARS. BECAUSE THE NIGHT BELONGS TO US.
• Today in it was the sommelier all along!
A sommelier in New York City charged last year with arson has reached an agreement with the Manhattan district attorney’s office that will require him to pay thousands of dollars to two restaurants whose outdoor dining structures he set on fire. https://t.co/k45nH8Z9CS
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 3, 2022
• Remember when Donald Trump used to hold events at his own hotels so that his family could make money on it? Well, Trump's inaugural committee has agreed to pay the District of Columbia $750,000 to settle a lawsuit over allegations of misused nonprofit funds while hosting inaugural events in 2017.
• As our freedoms erode, can't we at least allow Bus Driver Dan to steer the busshark of his dreams?
Come on @trimet let me drive the Busshark! pic.twitter.com/0eYX6RSnS6
— Bus Driver Dan (@Dan_Christensen) May 3, 2022