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It’s Tuesday, but for many of us, it feels like a Monday, so let’s be gentle with ourselves as we wipe the cobwebs from our brains, OK?

Due to the holiday, there was no morning news roundup yesterday, so let’s catch up!

In Local News:

  • Police are asking the public for help with identifying the suspect in a hate crime that took place in downtown Portland last month. A man on a bike spat on, hurled slurs at and assaulted a family walking near Southwest 2nd Avenue and Pine Street on Aug. 21. Tommy Ly, the owner of Stumptown Otaku, told KGW a cyclist barrelled toward his family, nearly hitting them. Ly said he told the man to “watch out” and an altercation ensued. The cyclist allegedly threw a punch at Ly and flicked a lit cigarette at his mother. Ly maced the cyclist, who rode off. If anyone knows who this garbage person on the white bike in the photo is, holler.

  • A time capsule from 100 years ago recently unearthed at Roseway Heights Middle School might contain the signature of a third-grade Beverly Cleary. Cleary, the Portland-based children’s author who died in 2021, attended a number of Portland schools during her childhood. Current families at the Northeast Portland school think it’s likely Cleary attended Gregory Heights School (now Roseway Heights Middle School) based on a roster of students and the signature on a page in the time capsule. Read more about the intriguing, adorable mystery behind one of the city’s most beloved authors. 

  • As states pass a wave of anti-LGBTQ bills–many aimed at restricting access to gender-affirming care–the Equi Institute reports a recent 60% increase in demand for services from people from out of state. Outside In, a nonprofit that serves queer youth, has also seen a rise in out-of-towners seeking help, OPB reports. The numbers suggest Oregon is quickly becoming a sanctuary state for people who face oppression and roadblocks to care in red states. 

  • If you haven’t had a chance to catch the Mercury’s hilarious Two Evils gameshow-style comedy show, now’s your chance. Next Wednesday, Sept. 13, Kate Murphy and Arlo Weierhauser host the latest installment of your new favorite live show with special guest comedians Milan Patel and Neeraj Srinivasan. Bring your phone, dial in your answers to the audience questions, and watch funny people try to guess the audience’s response and do what they do best–make you laugh. Tickets are just $15!

In National/World News:

  • Tens of thousands of people who flocked to the middle of the Nevada desert for this year’s Burning Man festival got stranded there after a summer storm flooded the festival grounds. Burning Man festival goers, or “Burners” revel in performances, massive art installations, ceremonial events and community-building at a makeshift city on a playa in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. The heavy rains left many roads impassable over the weekend and attendees were advised to hunker down, conserve food and water, and wait for the site to dry up. By Monday afternoon, cars were finally allowed to exit the grounds, but event organizers reported 64,000 people were still on site. Many stayed for the ritual Man burn Monday night.
  • Steve Harwell, vocalist for the band Smash Mouth, has died at age 56 after being on hospice care. Harwell, whose band was best known for hits like “All Star” and “Walkin’ on the Sun” suffered acute liver failure and was previously reported to have struggled with alcoholism. Smash Mouth's hits defined the early 2000s and their tongue-in-cheek music videos dominated MTV during the band's heyday, but in 2013, Harwell was diagnosed with a heart condition and Wernicke encephalopathy, a neurological condition. During a 2021 live set with Smash Mouth at a beer festival, Harwell was visibly drunk onstage, threatening audience members, and at one point, he appeared to give a Nazi salute to the crowd. Harwell retired from music that year.

  • First Lady Jill Biden has COVID-19. President Biden reportedly tested negative. Mrs. Biden’s symptoms are mild, and she’s recovering at her home in Delaware. The news comes as COVID cases are on the rise and a new booster is said to be available sometime later this month.

  • The BBC reports a human trafficking ring has been uncovered, aimed at recruiting Cubans to fight for Russia in the war against Ukraine. Cuba's foreign ministry said Cubans living in Russia, and even some living in Cuba, were part of Russian military forces.Â