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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Today we’re gonna party like it’s ‘92, because that’s today’s forecasted high temperature! Whew! Tonight’s low is 59. 

This toasty Tuesday is a good excuse not to cook. Instead, go get yourself a delicious, $8 sandwich from among the bevy of Sandwich Week participants. Where else can you get a filling meal for less than $10?!

 

In Local News: 

  • The Portland Police Bureau is trying to assuage an uneasy public, after online rumors and suggestions that the spate of homicides of six women in the greater Portland area might be the work of a serial killer. PPB released a statement Sunday, saying the cases are unconnected.
  • If you’ve ever been stuck on the wrong side of the train tracks in Portland’s inner east side, you know the misery of waiting up to an hour just to cross. The train’s frequent, extended delays have plagued TriMet and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT). Now, PBOT will use federal grant money to study the impacts of freight trains that block….err…run through Southeast Portland, transporting everything from dry goods to flammable materials. 

  • Sen. Ron Wyden is pressing the FDA and DEA on the ongoing shortage of generic ADHD medications. Wyden cited “conflicting reports” from federal agencies, manufacturers and pharmacies about the cause of the shortage. The federal lawmaker who represents Oregon, says the persistent shortage is having an outsized impact on rural areas that often rely on independent pharmacies.
  • In case you missed it, a Portland school bus driver accused of proselytizing to kids and asking them to sing along to religious hymns has been the subject of at least one prior complaint. The Oregon Department of Education determined Portland Public Schools shouldn’t be held to blame for the bus driver’s behavior, but the parent who initially reported the problem says the district is handling the issue poorly. 
  • Nurses at three Providence medical centers voted to authorize a strike, citing unfair labor practices and failure to maintain wages that attract and retain experienced medical providers.
  • Finally, if you’ve been playing the ‘is it allergies, or a virus?’ game, it’s probably the former. Grass pollen counts in the Willamette Valley have reached all-time highs, and cities as far north as Portland are feeling the impacts, albeit much less than in Eugene.


In National/World News:

  • Former Vice President Mike Pence has officially filed to run for president in the 2024 election. He’ll face off against former President Donald Trump, current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and at least six other Republican candidates who will undoubtedly try to sell Americans on lower taxes and less government, while simultaneously applauding bans on abortion and drag queen shows. Grab the popcorn! 🍿 Can’t wait to see what Pence will say to Trump, who notoriously tried to get Pence to overturn the 2020 election results leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection.
  • Speaking of DeSantis, a Texas sheriff’s office is recommending criminal charges be brought against his administration, in connection with flights paid for by Florida, which shuttled migrants in San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Authorities say officials coerced migrants to board flights with false promises of jobs, and used illegal restraint, including on some children. 

  • The construction of a police training facility in Atlanta dubbed “Cop City” was approved for funding by the city’s elected leaders after a nearly 14-hour meeting. The training center, which has yet to be built, will require a large swath of forest to be cleared to make way for development. Environmental protesters have been actively fighting local authorities, leading to the death of a 26-year-old activist earlier this year.
  • A school board in Oklahoma approved the first state-funded public charter school that is also a religious school. They’re either testing the legal waters in hopes of a Supreme Court review, or none of those poor souls paid enough attention in school to learn about the separation of church and state. Yes, the Oklahoma Attorney General already warned the board that its actions are likely to land the state in legal trouble.
  • A new study from North Carolina State University found that sucralose, a common ingredient in artificial sweeteners like Splenda, damages human DNA. 


Here’s your reminder that dogs fix everything.

 
 
 
 
 
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