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Good morning, Portland! It's going to be another sunny, lovely day out today, with temps in the high 60s. Perfect weather for you to partake in a PIZZA WEEK crawl! Here's where to go to get your pizza fix this week.
As for your news fix...just keep reading.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• We have more details on Monday night's police standoff in Northwest Portland. According to the Portland Police Bureau, a "significant amount" of cops went to the area around NW 21st and Hoyt to try to arrest a man wielding two knives and a can of pepper spray, who they knew had an outstanding warrant for previous property crimes. For three hours, a standoff ensued, causing chaos in the area and forcing businesses to close. Then, the cops left...without the man. People who had witnessed the event unfold moved to help him with his injuries caused by the police conflict. Our source on the ground said the police officers' departure was "a striking contrast to the scene the police created earlier in the day, with [so many] officers surrounding him with tasers and guns drawn for hours." It's good the police didn't use further force on the man, but the whole thing was strange, with PPB admitting their presence caused more tension in the situation. Why stay for three hours, then??
• A Portland State University grad student, Abdul Almutairi, found out last week he is one of the international students in the state currently being targeted by the Trump administration for deportation. Just months away from earning his doctorate in physics, Almutairi made the decision to leave the US—and his doctoral program—and head back home to Kuwait. According to people with knowledge of the situation, the Department of Homeland Security gave no reason for Almutairi's visa termination. Still, he decided staying here wasn't worth the risk. The decision is understandable, given the horrible treatment other international students have been subject to, but it's horrible for so many reasons. The US has been a place people aspire to come to study and do research, and in a matter of months, Trump and his cronies have completely ruined those aspirations, causing grave harm to individuals and the future of research in this country. Our schools, our city, and our country will be much worse places without the contributions of people like Almutairi.
• An Oregon bill, which passed the House yesterday on a 36-21 vote, seeks to ban students from using their phones during the school day. The bill is now headed for the state Senate. While the policy is sure to cause some—or a lot of—controversy if passed, supporters say it's a good way to make sure kids are able to learn without the distractions of their phones. Some districts have tried other measures to limit phone use without much success. This isn't just an issue facing Oregon students—dozens of other states are also considering school phone bans. Find out more here.
A bill in the Oregon Legislature would sunset one of two clean vehicle rebates offered by the state. It would instead direct limited EV rebate funds — which often run out — toward a rebate for qualified low- and middle-income households.
— OPB (@opb.org) April 15, 2025 at 7:00 AM
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• Guess what? The Mercury's music picks are out for this week, and we've got some great suggestions for you. I'm particularly interested in the Yelling Choir performing at the Tomorrow Theater on Saturday, but there's lots more to see. Check it out here!!
IN NATIONAL NEWS:
Remember when Trump was inaugurated in January and I said we didn’t have to pay attention to every crazy, attention-seeking move the guy made? Well, I need to keep it real with y’all…I wasn’t expecting the reality we’re now in, at least not quite so soon. While every week since January 20 has brought greater horrors than the last, this week has been among the bleakest yet for those of us who enjoyed having some human rights. Here are a few reasons why...
• The Trump administration appears to be ignoring the Supreme Court's 9-0 decision ordering them to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who had been granted protections to stay in the US but was deported to El Salvador last month. The government apparently thought he was a member of a Salvadoran gang, and he was placed in a mega-prison in the country. But he received no due process and is, by all accounts, not a gang member at all. Despite all of that, they aren't trying to bring him back. A federal judge in Maryland is putting pressure on members of the Trump administration to find out more about the situation. But it's clear to me that not only is Abrego Garcia experiencing completely unacceptable and inhumane treatment—and that should be at the forefront of our minds—but this situation also represents a future in which pretty much anyone can be forced out of the country and into a prison with no protections or due process. And it's really scary.
Trump hopes to deport and imprison U.S. citizens abroad. Critics say the concept is unconstitutional and dangerous.
— NPR (@npr.org) April 16, 2025 at 9:14 AM
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• I got the news above from NPR, our country's public radio station. If Trump has it his way, that might not be a reliable source of information anymore. The Trump administration has drafted a memo to Congress seeking to end federal funding for public media, including NPR and PBS, which it plans to send after the Congressional recess ends at the end of this month. This would mean pulling $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, cutting a primary source of income from NPR and PBS and majorly disrupting their services. The White House says these programs are "trash that passes as 'news'" with "intolerance of non-leftist viewpoints." Hey—the Mercury has heard those insults before. Anyway, fuck this, Trump hates Sesame Street, pass it on.
Prosecutors say the operation was aimed at gathering information to foil lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry over damage communities have faced from climate change.
— NPR (@npr.org) April 15, 2025 at 7:52 AM
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• As it turns out, the US isn't the only trash country in the world. Earlier today, the British Supreme Court ruled that trans women aren't included under the legal definition of a woman. The court wrote in its ruling that the "concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man." Folks...I'm concerned. This is a very damaging ruling for trans and nonbinary people across the UK, and it'll also have ramifications outside Britain, propping up anti-trans sentiment around the world.
• Here's some good news, relatively speaking. New York City's congestion pricing policy has worked like a charm, and should be emulated everywhere.
Some stats from 100 days in on congestion pricing:
— Amanda Litman (@amandalitman.bsky.social) April 15, 2025 at 12:22 PM
- Complaints about car-honking are down 70%
- The Holland Tunnel has 65% fewer delays at rush hour; time to get thru it is down 48%
- 6 million fewer cars
- Half as many traffic-related injuries
- 1.5 million more visitors to BIDs year over year
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• Finally...a cute video. As a commenter said, "cat memes are the gas in my tank I need to make it through the day."
