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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Guess what?? It's going to rain tomorrow and over the weekend. And it might even snow next week. (Heavy emphasis on might.) So today is your last day for the foreseeable future to enjoy the sunshine. 

It's also your fifth-to-last day (if my calculations are correct, which they might not be) to enjoy one of the amazing hot dogs included in the Mercury's first-ever WIENER WEEK, which runs until this Sunday, February 2. And here's a confession from me, in the hopes it will instill faith in my ability to report accurately on my company's food weeks (not to mention all the other topics I report on): When I first heard about wiener week, I was not so sure about it. I furrowed my brow at the idea of a "creative, flavor-packed" wiener. I was skeptical I'd be willing to spend $8 on a hot dog.

I was wrong. Portland's chefs really came through on these hot dogs. So far, I can only personally attest to the authenticity and tastiness of the Chicago dog at Sammich, which I really enjoyed despite an aversion to relish. But I am frothing at the mouth to try all the different chili dogs on offer (click here, here, and here to see what I'm hankering after), as well as some of the more unique (dare I say groundbreaking?) entries making waves in the hot dog space. So go try 'em. 

And that's all she wrote, folks! There's really no news to report right now, because we live in a utopia where everything is really running quite smoothly, so I'll see ya later. 

Ha-ha. OKAY. Fine. Let's get into it. 

IN LOCAL NEWS: 

• Throughout Portland Mayor Keith Wilson's campaign for office, it was clear what issue he was primarily concerned about: Homelessness. More specifically, Wilson's stump speeches always included his promise to "end unsheltered homelessness in Portland within a year." His vow struck some as a much-needed, actionable goal. Others were reminded of the kid who was elected to elementary school student council by promising to replace the water fountains with chocolate milk machines—cool idea, but can you do it? 

Now that he's in office as the mayor of this fine city, Wilson has had the opportunity to make the case that he can. He elaborated on the details in a City Council work session last week, and our Courtney Vaughn has the details right here. 

• Mayor Wilson may have big plans to expand Portland's inventory of shelter beds. But because of President Trump's order to freeze essentially all federal fund disbursements nationwide (keep scrolling for the latest on that particular nightmare), Portland's existing homeless services are at risk. 

Yesterday, the Mercury heard from employees at Transition Projects, a local organization that aims to help people experiencing homelessness access supportive services, shelter, and permanent housing. The nonprofit says it helps more than 10,000 people a year, and last year was able to help almost 900 people get into (and stay in) affordable housing. But the organization's CEO let employees know Trump's order means Transition Projects will have to make some immediate changes to the services they can provide. He also warned in a worst case scenario, mass layoffs could be on the horizon, impacting more than 50 staff members. 

This is not limited to Transition Projects. The funding freeze, though currently on pause due to several legal challenges, would have huge ramifications for Portland's ability to serve its most vulnerable populations and keep thousands of people employed. Of course, this is only one area where we'll see devastating impacts—here's how Oregon's public universities may be affected—but it's of particular relevance to our city right now. 

Two other affordable housing/shelter providers told me today that at least *a third* of their budget relies on federal dollars. And rent vouchers/payroll due next week. They've asked local/state govt for help backfilling costs.

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— Alex Zielinski (@alexzee.bsky.social) January 28, 2025 at 4:50 PM

• Boy, local and national news are getting a little scrambled, huh? Well, it's all arbitrary anyway. Let me continue the previous thread and note that Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said Oregon will join 22 other states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit against Trump's order on federal funds. Rayfield joined other Oregon leaders in speaking out against the funding freeze, including both our representatives in US Senate, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. Nearly a third of Oregon's two-year budget is funded by federal grants, so state legislators are also scrambling right now to figure out what's to come. 

• Workers at the New Seasons location in North Portland's Arbor Lodge walked off the job yesterday after a longtime employee and union leader was fired for, um, helping a coworker with a disability while he was on a lunch break. The company management says it was a violation of Oregon break laws. Oooohkay. Understandably, workers were pissed, and walked off the job to demand he get his job back. Today, workers at the Arbor Lodge store will strike all day. 

The one-day strike comes as New Seasons workers are still bargaining their first contract. So far, the union says New Seasons management has not offered them anything close to what they need, as far as a living wage and benefits go. The union has called for a consumer boycott until they reach a contract deal. 

