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In local news:
â˘Â The last of our Pride essays have arrived! Make sure to check out Elanor Brokerâs piece on the experience of watching a wave of anti-Trans legislation flood the country from inside Oregonâs progressive bubble, as well as Dahlia Belleâs guideâand revisionâof LGBTQ+ labels.
In this installment of the Mercury's pride guide "Queer Beginnings," the brilliant/delightful @MxDahliaBelle suggests that it's time to reassess the labels we give ourselves in the LGBTQ community.https://t.co/T5H9FogbE4
â Portland Mercury đ (@portlandmercury) June 18, 2021
â˘Â An Oregon man pled guilty to stealing $3.5 million in Coronavirus financial aid under the CARES Act. The man used several fraudulent business names and other peopleâs identities to apply for financial support, which he then invested in stocks. By the time his accounts were seized, his investments were worth over $11 million.
â˘Â Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Congressman Earl Blumenauer sent a letter to Governor Brown yesterday offering to secure federal funding for the Rose Quarter Interstate 5 expansion projectâbut only if the project includes the highly contested freeway caps. Albina Vision Trust, an organization that has been advocating for the inclusion of the freeway covers, is âdelightedâ by the support, while the Oregon Department of Transportation says including the caps is more complicated than just finding the funding.
â˘Â The Proud Boys are holding a âvoter registrationâ drive in Oregon City this afternoon. As of 4 pm, counter protesters have showed up and Oregon City police have declared a riot:
Oregon City police declare riot just now
Chaotic battle as proud boys, antifa clash near Portland pic.twitter.com/XuS5I2cP5j
â Zane Sparling (@PDXzane) June 18, 2021
â˘Â City leaders in Lake Oswego and Tigard have asked residents to reduce their use of water due to a chlorine shortage, which is used in small doses to prevent bacteria growth in drinking water. The shortageâwhich is occurring all over the stateâis due to a power outage at a Westlake chemical facility, which is Oregonâs primary chlorine provider. Oregonâs water is currently safe to drink and residents will be notified if the status of the drinking water changes.
â˘Â Itâs Friday, so you know what time it is: PDX POP QUIZ time! Step right up and prove your superior intellect (or at least your ability to remember the news from this week)!
In national news:
â˘Â President Biden has cancelled nearly $3 billion in student loan debt since taking office. That means that Biden has cancelled⌠*squints at calculator* 0.17 percent of Americans' student loan debt. Woohoo!
â˘Â For all you jet setters out there: The European Union has opened its borders to Americans. But, each individual country can set its own regulations when it comes to tourists, so make sure you do your research before buying your plane ticket.
â˘Â With the help of secondhand shopping apps like Depop, the youth have turned thrifting into a $28 billion industry:
The hunt for something unique has transformed thrifting into a viable, $28 billion industry that is expected to eclipse fast fashion by 2029. https://t.co/3Xb5oO8Ryq
â NPR (@NPR) June 18, 2021
â˘Â The coelacanthâa âpeople-sized fishâ from dinosaur timesâcan live for 100 years, scientists have found. The fish has been nicknamed the âliving-fossilâ because it growsâand movesâso slowly. Feel free to toss that fun fact around at your next party!
â˘Â From the makers of HUMP! and SPLIFF comes a new film fest that features short documentaries made by YOU! It's called SCOOP! and you can find out more about it here.
â˘Â And finally, my thoughts go out to the HBO intern who accidentally sent out an integration test email to a portion of HBO Max subscribers. It happens to the best of us.
We mistakenly sent out an empty test email to a portion of our HBO Max mailing list this evening. We apologize for the inconvenience, and as the jokes pile in, yes, it was the intern. No, really. And weâre helping them through it. â¤ď¸
â HBOMaxHelp (@HBOMaxHelp) June 18, 2021