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Good Morning, Portland! Between yesterday’s mild temps and sunshine, and today’s forecast calling for more sun and a high of 63 degrees, we’re getting a taste of that PNW “fake spring” early this year. Enjoy, because next week it’s back to gray, soggy weather.

In Local News: 

• Oregon has a lot of unionized workers. In fact, the Beaver State has the 7th highest rate of union membership in the United States, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS recorded 292,000 union members in Oregon in 2024. Represented workers accounted for nearly 16 percent of employed workers in Oregon, compared with nearly 10 percent nationwide. While it’s unclear whether the rise in numbers is indicative of increased hiring in unionized professions, or an increase in workers unionizing, it’s a basic indicator of a shift toward more empowerment in the workforce. 

• If you’re going to talk shit about Portland, or Oregon, be prepared for the clap back. That’s exactly what the Oregonian did in its examination of a “flawed” list of the top 50 most underwhelming attractions in the United States, which included the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI). The O writes “the study was made by analyzing TripAdvisor reviews for boredom-related keywords: boring, dull, unimpressive, disappointing, regret visiting, underwhelmed, underwhelming and boredom.” Except this "study" compiled by some wack online gambling site (seriously why did they even call attention to this junk?) reads more like an AI-generated listicle. While reviews with those keywords made up a small fraction of the total reviews, what’s more notable is several of the reviews with those key words were actually positive remarks noting how “not boring” the museum is. 

The misguided study has demeaned one of our best loved attractions.

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— The Oregonian (@oregonian.com) February 27, 2025 at 3:00 PM

• Neighbors of a car repair shop in Northeast Portland say their street and nearby streets are filled with dozens of BMWs and Mini Coopers, none of which belong to the residents. Boyd Motor Werks is reportedly parking its customers’ luxury cars on the street in its residential neighborhood, and in some cases, cars from the auto shop pour out from the parking lot onto the sidewalks, blocking pedestrian access. That’s especially a problem in this area because the business neighbors a senior housing complex. Portland city codes don’t allow auto businesses to use street parking for its business, but the business told KOIN it didn’t know about the local rules and had never been approached by the city regarding the issue. Boyd isn’t the first auto business to pull this move. In other cases, city code enforcement usually intervenes, but not unless a complaint is filed. 

• It appears the Multnomah County Democrats have hit a snag. 

Why the fuck did the @multdems.bsky.social elect Ciatta Thompson as their Vice Chair? She ran and lost her District 4 city council election, and while she’s registered as a Dem, she is indistinguishable from a Republican. You let an opp that has access to addresses through VAN in! This is dangerous!

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— pnwpolicyangel (@pnwpolicyangel.bsky.social) February 27, 2025 at 12:40 PM

• Here’s your friendly reminder that you’ve got less than three weeks to get tickets for the Mercury’s annual Geniuses of Comedy showcase. But really, you’ve got less time than that, because this show typically sells out. This year, you can catch stand-up sets from eight comics, with a bonus sketch comedy bit. Adam Pasi hosts, with a special guest appearance from Mohanad Elshieky. One of the best parts? The whole thing is hosted at Revolution Hall, which feels like a luxury. If you’ve ever been to a comedy club where they pack the audience in like sardines and impose purchase minimums from a menu that looks like it was crafted by a 9-year-old, you know how pleasant this experience will be. 

It's Portland's biggest night of comedy—the Mercury's annual UNDISPUTABLE GENIUSES OF COMEDY! Get your tix now for this hilarious evening of stand-up comedy, hosted by Adam Pasi with special guest Mohanad Elshieky!

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) February 25, 2025 at 10:44 AM

In National/World News:

• What do you call a green card that costs $5 million? A gold card. President Trump–the same guy who campaigned on militant immigration reform–now wants to sell immigration rights to the ultra rich. Earlier this week, Trump touted a new “gold card” program for wealthy immigrants who are willing to pay $5 million for the rights to live and work in the US. It’s not entirely unprecedented. As ABC notes, the US already has a program for investors and entrepreneurs to gain citizenship, called the EB-5 visa, but the program has previously been cited as ripe for abuse.

 

• Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman has died at age 95 in somewhat suspicious circumstances. Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, and one of the couple’s German Shepherds were found dead in their New Mexico home. So far, investigators say it doesn’t look like a homicide, but a cause of death has yet to be determined. The home was reportedly searched for gas leaks and carbon monoxide. Two other dogs on the property were found alive and healthy.

 

• It seems like each day, we slide further into dystopia, and yesterday was no exception. A new US Department of Education website with the web address enddei.ed.gov encourages the public to report DEI efforts in school settings. The site says the US Department of Education is "committed to ensuring all students have access to meaningful learning free of divisive ideologies and indoctrination." It feels like a joke. We all want it to be a joke, but it’s not. Somehow, over the course of roughly a month, GOP leadership has managed to endorse authoritarianism and revive McCarthyism. Anyway, the site allows content uploads like photos and documents for evidence, which feels important to point out for no particular reason at all. 

@tabbigato Lunch at the Club #sams #fyp #hangry #rotisseriechickenslaps #eat ♬ original sound - Tabitha Erin McKeeve

• Meanwhile, those who made it through college before the secret citizen DEI police were dispatched have a new hurdle. The Trump administration has removed the application form for student loan debt programs that offer income-driven repayment plans. The Guardian reports an appeals court continued a pause on a Save program implemented during Biden’s term that would have offered debt forgiveness for borrowers on income-driven plans, with some getting debt relief after 10 years of payments.

Why would we waste precious government money on education when we can spend $400 million to buy Cybertrucks?!!!

@thedailyshow Share THIS if you're glad the government is spending less on waste and more on a fleet of Cybertrucks you can see from space! #DailyShow #ElonMusk #cybertruck ♬ original sound - The Daily Show