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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Expect a rainy Monday, followed by increasingly sunny skies throughout the week, with highs topping out at a very summery 75 degrees on Thursday. Now let's check in on some partly sunny NEWS!

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• This weekend's annular eclipse put on a great show for some of those in Southern Oregon who were able to check out the ring of fire in all its glory. Prepare for the shock of your life: Portland wasn't so lucky.

• On Friday a couple hundred Portlanders marched in support of Palestine, bringing attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and reminding folks that the roots of the current conflict go all the way back to 1948 when 700,000 Palestinians were displaced by the government of Israel.

• For a good deep dive into how police violence in Portland has changed (and still has so very far to go), check out this illuminating history piece from Fedor Zarkhin of the O, which is part one of a four-part series on how the police murders of Black Portlanders in the 1970s and beyond still reverberate today.

• Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade says that instead of taking an independent investigator's advice to take down an audit of the OLCC that was performed while former SoS Shemia Fagan was in charge, she will be reviewing the audit herself, citing her 16 years of experience in the auditing biz. Currently there's no timeline on when such a review would be done, and unsurprisingly, Griffin-Valade's decision is inspiring some raised eyebrows among state politicos.

• Oregon State University researchers now have a solid theory as to why grey whales off the Pacific Coast have been dying with such alarming regularity, and... you guessed it... climate change is almost certainly the culprit, as warming arctic temperatures are screwing with their food sources and ability to reproduce.

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Hundreds of thousands are desperately trying to escape Gaza as Israel's unblinking campaign of revenge continues while ignoring the cries of civilians (half of whom are children) who have been swept up in the unrelenting bombings while desperately trying to find basic necessities, such as fuel and water. Meanwhile Israeli officials are claiming that the number of people taken hostage by Hamas is now up to nearly 200 people—many more than previously thought. It seems like even the loudest Israel backers are starting to second-guess their unwavering support of the government, including President Biden who is advising that the occupation of Gaza would be "a big mistake." The conflict has also started to inspire hate crimes in the US as well, with a six-year-old Palestinan American boy who was murdered (and his mother wounded) by the family's landlord who singled them out because of their Muslim religion. 

• A judge is set to hear arguments regarding the special prosecutor's request... well, a request from all of us really... for Trump to shut the fuck up about the details of his current trial, and is considering a limited gag order that would forbid him from talking about the case on the campaign trail, while still allowing him to spread his usual litany of lies about Biden and his Republican competitors.

• Today in HA-HA-HA: The feckless House Republicans still have no speaker, and no prospects other than dipshit Rep. Jim Jordan—which means they may be forced to enter into a deal with Democrats to get someone elected HA-HA-HA!

• Drug store chain Rite Aid announced it is filing for bankruptcy, following lagging sales and lawsuits accusing them of contributing to the opioid crisis by filling illegal prescriptions.

• Suzanne Somers, star of the classic TV sitcom Three's Company, has died at the age of 76 following a lengthy battle with breast cancer. She was also a proponent of natural health and fitness, which included one of the most hilariously beloved pieces of workout gear ever, the Thigh Master.

• And finally... I'd like to see you bring some Steph Tolev energy to your interactions with assholes this week! BRAVA! BRAVA! A thousand times BRAVA!