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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Okay, weather watchers, let's buckle up: You can expect rain showers and high of 40 today, but tomorrow (Friday) is a whole different story. Temps will plunge to freezing tomorrow afternoon, when the snow is expected to arrive and possibly keep falling into Saturday. (One way to prepare is abandoning your car now instead of on a snowy street tomorrow during rush hour! Just an idea.) Now let's further prepare ourselves with some NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• The Portland Police Bureau has released the names of the officers who shot and killed Tyrone Johnson, for the crime of suspected shoplifting, in the parking lot of Mall 205, and they are Officers John Bartlett, Adi Ramic, and Brian Wheeler—all of whom have fired their weapons in previous cases. Wheeler, along with other officers, shot and killed a 20-year-old suspect last April, while Ramic and Bartlett critically injured a man during a 2022 traffic stop. Johnson was killed while running from the officers, and while the officers say there was a gun found near the body, the bureau hasn't released any substantial evidence of the claim.

• In further depressing news, state lawmakers are proposing that Oregon should go running back to the failed "war on drugs" by recriminalizing minor drug possession—an act which does nothing to support addiction treatment, and will only push desperate people into taking further desperate actions. Additionally, by gutting the voter-approved Measure 110, recriminalization will not only further stress the overburdened criminal justice and mental health systems, it will—as it always has—aversely affect people of color in particular... and to hear our Democratic leaders bowing to the ignorant wishes of the white, rich entitled class is a stark reminder (and disgusting continuation) of Oregon's shameful, racist history. REMINDER: The people behind the push to, as they cynically call it, "fix" Measure 110 NEVER wanted it to succeed in the first place, and their efforts will only lead to further addiction and death. And trust me when I say, they could not care less.

• Portland most likely now has more electric cars than places to charge them—but the city is attempting to flip the script on that by beefing up the number of pay-as-you-go charging stations, and—lucky them—they now have a $1.7 million federal grant to kick it off. Our Taylor Griggs has the details.

• Gonzalez Goofs Again: During a city council discussion on relaxing zoning rules in order to get more affordable housing into the Slabtown / inner eastside area, Commissioner Rene Gonzalez waited until the last second to throw in his own litany of amendments to the plan. These changes involved getting rid of two important environmental requirements: planting eco-roofs on new buildings (which help alleviate heat domes, save money and energy, protect wildlife, and clean the air), and losing specially treated windows that prevent the scourge of bird crashes. Naturally everyone (including the mayor) yelled at him for both his regressive, bone-headed policies, as well as trying to sneak in the wishes of his fellow rich people at the last moment. (Psst... it's going to be very difficult for the city to have a mayor that no one likes or wants to work with.)

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Trump arrived in court today for the closing arguments in his civil fraud trial—which was delayed because one of his domestic terrorist followers called in a bomb threat at the home of the judge. New York is seeking $370 million in penalties which could make a significant dent in the prosperity of the Trump organization, hee-hee-hee.

• In case you didn't notice, COVID IS BACK. More than 10,000 people died globally last month after holiday celebrations kicked the virus—which is a new variant—back into high gear. (Have you noticed the uptick in the number of your friends and relatives with Covid this week? It's no coincidence.)

• Portland can do this too:

• Last night's Republican debate between distant second and third place presidential wannabes Gov. Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley turned into a desperate, annoying shitshow with the two losers screaming at each other without offering a single platform anyone could get behind. In other words, right on brand.

• Not the obituary I wanted to read today: "Fruit Stripe gum has been discontinued after 54 years." NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! 😭🦓

• And finally, it never fails... just when I think I'm parachuting safely into the weekend, this shit happens: