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Good morning, Portland! Temp check: We'll be in the high 60s today. Prepare for overly hot weather tomorrow 🥵, and then, *fingers crossed* some much-needed rain over the weekend.
But first, here's the news.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Tomorrow is May 1, AKA May Day, AKA International Workers' Day. Many Americans haven't been privy to May Day as a labor holiday, 'cause the history of it was suppressed during the Cold War for being "communist" or whatever. (It's a product of mass worker strikes in the late 19th century, which we can thank for the eight-hour workday.) Well, let Joe McCarthy turn in his grave, because Portlanders are going to be celebrating workers on May Day this year. It's always a good time to uplifting the world's working people, but cultivating solidarity is especially important now, as the federal government attacks workers, immigrants, and marginalized folks across the board. Find out more about the history of May Day—and all the different ways you can commemorate it in Portland this year—right here.
• Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has been doing a good job standing up against President Trump, which we appreciate him for. However, the 75-year-old senator isn’t exactly helping our country beat the gerontocracy allegations…especially since he announced his plans to run for another term in 2028, when he’ll be almost 80. This decision puts him at odds with the growing number of people who want older politicians to STEP DOWN and make way for new ideas and ways of governing. But it’s only 2025, so he has time to change his mind. (And the United States has time to collapse entirely.)
• Student workers at the University of Oregon have been on strike since Monday. The employees, who work at the UO’s dining halls and cafes and serve as Residential Assistants in the dorms, are seeking a better contract, and haven’t been able to come to an agreement with the university. Both sides are set to meet for mediation today. With graduate employees at Oregon State University going on strike earlier this year, and Portland State faculty nearly striking, it’s been a busy time for labor action at Oregon’s universities.
• The Oregon Book Awards took place Monday night, hosted by Portland nonprofit Literary Arts. Check out the winners—which include some very intriguing authors and beloved local institutions like Street Books—here.
In addition to awards for works in specific genre categories, Literary Arts recognized the founders of two reading-focused efforts—Street Books and A Kids Co.—at a ceremony on Monday night.
— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) April 29, 2025 at 4:01 PM
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•There’s a lot going on music-wise in Portland this week, including a memorial for the late, great Michael Hurley and several screenings of a new Björk concert film. (Plus much, much more.)
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who was recently considered a top contender for a 2028 presidential run, has turned her goodwill around by, uh, being an honored guest at Trump rallies. And even sharing a hug with the president. LOL, but not really, because this guy is at the top of an ongoing fascist takeover of the country. Whitmer has seemingly been compelled to rally with Trump because as the leader of Michigan—where American carmakers have historically been based—she wants to support his policies that she believes will help boost American car manufacturing. But the latest issue that has bonded the two has to do with some new fighter jets Trump is securing for Michigan, apparently at Whitmer's behest. She is currently facing significant pushback for her alliance with the president…and that really unnecessary hug!
JUST IN: A federal judge in Vermont ordered the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student at Columbia University who was arrested at his US citizenship interview and ordered deported.
— NPR (@npr.org) April 30, 2025 at 8:54 AM
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• But first, coffee: With tariffs on imported coffee—plus the climate crisis making coffee growing conditions more challenging in the places it’s traditionally thrived—Americans could be in for major sticker shock in the coffee aisle/cafe. (And massive industries in poorer countries around the world could collapse.) I imagine this will be troubling to people on all sides of the political spectrum, as nothing binds Americans together like constant, crushing exhaustion that can only hope to be allayed by the beloved caffeinated beverage. If we don’t address the climate crisis NOW, the lack of coffee will make us too tired to do so in the future.
• A guy in Los Angeles rode his bike around the city last week…cutting down trees? The saga is weird, and the alleged perpetrator was arrested on Earth Day last week after hacking away at about a dozen trees in different neighborhoods of the city. The incident has left a mark on LA residents, who are obviously dismayed at the callous act. As the person who first reported the trees asked, “at the end of the day, what did the tree ever do to you?” The answer to that question is unclear.
• I mean, touché.
MORAN: Even some people who voted for you are saying, 'I didn't sign up for this.' So how do you answer those concerns?
TRUMP: Well, they did sign up for it actually
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) April 29, 2025 at 5:09 PM
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• Finally, millions of birds are estimated to be migrating across the Pacific Northwest tomorrow night, so turn off your porch lights (and other house lights) to reduce light pollution and allow the birds to pass safely.
