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Happy Friday! It's going to be sunny and warm today, but say goodbye to all that— starting tomorrow, it'll OFFICIALLY BE FALL, and we'll get rain all next week to show for it. YAY!

Now, time for the news.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Former Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty accepted a settlement of $680,000 in her lawsuit against the Portland Police Union and two officers who spread misinformation that she committed a hit-and-run in early 2021. The settlement avoids a trial which was supposed to begin next week. She also received a written apology from Mayor Ted Wheeler last month, which came with an additional $5000. Not sure if it's a fair trade for the racist smear campaign against her in the press and on social media, but I'm glad she'll getting something out of this whole boondoggle. 

• Jessie Burke, a Portland businessperson who owns The Society Hotel in Old Town, was a member of Gov. Tina Kotek's downtown task force — until she was booted this week because of her ties to Nathan Vasquez’s campaign for Multnomah County district attorney. Whoops! 

• A new vision for the Lloyd Center has been submitted to the City of Portland and is making waves around social media. The latest Lloyd Center revitalization plans do not include a Major League Baseball stadium, but do include housing, retail, and community gathering space—and excitingly, getting rid of a few unnecessary parking garages. 

• Portland's coolest new record shop is three record stores, a bookstore, a radio station, and a music label. Read about the new home of Beacon Sound, Musique Plastique, Super Electric, Lost Avenue, et al. in the 2023 Fall Arts & Culture Preview.

• Yesterday, the Biden administration agreed to spend more than $200 million and fully fund Native tribes’ plans to reintroduce salmon in the Upper Columbia River Basin. Salmon have been extinct in parts of the Columbia River Basin for more than 80 years thanks to the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in Washington. The money will, among other things, be used for making accommodations to dams on the Columbia so salmon are able to get travel past them. Salmon and tribal sovereignty wins are great to see.

• Get thee to Ashland for the 2024 Oregon Shakespeare Festival:

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Speaking of Shakespeare: Prepare ye, East Coasters, for lots of rain this week from Tropical Storm Ophelia. 

• The U.S. Government is on the verge of a shutdown as far-right loonies in the House have seized control from Speaker Kevin McCarthy and refuse to come to an agreement on a spending plan. Dark Brandon has emerged with some words on the situation:

•  The United Auto Workers (UAW) strike is growing to 38 General Motors and Stellantis plants in 20 states. Ford has agreed to some of the union's demands during recent negotiations, so it will be spared additional strikes for now. 

• Finally, may all your autumns begin so cozily: