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MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND

Good Afternoon, Portland. Where are you at—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically? While I wouldn't be so rude as to ask for optimism, remember that you aren't alone. There's a big alligator at the end of this news blast. LET'S GETT'M.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Within hours of this morning's US Supreme Court ruling that overturned the constitutional right to abortion, Oregon reproductive rights advocates spoke to Oregonians about changes to come. Oregon is one of several states preparing to help people seeking the health care procedure, if it is banned in their home state. "Don't assume your community is free right now because you haven’t been targeted yet," warned Sandy Chung, director of the ACLU of Oregon. "Nobody’s free until everybody's free—because they’re coming after all of us."

• Abortion is still legal in Oregon—the right enshrined in our state constitution—but the Mercury's Isabella Garcia put together a list of organizations that use donations to help people have access to abortions and abortion-related services, in this state and others.

• If you're following the protests in Portland tonight, the Mercury's Alex Zielinski is on the ground. Follow her for updates:

• Some will be called to action over this morning's revelation. Some will only have time to reminisce. What will they remember? Perhaps that only one Portland city commissioner showed up to speak at the recent Saturday "Bans Off Our Bodies" rally:

• Well, America is ridiculous, but it's Friday—and if you're not in the streets you may want to shake off some of that rage energy on the dance floor. I'm a firm believer that joy in the face of oppression is resistance. So in that spirit, get over to the three-day Good in the Hood, put on the new Lambo Lawson, and check out the weekend's excellent DJ nights—one of which offers free entry to those dressed like Mariah Carey.

• IF YOU'RE GOING TO STRESS EAT, you may as well do it on the cheap. The Mercury's Sandwich Week is still doing good sandwich-y things in Portland (and Beaverton). Through Sunday, June 26, 30 (!) local restaurants have $8 sammies—including several vegan and vegetarian options—to carb over your extremely valid anxieties.

IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

• WELL, as we mentioned above, today the Supreme Court's of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade—shifting the legality of the health procedure to individual states and triggering laws that immediately banned it in eight of them.

• In his concurring opinion on today's SCOTUS ruling, Clarence Thomas set his dead lights on three other landmark privacy protection cases, which respectively protect the rights of married people to have access to contraception, the rights of same-sex activity at all, and the right to gay marriage.

• THIS ENERGY FOR THE WEEKEND. STAY SAFE. BE GATOR.