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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! After a couple of unreasonably warm days (why can’t summer be reasoned with?!?), cooler weather returns today with a much more reasonable high of 81 degrees before chilling out to 75 by the weekend. And now, let’s try to reason with some almost always unreasonable NEWS.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
Knock, knock, who’s there? Oh, why it’s current Republican Gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan, who was seen slumming it in Portland yesterday to drum up support from the city that helped defeat her by three percentage points during her last run for the governor’s seat. Drazan held a press conference at Terry Schrunk Plaza to announce the “Drazan Plan,” which she insists will put Oregon back on the right track (at least according to her Republican mindset). She touted plans that promised to bolster education, technology, and housing, while reducing grocery and gas prices (which her boss Donald Trump sent through the roof). She didn’t say anything about stopping the federal threats against abortion, trans people, or mail-in voting (despite her previous legislative efforts to nix Oregon’s vote-by-mail system, as reported by the Mercury’s Courtney Vaughn). Oh, and get ready for the shock of your life: She’s promising NO NEW TAXES—especially not for the state’s wealthy folks who can easily afford it. Anyhoo, if you missed Drazan’s performance, too bad… she probably won’t return to Portland anytime soon, and also probably ran home immediately afterward to take a long, hot shower.
The city of Portland has seen its share of turnover at the top this past year, and (surprise!) the list is growing longer. Priya Dhanapal, the deputy city administrator for the city’s Public Works service area, is leaving the city on September 4, City Administrator Raymond Lee announced in a press release Tuesday. It’s not immediately clear why Dhanapal is leaving, and the city is mum about the reasons for her departure. However! Public records obtained by the Mercury show at least one person filed at least two anonymous complaints last year, saying “employees are increasingly discouraged” by her leadership style. It’s unclear how the city responded to the complaints, if at all. And for those keeping count, she’s the sixth leader in a series of exits over the past year under Mayor Keith Wilson. (I dunno… is this a trend? Sounds like a trend.)
New details have emerged regarding the mass shooting of five people in Washington County’s Forest Grove over the weekend—and they are not pretty. The shooter, Benjamin C. Parker (who later died by suicide) started by killing his partner, Stella Kimsey, and as family members and friends showed up at the residence to check on her, he killed them too. Parker then reportedly covered the bodies with tarps and tried to burn them, set Kimsey’s car on fire, and also killed three cats and two dogs. Authorities say that Parker then drove to Enumclaw, Washington, where he called his mother and confessed to the crime before killing himself. (Like I said, not pretty.)
This just in from the Mercury’s Courtney Vaughn. While the city has yet to release the full scope of investigative documents related to Portland’s Independent Police Review (IPR) of how Portland Police Bureau handled the 2020 racial justice protests, recently released memos show that city officials declined to hold two PPB leaders accountable for failing to properly document uses of force during the demonstrations. On Tuesday, Portland’s Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform joined members of the Mental Health Alliance, and Portland Copwatch, to denounce a lack of action on behalf of Mayor Keith Wilson and Deputy City Administrator Tracy Warren, who both declined to uphold two recommendations from the IPR. The groups are calling on the city to release the full scope of documents related to PPB’s protest response. These are some of the same groups who’ve guided the city through its settlement agreement with the Department of Justice and the same groups who’ve watched for years as the city has failed to hold its police bureau accountable. You can review the memos here.
In sporting news, our beloved WNBA team, the Portland Fire, lost to the daunting and number eight ranked Dallas Wings last night, 96-78. (Ouch!) However, as our Stephanie Kaloi has reported, the Wings are an excellent team and the Fire was going to have trouble against them in even the best of circumstances. This means that the Fire, who is ranked ninth in the league, barely missed going to the playoffs in their inaugural outing, but also did impressively enough that they most likely won’t get the number one pick in next season’s draft. All that said, the season isn’t over yet! The Fire has six more games to play, as they continue to shape and build this young team in advance of next season. So let’s keep up the loud support Portland is famous for!
Calling all music lovers: From the opening moments of “El Poder,” the title track from Orquestra Pacifico Tropical’s third album, the band establishes a wall of rhythmic positivity. The Portland-based 11-piece collective is a multicultural force that has been lighting up large stages for over a decade, and on Saturday, August 29, they’ll be performing the entire album for their official release show at the Den in Southeast Portland. Ryan J. Prado has all the deets regarding this show that you should absolutely refuse to miss!
And in SEX NEWS: She wants to get serious with her “keep things casual” throuple… but what about those red flags they keep waving around? Dan Savage offers his sassy brand of no-nonsense advice in the latest edition of SAVAGE LOVE!
IN NATIONAL AND WORLD NEWS:
And here is the news I’ve been dreading to write for the last 24 hours: Dolly Parton, the country superstar and goddess—as well as one of the last remaining decent people in this world—has died at the age of 80. According to her spokesperson, Parton died after a brief, intense bout with cancer after being admitted to the hospital on Friday. In May, Parton had canceled a Las Vegas residency saying she was suffering from kidney stones as well as troubles with her immune and digestive systems. While certainly known and beloved for her endless catalog of gorgeous, groundbreaking songs (including “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5,” and so many others), Parton was tireless in her crusade for children’s literacy, and many other acts of philanthropy. But more than anything, Parton burned with unyielding kindness—that near unreachable Mr. Rogers level of kindness—that recognized and championed the humanity in others, while showing compassion to all. There will never be another Dolly—though the world would be a much better place if we choose to see it through her eyes. Rest peacefully, queen.
Tech billionaire (and possible android) Mark Zuckerberg received a stinging judicial blow this morning, after his company Meta agreed to pay a $17 billion settlement in a lawsuit that claimed that his social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, have harmed children and teens. A good portion of this money will reportedly go to fund youth online safety initiatives, and a promise to adopt new policies to limit usage for teens as well as develop a “night access mode” that disables push notifications. The company, in a bald-faced attempt to deny full responsibility, urged TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar new policies that Meta refused to do until they were forced to do so.
Catastrophic flooding has hit China and in particular, the tiny nation of Nepal, killing at least 95 people, with hundreds more (including tourists) currently missing. In absolutely horrifying footage, a massive wall of water is seen smashing through an area close to the Nepal and China border, sweeping away buildings and people as if they were toys. The flood was reportedly caused by an earthquake which triggered a landslide that in turn blocked and redirected the contents of China’s Bhote Koshi river into neighboring Nepal. Rescue operations are underway.
Two days after the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s efforts to curb mail-in voting can proceed, 25 Democratic attorneys general from across the country have filed a new lawsuit to stop him. While the Supremes refused to say if Trump’s actions were legal or not, they felt that the Democrats initial lawsuit was “premature.” Welp, it’s not premature anymore, after the Trump administration immediately ordered the US Postal Service to enact new restrictions on mail-in voting two months before the midterm elections. (At this point, Trump will be spending more time in court than on the golf course.)
And finally… here’s some parting advice from Dolly Parton to YOU—and trust me, you really need to hear it. (I’m not crying… YOU’RE CRYING!)
