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Good Morning, Portland! Writing up this newsblast in a cafe that started the day with a nice, loud "Violet" by Hole. Whatever you feel about Courtney Love, that's a hell of a fucking song—a perfect rock yell if there ever was one. Might last a day, but mine is forever. And so is yours, dear reader. Let's hit the shit pile.

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• At the top of the shit pile are reports about Safety Response Team's lack of support for its staff. The program, run through a partnership between TriMet and a private security company, faces criticism from former and current staff who say aspects are exploitative of employees. Mercury news reporter Taylor Griggs has the gloves, ventilator, and shovel. She digs into it. [We have updated this to be more clear that while Safety Response Team staff are contracted, they don't work for TriMet. -eds]

• A new bill making its way through the Oregon Legislature calls for more funding, staff, and resources to support the families of / help find missing and murdered Indigenous people. InvestigateWest reports that the bill would "provide victim outreach and prevention services" along with instructing Oregon Health Authority to create and maintain data on the occurrences. The new bill comes six years after a similar bill, House Bill 3198, which yielded limited results.

• "Top executives from OHSU and Legacy Health gave testimony under oath Tuesday to an advisory board," OPB reports. Did they talk about the rising cost of healthcare? Not very much!

"Steve Stadum, the current interim president of OHSU, signed up and spoke for two minutes during the public comment period, further shortening the time available for members of the public to speak."

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— Ryan Haas (@ryanjhaas.bsky.social) March 7, 2025 at 7:37 AM

• Also in OHSU on the record this week, the university and healthcare system put out statement, commenting on the ongoing plans to build a baseball stadium by the Tilikum Bridge, in the city's southwest waterfront area. “We are hopeful that the baseball stadium project could be the impetus for completing this much-needed infrastructure,” spokesperson Sara Hottman said. 

• The new film from Parasite director Bong Joon-ho is a return to his goofier sci-fi side. Mickey 17 takes a page from Snowpiercer and the roly poly character design from Okja. Mercury critic HR Smith hated all the Trump stuff, which Bong says this isn't intentional...right. "Coincidence or not, the closer Ruffalo’s sweaty forehead got to the camera, the further I slid down in my seat. I go to the movies, I thought, to get away from this." Read the full review.

• Sandwich Week is almost over. Do I really need to convince you that sandwiches rules? Such things should be evident. If you need a link to the list of participating businesses, it is here. If you are still confused about Sandwich Week, this is the FAQ.

IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• According NPR, the New York Times, and plenty of outlets analyzing the latest report from the Labor Department that dropped this morning, these numbers are based on surveys conducted before last month's Valentines Day massacre of the federal workforce by Elon Musk's team of creepy tech youths. So it looks sluggish but not too apocalyptic. "Economists say the administration’s mass firings, buyouts and hiring freezes at federal agencies may not fully surface in the monthly data until sometime this spring," NYT reports.

• It's not like Walgreens seemed like it was doing particularly well. But I'm sure that being bought by a private equity firm ins't going to be great for them. The firm, New York-based Sycamore purchased Staples in 2017, and you know how well that's going [crickets] so.... expect your local Walgreens to close. RIP.

• South Carolina is planning to execute a death row prisoner tonight by firing squad. Uh. If you were about to ask if the South Carolinian Supreme Court is dominated by Republican—it is.

• Wow,  ABC News laid off 75 employees this week, as part of its parent company Disney's decision to layoff 200 staff combined from ABC News and Disney Entertainment Networks. Among the ABC cuts: the entire staff of  popular political poll news and analysis website, 538, which has since shuttered.

• At the same time, MSNBC is about to hire 100 new "field producers, correspondents, photographers and more."

• Rather than lecturing the Vice President, like last time, the Broadway musical Hamilton has simply cancelled plans to perform at the Kennedy Center in 2026. “Our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center,” producer Jeffrey Seller said in a statement Wednesday.

• IDK if you folks are over Gene Hackman dying, but I loved this thread about the star thread. Bring back the celebs who are kind and sweet to us normals. 

Oh, man, not Gene Hackman.

2025 can just fuck right off.

Okay. Let me tell you a little bit about Gene Hackman...

— Drew McWeeny (@drewmcweeny.com) February 27, 2025 at 12:46 AM

• The Mayor of Gambier, Oho made this about the demise of TikTok, but it has an enduring vibe to it—a vibe I encourage you to take with you into the weekend.

 

@mayorlovecraft

always has been

♬ original sound - MayorLovecraft