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Good morning, Portland! Expect sunny skies in the mid-80s today. I don’t have much else to say about the weather, so let’s quickly move onto the news.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• So, let’s talk about yesterday’s big explosion: The city obliterated the water tower on top of the Centennial Mills industrial warehouse yesterday afternoon using controlled explosives. The event was the talk of the town, obviously, because it’s exciting when something gets blown up like that. The rest of the Pearl District building—which was destroyed by a fire earlier this month—will be dismantled in the near future. City officials said due to asbestos and lead paint inside the structure, they’re working with other public agencies to ensure asbestos abatement protocols are followed, and airborne hazards are reduced.
• Last night, two people in North Portland were hit by a freight train, killing one of them. We don’t know much else about the situation, except that the two people hit were men (per the Portland Police Bureau’s press release) and the incident is under investigation. The collision occurred near the east side of the BNSF Railway Bridge, by the Fred Meyer in St. Johns.
• What do you know about green jobs? Several Oregon organizations want to make the state (and city of Portland) a hub for efforts to simultaneously address climate change and create well-paying jobs. While the idea of a major, New Deal-style climate and jobs mobilization hasn’t taken off (despite the desperate need for such a program), we do have initiatives like the Portland Clean Energy Fund’s (PCEF) workforce training and contractor development program. PCEF has allocated nearly $50 million to the program, which has trained more than 1,500 people so far, aiming to keep them in good-paying, rewarding careers. At the state level, labor groups have rallied behind Climate Jobs Oregon, launched by several trade unions, the state union building trades council, and the Oregon Labor Federation earlier this year. Climate Jobs Oregon proponents point to a report showing that if Oregon undertook enough infrastructure projects to meet growing energy demands and transition to clean energy by 2040, it would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. Find out more in the Mercury’s climate issue.
• What is there to get up to in Portland this week? As usual, the Mercury has you covered with Do This, Do That. This week’s must-do events include Helado Tropical at Revolution Hall tomorrow, the MADE bike show this weekend, and a sheep-themed bike ride on Saturday. More here!
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• Opening statements begin today in a major trial against Meta Platforms, brought by attorneys general in California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey. (The lawsuit against Meta actually included 29 states—the other 25 will go to trial later.) The states allege the social media giant (which owns Facebook and Instagram) has deliberately addicted children to its platforms, contributing to a growing youth mental health crisis. The lawsuit also argues Meta has violated the law by collecting data on young children without adult permission. The states are seeking a major financial penalty (up to $1.4 TRILLION!), plus major changes at the company. Such a big payout is highly unlikely, but plaintiffs hold out hope for a major sea change. The proceedings are taking place in Oakland, California, and are expected to last six to eight weeks. Yes, we will be hearing testimony from Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeremy Strong will be watching. (The new Social Network movie comes out in October, but depending on what happens at the trial, it’s possible we’ll get a third movie pretty soon.)
• Speaking of media lawsuits, ABC is suing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), alleging the agency has violated the First Amendment by demanding early review of its broadcast licenses. Trump’s FCC, chaired by Brendan Carr, has waged a war against free speech in broadcast news, famously suspending late-night host Jimmy Kimmel last fall after he made a joke about Charlie Kirk. Now, the FCC is trying to review eight ABC licenses well before they’re set to expire. The agency’s demands came shortly after Kimmel made another joke that Trump didn’t like. The lawsuit comes from ABC, parent company Disney, and eight local stations whose licenses are affected. Here’s a striking quote from the suit: “The consequences of the Administration’s campaign against free speech reach well beyond ABC…If the Administration gets its way, the message to every media company in the country will be unmistakable: tell only the stories the Administration deems favorable, or face the coercive machinery of the federal government. In such a world, the press could in no way be described as free.” In this moment, We Are All Disney Adults. (Jk, but I’m on their side for once.)
• There are more primary elections tonight, including in Florida, where voters will decide who will be on the November ballot to replace term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis. Out of all the awful guys out there, DeSantis is among my least favorites, but I have a hard time believing Florida will get someone much better in office (no offense, Floridans). Although, again, anyone might be better than Ron. Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and US Rep. Byron Donalds appear to be leading the Republican pack. Donalds is endorsed by Trump, so we’ll see how much sway the president holds in his adopted home state. On the Democratic side, one of the leading contenders is former Republican US Rep David Jolly. A former Republican may be the closest thing Floridians get to electing a Democrat to statewide office, considering how cursed that place has been for liberals in recent years. I didn’t mean to spend so much time on the Florida race, but I guess I did. Primaries are also taking place in Alaska and Wyoming, and there’s a special election in California, too.
• The actress Hayden Panettiere died Sunday, way too young. Like many who enter the limelight from such an early age, she struggled. I hope we can learn something from this tragedy (for example, be kinder to women and girls!!!) but we have failed to learn from so many similar, untimely deaths in the past.
• Happy Tuesday!!! I hope this video can help carry you through the day.
