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Good morning, Portland! Expect real fall weather today. Weā€™re likely in for some rain, with a high of 64 and a low of 55 degrees.Ā 

Election Day is three weeks away, but Multnomah County will begin mailing ballots to voters this week. Mercury staffers have been working hard around here on a nifty guide to help you navigate this historically overwhelming election. Look for it on the web and in print around the city, starting tomorrow. And remember: Rank your preferred candidates, but donā€™t rank anyone you donā€™t like or arenā€™t sure about. šŸ˜‰āœ…šŸ—³

In Local News:Ā 

  • Sisters of the Road, the local social justice organization that works to empower and advocate for the cityā€™s unhoused residents, got some bummer news recently. After a long fundraising stint, the groupā€™s purchase of the former House of Louie building fell through. Sisters of the Road planned to move its offices there and reopen its cafe that famously allowed folks to pop in and take on tasks around the cafe in exchange for a nourishing meal. Not only does the organization have to regroup and find a new space, the executive director, Kat Mahoney, is leaving this month.
  • A 17-year-old high school senior who was shot while trying to move from Warm Springs to Lincoln City is recovering at a Portland hospital. According to family and a GoFundMe fundraiser, Yisidro Greene was transporting personal belongings in a truck with his grandfather and a family friend, when a car in front of them came to a full stop on Highway 26, about a mile from Government Camp. Someone in the stopped car opened fire on the truck and one of the bullets struck Greene. The shooting wasnā€™t random. Greeneā€™s sister said her brother was moving to escape a home where drugs were a constant. The truck they were driving was Greeneā€™s motherā€™s, and it was targeted by a group who had been tracking her. Oregon State Police is investigating the shooting.
  • Mark your calendar. Oct. 30 is the return of Two Evils with Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy. This hilarious game show offers comedy and mischief, and itā€™s probably the only live performance where the audience is encouraged to use their phones during the show. This monthā€™s special guest is comedian Ben Harkins. Get your tickets now, this thing sells out!

In National/World News:

    • A massive, 10 million-pound meat recall is in effect, and the impacted products were sold at multiple national grocery chains. Listeria contamination Ā detected on meat sold by BrucePac prompted the USDA to issue a warning last week. Yesterday, a list of grocery retailers who carry the recalled products was circulated. The list includes Kroger, Albertsonā€™s, Trader Joes, Target, Amazon Fresh, and several others. The meat was mostly sold in prepared foods like sandwiches, salads, and wraps, but some can be found in frozen meals.
    • Dockworkers at several American shipping ports are no longer on strike, after a tentative labor agreement was reached earlier this month. Members of the International Longshoremenā€™s Association fought for a contract with fair wages that prevents their jobs from being lost to automation. The union includes about 45,000 workers across 36 ports, but only 14 ports were affected. Prior to this year's strike, the union hadnā€™t gone on strike since 1977. Here's a breakdown of what the tentative agreement includes. *Note: A previous version of this segment incorrectly stated the status of the strike. The Mercury regrets the error.
    • Lilly Ledbetter, the woman who inspired the namesake Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, died last weekend at age 86. Ledbetter was an advocate for fair pay in the workplace after discovering she had been paid less than her male counterparts for the same work at a tire manufacturing site in Alabama where she worked for 20 years. Ledbetter tried to sue the company, but was told by a court that her legal complaint couldnā€™t be heard because more than six months had passed since her employment there. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act later became the first piece of legislation signed into law by then President Barack Obama in 2009, making it easier for employees to sue for pay discrimination.
  • In long overdue action, the White House reportedly sent a letter warning Israel that if the humanitarian crisis in Gaza isn't improved, the United States will consider withholding military aid. Huh. Wonder why it took nearly a year.