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Good afternoon, Portland! Long live Kate Bush! We find ourselves on another one of those Fridays where there's far too much news. Pour one out for any chance of taking off early. Here's the news!

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Bushong heard arguments yesterday, from a few different lawsuits—from a few different sources—regarding proposed amendments and / or changes to a ballot measure put forth by Portland’s charter commission, which voters were to cast their ballots on, in the fall. What they have in common: They all don't think you understand ranked-choice voting.

• Criminal cases related to far-right activists involved in a 2019 May Day brawl have all come to a close. To understand the impact that the case outcomes may have on the future of right-wing extremism in Portland, Mercury News Editor Alex Zielinski spoke with Stephen Piggott, an analyst with the Western States Center, a nonprofit focused on confronting and reducing extremism in the west. Read the Q & A.

• Returning after a two-year pandemic hiatus, Pickathon 2022 felt even more like a labor of love than it had in recent years. Check out the Mercury's coverage of the idyllic festival's grand return—with perspectives from local culture writers and a visually opulent photo essay.

• Amanda Seales isn’t taking questions about HBO’s Insecure. And while that's where many of us fell in love with her style and comedy, we respect a creatively fluid and outspoken Black queen. Seales is focused on the here and now, particularly her stand-up comedy, which she’s bringing to Portland with her "Black Outside Again Tour." 

• The long-awaited rescheduled Sávila show at Polaris Hall has finally arrived. Composed of guitarist Fabiola Reyna, vocalist Brisa Gonzalez, and legendary percussionist Papi Fimbres, Sávila is a powerhouse of cumbia/latin/world/r&b, reminding us how lucky we are to live in such a musically vibrant city. Read about that and other upcoming shows in this week's Hear In Portland music column.

• Tonight from 5-8pm Nucleus Portland hosts an opening reception for Felicia Chiao’s We've Been Alone Since the Start. The show will be on display through Sun September 4. Working with spare materials—ink, and Copic markers— and a unique background as an industrial designer, Chiao says she never sketches and often doesn't know what a work will be when she begins. 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Nucleus Portland (@nucleusportland)

IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

• This morning Salman Rushdie was stabbed in his abdomen and neck by an audience member, who rushed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution. The New York Times reports that "Rushdie was scheduled to give a talk about the United States as a safe haven for exiled writers." At press time, Rushdie's agent had told the Times that Rushdie would likely lose an eye. His arm and liver were also badly damaged in the attack.

• Stocks are UP, inflation fears are DOWN. That's too general for what's actually happening in the financial world, but we suggest you shout "STONKS," and shut your laptop. Hit your Friday, good readers.

• It feels like this 20-year-old guitar guy JUST figured out this gag about playing emo riffs under emo duets, but honestly, I would love like 25 more of these.

@justin_jen_ #duet with @tonystatovci semester’s over and i’m back #midwestemo #emo #intro ♬ original sound - TONY STATOVCI