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Good morning, Portland! A friendly reminder that this week is Burger Weekâa glorious week during which 48 local restaurants are offering delicious burgers for just $8! If youâve been meaning to get out of the house and try one, I suggest you get your butt in gear because the offer ends this Sunday (!!). Okay, I hear youâenough promo! On to the news.
In local news:
⢠Six Oregon lawmakers and more than 30 environmental organizations submitted a petition to the state attorney general Wednesday, requesting the office investigate claims that NW Natural is misleading the public about the impacts of natural gas. The petition claims that NW Natural uses deceptive marketingâlike the tagline ânatural gas, your invisible friendââto greenwash the fact that they distribute a fracked-gas material primarily composed of methane.
⢠Thanks to a geomagnetic storm, the Northern Lights may be visible from Oregon this week! To see if you can catch a peek, go to a space with minimal light pollution on a clear night and scan the skies.
Multnomah County leaders moved this week to develop a policy banning the sale of flavored nicotine products. The possible ban would aim to limit the number of young smokers who develop nicotine addictions through sweet and minty products.https://t.co/F0qi0Dlo9E
â Portland Mercury đ (@portlandmercury) August 17, 2022
⢠Betsy Johnson declined to share her tax returns to Willamette Week when asked. While Johnson is under no obligation to reveal her financial documents to the media, her decision is notable because it is the norm for Oregon gubernatorial candidates (and candidates running for governor around the country) to do so. Johnsonâs tax documents are of particular interest because she has investments in stocks with companies that conduct significant business in Oregon, like Boeing and oil transport company Global Partners, and her wealth could be affected by her potential decisions as Governor.Â
⢠The Dundee Lodge Campout, a music and arts festival in Gaston, Oregon, kicks off this weekend. Check out the festivalâs eclectic line up, new vendors, and more with this preview from Suzette Smith.
Pacific Northwest heat waves are going to get continually worse, model shows https://t.co/wyJxRADJCP
â KGW News (@KGWNews) August 18, 2022
In national and international news:
⢠Two former judges in Pennsylvania who created a scheme to send children to for-profit jails in exchange for a kickback were ordered to pay $206 million to the hundreds of people victimized by the scheme. The judges involved in the scandalâdubbed kids-for-cashâclosed a county juvenile detention center and instead adopted a zero tolerance policy that increased the number of children sent to for-profit jail, while receiving millions in illegal payments from the jailâs co-owner.
⢠A bombing at a mosque in Kabul Wednesday evening killed at least 10 people, with some government agencies placing the death toll at 21. The bomb was detonated during evening prayers and wounded an additional 33 people at least. No group or person has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The White House is strongly condemning calls from some members of the Republican Party, including some elected lawmakers, to "defund the FBI" in the wake of last week's search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. https://t.co/gs3GwXD0rr
â CNN (@CNN) August 18, 2022
⢠Hereâs a fun little first sentence of a story for you: âThe worldâs two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases are sparring on Twitter over climate policy, with China questioning whether the U.S. can deliver on the landmark climate legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden this week.â
⢠Listen⌠maybe itâs this terrible humidity, but Iâm in my feelings this morning. I hope you all have a nice day <3
â Gators Daily đ (@GatorsDaily) August 18, 2022