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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!  You're in for another HOT ONE today, my friends, with highs expected to top out at 98 degrees, and perhaps 99 tomorrow! Have you been taking my sage advice on "How to Keep Your Insufferably Hot House Cool?" Well... maybe NOW you'll listen to me! And maybe listen to this NEWS as well!

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• As previously mentioned, the National Weather Service is predicting excessive heat in Portland until Saturday evening (and perhaps into Sunday), and as such, cooling shelters will remain open through at least Saturday. Our Isabella Garcia has the latest.

• Three people in Multnomah County alone are suspected to have died because of heat-related illnesses, and an investigation by the county medical examiner is underway.

• Those hardest hit by this blistering heatwave is—no surprise—the community's homeless and poorest. Here's a peek of what they're forced to endure.

• The three major candidates for Oregon governor—Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan, and Shadow Republican Betsy Johnson—are scheduled for their first public debate today at 2 pm, and you can watch it here.

• In case ya missed it: Portland police fatally shot another member of the public on Wednesday night, making it their second fatal encounter and third public shooting of the week. The suspect was reportedly armed and firing his own gun in the air. Our Alex Zielinski explains what we know as of this point.

 

• IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• A new, updated booster vaccine that is expected to perform better against the now-dominant COVID subvariant BA.5 is set to arrive in September, and the feds are pushing for those under 50 to wait until then before getting their dose to fend off an expected new wave predicted for the fall/winter.

• More missing texts: After the strange disappearance of Secret Service texts from January 5 and 6th, it's now been discovered that texts from and to President Donald Trump’s acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and acting deputy secretary Ken Cuccinelli have ALSO mysteriously vanished into the ether. A SIMPLE COINCIDENCE, I'M SURE.

• Wishy-washy Democratic traitor Joe Manchin has reportedly agreed to sign back on to the climate/tax package he had previously pooh-poohed after extended talks with Sen. Chuck Schumer—but only after the Dems agreed to lose billions in tax increases against the rich. But don't get your hopes up yet! We still have "Democratic backstabber #2" to deal with... Kyrsten Sinema.

• Devastating, record-breaking floods in eastern Kentucky have so far killed at least 15 people as rescue operations continue.

• Sounds about right...

• QUEEN BEE ALERT! Beyoncé has released her seventh studio album, Renaissance, and you may now commence losing YOUR GOT-DAMNED MIND.

• And finally.... me, going into the weekend like....