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Good morning, Portland! We’re looking at rather reasonable weather today—temps are expected to hit the low 70s later this afternoon after a cloudy morning. Prayers up for a little rain later this week. Let’s get to the news.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Portland anti-war activists are sounding the alarm on the local company, Sightline Intelligence, that appears to be supplying AI tech that the Israeli military uses for drone strikes. Those who object to the tech want to make sure the city isn’t giving any resources or tax breaks to the company, and are ultimately hoping to block the company from selling its tech to the Israeli military altogether. As Councilor Angelita Morillo—one of the Portland City Council members who took a symbolic pledge last year to investigate any local manufacturing of weapons used by Israel’s military—said, this is an issue that impacts people everywhere: “AI target recognition technologies might be built and tested abroad, but they always end up at our doorstep. The same class of tools implicated in human rights violations against civilians in Gaza and protesters can be turned on Portlanders.” Check out the full story, written by our Jeremiah Hayden and co-published with The Guardian, here.
• Oregon ethics officials found Portland City Council’s progressive caucus (known as “Peacock”) did not violate public meetings law during a private retreat last summer. The state has been investigating complaints against Peacock members who were accused of violating quorum rules when they met as a six-person group last summer. But investigators are recommending the Oregon Government Ethics Commission drop the case, which was brought by former City Council candidate Ciatta Thompson. According to the investigation, the councilors spent the retreat discussing their interpersonal relationships, and not official city business.
• Some local cops and prosecutors seem intent on using Saturday’s Multnomah Athletic Club attack as an example of why Oregon officials need to be allowed to commit people in psychiatric facilities against their will. The MAC bombing was carried out by a Portland man named Bruce Whitman, who is a former employee of the facility who appears to have a documented history of mental illness and seemed fixated on the MAC as the central target of his ire. Earlier this year, police used a “red flag” law to force Whitman to surrender two guns, but that was evidently not enough. It’s hard to know what to make of situations like this, but one thing is certain—these kinds of extreme acts are very rare. The vast majority of people suffering from mental illness pose no risk to others, so it’s understandable that many fear the idea they could face long-term lock-up in a psychiatric hospital without their consent.
• In the least surprising news ever, Portland’s elk statue is endangered yet again because the city allowed car traffic to move past it on a narrow street. Close the street! Let the elk fountain live!
• Portland’s beautiful parks are made more magical with the help of Johnny and Dom Franco, the Brazilian brothers (and beloved local musical artists) behind the nonprofit Curbside Serenade. Find out more about the duo, and the free performances they’ll be giving all over the city this summer, in the Mercury.
• There is a lot happening this week! Find out about all of it—from the St. Johns Bizarre to women’s basketball to electronic music from Cabaret Voltaire and Colleen—in this week’s edition of Do This, Do That.
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• The Met Gala took place last night. While celebrities and other members of the elite class strode about in their fineries (some of the fashion was, indeed, very fine, while others were dressed, um, fine), not everyone was pleased with the opulent display of wealth. Adding insult to injury was Jeff Bezos’ oh-so-generous sponsorship of the event, and the Met Gala’s seeming embrace of Bezos and Amazon in return. Protesters demonstrated outside the event, including some who put on a fashion show of their own. Labor activists projected videos of Amazon warehouse workers onto Bezos’ NYC penthouse, pointing out how the workers (who are so often subject to brutal and inhumane conditions on the warehouse floors) are the reason Bezos can afford to donate $10 million to a ritzy gala. Amazon Labor Union co-founder Chris Smalls was reportedly arrested for sneaking into the event. Meanwhile, Bezos didn’t walk the carpet, apparently fearing backlash, and left his tacky wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos to underwhelm and deal with the haters alone. It was a busy night, it seems.
• Rudy Giuliani is still in the hospital battling a severe case of pneumonia. Reports indicate he is in critical—but stable—condition. A spokesperson said he has long-term lung problems stemming from the fact that he was in lower Manhattan during 9/11, making the respiratory illness worse.
• Turns out, nobody wants to travel to the US for the World Cup, which is being held across 11 US cities this summer (along with cities in Canada and Mexico). Well, “nobody” is a slight exaggeration, but some US-host cities (particularly Kansas City) are seeing significantly fewer hotel bookings than expected during the time of the event, which starts in about six weeks. It seems that FIFA, the organizers of the World Cup, have cancelled events at the last-minute and caused confusion, while the United States is generally not a really great place for people to travel to at the moment. Womp womp.
• The Supreme Court is permitting Republican leaders to interfere in ongoing primary elections in red states as a result of last week’s redistricting decision. (As Justice Jackson said: The Court’s decision has “spawned chaos in the state of Louisiana,” where primary elections were scheduled to take place on May 16, but are now suspended until the state redraws its electoral maps.) Voters, especially Black voters, will have their rights trampled and see much less representation as a result of this court decision. Check out the difference between Justice Alito and Justice Jackson’s court statements on the matter.
• Great!
• Who knew rhinos were so cute? XOXOXO
