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Good morning, Portland!Ā We're set for a cooler and wetter end of the week, just in time for spring break to wind down. Also just in time to read this NEWS.

In local news:

ā€¢ Majority of Portland Street Response workers have condemned Commissioner Rene Gonzalezā€™s ban against distributing tents and tarps to unhoused Portlanders. Multiple PSR workers told the Mercury the ban has endangered homeless residents, further restricted PSRā€™s agency, and is unlikely to actually make a difference in the number of fires at homeless campsā€”which Gonzalez cited as reason for the ban.

ā€¢ A man was arrested in downtown Portland Tuesday after allegedly driving a stolen forklift erratically while yelling ā€œI literally stole thisā€ at passersby. And yā€™all have the audacity to claim downtown is dead, puh-lease.

ā€¢ A bill requiring a minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratio may actually have a chance at passing the legislature now that the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems announced it is dropping its opposition to the bill. In return, the Oregon Nurses Associationā€”the union pushing for the staffing ratio billā€”will throw support behind several bills the hospital group is championing, including a bill that would exempt hospitals from limiting increases in healthcare costs to 3 percent per year.

ā€¢ Warning: This next story may give you whiplash. After approving the removal of nearly 250 structurally questionable light poles from parks across Portland and actually removing 116 of them from four parks on the east side, the city has suddenly stopped the project and will now wait until it has replacement light poles ready before continuing. The reversal comes after public backlash to the lighting removal, particularly as city leaders scramble to address public safety concerns and crimeā€”to which public lighting is a known deterrent.

In national and international news:

ā€¢ More bad press for TikTok: The social media app has failed to consistently label accounts operated by Russian state propaganda agencies as disinformation, per its own policy. Ā An analysis of the policy shows that it has not been applied to accounts with millions of followers and, even when the label is applied, it has minimal impact on Russiaā€™s ability to exploit TikTok algorithms to shape public opinion about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

ā€¢ Two Army helicopters crashed into each other during a training exercise in Kentucky Wednesday, killing nine people. The helicopters crashed in a wooded area and there are no reports of additional residential damage.

ā€¢ The Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter sale of the overdose-reversing drug Narcan Wednesday, paving the way to expand access to the life-saving medication. At least one Narcan producer said they aim to have the nasal spray on store shelves by late summer. Itā€™s unclear how much it will cost.

ā€¢ Spice up your morning by letting all the blood rush to your head! Itā€™s fun!