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GHOUL MORNING, PORTLAND! Happy Halloween to those who revel in spooky szn. 👻🎃

Today, you’re in for a treat. 🍬 Expect a dash of sunshine and a high of 60 degrees, but beware! If you dressed as a sexy nun today, or just Ken, better transition to a werewolf … or just a regular nun tonight, when Portland’s temperature will drop back down to the mid-40s. 

Let’s peep some scary headlines, shall we?

In Local News:

  • Portland police will start enforcing the city’s anti-homeless daytime camping restrictions in two weeks, after pausing enforcement to allow time for “training and education.” I dare you to ask an unhoused person if they know the new rules or have even heard of them. Along with that news, interim Police Chief Bob Day also announced that he wants Portland cops to get out and walk around more, in an effort to engage with everyday Portlanders and tourists. Speaking of police, Portland has a lot. While the governor sent OSP troopers to help patrol downtown, the city has also seen a large increase in the number of private security teams roving city streets. Other security measures include the return of hawks! Yes, those predatory birds. In a bevy of announcements Monday, it was revealed that hawks will be brought back to downtown, to deter the crows that crap all over the sidewalks and paved parks. Much like the city’s drug and homelessness enforcement efforts, the hawks will mostly encourage the crows to move elsewhere.
  • Cities across the nation, and globe, are seeing protests in support of a cease-fire in Gaza. Portland has already seen its share of Free Palestine protests, but over the weekend, Portlanders took to the streets of downtown again, this time to press Oregon’s Congressional leaders to call for an end to the air strikes and ground war being launched in Gaza. Last week, Sen. Jeff Merkley stopped short of demanding a cease-fire, instead signing on to a joint statement with other lawmakers, calling for a “humanitarian pause” –you know, just a little snack break. A cat nap, if you will, on the bombing of Palestinians, in order to let them evacuate and receive basic supplies and food. Taylor Griggs has more on the latest protest.
  • If you were planning on taking a blue or red line MAX train this Sunday, bad news. TriMet will shut down those lines for an emergency training drill taking place at the Washington Park station. The emergency training will involved police, fire, medical, and of course, transit staff.
  • Yesterday, Rep. Earl Blumenauer announced this will be his last term in office, as he retires in 2025. Blumenauer has been in Congress for nearly 30 years, and obviously, deserves a nice retirement from a robust career in politics, but his announcement begs the question: Who can replace Portland’s beloved, bespectacled and bow-tied bicycling congressman?

In National/World News:

  • The White House has rolled out the U.S. government’s first AI executive order. The order is meant to address the civil rights implications and job market impacts that are all but certain to come from increased use of artificial intelligence. While some AI companies have already voluntarily agreed to abide by guidance aimed at protecting privacy, civil rights, and safety, the order is legally binding.

  • The gunman who opened fire and killed 18 people last week in Lewiston, Maine  previously tried to buy a silencer, but was denied due to confessed mental health issues. ABC News reports Robert Card II acknowledged on forms at a gun shop that he had previously been treated for mental health issues. That declaration was enough to disqualify him from purchasing a silencer, but it didn’t prevent Card, a firearms instructor with the Army Reserve, from keeping his access to personal weapons, which he eventually used to gun down people at a bowling alley before eventually taking his own life. The Associated Press notes Card, 40, spent two weeks in a treatment facility after hearing voices and making threats to his military unit. Earlier this year, Card’s family told the local sheriff’s office they were concerned about his mental health and access to weapons. The sheriff’s office then alerted Card’s Army Reserve unit, who pledged to make sure he got medical attention and eventually revoked his military-issued weapons.

  • The U.S. Supreme Court is slated to hear a case involving a Michigan man who claims a move to block him from viewing the private Facebook page of a local city government leader violated his rights to view official content. While that case focused on a personal page, the court's consideration is expected to consider whether elected officials can block members of the public from their official accounts.   
    @personalfinanceclub Follow to see me spook people on the street! 👻 Shout out to @Tawnya - Money Life Coach 🫶🏽 for inspiring the idea! #halloween #costumeideas #housingmarket ♬ original sound - Jeremy Schneider