The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Expect a nice, sunny weekend with highs in the low-to-mid 80s—before it gets wicked hot again by mid-next week. Now let's dig into some wicked hot NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• A Multnomah County judge heard arguments yesterday on why a proposed ballot measure to amend Portland’s city charter may be unconstitutional—aaaaand of course the challenge was brought by the Portland Business Alliance who stands to lose much of the power they've wielded over city council for decades. Our Alex Zielinski reports.

• Oregon health experts have reported 95 Monkeypox cases in the state, but they were quick to note that, while the malady is currently primarily punishing gay and bisexual men, “anyone who has skin is susceptible to this virus.” 

• THIS IS DELICIOUS: After the dark-money group People for Portland screamed and cried last spring for the damaged Thompson Elk horse-drinking fountain to be replaced in its mammoth, unnecessary entirety, the Portland Bureau of Transportation has decided they will also be putting in a bike lane on that block. Cyclists will travel on the north side of the elk, and a single lane of cars and busses will squeeeeeze by the monstrous fountain on the south. (Be careful what you wish for—or pitch a tantrum about—I guess!)

• If you missed the utterly delightful Pickathon this year, check out some of the 2022 festival's most charming or defining aspects (and some great pics from photog Mathieu Lewis-Rolland), from the Mercury peeps who were there.

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• According to the Washington Post, FBI agents who obtained a warrant to search Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida were reportedly looking for a host of classified documents—including some related to NUCLEAR WEAPONS. (Eeeeep!) The mind absolutely reels at what Trump may have done with stuff like that, and he's denying the report. 

• The man who attacked a Cincinnati FBI office and was killed by agents after firing a nail gun and pointing an AR-15 rifle has been identified as Ricky Shiffer—a Trumper who was a participant in the January 6 domestic terrorist attack on the capitol, and had made threats about the FBI on Trump's social media platform following the former president's announcement about the raid on Mar-a-Lago.

• The House is expected to vote (and pass) President Biden's sweeping health and climate bill, handing a much needed victory to the Dems after a very long drought.

• The CDC has announced it's relaxing some of its key COVID-19 recommendations, including the necessity of quarantining oneself after coming in contact with an exposed person, as well as their advice to stay at least six feet away from others. They say they came to this decision after studies showed that an estimated 95 percent of Americans over the age of 16 have acquired some level of immunity—either from vaccination or catching it themselves.

• Here's one for you anti-vaxxers out there: "Polio detected in NYC’s sewage, suggesting virus circulating."

• And finally... me, at 4:59 pm on Friday.