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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND. Happy Wednesday. Today is set to be the hottest day of the week, with temperatures in the high 80s. Go to the river! Or eat ice cream. (More on that later.)
Let’s get to the news, shall we?
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Governor Tina Kotek has officially called Oregon lawmakers to return to Salem at the end of August for a special legislative session focused on transportation funding. Legislators recently adjourned their regular session without passing a long-anticipated transportation package, leaving the state’s roads, bridges, and transit agencies in a very precarious position. The failure to pass a funding package also meant the Oregon Department of Transportation was planning to lay off hundreds of its workers. Now, those layoffs have been put on hold for the time being, with the expectation that legislators will pass a new funding package soon. What the bill will actually contain—and whether legislators will be able to agree on its details—remains to be seen.
• If you’re craving ice cream (and who isn’t, all the time??), why not try one of Portland’s new scoop shops? I am particularly interested in Black Cat Custard in Old Town, which I’ve been hyped about since I first heard it would be opening—Portland has been in DIRE need of some midwestern style custard. But there are other new options available too, including a new boozy ice cream joint on Mississippi. Check out the Mercury‘s roundup here.
• The Burdoin Fire burning on the north side of the Columbia River Gorge (in Washington) is continuing to grow, measuring in at nearly 11,000 acres as of yesterday. The US Forest Service closed multiple recreation sites in the area as the fire engulfs dozens of homes. But the biggest active fire in the Pacific Northwest (and in the country), the Cram Fire burning in central Oregon northeast of Madras, has grown to nearly 100,000 acres. Firefighters have it about 75 percent contained now, but the fire has done a lot of damage, as most wildfires in our rapidly warming world do.
• The drunk driver who killed beloved librarian and mother Jeanie Diaz two years ago will be responsible for $20.5 million in damages paid to Diaz’s family. Diaz was killed in July 2023 while waiting at a bus stop outside the Belmont Library, where she worked as a children’s librarian. Kevin Scott, the driver responsible, was convicted of drunk driving and criminally negligent homicide, and is currently serving a three-year prison sentence. Now, the case has been taken up in civil court, too. While the money could never be enough to make up for the loss of Diaz’s life, an attorney for the family thanked the jury for their decision and said it sends a strong message.
• So…I saw these two peacocks in the middle of the street yesterday. I love Portland. But please, if these peacocks belong to you, go find them! I am worried they’ll be injured.
I appreciate Portland’s dedication to producing odd and quirky scenes. But I am a little worried about these two peacocks who I just saw chilling in the middle of MLK Blvd.
— Taylor Griggs (@taylorgriggs.bsky.social) July 22, 2025 at 8:53 PM
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• Israel has blocked adequate aid from entering Gaza for months. Now, Palestinians are starving to death en masse, and the most vulnerable people are children. Still, Israel has continued killing Palestinians through military strikes, including by atrociously targeting people waiting to receive aid. The images of starving children and horrified parents are extremely hard to look at, and their stories are tragic to hear. But I urge you not to look away, especially as Israel claims it is “not responsible” for the starvation it has besieged upon the Gaza Strip. Of course Israel is responsible, and the US is too, as our government has continuously provided the funding and support allowing this to happen.
• Ozzy Osbourne died yesterday, just 17 days after playing his final show in the UK. The Black Sabbath singer (also known as the Prince of Darkness) was 76 years old, and fans across the world are in mourning. It’s inspiring to read about Osbourne’s truly working class background, which made his ultimate rise to global stardom improbable. He and his family are also kind of responsible for the rise of today’s reality TV fanaticism, thanks to their hit MTV show The Osbournes. But he can be forgiven for that. RIP, Ozzy!
• As the world burns (literally), it’s good to see people focused on real, important issues. JK. In one example of the complete bullshit going on right now, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively banned transgender women from competing in women’s sports on American teams, citing an executive order from President Trump. This complete non-issue has only served as a testing ground for further mistreatment of trans people, and it’s really a shame to see such capitulation and cowardice in a time of fascism.
• Have a great week! May the proverbial windshield protect you (a proverbial kitten) from the proverbial hawk.
