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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! In weather-ville, you can expect a mix of showers and sun today with a balmy high of 50 degrees later on, BUT! Tomorrow it's predicted to be a steady torrent of rain, so beware. And now, here's a steady torrent of NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Here's your morning City Hall bullshit: You may remember that, as a part of the city’s settlement with the Justice Department aiming to curb police violence, a "truth and reconciliation project" was approved with the idea of restoring trust between cops and the public. AND HERE COMES THE BULLSHIT: The city was ready to hand a $200,000 NO BID contract to a company called TrustLab, which a) has ZERO experience with restorative justice projects, and b) was stacked with retired police officers (and the current cop union president!) who would act as advisers... to curb the distrust they created? 🙄 Anyway, the city's auditor office caught them red-handed, and while TrustLab was turned away, the city has put bidding for the project on hold indefinitely. (It must be difficult for City Hall to be run by both the police union AND the Portland Business Alliance.)

• McLaren Auction Services of Aurora, Oregon has reversed its decision to... wait for it... auction off a 1920s Ku Klux Klan hood, but... and once again, wait for it... they're not removing the item because of any ethical problems from glorifying and profiting from items of hate, they've decided against it because... again, wait for it... they were scared of what the public might say, adding that the "staff felt somewhat threatened, you know how Portlanders can be, they were afraid they would come out and disrupt the auction and somebody could possibly be hurt." Trust me when I say this story gets much, much worse.

• Oregon is just one of five states that allows unlimited political donations—like the kind Phil Knight dropped during the last election in a failed attempt to put Republicans in charge. But Dem legislators are finally introducing a bill to change all that... but of course, and as usual, there will be loopholes for the Phil Knights of the world to take advantage of.

• OMSI's redesigned riverside district project has gotten the green light from the Portland Design Commission, and it looks pretty cool! The 10-block district will include outside educational opportunities next to the river, as well as up to 1,200 units of new housing (with 20 percent promised to low-income families), and lots of public green space.

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• You love to see it: Fox News is having a very bad, no-good day following the release of court testimony from owner Rupert Murdoch in which he swore under oath that the 2020 election was NOT stolen, despite his own company repeatedly and gleefully reported it as fact. Meanwhile, Murdoch's dickwhistle employee Tucker Carlson's attempt to whitewash the January 6 domestic terrorist attack on his show with footage given to him by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is even being ridiculed and called "bullshit" by Republicans. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! According to text messages procured in the Dominion lawsuit against Fox News, Tucker wrote that actually, he "hates Trump passionately" and there's "really not an upside to Trump." Ooooh... somebody's feelings are going to be hurt!

• Today in "States too ignorant to know they're flushing money down the drain":

• Here's a stat that's pretty disheartening to read on International Women's Day: According to the United Nations Secretary General, women's rights around the world—particularly in countries like Afghanistan and Iran—continue to be abysmal, and because of the glacial pace of change and the dominance of toxic masculinity, gender equality isn't expected be achieved for 300 years (!).

• Well, well, well... look who's apologizing (or probably being forced to apologize) after mocking a disabled employee:

• And it looks like another apology may be waiting in the wings: "US safety regulators to investigate Tesla for steering wheels that can fall off."

• The Big Sur community in Monterey County, California is being asked by officials to stock up on emergency essentials to last them two weeks in advance of a torrential expected storm that could cause massive flooding in the area.

• And finally... this is you on Wednesday, avoiding the haters. So strap on your skates and have a great day.