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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Happy Wednesday. It might seem like the end of summer is near, but this Labor Day weekend is gearing up to be a hot one. For today, though, the temperature will only be around 80 degrees. 

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Have barbecue plans for Labor Day weekend? If you don't want to be known as a scab for the rest of your life, plan to shop for food at a grocery store that's NOT Fred Meyer. Fred Meyer workers in and around Portland went on strike this morning, as the bargaining team from grocery store workers' union United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555 has not reached a contract deal with the company. The workers plan to remain on strike until the morning of September 3, unless the union reaches a deal before then. 

• This Labor Day weekend will be hot for local grocery store employees, as workers at New Seasons are ALSO planning to go on strike. Workers at 10 unionized New Seasons locations in Portland and Beaverton plan to go on a one-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike on Sunday, demanding store management come to the bargaining table and negotiate a contract with the union. Many New Seasons employees have been unionized for about a couple years now, and they still don't have a labor contract with the company. In conclusion: Go to Safeway for your grocery needs this weekend. 

• Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. suspended his presidential campaign last week (and subsequently disgraced his family and endorsed Trump), but he'll still be on the ballot in Oregon.  The leader of Kennedy's Oregon operation called his spot on the ballot a "disrupter" that will hopefully help the We The People party (which RFK Jr. was running under) make a name for itself. Kennedy will also remain on the ballot in states that actually matter for the outcome of the November race, like Michigan and Wisconsin. I just have to say...if you're surprised that some Oregonians were ever interested in an RFK Jr. presidency, you need to spend more time in Eugene. That's all I'll say. 

• Portlanders keep griping about taxes, but it seems like they'll pay them when push comes to shove (and if the issue on the table is our city's wonderful parks.) A new poll says Portland voters may be willing to pay more in property taxes in order to maintain city parks. But a new levy rate wouldn't be referred to voters until the new City Council is in place in January. We shall see what happens then! 

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Despite the Supreme Court's recent presidential "broad immunity" ruling that threw Donald Trump's federal indictment for a loop, special counsel Jack Smith isn't giving up on charging the former president for participating in the 2021 insurrection and trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential race. Smith is narrowing his charges against Trump in the new indictment to hopefully comply with our scary Supreme Court's decision. It's comforting to know someone is still out there trying to hold this guy accountable. 

• In scary climate disaster news...

• In its ongoing war in Gaza, the Israeli military has killed tens of thousands of people and caused many more injuries. Now, people in Gaza have to deal with another terrible effect of the war—a resurgence of polio. One 10-month-old baby boy was recently diagnosed in polio, and his case is the first one in Gaza in 25 years. Prior to the current Israeli bombardment of Gaza, most Gazans were able to access the polio vaccine, but newborns haven't been able to access their regular vaccines while the area's hospitals are under siege. 

• Not that I feel sorry for the multi-multibillion dollar airplane/spacecraft/defense weapons manufacturers or anything, but it's literally been a bad year for Boeing. Now, in addition to the airplane malfunctions and suspiciously-timed deaths of a couple company whistleblowers, Boeing's future in the spacecraft industry is majorly on the rocks...and for good reason! Two astronauts are stuck at the International Space Station after a glitchy test-launch of Boeing's Starliner craft back in June, and they won't be returning until after Christmas. When the two astronauts do come back to Earth, they'll do so in a SpaceX ship, not a Boeing one. So, what does this mean for Boeing's future in space? Well, it's not clear yet, but it can't be anything good.

• Finally, here's your weekly dose of Oregon Zoo content. Have a great day, everyone!