This year alone, Portland Police have used force on protesters over 6,000 times.
This year alone, Portland Police have used force on protesters over 6,000 times. Mathieu Lewis-Rolland

Here's your daily roundup of all the latest local and national news. (Like our coverage? Please consider making a recurring contribution to the Mercury to keep it comin'!)

• While today's number of new positive COVID-29 infections is a bit lower than last week's horrific average (781 compared to 1,000-plus), active hospitalizations rocketed up over the weekend with 40 additional people needing critical care since last Friday. (REMINDER: Gov. Kate Brown's newest "freeze"/semi-shutdown begins this Wednesday.)

• Ever get the feeling that our elected leaders are taking a touchy-feely "let's not move too fast" response to the COVID crisis, due to crybaby Republicans who don't mind seeing their loved ones die if they can desperately cling to their failing economy? Rich Smith thinks so too, as he illustrates in this piece.

• WELL, SPEAK OF THE DEVIL (AKA "crybaby Republicans): Over the weekend, newly elected chair of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners Tootie Smith boasted on Facebook that (against the governor's orders) she will be celebrating Thanksgiving with "as many family and friends as I can find." NOTE: No one should ever take the advice of anyone named "Tootie." (Unless it's this "Tootie," of course.)

• SPEAKING OF SIMILAR DEVILS: A few dozen pro-Trump Oregonians marched around in Salem over the weekend to remind everyone that they lost the election. Consider us "reminded!"

• According to this report from our Alex Zielinski, Portland Police used force against protesters this year at least 6,249 times (which is thought to be an underestimation). Shall we compare that number to that of recent years? LET'S! "In comparison, PPB used force against protesters 64 times in 2019, 205 times in 2018, and 162 times in 2017."

• Mayor Ted Wheeler is asking the Portland Police and the director of 911 emergency communications to explain why local cops have been so slow to respond to 911 calls—in the recent past, they've blamed this on policing the nightly protests (most of which didn't need policing at all).

IN NATIONAL NEWS

• PROMISING NEWS: A second coronavirus vaccine, this one produced by Moderna, is showing A LOT of promise and according to testing appears to be 94.5 percent effective. Officials hope to have 20 million doses of each vaccine ready for those who need it most by late December.

• President-elect Biden is warning the Trump administration that they need to start coordinating with his team so no time will be lost in pushing forward the distribution of COVID vaccines, otherwise "more people may die." Look, we know it may look like Trump is doing absolutely nothing right now, but in his defense, there are so many lies and conspiracy theories—and they're not going to spread themselves!

• Cities across the country—including hard-hit Chicago and Philadelphia—are instituting new lockdowns to slow the rapid spread of the virus.

• Meanwhile, in "BIDEN CLEARLY WON THE ELECTION" news, there are these headlines: "Republicans drop election suits in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin." "With Georgia’s recount two-thirds done, local officials report no meaningful changes in results." And "Georgia’s secretary of state says fellow Republicans are pressuring him to find ways to exclude legal ballots."


• This coming Wednesday, November 18, it's the latest I, ANONYMOUS SHOW featuring the wildest anonymous confessions and rants, with hilarious comedy from Amy Miller, Adam Pasi, and Carla Rossi! GET THOSE TICKETS NOW!

• The results are in, and the people have spoken: YOU LOVE GOOD AFTERNOON, NEWS! Never miss a single informative, entertaining post by subscribing HERE.

• The WEATHER REPORT: Scattered showers tomorrow and a high of 53!

• And finally... okay. This is super true.