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GOOD AFTERNOON, PORTLAND!  While some clouds are gonna be occasionally creeping in, you can expect more sunny skies and chilly winds with highs around 50 through Sunday! Now let's creep in with some NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Here's your reminder that the Portland Business Alliance (PBA) isn't your normal "Chamber of Commerce"—it's a special interest group designed to keep Portland's wealthy business owners flush with cash and in control of city hall, and they will take any political means necessary to do so. Case in point: Days before last week's election, the PBA dumped more than $131,000 into the anti-Charter Reform campaign. Why? Because it's far easier to purchase five commissioners (in our current case Wheeler, Mapps, Ryan, and now Gonzalez), than 12 of them, which will be the case when the voter-approved Charter Reform kicks off in 2024. (However, I must admit I do enjoy watching Portland's millionaires throwing away their money on lost causes.)

• Expected governor-to-be Tina Kotek dropped by today's Portland City Council meeting to briefly talk about her upcoming tenure, as well as her pledge to work with the city on topics such as economic development and homelessness. (If anybody knows if she dropped into the PBA offices as well, I'd be very interested to hear about it!)

• ICYMI:

• Panicky cowards are once again panicky cowards: "Oregon gun sales skyrocket after gun control Measure 114 passes."

• A federal judge has tossed out nearly 200 complaints from Oregon inmates who say (and prove) they were mistreated and put in danger by state prisons during the COVID pandemic—because they were following "the wrong legal strategy"? 

• Hey, in case you forgot, the gift giving season is just around the corner, and if you want to get your family/lover/pals an awesome gift from an awesome local business, allow the Mercury Holiday Gift Guide to steer you in the right (festive) direction!

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• As expected, the Republicans (who almost completely blew the midterm elections) has captured the House by only the smallest of margins. Meanwhile, Dems have held on to the Senate, and could expand their power if fellow Dem Warnock is elected in Georgia. While the GOP's House win will assuredly frustrate Biden's agenda, their anemic showing means that many of their evil plans will never come to fruition. 

• The Senate (along with 12 Republicans) have voted in favor of opening a debate on codifying same-sex marriage into federal law, born out of fears that the Supreme Court might overturn it. Democrats obviously want to pass the legislation before the shit-house crazy wing of the GOP takes over the House in January.

• ICYMI, some idiot is running for president. (And even Mike Pence is dunking on him.)

• Twitter employees have until tonight to decide if they want to pledge fealty to their new Emperor Musk, or pick up their severance check and get the fuck out. Those who stay will be rewarded by "working long hours at high intensity." Guys... BEST BOSS EVER!!

• Apparently I wasn't the only parent who got shut out of purchasing tix to Taylor Swift's upcoming Seattle show... but I may have been one of the only ones who were BUYING THEM FOR MYSELF ALONE. Eat garbage, kids. Time for daddy to get his way.

• And finally.... I think there's a problem with Elon Musk's self-driving shopping carts.