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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Fake spring is over and we’re back to chilly, rainy days for now. We’re in for a high of 44 degrees today, and a low of 42. On the bright side (literally), the sun will rise before 7 am and stick around until nearly 6 pm. 

In LOCAL NEWS: 

• Last week, Parkrose High School students held an environmental action fair at the school, which sits across from a planned diesel freight warehouse operated by Prologis. The city granted Prologis a permit to convert a former Kmart site on NE Sandy into a trucking warehouse, to the dismay of environmental advocates and students.

The neighborhood already has worse air quality than other areas of Portland. You may remember last summer when a fire at the site sent toxic ash and debris into the Parkrose neighborhood. Climate justice students say a diesel freight operation will only pollute their air more, furthering years of environmental injustice.

• Earlier this month, we got the background on Keith Wilson, one of the newer additions to the list of people vying to be Portland’s next mayor. Yesterday, another candidate joined the race: local writer, minister and stripper, Liv Osthus, better known as Viva Las Vegas. Osthus filed to participate in Portland's Small Donor Elections program and filed a notice of intent to run for mayor. Rest assured, we’ll be catching up with Osthus to learn more about her platform and vision for the city. In the meantime, here’s the Mercury’s mayoral candidate rundown.

• Speaking of elections, if the Portland City Council race and the November election are already making your head spin, you’re not alone. Especially considering there’s an election in just a few months that will see county voters pick the next district attorney. If you want to keep tabs on who’s running in your new council district, we’ve got you covered. Among the recent filings: an Army veteran with a PhD in economics, an armless, openly gay cycling enthusiast who previously ran for governor, and a social worker and Reynolds School Board member. 

• This weekend marks the return of everyone’s favorite, sexiest local film fest, HUMP! HUMP! is a showcase of erotic short films made by real people for real people. It’s an adventurous journey into kink, fetishes and the simple pleasures that fuel your fantasies. Check out the lineup of local screenings at Revolution Hall, running March 1-15.

 
 
 
 
 
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In NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• President Joe Biden says Israel might agree to a cease-fire during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, as long as Hamas agrees to release hostages. Israel has vowed to resume its bombing of Gaza after the pause, despite international calls for the country to stop its military force against Palestinians.

• The US Airforce airman who set himself on fire outside the Israel embassy in Washington, DC Sunday afternoon has been confirmed as Aaron Bushnell, 25, of San Antonio, Texas. Bushnell livestreamed the incident on Twitch, shouting he would “no longer be complicit in genocide,” referring to the US involvement in the Israel-Hamas war.

• The federal government is trying to block grocery corporations Albertsons and Kroger from merging. In what would be the largest supermarket merger in US history, the Federal Trade Commission says the move would "lead to higher prices, store closures and job losses," CNN reports.

• The future is now, and the future is a chart-topping pop singer showing the world she can tackle any genre she damn well pleases, including country music. Beyoncé’s foray into country has sparked interesting responses from radio stations and ignited conversations about the oft-forgotten role Black Americans had in the genre’s early iterations. Beyoncé is now the first Black woman to top the US Hot 100 charts with a country song.

 
 
 
 
 
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