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Good morning, Portland! Today’s forecast says we’ll get sunshine later this afternoon through this evening, after intermittent rain showers. Tomorrow is shaping up to be warm and sunny, and …. good god, we could get temps into the 80s on Thursday. 🙀
In Local News:
• Funny timing: Portland State University says City Councilor Mitch Green’s recent public comments had no bearing on its decision to drop conduct violation penalties against students. At a National Day of Action for Higher Ed rally earlier this month, Green issued an ultimatum for PSU, saying he wouldn’t vote to support city funding for PSU’s performing arts center unless the university dropped all pending charges against students who protested the genocide in Gaza. Last weekend, the Mercury reported PSU has since withdrawn code of conduct violations against members of a pro-Palestine student group. The university says all decisions about academic penalties are made solely based on the facts of each case.
• Dead presidents: You wouldn't know it, but Oregon actually requires most businesses to accept cash. The pandemic, coupled with a risk of break-ins, seemed to drive a plethora of businesses to go cashless, leaving folks without a bank account or debit card with few options. A bill making its way through the Oregon Legislature would build on that 2022 law by requiring the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) to launch a public education campaign. Senate Bill 1176 passed the Senate and is now being taken up in the Oregon House of Representatives.
• Teen creeps: Portland Public Schools recently settled a lawsuit with a teacher who sued over alleged repeated sexual harassment from male students. A middle school teacher who taught at Kellogg Middle School in Southeast Portland agreed to a $300,000 settlement with PPS and told The Oregonian she plans to leave the teaching profession. Her lawsuit claims the district failed to adequately intervene after several instances of male students making sometimes lewd sexual gestures toward her, including an instance where they filmed her buttocks and posted the video on social media. The teacher claims the school and district allowed a culture of sexual harassment to persist, citing school walkouts led by girls who were also subjected to repeated harassment by male students.
Among the incidents, a group of boys surrounded the teacher, video-recorded her rear end and exclaimed she was “sexy," according to court papers.
— The Oregonian (@oregonian.com) April 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM
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And now, for an updated dose of "she was in space for 11 fucking minutes."
In National/World News:
• Left turn: In a surprise election outcome, Canada elected Mark Carney, leader of the Liberal Party, to be its next prime minister in a federal election Monday, ousting Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre. The election results were largely fueled by US President Donald Trump’s authoritarian agenda, namely, steep tariffs imposed on Canadian imports to the US.
Mark Carney, heal the country by giving your victory speech while eating an apple.
— David Moscrop (@davidmoscrop.com) April 28, 2025 at 7:43 PM
• A light, lost: Virginia Guiffre, who spoke out and sought justice after suffering trafficking and sexual abuse as a teen working for Jeffrey Epstein, died by suicide last week. Guiffre, 41, came forward after her first lawsuit in 2009, where she alleged she was trafficked to Prince Andrew when she was 17, while working as a massage therapist for Epstein. Guiffre met Epstein through Ghislaine Maxwell while working at Donald Trumps’s club Mar-a-Lago in the early 2000s. She was found at her farm in Western Australia. Guiffre was lauded as a fierce advocate for victims who helped bring to light the horrific abuse she and others suffered at the hands of Epstein and his social circle.
• Dame is down: Former Portland Trailblazer Damian Lillard suffered a serious achilles injury that will likely leave him out of play through next season. The Milwaukee Bucks point guard fell to the ground in pain during the team’s playoff game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Lillard recently came back after rehabbing from a serious blood clot (deep vein thrombosis).
• Truth hurts: The White House is deflecting while the president's minions cry into their gold-encrusted Cheerios about Amazon's anticipated new transparent pricing displays. The giant online retailer reportedly plans to display small numbers next to the prices on many of its products, to reflect the cost of tariffs impacting the overall price.
REPORTER: Amazon will soon display a number next to the price of each product that shows how much the Trump tariffs are adding. Isn't that a perfect demonstration that it's the American consumer who is paying for these policies? LEAVITT: This is a hostile and political act by Amazon.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) April 29, 2025 at 6:03 AM
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