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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋
Today you can expect a mostly sunny week, with minimal intrusive clouds, and a perfect high of 70 degrees. And now, let’s experience the “perfect high” that can only be obtained by reading today’s NEWS. (Yes, I suppose you could call that “sarcasm.”)
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Let’s kick off with a civic reminder that the May Primary Election is tomorrow, Tuesday, May 19! If your ballot is tucked away in that stack of unpaid bills, snag it out of there and check out the Mercury’s endorsements—or if you’re short on time, our election cheat sheet—fill it out, and drop it into your local ballot box by 8 pm tomorrow. As always, your smart opinion is vital to keeping democracy from falling into the corrupt hands of greedy capitalists and autocrats (who are sometimes one and the same people… you know of whom I speak). So hop to it and vote!
• And for those who like such things, here’s another Monday Morning Rant!
As you may have noticed, Oregon’s primary news source for greedy capitalists, the Oregonian, has been on a “make up your own news” tear lately, publishing story after story taken from the results of a weak-ass survey based solely on the opinions of a small group of Portland metro voters. For the most part, these stories have been obvious revelations that are no surprise to the average news consumer, while others are twisted to reflect the views of the Oregonian’s conservative-leaning editorial board. For example? This article, which comes to the very sketchy conclusion that an “overwhelming majority” of Portlanders would like to see money (that’s already spoken for, btw) from the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) go to “core municipal services” (like cops and parks). First things first, a lot of PCEF money already goes to parks—to the tune of at least $125 million—so asking if this PCEF money should go to both parks and cops is a classic “false choice” scenario. Secondly, these polls assume that everyone in Portland already knows the true mission of PCEF—in which money goes solely to climate-related projects, rather than supporting the continuing systemic racism and violence of the police department. And lastly, this dicey conclusion is based on a question posed to only… [blinks twice/checks notes]… 300 people? We had more than five times this many people respond to the Mercury’s annual sex survey! But in the Oregonian’s defense, maybe the majority of a measly 300 people—AKA those who “don’t have anything better to do than answer slanted polls” demographic—do think PCEF funds should go to cops. But that still doesn’t mean they’re right or that it’s front page “news.”
• In ugly behavior by ugly people news: A plaque outside of historic gay club Darcelle XV Showplace was tagged with hateful, homophobic speech last week according to the current owner of the club, Jeremey Corvus-Peck. The sign, which commemorates the legacy of Darcelle (AKA Walter Cole) who ran the longest running drag club on the West Coast and died in 2023 at the age of 92, has been wiped clean of the violent language. But it serves as a reminder, as Corvus-Peck correctly wrote in a Facebook post, that civil rights must be protected “when those in power choose division and intolerance over equality and humanity.”
• Today marks the 46th anniversary of the Mount St. Helens eruption in Washington state, which caused a massive landslide that knocked more than 1,000 feet off its summit, and killed 57 people. The massive eruption also leveled over 230 square miles of forest, and sent a plume of ash 80,000 feet in the air, eventually circling the globe. Despite the devastation, life has returned to the area, though geologists predict that the volcano isn’t quite finished yet, and that a future eruption could be even more destructive.
• It was a rollercoaster ride last week for our new WNBA team, the Portland Fire, who both won and lost in their two-game matchup against the New York Liberty. Our Stephanie Kaloi was there and has this recap (along with fan reactions and photos) that shows how the Fire have plenty of fight and grit to spare.
• From the extremely excellent Mercury music issue (on the streets now in more than 500 spots citywide): Americana folkster Justin Townes Earle, son of Steve Earle, spent a couple formative years in Portland before tragically passing from an overdose. Writing some of his last, and best work in our own Laurelhurst neighborhood, Justin is deeply woven into the musical fabric of the Rose City. Rolling Stone senior research editor Jonathan Bernstein just published his new book, What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle, and wrote this beautiful standalone piece on Justin’s Portland years.
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• The ever-litigious Donald Trump is reportedly dropping his “unprecedented” $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS—though it’s currently unclear whether the decision is based on a settlement agreement. Trump sued the IRS because they allegedly failed to stop a former employee from leaking the tax returns of the president and his two sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. The judge in the case previously showed skepticism over the president’s claim, particularly because he was suing an agency that was under his own control. As usual, more will be revealed.
• Today in “EWWWWWWW!”: Thousands of weak-willed Christians gathered on the National Mall this weekend in an event to celebrate America’s upcoming 250th birthday, while praying, singing, and remaining oblivious to the fact that they’ve turned their backs on the true teachings of Christ to worship an orange autocrat with tiny, bruised hands and the cankles of an elephant. Along with sermons from more than a dozen Christian faith leaders, additional hypocritical charlatans such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke to the gullible masses as well. (Quick! Somebody make a Netflix cult documentary about these guys!)
• The judge in the Luigi Mangione murder case—in which the young hottie stands accused of killing a UnitedHealthcare CEO—says he will allow the suspect’s gun and manifesto to be admitted as evidence in the trial. The defense has maintained that the items were obtained by police illegally, and therefore should not be admitted as evidence. However, despite those additions, prosecutors will not be able to include other items Mangione allegedly had on his person, including a loaded magazine, passport, cellphone, wallet, and a computer chip. The state trial is expected to resume in September with a federal trial to kick off in the fall.
• According to a New York Times/Sienna poll published today, the approval rating of President Trump has dipped to an all-time second term low, with 37 percent saying they think Trump is doing a great job, as opposed to the 59 percent who correctly say that the president is a blundering, hateful sack of moldy laundry (I’m paraphrasing a bit). While a majority of Republicans still support Trump, his approval rating is especially terrible within the Black and Hispanic communities. Meanwhile, while Republicans in congress have been buoyed by gerrymandering success in Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Florida, and other dingbat-led states, the same NYT poll indicates that the GOP is trailing Democrats by double digits (50 to 39 percent) on a generic congressional ballot—which is yet another reason to VOTE, VOTE, VOTE in every single election, and that includes ours tomorrow!
• And finally… this parrot is like, “What you gon’ do with all that junk / All that junk inside your trunk?”
