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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋 Get ready for a partly sunny day with clouds creeping in this afternoon, with hottie highs topping out at around 80 degrees. In other words, it’s a near-perfect day to enjoy the creative, one-of-a-kind cocktails being stirred up by the best bartenders in town, thanks to the Mercury’s HIGHBALL WEEK… guzzling down your throat right now through Sunday! (Frankly I would’ve said a monsoon is the perfect day to enjoy Highball week… but only because I love it so much!) And now? Let’s guzzle down some NEWS.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Tuesday’s horrifying chemical plant explosion at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview, Washington, may be going down in history as the “deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history,” according to Governor Bob Ferguson, who toured the site yesterday. Officials say they have switched from “rescue” operations to “recovery” mode, announcing that at least two people are dead, and while seven workers and one firefighter were injured, nine employees remain missing—and there is little chance of finding anyone still inside who survived. A giant tank filled with deadly chemicals used to turn wood chips into pulp was the centerpiece of the explosion, spilling roughly 570,000 gallons into a nearby breakroom and administrative offices. A full investigation into this unbelievable tragedy is being demanded by workers and labor officials. Unfortunately, the news doesn’t get any better from there, as contamination from the disaster is flowing into the Columbia River, which could cause untold damage to fish, the wetlands, and the river system.
• By an 8-4 vote, Portland City Council passed an ordinance yesterday that would ban law enforcement officials from wearing masks, while also ordering officers to wear clear identification when working within city limits. The ordinance, clearly leveled at ICE agents, was passed against the strong wishes of those who would apparently rather the city do nothing about the unceasing cruelty of the Trump administration, including Mayor Keith Wilson, Councilor Dan Ryan, Police Chief Bob Day, and City Attorney Robert Taylor, among others. Their primary beef? A similar proposal was struck down in California by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, who ruled it as unconstitutional. The primary sponsor of the ordinance, Councilor Sameer Kanal, stressed that the policy would not stop federal agents from wearing masks, but would order local police to verify the actions and identities of the agents to ensure they are who they say they are.The officers would also be able to detain the suspect if there are suspicions of fakery and/or criminal activity.
• In other cop news, a Portland police officer who was already put on administrative leave for a past crime is reportedly now in a Washington County jail for violating the terms of his release. Back in December 2025, Officer Jimmy Pryce was off-duty when he was arrested on domestic violence charges of strangulation, assault in the fourth degree, and harassment—all allegedly done in front of a child. At the time, Pryce was reportedly released from a Clackamas County jail under enhanced supervision, but was later given permission to travel outside the state. The Portland Police Bureau has not revealed how the 27-year veteran of the force violated his release terms, and it’s unclear how Pryce’s latest run-in with the law will affect his jury trial in August.
• Circling back to City Council’s very busy Wednesday: The council also approved (by unanimous vote) financial support for Black families trying to purchase homes in two planned developments in historically Black neighborhoods. Acknowledging Portland’s shameful history of displacement of Black families in the past (such as in the Albina neighborhood), the council approved $2.5 million to help subsidize home ownership for those whose earnings are below the area’s median income. The money will go to those Black families looking to purchase homes in two new planned developments, one in East Vanport, and the other in North Portland. “Black families were kicked out [of their homes in historically Black neighborhoods] over 60 years ago, and we now need to right those wrongs,” said Councilor Loretta Smith.
• It may not have been textbook basketball, but our Portland Fire pulled out another victory last night against the Connecticut Sun, 71-61—their third win in a row. The Fire struggled mightily at times, missing critical three-pointers and losing the ball in multiple turnovers, particularly in the third quarter. But through sheer grit and determination came roaring back in the fourth to take the win. The Fire will face the Atlanta Dream tomorrow night at the Moda Center and then the Indiana Fever on Saturday. Tickets here.
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• Surprise, surprise… fuel prices are once again on the rise, as the US and Iran continue to trade air strikes, bombing each other’s military facilities—even though a supposed ceasefire. While no substantial damages or casualties were reported, Trump has been promising that a deal to stop the war was well underway, though now he is admitting they are nowhere close to finding peace. The result is escalating oil prices as well as the cost of consumer goods, though in Trump’s own words, he doesn’t care about either of those things or the possible blowback to Republicans in the midterm elections. (Now THAT I believe!)
• In a very much related story, roughly 45 percent of American households did not earn enough in 2024 to cover their basic necessities, according to new research from the Brookings Institution. And the pain doesn’t stop there: If prices continue to rise, just an additional $1,000 hike in the annual cost of living could put an additional 3 million American households under financial water. The result? More families are now going hungry than they were at the height of the pandemic. The primary culprit, according to the report, is the ever-broadening gap between take-home pay and ballooning inflation… which again, are two things that Trump has clearly shown in words and deeds that he cares nothing about.
• And the president’s revenge tour continues: According to the Associated Press, the Department of Justice has opened an investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the person who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her 30 years ago. In 2023, Carroll was awarded $5 million by a jury for Trump’s sexual attack against her, and in 2024 won an $83.3 million settlement after the president defamed her on social media. In response, Trump has sicced his DOJ on Carroll, investigating whether she committed perjury during her past testimony, in regards to whether or not she was paying her own legal fees. It’s of note that Trump ordered not one, but TWO investigations into former FBI director James Comey within the last year, one of which has already been dismissed due to lack of evidence.
• In much needed entertainment news: Movie star Nick Cage has announced that he has legally changed his name to… Nick Cage! At birth, the actor was given the name Nicolas Kim Coppola by his father, August Coppola (the brother of director Francis Ford Coppola), and apparently Nick grew tired of being attached to the famous family name and is still occasionally teased about it… and so he’s taken on his stage moniker as his legal name. As Nick perfectly explains it, “I’m Nick Cage in life, and I’m Nick Cage on camera. ‘Tis better to be the patriarch of my own little family than the clown cousin on the margins of someone else’s.” (Which is the most Nick Cage quote ever, right?)
• And finally… me, looking at today’s to-do list like….
