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Good morning, Portland! Looks like we’ll be closing out the week with mild temperatures and overcast skies.

In local news:

• Oregon has regained all of the nearly 300,000 jobs the state lost during the pandemic as of September. The rebound happened quickly in comparison to the most rapid and significant loss of jobs in Oregon’s history.

• Six months after expanding citywide, Portland Street Response staff are still limited from responding to some of the most basic crises, like suicidal threats and someone blocking traffic. While those calls are arguably where the unarmed staff’s skills could be most utilized, conversations with the police union and staffing concerns have kept the program from expanding its policies.

• What if the grassy land underneath the west side base of the Steel Bridge was a badass, well-lit, covered skatepark? Local skaters are pushing to make that a reality by picking up the torch to push the city to move forward on the Steel Bridge Skatepark, which was planned way back in the early 2000s. Advocates for the park believe it could reinvigorate Portland’s skate scene year-round and provide community gathering space in Old Town.

• How’s this for a hook: “Adrienne Truscott is naked a lot. I suppose we all are. But Truscott does it on stage.” Titillated? Intrigued? Read more about the TBA performance here.

In national news:

• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis used state funding to pay for a plane to carry nearly 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, Wednesday. Migrants interviewed by NPR said they had recently crossed the border in Texas and were staying at a shelter in San Antonio when they were approached by a woman outside the shelter who lured them onto the plane, promising expedited work papers in Boston. The migrants were never in Florida, so its unclear why DeSantis got involved, and Florida officials never contacted people in Martha’s Vineyard to alert them about the plane’s arrival. DeSantis is following in the footsteps of Governors Greg Abbott (Texas) and Doug Ducey (Arizona), who started sending migrants to Washington, DC, earlier this year. 

• A tentative railway labor deal has been reached, averting a major strike that was expected to devastate the economy. President Biden announced the deal Thursday morning, saying that rail workers will receive better pay, improved working conditions, and a change in their health care costs. 

• According to recently revealed text messages, former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant was heavily involved in a scam to send more than $1 million in welfare money towards NFL quarterback Brett Favre to build a new volleyball facility at a university Bryant and Favre both attended. About 1,800 households receive welfare in Mississippi—one of the poorest states in the nation. To qualify, a family of three must make below $680 per month in order to receive $260 in welfare. Favre earned nearly $140 million over two decades in the NFL, plus endorsement deals.

• Serena Williams may pull a Tom Brady and un-retire or, in her case, un-evolve. Before the US Open, Williams announced that she would be “evolving” away from tennis to focus on her other business ventures. After being knocked out of the grand slam in the third round, Williams told Good Morning America that she could return to competitive tennis after all, saying that Tom Brady started a cool trend of not actually retiring after announcing retirement plans.

• Break out you brown booties and chunky scarves, and order a PSL—it’s Christian Girl Autumn.