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Mayor to houseless folk: Happy Thanksgiving... now GET OUT.
Mayor to houseless folk: "Happy Thanksgiving... now GET OUT." Alex Zielinski

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Love just kept me groovin' and he felt me movin', even though we danced apart. LET'S GO TO PRESS.

• Mayor Wheeler's homeless sweep of Laurelhurst Park was completed yesterday, despite the fact that it was performed a) just as winter begins, b) in the middle of a pandemic/economic disaster, and c) without taking into account why certain people are houseless in the first place. But hey! The residents of this wealthy neighborhood got their way... which is the point, right? (And according to Wheeler, more sweeps are on the way.)

• Progressive activists have created a Political Action Committee to recall Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Commissioner Dan Ryan—how come? “Wheeler ran a dirty campaign, violating multiple campaign-finance laws that nearly all of us voted for, and he still couldn't convince a majority of the city he should be mayor," said Athul Acharya, a local civil rights attorney. As for Ryan: “I voted for Dan Ryan because he led me to believe he was a staunch advocate for police reform,” said lawyer Alan Kessler. “After his refusal to vote for Commissioner Hardesty’s budget reduction amendment, I feel betrayed. I want my vote back. I want an apology.” Our Alex Zielinski has more.

• Yesterday marked another record COVID day in Oregon, as the OHA reported that an additional 21 people have died from the virus—breaking the state's single-day record. Hospitalizations are also rising with 18 more than the day before.

• The constant crush of COVID illnesses are driving some Oregon health care workers to leave their frontline positions due to stress and exhaustion.

• Health officials across the Northwest are being pushed out of their jobs as well, thanks to threats from right-wing anti-maskers.

IN NATIONAL NEWS

• As predicted months ago, the winter COVID resurgence is in full swing across the nation, with two million new cases added in the past two weeks. Meanwhile yesterday marked the highest daily death toll since May.

• Still planning to get the extended family together for Thanksgiving? Here's yet another sad story of one family who was being very careful... except for one birthday party that infected 15 people and nearly killed another.

• Amid the new COVID surge, unemployment claims rose for the second straight week across the nation to 778,000.

• Republican Georgia Senate candidate David Perdue learned of the dangers of COVID last January, but instead of warning his constituents, used the opportunity to buy and sell stocks and make himself a pretty pile of cash.

• Senate Republicans—particularly Senate Majority Turtle Mitch McConnell—are being silent about whether they'll confirm or deny Biden's cabinet picks... but since obstruction is the name of their game, we're all pretty sure which way they'll go.

• SAAAAD TROMMMBOOOOONE:

• Following on the heels of Michigan yesterday, Pennsylvania and Nevada have certified their presidential election results and... you guessed it... BIDEN WON, AND TRUMP LOST, LOST, LOST. (I will never get tired of saying that.)

• Embarrassingly, President LOSER tried to take credit for the Dow's historic leap of 30,000 points yesterday, even though everyone knows it was tied to good virus vaccine news and Biden's smart choice of nominee for the Federal Reserve.

• Today in "Birds of a Feather" headlines: "A Trump-boosting sheriff earned White House visits. Now she’s charged with theft."

• Running now through Thurs Dec 10: The brand new "HUMP! Greatest Hits, Vol. 2" featuring the sexiest short flicks from the past 15 years of festivals! (Look, you NEED this. GET THOSE TIX NOW!)

• Now let's suspiciously peer through the blinds at the WEATHER: Expect stormy skies today with rain and hail and a high of 48!

• And finally, GOOD MORNING, BAT WHO'S DANCING TO SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES.