The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Do I need to remind you how much you love SANDWICHES? Well, then do I need to remind you that the Mercury's SANDWICH WEEK—featuring one-of-a-kind creations made by the city's top sammy makers for only 8 bucks each—is ending this Sunday? Don't panic, but it would BEHOOVE YOU to get all the info you need right HERE. It may also behoove you to check out this NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Portland city employees—the ones who do all the heavy lifting work on budgets, data analysis, developing policy, and lots more—have had it up to HERE (gesturing just about a foot over my head) with the shit pay they've been receiving and have formed a union to start getting what they're due. Check out this great explainer article from our Courtney Vaughn about this exciting new chapter for city employees.

• Note: Portland City Council is scheduled to vote on the mayor's cruel plan to criminalize the homeless today at 3:30 pm. Stand by for our wrap-up, and get the background here.

• As you may have heard, six women have been murdered recently and their bodies found in both Oregon and Washington. Portland Police were quick to issue a statement saying the murders were not connected, and... what's this? A source close to the investigation told the O that actually three of the six had been "known to frequent Southeast 82nd Avenue and an area near the Clackamas Town Center," and it's far too early in the investigation for the police to come out with such a careless statement—but isn't that kind of par for the course?

• Police in Redmond, Oregon, are investigating a hate crime after the town's mayor found a dead raccoon and a racist note in front of his door that was clearly directed at Redmond's only Black City Councilor. Sadly, this is only one of several recent racist incidents in one of Oregon's fastest growing cities.

• Wallowa County is the latest county to vote for seceding from the state of Oregon in the stupid, doomed plan known the "Greater Idaho Movement." The measure won by a scant 7 votes, but again, the subject is moot because even Idaho Republicans don't want them. 😢

• Thoughtless gun obsessives have rested their case in their court battle to overturn the voter-approved Measure 114 that would, among other things, ban large capacity ammo magazines that are necessary for those who love to commit mass shootings. Their primary defense: "But... but... OUR RIGHTS!!" Now, considerably more sane people (those protecting Measure 114 and the lives of those who don't want to be brutally murdered for someone's idiotic hobby) will make their appeal to the judge. 

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Wildfire season in Canada has begun in earnest, sending smoke and unhealthy, hazardous air into eastern portions of the US, affecting millions of people up and down the coast.

• Welp, that was mercifully quick: Controversial asshole Chris Licht, the chairman and chief executive of CNN for only one short year, has been given the boot. He will be remembered for kowtowing to calls for more right-wing news coverage and platforming Donald Trump by allowing him the stage on an episode of CNN Town Hall.

• Today in gun-happy America: A white Florida woman, Susan Louise Lorincz, has been arrested on charges of murdering her Black neighbor, Ajike Owens, following a two-and-a-half year feud. Owens was shot through the white woman's front door after Lorincz was heard yelling racial insults at Owens' children. MEANWHILE... A Black father and son were killed and five more were injured during a shooting on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. They were attending a high school graduation. 

• That federal indictment of Trump that we've all been waiting for could finally be drawing near as the grand jury investigation of his mishandling of classified documents reconvenes, and Trump's lawyers have been meeting with Justice Department officials. In other words, don't make the popcorn yet... but maybe stock up on your Orville Redenbachers.

• And finally... it's Wednesday. Watch your back.