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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! It's going to be chilly and rainy today. Perfect spooky weather for Hallows' Eve-eve. That's today, right? Anyway, let's get to the news.

IN LOCAL NEWS: 

• There is finally a real plan underway for the James Beard Public Market, a project that has been in talks for decades. The plan is to put the public market—which is envisioned to be Portland's version of the Pike Place Market in Seattle—a couple blocks from Pioneer Square, combining the ground floors of the historic Selling building (formerly the home of Payless Shoes) and the Ungar building (a former Rite Aid).

The market would honor its namesake, James Beard, the iconic chef and cookbook author born in Portland, and include a large area for vendors for local chefs and growers to sell their wares. The plan also includes a bookstore, bar, bakery, and cooking school.  Right now, optimistic projections say the market could be complete as soon as two years from now, with the potential for pop-ups and events to fill the space next fall.

Find out more about the past and future of this exciting project in Suzette Smith's latest article.

• Local leaders are worried about the potential for mass protest after the election next week, and they're trying to get ahead of it by issuing a statement urging "respectful civic participation." More than 100 elected officials, community advocates, labor unions, and local organizations signed a letter released by the Portland Metro Chamber yesterday, asking Portlanders to protest peacefully in order to help the city continue making "progress in its recovery over the past few years." Those who signed the letter range from Governor Tina Kotek to Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, the latter of whom is likely to be the subject of protests if he's elected as mayor next week.

I am always suspicious of the Portland Metro Chamber (AKA the Portland Business Alliance) and its motives, and I don't know that this letter is going to do anything to convince people to stay calm if Americans decide to adopt a fascist dictatorship next week. On the other hand, it's been kinda nice to see the tide turning in a way that it's now possible to tell people you live in Portland without receiving looks of shock and horror in reply. But that feeling doesn't drive my entire political ideology. I don't know, I'm rambling now. We'll see what happens. 

• If YOU'RE worried about election night, come check out our party at Mississippi Studios! 

• If you don't have (at least one) visible license plate or a visible vehicle identification number (VIN) on your car, expect to get towed. The Portland Bureau of Transportation announced today that their parking enforcement team will order an automatic tow for these vehicles, which changes in city code give them the authority to do. I'd personally like to see PBOT ticketing more people for parking in the bike lanes and right next to stop signs, but maybe they can chew gum and walk at the same time. 

• The Mercury is hiring! This may not be the news you're seeking in this news roundup, but I am very excited about it and wish to share with the world. Please tell your friends/enemies/professional contacts about the opportunity to be the Mercury's music editor, and get them to apply. (Only tell your enemies if you're the one who's kinda the problem in the relationship.) 

 
 
 
 
 
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IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Donald Trump is trying to save face after a "comedian" called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage" at his recent Madison Square Garden rally. Following the comments, major Puerto Rican celebrities including Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez have put their support behind Kamala Harris, and the Trump campaign disavowed the message, saying the joke "does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign." Trump himself did not comment on the "joke" so much as he did make up lies about his support for Puerto Rico while he was in office. 

“No president has done more for Puerto Rico than I have,” Trump said at an event in Pennsylvania yesterday. (Fact check: Trump withheld about $20 billion in federal hurricane relief funds for Puerto Rico after the very deadly Hurricane Maria hit the island in 2017, and then obstructed the investigation looking into it.) BOO!! HISS!! I really want to stop following this guy and all the evil shenanigans he gets up to. Please, can we be done with it?

• In response to the comedian’s comment about Puerto Rico at the Trump rally, President Biden has created controversy of his own by saying “the only garbage [he] sees floating out there is his supporters.” Harris was quick to attempt to disavow the comments, which didn’t mesh with the message of unity she is trying to present in the final days of her campaign, but it seemingly did some damage, reminding people of Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” comment in 2016. Biden’s right, but he probably shouldn’t say it…I guess.

• This summer, TikTok was inundated with videos about JPMorgan Chase's "infinite money glitch," a "hack" that allowed people to take advantage of a technical issue and deposit fake checks to withdraw the money. Except it didn't really "allow" them to do that, because that's bank fraud. Now, Chase is suing a few customers and businesses who engaged in this "glitch." Those who are not being sued still have to pay back the money they stole from the bank. Look, I know it kinda sounds like I'm defending Chase, which I am most definitely not. But I am irritated that the trajectory of viral "life hack" videos has ended in people with no media literacy or common sense committing bank fraud. Please, open the schools. 

• Hopefully these seals dunking pumpkins put you in the Halloween spirit (if you weren't there already). Happy Halloween, and happy Wednesday!! EDIT: I am a FOOL and these are sea otters. I include this correction publicly as a sign of my humility and willingness to learn. I have to say, it's kinda nice to get emails correcting me about my egregious errors, because then I know at least I'm not just writing into the void. 

 
 
 
 
 
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