Randy Foster has worked at New Seasons for 19 years. At 1:30pm today mgmt fired him for “violating Oregon break laws.” His infraction, helping a blind coworker close out his till while on lunch break. By 3:15 his coworkers walked out the Arbor Lodge store demanding reinstatement.

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— Cam Crowell (@caminaction.bsky.social) January 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM

• In other strike news...roughly 1,200 workers at the city of Portland could strike next week. After stalled labor negotiations between the city and two of its labor unions, one of the unions has voted to authorize a strike.
That strike that could start as soon as Thursday, February 6. 

“Given the anticipated work stoppage of 200 DCTU employees—and the potential for AFSCME 189 to also choose to strike—the City is finalizing plans to ensure the essential services Portlanders rely on everyday are minimally disrupted,” the city of Portland announced Tuesday.

 

Following Profile Theatre's super-popular readings of works by celebrated playwright Lauren Yee, its first staged production of the season is an elegant early work by Yee that explores BABY FEVER (and reproductive imperialism).

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.bsky.social) January 28, 2025 at 4:58 PM

 

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Only in its second week, the Trump administration has gone full-speed ahead with utterly destructive and devastating decisions. It's just one truly serious and horrible thing after the other. A rundown of recent events:

  • On Monday night, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) instructed all federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance" that weren't in alignment with Trump's agenda. The instructions were vague and potentially written in Chat GPT, but it was clear programs funding diversity, equity, and inclusion would be targeted, as would those related to "gender ideology" and the "green new deal." On Tuesday, people across the country couldn't access their Medicaid payment sites, among other immediate ramifications. (The White House had a BS excuse for that.) 
  • Before the funding freeze could take effect yesterday afternoon, a federal judge temporarily blocked the effort. The judge's order will be in effect until next Monday. 22 states (including Oregon) have also begun a lawsuit challenging Trump's order, which represents a SIGNIFICANT overreach in executive powers and takes away Congress's ability to make decisions about how the government spends money. The issue will likely go to the Supreme Court, which is not necessarily comforting. 
  • Meanwhile, the Trump administration is continuing its effort to purge federal workers from their positions so it can implement the Project 2025 playbook to replace all government employees (the vast majority of whom typically remain in their positions regardless of who the president is) with people who align with their ideology. Yesterday afternoon, the OPM offered federal employees the opportunity to resign right then and there, while remaining on the payroll until September. Employees can either accept this deal or risk being fired later. This NPR article points out how the tactic is straight out of Elon Musk's playbook. As we all suspected, the United States of America is on track to resemble Musk's X: A pay-to-play environment filled with bots, spammers, and scammers, where bigoted, idiotic trolls reign as kings; barely functioning on a structural level and constantly headed towards its complete demise. But still, somehow, chugging along. 
  • Last, but certainly not least (and also not really last, but last for now), Trump signed an executive order yesterday intended to cut federal support for gender transitions for people younger than 19. The order would not only prohibit public insurance programs from covering gender-affirming care for youth, but it would also mark a move toward a complete ban of the practice across the country. 

• Oh yeah, RFK Jr. is getting his first confirmation hearing in the Senate today. Here's OR Senator Wyden grilling him on vaccines. Hope to see this energy translate into zero Democratic votes of support.  

 

Wyden calls out RFK Jr.'s lies about the measles vaccine: 

Reality is measles are, in fact, deadly and highly contagious.  Something you should have learned after your lies contributed to the deaths of 83 people, most of them children, in a measles outbreak in Somoa.

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— Nikki McCann Ramírez (@nikkimcr.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 7:36 AM

 

• And now this, apparently! TBH: AHHHHHHHH! 

 

Intelligence officials are starting to leak to me now too. Here’s a memo Defense Intelligence Agency personnel received instructing them to suspend observances including:
- Holocaust Remembrance Day
- MLK Day
- Juneteenth

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— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 7:24 AM

 

• That was a lot. What else is going on? Here's something: Starbucks plans to cut 30 percent of its food and drink options from the menu by the end of the year. It's an effort to deal with struggling sales, but not one that addresses Starbucks' blatant and insidious union-busting. It is somewhat interesting that big brands are trying to get "back to basics." This news about Starbucks reminded me of the seemingly successful strategy Barnes & Noble took on recently. Reject modernity, embrace tradition, I guess...but respect your workers too >:( 

• Finally....Aesop was soooooo right. Let's all try to be slow and steady. Byeeee.

 

 

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