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Good morning, Portland! Today, we can expect clouds and a high of 79 degrees, with high humidity. The days are getting shorter. The sun will set at 8:22 pm, and tonight’s lunar phase is a new moon, if you’re into astronomy. But the real news on that front is today’s total solar eclipse. More on that below!
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• As mentioned, today marks a total solar eclipse, where the moon will briefly block out the sun. Unfortunately, while some parts of the Pacific Northwest will be able to see parts of the eclipse, we aren’t in the path of totality, because nowhere in the US is this time around. That means it will likely be difficult to notice unless you have special viewing equipment. This article, albeit from an East Coast news station, includes a nifty, interactive map toward the bottom that shows which areas might be able to view the eclipse.
• City crews have ordered demolition of the former Centennial Mills site to begin this Friday. Earlier this week, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson declared an emergency, noting the structural integrity of the site is heavily compromised after a fire broke out at the abandoned former mill site Sunday, Aug. 2, leaving it vulnerable to collapse. Officials say debris from the building contains asbestos and lead, and they were initially concerned that the fire may have spread it through the air, posing a major health risk. The city later issued a notice saying there was “low risk” to human health from the air quality following the fire, though the area surrounding the property has been closed off to foot and vehicle traffic since then.
Now though, city leaders are worried about a nearby Union Pacific rail line rumbling the hollowed out structure and causing it to collapse (hence the emergency declaration). The rail company temporarily halted operations for a week, but last weekend it said it would resume normal freight operations starting Monday, which freaked out city leaders. In the meantime, they’ve instructed the property’s owner, Stuart Lindquist, (the same guy who owns the Portland ICE facility) to arrange for the burned out structure and its tower to be safely demolished. It’s unclear exactly how that’s supposed to occur. Lindquist plans to redevelop the site into mixed use housing and retail. A social media post from City Councilor Olivia Clark initially blamed “squatters” for the Centennial Mills fire, even though police and fire investigators have yet to determine the cause of the blaze. Clark later retracted that post and focused her grievances on lengthy city permitting processes and a lack of action on vacant properties.
• The city’s economic development agency, Prosper Portland, is apparently refusing to cough up documents from a review the agency commissioned of its own lending and grant policies. Willamette Week reports the economic and urban development agency is denying the outlet access to what amounts to an external audit performed by an outside law firm, after Prosper gave a questionable $7 million loan to the Made in Old Town project last year, for the purchase of several buildings in Old Town for a proposed sneaker manufacturing hub that never materialized. The project defaulted on its payments soon afterward and the agency had to repossess the buildings. Prosper Portland is claiming the audit documents are attorney-client privilege, because the review was performed by a law firm, despite the fact that Prosper is a public agency whose budget and leadership is ultimately controlled by Portland City Council. It’s common for law firms to conduct specialized audits, investigations, or reviews on behalf of a public agency, but it’s not common for public agencies to shield the results of those reviews from the public. A review paid for by taxpayers of whether an agency used proper diligence and practiced good stewardship of taxpayer money when doling out loans and grants seems to fall squarely within the public’s interest, but, hey, what do I know? I just pay bills.
• What’s for lunch? Probably a tasty $10 burger. What’s for dinner? Honey, it’s Burger Week.
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• More than a million people were left without power as massive storms hit the Midwest Tuesday. At least three people have died, including a young boy in Indiana after a tree fell on his home. Severe storms and fierce winds near Chicago, as well as Portage, Indiana and Columbus, Ohio, have wreaked havoc on homes and knocked out power. In Chicago, three tornadoes were confirmed to have hit the area, bringing winds of over 85 miles per hour. In Indiana, video footage shows train cars rolling off the tracks in severe winds, with at least one car being lifted off the freeway. Authorities in at least two states have declared a state of emergency in response to the storms.
• Russia voluntarily released an American citizen Tuesday that had been held in custody for the past four years in deteriorating conditions that left him hospitalized. Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old teacher and former Marine from Massachusetts, was returned to the US after President Donald Trump had a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin reportedly agreed to release Gilman with no strings attached–the US was not asked to release any Russians held in custody for alleged crimes here. US Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts was also instrumental in pushing for the US to intervene and get Gilman out of Russia.
According to Associated Press reporting, Gilman was detained in 2022 “on charges of beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance.”
Gilman was convicted and sentenced to three and a half years, but was later convicted of attacking a prison inspector during a cell check, and “beating an investigator and assaulting a guard,” according to the AP. In October 2024, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. His sentence was later extended in December to 10 years after he was found guilty of assaulting prison guards. Gilman’s father disputes the charges and the US State Department alleges Gilman was wrongfully detained to begin with.
• Tuesday night’s primaries led to some progressive upsets, and just left others upset. In Wisconsin, voters ultimately chose a more moderate Dem in a closely-watched race for the Democratic nominee for governor. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, was expected to pull off a win but was ultimately bested by her more centrist competitor, David Crowley. But in Minnesota, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan clinched a win for the Democrat party’s nominee for Senate, continuing a wave of more progressive nominees that have swept the primaries leading up to this year’s midterms. In South Carolina, Senator Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, will advance to a runoff where she’ll challenge Republican Rep. Ralph Norman. Graham has been in the Senate a whopping 28 days after Trump picked her to replace her brother.
• The identities of the jurors in the murder trial for Luigi Mangione will be anonymous, over fears they could be subject to harassment, intimidation or other outside influence. Prosecutors and defense lawyers already had a hard time finding jurors who could objectively serve, noting many were too sympathetic toward Mangione. Now, a judge in the trial has determined that only the lawyers in the case will have access to the jurors’ names and addresses. Jury selection is set to begin September 8 in New York.
That’s it for today. Remember to ignore the haters, frolic about, be kind, and stay weird.
