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Good morning, Portland! We’re in for another sunny day (woot!!) but don’t let the sun fool you. Overnight temps could drop down to an ultra frigid 33 degrees. And if your first thought is one of concern for our unhoused neighbors, here are some resources suggested by Multnomah County (Severe weather shelters won’t be opened unless it’s cold enough for your snot to freeze over.)

For the county to open emergency warming shelters, one of three conditions must be met: the temperature must be 25 degrees fahrenheit or below, there is forecasted snow accumulation of an inch or more, or, the temperature will hit freezing (32 degrees) with an inch or more of driving rain.

Here’s the county’s message regarding unhoused people enduring the elements: “If someone outside is unsheltered and whose life appears to be in danger, call 9-1-1. Otherwise, if you see someone about whom you are concerned during cold weather, such as not being dressed for the weather conditions, call Multnomah County’s non-emergency response line at 503-823-3333 and request a welfare check. To help someone locate shelter and transportation to shelter, please call 2-1-1.”

Bundle up and look out for each other.

In Local News:

• An Oregon man was sentenced for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol. Jonathanpeter Allen Klein, 24, was sentenced Monday to nine months in prison, followed by three years of probation. Klein, whose brother also faces charges for his involvement in the capitol riot, reportedly threw a piece of equipment at an officer, denting his helmet and temporarily incapacitating him. Klein’s attorney asked for a 90-day extension on the sentencing, hoping President-elect Donald Trump might pardon the January 6 rioters, but a judge denied the request.

• The driver involved in a fatal street racing crash on November 30 was arrested Monday. Police say 18-year-old Juan Raul Medina Dominguez, of Gresham, is being charged with negligent homicide and reckless driving, after a rollover crash killed a teen passenger in Medina Dominguez’s car. The crash likely occurred during a street takeover near North Marine Drive. Police didn’t release the name of the victim, but a GoFund Me page identified the teen as Cameron. Investigators believe the 18-year-old driver was likely doing donuts when his car flipped, killing the passenger, who wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

• Despite threats from the Oregon Housing Stability Council to withhold millions in funding from a low-income property development company, KATU reports multiple issues identified during a 2023 housing inspection at Milepost 5 have yet to be remedied. Milepost 5 apartments was initially built to accommodate artists with affordable studio and 1-bedroom apartments. It’s since become riddled with roaches and disrepair. 

• It’s not all doom and gloom, at least, it doesn’t have to be. Portland is brimming with things to see and do, including holiday light displays and the traditional Christmas tree lit up in Pioneer Square. Check out the full rundown of Rose City happenings, courtesy of Everout.

We've compiled the biggest events of December in every genre, from Billie Eilish to Robin Wall Kimmerer In Conversation With Emma Marris and from A Charlie Brown Christmas Live to the Portland Holiday Brew Fest. Get ready to get busy!

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 10:04 AM

• Warm your bones, de-stress, and get a little festive with an $8 cocktail at two dozen locations. It’s Holiday Drink Week and Portland’s bartenders are mixing up limited-edition libations, just to ring in the season. Get your drink on now until Dec. 8! 

In National/World News:

• A Washington, D.C. Metro Police officer is on trial for covertly aiding Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio. The AP reports Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Shane Lamond became a "double agent" for far-right group the Proud Boys, and leaked confidential information to Tarrio about his impending arrest for his group taking and burning a Black Lives Matter banner at the US Capitol. Tarrio is already serving a 22-year prison sentence for his role in the Jan. 6 capitol attacks.

Good morning! Remember, you don't have to eat one chocolate a day from the Advent calendar. You can eat them all and then get another calendar. Stick with me for more great Holiday tips! 🎄

— Jane of the North (@janeotn.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 3:13 AM

• South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has declared martial law there, after a failure by opposing political parties to pass a budget bill. The BBC reports Yeol said military rule is necessary to protect the country from “anti-state elements” and North Korean forces. All political activities are prohibited for now while the National Assembly meets.

• An extremely rare, beaked whale that washed ashore in New Zealand in July is being dissected by scientists there. A spade-tooth whale is one of only seven ever recorded since the 1800s. The beached whale provides a rare opportunity for researchers to dissect specimen to find out more about how the deep sea creatures live. The Guardian reports scientists are working with local Māori people (indigenous Polynesians from mainland New Zealand). The Māori maintain customary rights over the aquatic mammals and consider whales a sacred species. 

Scientists dissect ‘world’s rarest whale’ for clues on little-known species

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— The Guardian (@theguardian.com) December 2, 2024 at 7:44 PM

• You might want to sit down for this. Go ahead, pour another cup of coffee while we unpack the sordid state of media.

Yesterday, the European Federation of Journalists–an organization representing nearly 300,000 journalists–announced it will no longer post content on X, citing Elon Musk’s dangerous and irresponsible handling of misinformation and his disregard for the rampant racism, misogyny and far-right attacks on media that have now saturated the social media app.

“We cannot continue to participate in the social network feed of a man who proclaims the death of the media and therefore of journalists,” EJF President Maja Sever wrote. “The social media site X has become the preferred vector for conspiracy theories, racism, far-right ideas and misogynistic rhetoric. X is a platform that no longer serves the public interest at all, but the special ideological and financial interests of its owner and his political allies.”

The Mercury has yet to pull away from the Twitter reincarnation-turned-hellscape, but we’ve got one foot out the door. 

The EFJ isn’t the only media organization confronting Musk, the world’s richest man, who now wields a frightening level of power in the incoming presidential administration. Axios founder Jim VandeHei asserts Musk’s insistence that X users can and should replace traditional media is an existential threat to democracy. VandeHei waxes poetic about the importance of a diverse media landscape, but also acknowledges that trust in media is the lowest it’s ever been, and “the media” needs to reckon with its shortcomings. It’s true, the national media landscape is littered with journalistic approaches that lack rigor, flood programming with punditry, and fail to challenge the status quo. But it’s also filled with hard-working reporters who doggedly seek out the truth, and whose work has helped re-shape public policy, or fix systemic problems. 

So where does that leave alternative media outlets that have always played a critical role in the information landscape? 

Avid Mercury readers probably know our brand is a mix of arts and culture reporting, hard news, columns, and morning round-ups like this that bypass the traditional news approach in favor of flair, snark, and occasional satire. You don’t need us to tell you about the daily crime blotter, or interview the pearl-clutching neighbors who are “fed up” with the unhoused. There are plenty of other outlets providing that. But no matter how many sex advice columns, or butt plug ads, or spicy weekday news summaries we indulge in, our journalism (the actual original reporting we publish) is always done in the pursuit of truth. We ain't a one-trick pony, and as our tagline suggests, we believe you can have news, entertainment, and trouble, all under one roof. But as VandeHei says, “This historic war for truth is just beginning,” and you can bet your ass we’re ready for battle.

 

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