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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Time for another day of May sunshine. Let's get into the news.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

 A new Safe Rest Village is slated to open in North Portland with 60 units for unhoused Portlanders. But will it be effective in transitioning people into longterm housing? People are skeptical, especially given its controversial operating organization, Urban Alchemy. Our Courtney Vaughn has the story

• The TriMet board voted to approve a 30-cent fare increase yesterday, much to the chagrin of protesters who showed up to the meeting to voice their opposition. The anti-fare hike rally got pretty spicy, with some heated exchanges between TriMet board members/staff and the opponents. Here's my Twitter thread from the event: 

• A downtown Starbucks location is closing—and workers believe it's because they have a union. They protested the decision yesterday, picketing outside the coffee shop. Starbucks has been working to thwart unionization nationwide for months now, so the company's vengeful practices aren't surprising at this point, but they are disappointing!  

• The Portland Rose Festival begins this weekend with rides and fireworks and a scavenger hunt! You can find all the details on our calendar, EverOut.  

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Ron DeSantis finally made his 2024 presidential run official in a glitch-plagued “Twitter event” with Elon Musk. I really don’t have much to say about DeSantis, except that I think he’s one of the most vile people who has ever lived. Luckily, he doesn't really stand a chance, because he's also extremely uncharismatic and strange. 

• Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy claims he’s been working across the aisle on a deal to raise the debt ceiling. Whether he’s lying or not (probably lying), Republicans had better work quickly. According to the Treasury Department, the US is set to default on June 1, causing an international economic crisis. No pressure, losers!  

• The January 6 insurrectionist who took a picture with his feet on Nancy Pelosi’s desk during the 2021 insurrection has been sentenced to more than four years in prison. Because he is such a great legal mind, he claimed he simply wandered in there looking for a bathroom, but he clearly didn't need to go that badly, because he took the time to write Pelosi a personal note and get a photo-op. 

The iconic singer Tina Turner died yesterday at 83. The world will mourn the "Queen of Rock n' Roll," who made famous songs like "What's Love Got To Do With It" and "Proud Mary." Rest In Peace, Tina. 

• Finally, here's a video of a panda inflicting revenge on a tricky chair. Happy Thursday! I hope your chairs cooperate today.